Although the word “holy”  appears more than 600 times in the Bible, there are only two times that it appears three times in succession.

 The first is in Isaiah 6:1-4

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 

The second is in Revelation 4:6-8

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Revelation 4:1-2

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:4-8

Several things I learned as I researched the word “Holy”:  The Hebrew word that is translated as holy is Kodesh which means “separate” or “set apart” and describes the nature and identity of God. 

By using it three times in succession, attention is called to the significance of showing  God as the most holy being and that he is worthy to be worshiped.  Other translations that are used are, “unique”, “wholly separate”, “awesome” and “unfathomable”.  And it is a way to emphasize the “power of perfection” and “preeminence” of the Triune God as worthy of praise and worship.

As I have pondered and researched various aspects of the above scriptures, these questions come to mind: 

  • What must it have been like for John to hear and see all that was shown and revealed to him? How He must have prayed and perhaps wept as he wrote to the seven Churches. 

 And, according to John’s salutation: 

“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth….” Revelation 1:4-5 [Emphasis added.]

I wonder if all seven churches received the same letter and thereby knew what had been said to each of the other churches? I think that they might have, not for comparison with each other, but because of the privilege they could have had reading the whole of The Revelation of Jesus Christ as we can in our present time — so that we all will be drawn closer to Jesus and “See him more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more nearly day by day.” [Prayer by Richard of Chichester paraphrased by me.] 

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.  Revelation1:3

I recommend reading aloud to yourself the first 5 chapters of Revelation as a practice, because hearing your own voice say the words can be an encouragement and a blessing.

by Carolyn Schmitt

 

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