The throne (1). If all you do is look at the sins of the land, you will end up very discouraged. Do as the prophet did: lift your eyes higher and get a new vision of the throne of God (Jer. 17:12).
The fire (2–17). Coals from the altar brought cleansing to Isaiah (Isa. 6:6–7), but they brought judgment to Jerusalem. The altar is the place where sin is atoned for because sin is judged. Had the nation sought God’s mercy and obeyed His Word, the coals would have brought cleansing. Yet even in the midst of terrible judgment, God’s “wheels” were still turning and His purposes being worked out in the world.
The glory (18–22). God will not share His glory with idols (Isa. 42:8); therefore, He had to abandon His house. His glory moved to the door of the east gate, poised to move again (11:22–23). If the nation would not glorify God in their obedience, they would glorify Him in judgment.
The Fullness of the Spirit
In Old Testament times, the Spirit came upon people temporarily for special reasons, but Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would stay with His church forever (John 14:16). God took His Spirit from King Saul (1 Sam. 16:14), and David prayed that the Spirit would not depart from him (Ps. 51:11). Our prayer must be that we not grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:30), lie to the Spirit (Acts 5), or quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19) but have the Spirit’s fullness for life and service each day (Eph. 5:18ff.).
