And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts [Sabbaoth].” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.” (Isaiah 6:4–7)

Inanimate objects in the LORD’s presence “trembled” when He spoke. Unlike Uzziah’s false confidence, maybe even swagger, the “thresholds” (also translated “doorposts” or “door sockets” as in the NIV) move at the LORD’s voice. The sound and light show exceeded anything modern computer animation could ever attempt. One of the most revered men in biblical history began to quiver with the awful response, “Woe is me, for I am ruined.” The Hebrew word has a sense of causing to cease to exist. Isaiah felt himself disintegrating.

The absolute discord was immediately and intuitively obvious. Isaiah’s reaction was not a logical deduction, nor was it simply a moral conclusion he came to after some time of reflection. It was more like two magnets that repel each other. Imagine the repelling force between the two beings so great that the force itself destroys the lesser magnet. This was Isaiah’s reality when he said, “I am ruined.” Holiness and sinfulness simply cannot abide peacefully together. That which is unholy will be destroyed by the holiness of God.

Nothing shows the sinfulness of a human being more than exposure to God’s holiness, and Isaiah felt this deeply. This notion is not subject to the mental cud-chewing of philosophers or ivory-tower theologians. It will be the horror of those who are lost in their sin when they stand before God, as described by the apostle John: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away … and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne …” (Rev 20:11-12).

Better to come before the throne of Yahweh Sabbaoth, the LORD of Hosts, now—willingly—rather than wait for the final judgment. The only way to do that is God’s way. God provided for Isaiah. His problem was “unclean lips,” for which the angel touched his lips with a burning, hot coal, picturing that his sins were forgiven. Today, we can come before our holy God’s throne because God sent His Son to be our burnt offering, that is, to take away our sin.

LORD Sabbaoth, You are so absolutely holy, and You have prepared me to come into Your presence by taking my sins away. What more could I ask?