1626. Uzziah's Crumbling Throne

Uzziah's Crumbling Throne

"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the Temple" (Isa_6:1).

A casual reading of the first clause of this verse would mean no more than a time setting, or else a mere historical statement of King Uzziah's death.

The Holy Spirit is not endeavoring to tell us that Isaiah had a vision in a certain year, but that Isaiah had two visions. The emphasis should be placed upon the little word also.

Isaiah saw two things. He saw Uzziah's death, he saw also the Lord's living glory; he saw Uzziah's throne crumbling, he saw the Lord's throne high and lifted up.

1. Uzziah's glory. King Uzziah had been one of Israel's outstanding monarchs. He began reigning in his sixteenth year, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem.

Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem to fortify the walls. He had a host of fighting men under whose hands he obtained many victories over the enemy.

His name was spread far abroad, for he was marvelously helped and was strong.

When Uzziah reached the height of his glory, in his sixty-sixth year, he transgressed against the Lord, his God, and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense. Uzziah purposed in his heart to be priest as well as king, whereas the Lord had consecrated the sons of Aaron as priests.

Azariah accompanied by fourscore priests sought to hinder Uzziah; but Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense. Then the Lord smote him with leprosy in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly; yea, he himself hastened out, and Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death.

2. Uzziah's overthrow, and its effect upon Isaiah. Isaiah must have been greatly moved by the marvelous glory of Uzziah's kingdom. When, therefore, he heard what Uzziah had done, and how he had become a leper, and how his son judged in his stead, he was greatly overwhelmed.

He saw in this overthrow of Uzziah the crumbling throne of Israel.

3. The crumbling thrones of earth. The Prophet Daniel saw a great vision of world kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

There was the head of gold, the chest of silver, the torso of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet of mingled iron and clay. Daniel saw until a little Stone, cut without hands, rolled down the mountain side, and smote the image, sweeping it away like chaff of the summer threshing-floor.

Daniel saw until the Stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

The day is coming when, under the reign of the antichrist, and the ten kings, a kingdom of glory shall startle the whole world. This tenfold kingdom shall be utterly overthrown and broken to pieces.

The overthrow of Uzziah and his throne is a picture, and we might say a type, of the overthrow of earth kingdoms and their glory.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR