The Seraphim

Part 3
Author: BJ Isaacs

The seraphim angel are one kind of angel of God. In terms of what they look like, there are different kinds of angels. God is not boring. Just as there are a great variety of human beings, so there are a variety of angels according to their appearance and ministry. Let us look at the physical description of the seraphim and then secondly, the different aspects of the seraphim angel's ministry.

Description of Winged Seraphim

Isaiah 6 gives a description of some angels called "Seraphim." This chapter is the only place in all of the scriptures where seraphim are mentioned. Therefore, this is the only description of what they look like and what they do. Seraphim have six wings that are three pairs. Isaiah the prophet is the only prophet to have ever described them. He describes them this way. In Isaiah 6:2 he says, "Each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly." We also know from a verse later on in this chapter that Seraphim do have hands. Isaiah 6:6 states "Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar." We also know that Seraphim have a voice that can be heard if God permits us to hear their cry. Isaiah heard them crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts (Yahweh Shabuoth); the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3). Since the Seraphim have their faces covered in this passage, there is no way for us to know what their faces looked like. I have wondered why the faces of the Seraphim were covered? I think the covering of the faces of the Seraphim has more to do with Isaiah's benefit than for the seraphim's benefit. Allow me to explain. From this passage we know that the seraphim are somehow connected to the holiness of God. No living creature can spend time in the presence of the HOLINESS of GOD without it having some kind of an effect upon him or her. Either that holiness will slay you or drive you from His presence or the holiness of God will change you and your countenance. The more time you spend in the presence of the Holy God, the more that holiness will begin to shine on your own face. Let me show you this in scripture. In Acts 6 and 7, we have the account of when Stephen was martyred. In Acts 6:15; we are told that those who arrested him and were questioning him were "looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel. Stephen had been spending time in the presence of the Holy God. That holiness was literally changing his physical countenance. Exodus 34:33-34."And till Moses had finished speaking with them (the children of Israel), he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he took the veil off, until he came out." Moses face was shining so brightly from having been in the presence of the Holy God that people could not stand to look at his face. His being in the presence of the holiness of God so much had literally changed his countenance just as it changed Stephens. Please notice that Moses covered his face for the benefit of the people of Israel, not for his own benefit. Nor was it for the benefit of God. This is why I believe that the seraphim had their faces covered. They have spent more time in the presence of the holiness of God than Moses ever has. Therefore, they covered their faces for the benefit of Isaiah. Hear me carefully with what I am about to say.
The more you spend time in the presence of the holiness of God, the more it will change your physical countenance. The more your physical countenance changes, the more difficult it will become for people who are not walking close to God to stare you in the face. I wish to note here that there are many Seraphim. How many? We do not know.

Duties of the Seraphim

Let us now go on to the tasks and the duties of the Seraphim. We know from this passage in Isaiah that one of the tasks of the seraphim is to point out the holiness of God. Notice that when Isaiah saw the Seraphim they were crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.
" Why is it necessary for God to have a group of angels that constantly cry the message, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts?" It is not because God needs to be reminded of His holiness. It is because ever since Satan and his angels rebelled against God there became a creation that wants to forget the holiness of God. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned man now wants to forget that God is holy. The "Seraphim's' cry of "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" is a cry that is to ring out through all of God's creation. God wants every demon and every man to remember what they wish to forget, that God is a holy God. More than likely, when we become acutely aware of the holiness of God it is because some Seraphim has been commissioned to point this out to us. Please understand what the Spirit of God is trying to teach us. You can tell an artist by the work that he does. You can tell a Frank Lloyd Wright house by looking at its design. Even so, you can tell the presence of an angel by what he does. Seraphim point out the holiness of God. Therefore, when you strongly sense the holiness of God it is because a seraphim is at work.

The Whole Earth is full of His Glory

Secondly, a Seraphim's job is to point out that the whole earth is filled with the glory of God. The second thing the Seraphim cried was, "The whole earth is full of His glory." Why in all the creation would God want His seraphim to constantly cry this again and again? I am convinced that it is because Satan wants the entire human race to forget that the glory of the earth is the Lord's. Satan wants every angel to forget the glory of all creation is the Lord's.
During the wilderness temptation of Jesus the Devil took Jesus "Up into a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, all this authority will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou, therefore, wilt worship me, all shall be thine." (Luke 4:5-7) Now isn't that just like the Devil. He will either offer you something that isn't even his to offer or if it is his to offer he knows that in the end he won't even be able to keep it. So he offers you something that he knows you won't get to keep in the end. Here is Satan offering Jesus the glory of the kingdoms of the earth. Now can't you imagine that Jesus who existed before the "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." I can just imagine that as Satan was tempting the Lord Jesus Christ that he heard the ringing of the cry of the Seraphim. O yes, Satan wants us to forget that the glory of the earth is the Lord's. Satan wants us to think that the glory of the earth is his. But if Satan cannot get us to believe that the glory of the earth is his, he will settle for getting us to believe that the glory of the earth is ours. For you see man thinks some of the glory of the earth is His. But Peter under the anointing of the Holy Spirit addressed the issue.
In I Peter 1; 24 he said, "For all flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man like the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and its flower falleth away." When man begins to think that the glory of the earth is his God has placed the cry of the seraphim to be like a wall against it. The whole earth is full of God's glory. Once again let all of creation hear the cry of the seraphim: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His Glor-r-y!" Let all of the human race hear the resounding cry of the Seraphim; "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His Glor-r-y."
When this truth is pressed into our hearts and minds it is because some seraphim are present doing his job.