What do we know about the seraphim?674

The word “seraphim” is the plural of the word “seraph” which means “aflame with fire,” for they reflect the divine light that shines upon them. Being the highest among the heavenly hosts, they continuously praise and glorify God who is all-holy, all-perfect, just, merciful, and wise. This rank calls the whole creation to continuously draw near to the Holy One, through a life of holiness, praise, and joy (Isa. 6:3).

Here, we see the role hymns play in the Church in enabling us to imitate the seraphim and strive to encounter the Holy One and enjoy fellowship with Him, that we might come to bear the righteousness of Christ within us with thanksgiving and joy over God’s work in us and in the whole creation.

One of the seraphim took a coal from the heavenly altar with tongs (Isa. 6:6) and touched Isaiah’s lips with it so that the prophet would be purified and qualified to bear witness to the Lord. This flaming coal resembles the Body of Christ of which we partake in the eucharist to inflame our inner being with the fire of the divine love, and so that we become like the angels who burn with the fire of the love of God and of desire for the salvation of the world. These flaming servants strongly desire us to be illuminated by the Holy One, so that our hearts may be inflamed with holy fire that abolishes every darkness within us, and that we

672 See “The Prayers of Sarapion” (of Thmuis) in R. C. D Jasper and Cuming, G. J., Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed (Collegeville Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1990): p. 77.

673 See St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (ANF 1). 674

See Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Malaty, The Book of Isaiah , trans., George Botros, Nora El-Agamy (Orange California: Coptic Orthodox Christian Center, 2002) Chapter 6.

may be granted enlightenment, knowledge of the divine mysteries, wisdom from above, permanent steadfastness, and continuous growth in our resemblance to God.⁶⁷⁵

Isaiah saw the seraphim (Isa. 6:1) in the year that King Uzziah died, who had reigned over Judah for fifty-two years, since he was just sixteen years old. During his reign, he did what was right in the eyes of God and was successful in all that he did. But when he became great, he fell into pride and wanted to offer incense to the Lord on the altar of incense himself. As a result, he was struck with leprosy when he was in the temple and the priests expelled him. He was isolated in a house far from the palace until the day of his death (2 Chron. 26:16– 21).

Isaiah was deeply saddened by the fall of King Uzziah in his last days. When the prophet looked at the people, he saw them scattered like sheep without a shepherd, for their king had become unclean and unable to carry out his royal functions. Isaiah realized that the people were in need of heavenly care because no human being could satisfy their needs, as the Psalmist says: “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man … his spirit departs, he returns to his earth” (Ps. 146:3–4). Amid this bitterness, the Lord showed this vision to Isaiah to comfort him. The vision most probably took place in the temple at a time when the prophet Isaiah was alone in private worship and was crying out to God to care for His people.

The Lord appeared to him sitting on a high and elevated throne, to assure him that He is the heavenly Shepherd, and that His thoughts are above human thoughts and His ways are above human ways. St. John Chrysostom says, “They cried to one another and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of armies … He shows us that, although this vision was only a shadow, an act of condescension, yet the celestial powers themselves were incapable of rising to that height of God which was lowering. For if they hid their feet and their backs, it was because they were frightened, that they dreaded splendor, that they could not endure the brilliancy which issued from the throne. So they made themselves as a bulwark of their wings to darken the brilliance of this vision; they felt what we feel when thunder roars and lightning shines, and we bend down to the earth. Now, if the seraphim, these great and admirable powers, could not look with trembling God sitting and seated on a throne, if they hid the face and the feet, who will say the madness of those who boast to know perfectly God, who make curious inquiries on this immortal nature? They claim that they can see Him clearly without any limitation!”⁶⁷⁶

And St. John Chrysostom continues: “Indeed God, even to those hosts, is imperceivable and unapproachable, yet He condescends to appear in the way described in the vision … God who is not limited by place; but by His love for us, appears sitting on a throne, surrounded by heavenly hosts.”⁶⁷⁷

675 Cf. “The Celestial Hierarchy” in Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works , trans., C. Luibheid (Paulist Press, 1987) Chapter 8.

676 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Isaiah 2.2–3, trans., John Litteral.

677 Cf. Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, St. John Chrysostom (Arabic), (1988): p. 299.

Again, he says, “The visions seen by the prophets are never visions of God’s very essence, for if they had seen His essence, they would not have seen Him in different forms. He is simple, without form or body and He does not sit, stand up, or walk.”⁶⁷⁸

When the servant beholds the service of the angels, he is comforted by knowing that the troubles and weaknesses of the Church will certainly come to an end one day and she will praise together with the heavenly hosts eternally. Here, the Church is an icon of heaven, enjoying a taste of this heavenly service. In a certain homily in Coptic, the Church is defined as “A place of consolation, a place of meeting of angels, and a place of the cherubim and the seraphim.”⁶⁷⁹ It is said that St. Pachomius would see the church filled with angels.

The work of every servant or prophet in the Church is to attract every soul to the Lord, that it may become a throne where He can dwell and establish His inner kingdom, till it becomes like a heavenly seraph, burning like fire. Each seraph has six wings: with two he covers his face as a sign of the fear of God, since he cannot comprehend the fullness of divine brilliance; and with two he covers his feet as a sign of modesty; and with two he flies, soaring in the heavens. While the cherubim carry the divine throne, the seraphim flutter around the throne, crying to one another, declaring that God is “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and that His glory fills all the earth (Isa. 6:3).

Some people believe that the seraphim proclaim the holiness of God in order to draw the minds of human beings towards taking their own holiness seriously, so they may be able to draw closer to the One who is Himself Holy. The believer is called to follow the example of the prophet Isaiah, who accepted the live coal from the altar of God, brought to him by a seraph with tongs, with which he touched his lips and purged his sins (Isa. 6:6–7).