For many years King Uzziah ruled wisely over Judah and Benjamin. He rebuilt and fortified cities, and the riches of the nations flowed into Jerusalem. Uzziah’s fame “spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.” 2 Chronicles 26:15.2TC 153.2

Spiritual power, however, did not accompany the outward prosperity. The temple services continued, and multitudes assembled to worship the living God, but pride and formality took the place of humility and sincerity. Of Uzziah the Bible says, “When he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God.” Verse 16. In violation of the Lord’s plain command, the king entered the sanctuary “to burn incense on the altar.” Azariah the high priest and his associates rebuked him: “You have trespassed!” they told him. “You shall have no honor from the Lord God.” Verses 16, 18.2TC 153.3

Uzziah was filled with anger over being reproved. But he was not permitted to profane the sanctuary against the united protest of those in authority. While standing there in hot rebellion, he was stricken with leprosy. To the day of his death he remained a leper, a textbook example of the folly of departing from a plain “Thus says the Lord.” He could plead neither his position nor his long service as an excuse for the presumptuous sin that brought the judgment of Heaven on him. God shows no partiality. See Numbers 15:30.2TC 154.1

Uzziah’s son Jotham ascended to the throne after his father’s death. “He did what was right in the sight of the Lord; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. However the high places were not removed.” 2 Kings 15:34, 35.2TC 154.2

The reign of Uzziah was drawing to a close when Isaiah, a young man of the royal line, was called to the prophetic role. He was to witness the invasion of Judah by the armies of Israel and Syria; he was to see the Assyrian armies camped before the chief cities of the kingdom. Samaria was to fall, and the ten tribes were to be scattered among the nations. Judah was to be invaded by Assyrian armies and Jerusalem suffer a siege that would have resulted in her downfall if God had not miraculously intervened. The divine protection was being removed, and Assyrian forces were about to overrun Judah.2TC 154.3

Isaiah Sent When God’s Plans Seemed to Be Failing

But the dangers from outside were not as serious as the dangers from within. By their apostasy and rebellion the people who should have been light bearers among the nations were inviting the judgments of God. Many of the evils of the northern kingdom, which Hosea and Amos had denounced, were fast corrupting Judah. In their desire for wealth, many people were adding house to house and field to field. See Isaiah 5:8. They perverted justice and showed no pity to the poor. God declared, “The plunder of the poor is in your houses.” Isaiah 3:14. Even magistrates turned a deaf ear to the cries of the poor, the widows, and the fatherless. See Isaiah 10:1, 2.2TC 154.4

With wealth came love of display, drunkenness, and revelry. See Isaiah 2:11, 12; 3:16, 18-23; 5:22, 11, 12. And idol worship itself no longer provoked surprise. See Isaiah 2:8, 9. The few who remained true to God were tempted to despair. It seemed as if God’s plan for Israel was about to fail.2TC 155.1

It is not surprising that when Isaiah was called to bear God’s messages of reproof, he shrank from the responsibility. He knew he would meet resistance. As he thought of the stubbornness and unbelief of the people, his task seemed hopeless. Should he in despair leave Judah undisturbed to their idol worship? Were the gods of Nineveh to rule the earth in defiance of the God of heaven?2TC 155.2

Such thoughts as these were crowding through Isaiah’s mind as he stood under the portico of the temple. Suddenly there rose up before him a vision of the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up, while “the hem of His robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1, NRSV. On each side of the throne the angels united in the solemn invocation, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” until pillar and cedar gate seemed shaken with the sound, and the house was filled with praise. Isaiah 6:3.2TC 155.3

Isaiah was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s purity and holiness. “Woe is me!” he cried, “for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Verse 5. He realized that if left to his own inefficiency, he would be utterly unable to accomplish the mission to which God had called him. But an angel placed a glowing coal from the altar on his lips with the words, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” Then the voice of God was heard saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” and Isaiah responded, “Here am I! Send me.” Verse 7, 8.2TC 155.4

Final Success Assured

The prophet’s duty was plain—he was to lift his voice against the prevailing evils. But he dreaded to undertake the work without some assurance of hope. “Lord, how long?” he inquired. Verse 11. Are none of Your chosen people ever to repent and be healed?2TC 156.1

His mission was not to be completely fruitless, yet the evils that had been multiplying for generations could not be removed in his day. He must be a patient, courageous teacher—a prophet of hope as well as of doom. A remnant would be saved. To bring this about, he was to deliver messages of pleading to the rebellious nation.2TC 156.2

The ten tribes of the northern kingdom were soon to be scattered among the nations. The destroying armies of hostile nations were to sweep over the land again and again. Even Jerusalem was finally to fall and Judah to be carried away captive. Yet the Promised Land was not to remain forsaken forever. The assurance of the heavenly messenger to Isaiah was:2TC 156.3

“A tenth will be in it,
And will return and be for consuming,
As a terebinth tree or as an oak,
Whose stump remains when it is cut down,
So the holy seed shall be its stump.” Verse 132TC 156.4

This assurance brought courage to Isaiah. He had seen the King, the Lord of hosts. He had heard the song of the seraphim, “The whole earth is full of His glory!” Verse 3. He had the promise that the convicting power of the Holy Spirit would accompany the messages of Jehovah, and the prophet was braced for the work before him. Throughout his long, difficult mission he carried the memory of this vision. For sixty years or more he stood as a prophet of hope, predicting the future triumph of the church.2TC 156.5

A Nation “Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge”

Isaiah’s Message: “Behold Your God!”