在我们来研读以赛亚在圣殿里领受从神而来的一个悲剧性的异象以前，我们必须先对他的个人历史有一个认识。

我们不能确实知道以赛亚在甚么时候出生，但我们知道他是在乌西雅、约坦、亚哈斯和希西家的时代说预言，所以他的事奉是大约在主前740到至少主前687年期间展开的。「以赛亚」这个名字的意思是「耶和华拯救」。我们今天的经文显示他和一位「女先知」结了婚（3节），并有两个儿子：施亚雅述（七3）和玛黑珥沙拉勒哈施罢斯。正如你记得的，这位先知向我们介绍他所看见的神的异象时说：「当乌西雅王崩的那年，我见主……」乌西雅是谁？他是主前791至740年期间犹大的王。最初他是敬虔的君王，但后来他在圣殿烧香（代下二十六16-21：），因而患上大痲疯，一直到死时都没有痊愈。

乌西雅王死的时候，犹大进入了一段黑暗时期。在这灵性低潮的时候，以赛亚得到耶和华的异象，振奋起来。以赛亚的异象在乌西雅死后不久出现，这是出于巧合吗？我认为不是。在某种程度上，乌西雅的死触发了以赛亚的灵性危机，令他更准备好将目光从地上转到天上。这对生命来说是多么真实啊。只有当某些事情发生，令我们一败涂地时，我们才会向上看。有时地上的保障需要被除去，然后我们才能看到坐在宝座上神的荣耀。这是多么可惜的事！

Before concentrating on the dramatic vision given to Isaiah in the Temple, we must take a few moments to acquaint ourselves with his personal history.

We do not know exactly when Isaiah was born but we do know that he prophesied during the time of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. This puts his ministry from around 740 to at least 687 BC. The name "Isaiah" means "the Lord saves", and the passage before us today shows that he was married to a "prophetess" (v.3) and had two sons - Shear Jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. The prophet, you remember, introduced his vision of God to us by informing us that "in the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord." Just who was Uzziah? Uzziah was king of Judah from 791 to 740 BC. At first he was a godly king, but when he burned incense in the Temple (2 Chron. 26:16-21) he was struck with leprosy and remained leprous until his death.

When Uzziah died, a period of darkness descended on Judah. In the midst of this spiritual despondency Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord high and lifted up. Was the fact that Isaiah's vision occurred soon after Uzziah's death a mere coincidence? I don't think so. In some way Uzziah's death triggered in Isaiah a spiritual crisis that made him more ready to lift his gaze from earth to heaven. How true to life this is. We look up only when something happens that knocks us flat on our backs. How sad that sometimes earthly securities have to be removed before we can see the glory of Him who sits upon the throne.