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b'SERVICE VIDEO (link)TEXT: Isaiah 6:1-7\\n\\n\\n\\nDo you remember \\u201cRaiders of the Lost Ark?\\u201d It was an exciting movie about Indiana Jones, a professor/archaeologist who spend his time away from class going to remote parts of the world to unearth or rescue ancient artifacts. One of these was the biblical Ark of the Covenant, which had not been seen for over one thousand years. Even secular Indiana Jones knew better than to open the Ark where the presence of God once resided. Near the end of the movie, the \\u201cbad guys\\u201d open the Ark, and the special effects kick in to try to portray the power and holiness of God sweeping through the place. It is at once beautiful and terrible as unbelievers gaze on at the face of a God they are not worthy of beholding. I remember seeing that scene as a young teenager and my heart almost pounding out of my chest. But as spectacular (and only somewhat biblical) as that was, it doesn\\u2019t even come close to what Isaiah saw in his vision of God!\\n\\n\\n\\nFirst, Isaiah saw a great throne \\u2013 high and lifted up. It was not only literally elevated, but figuratively \\u201clofty.\\u201d In other words, it was the most magnificent throne you could imagine. And it was located within a great temple. And the Lord God, who was sitting on this great throne wore a massive robe with a train that filled the expanse of the temple. In this vision, God doesn\\u2019t say or do anything until later, when He speaks to Isaiah. In verses 1-4, though, the action comes from great angelic beings called seraphim. Each seraph had six wings, with two covering the face, two covering the feet, and two for flying. I don\\u2019t know how well you can picture such a thing, but it doesn\\u2019t sound beautiful; it sounds terrifying. And when one seraph called out to the other, the foundations shook and smoke filled the place. Never mind the presence of God for a moment; these beings were terrifying! Imagine the powerful sound of a jet engine if you\\u2019ve ever had to walk across the runway to climb the stairs to a plane. Their mighty voices made the place shake and smoke. Yet these powerful creatures also covered their eyes and feet with other wings out of complete deference to the Lord they served. Even they would not dare to look casually or openly at the great Lord on His throne. Rather, they proclaimed the song that is the song of Heaven (cf. Revelation):\\n\\n\\n\\n\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The whole earth is full of His glory.\\n\\n\\n\\nAnd truly, that is the point of this vision. The point is not in the details about the setting or sequence. This vision is not supposed to answer questions like:\\n\\n\\n\\n\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Does God sit on a throne all the time?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How big is God\\u2019s robe?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 What is the exact nature of angels or seraphim?\\n\\n\\n\\nThe point of this vision \\u2013 of Isaiah\\u2019s seeing the Lord \\u2013 is to describe and cause Israel to consider the HOLINESS of God (and their own sinfulness). It serves the same purpose for us. God is holy; where do we stand in relation to a holy God?\\n\\n\\n\\nWhat is Holiness?\\n\\n\\n\\nIt is pretty plain from Isaiah\\u2019s vision that God is holy. But what does that mean?\\n\\n\\n\\nHoly means being \\u201cset apart\\u201d or \\u201cdistinct.\\u201d Though the Bible can talk of us being created in God\\u2019s image, God is clearly something other than a human being or a limited, finite creature. And when the heavenly creatures declare God to be \\u201cHoly, Holy, Holy\\u201d it means that God is perfectly and ultimately set apart \\u2013 that is what it means to be, not only a god, but THE only God.\\n\\n\\n\\nGod\\u2019s holiness is like the heat of the sun. And that is an apt analogy, for God\\u2019s holiness is said to shine or radiate with \\u201cglory.\\u201d To suggest that God simply lay that holiness aside to ignore the world\\u2019s sin and darkness is like suggesting that the sun continue to be the sun without its heat and light. If that were the case, the sun would no longer shine and no longer be our source of light and heat. We would all die!\\n\\n\\n\\nFurther, to suggest that we can casually come into th'