Burning Ones

This is a little post I did a while back for WSM Online:

In looking at the pictures we have in the scriptures of the throne room, we see a recurring aspect of ministry before God.  In Isaiah chapter 6, the prophet has a powerful encounter in the heavenly throne room.  Isaiah describes angelic creatures standing each having six wings (Is. 6:2).  They called out to one another declaring the holiness of the Lord (Is. 6:3).  We find out from John that Isaiah was having a vision of Jesus (Jn. 12:41); YAHWEH of the armies of heaven.  The name, Seraphim literally means “burning ones.”

When we jump forward to the New Testament, we see a similar scene in Revelation chapter 4; this one of the Father.  I believe we see the same creatures again (Commentators have differing opinions on if the four living creatures are Seraphim) (Rev. 4:8).  These ones are declaring the utter transcendence of God.  In saying He is holy, they are not just talking about purity and sinlessness, but they are saying, “We’ve never seen anyone or anything like Him!  He is completely other-than!”  From the descriptions in both these chapters, these creatures look pretty weird.  Imagine seeing something completely covered with eyes and six wings.  Why would God make such a weird looking creature to stand before Him day and night?  These angels stand right before the throne and gaze on the glory of God.  Imagine their eyes opening and taking in the glory and fire and vision of God, and then they shut their eyes, fall down and cry out, “HOLY!”  The power and majesty overwhelms them.

Why are they called burning ones?  What is their function?  It seems strange that God would create these to be directly before Him, when He, as Creator, had the choice to make anything to be before Him in His throne room.  When you look at the passages describing encounters with God or of His throne, you see fire & smoke (Ex. 24:18; Is. 6:4; Ezek. 1:27; Dan. 7:9-10; Rev. 4:3-5; 15:2).  Why?- He is fire (Deut. 4:24).  By gazing upon the throne, the Seraphim become burning ones- set ablaze with the very glory and revelation of God.  Their function is to release the witness of the beauty and majesty God to the rest of the throne room.  They are specially designed to plummet the depths of God, by gazing, and then declare it to one another (Is. 6:3) and by doing so, bring all those in the throne room into the revelation they receive.  (If you’ve been to IHOP-AC and have seen us singing prayers or scriptures with singers going back and forth- this is where we get this picture in the scriptures- called responsive or antiphonal singing).

The Seraphim perceive the beauty of God, receive it (burning), and declare it.  I believe they are a picture of forerunner messengers.  Forerunners continually behold and perceive the beauty of God by the spirit of revelation (Eph. 1:17).  Secondly, they receive it, by allowing it to become a part of them resulting in wholeheartedness (Isaiah calls this “spirit of burning” – Is. 4:4).  Finally, that which they burn with, through the process of perceiving and becoming a part of them, they proclaim with power and authority- the release the witness of God to provoke worship- to the saved and unsaved.

We were made to be burning ones- even more so than these- because we have been granted things into which angels long to look- 1 Pet. 1:12- even the Seraphim.