Seraphim
The Six-Winged Burning Ones
Isaiah 6:2–3
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
— Isaiah 6:2–3 (ESV)The seraphim appear only once in the Bible, in the prophet Isaiah's vision of the throne room of God. Their name derives from the Hebrew saraph, meaning “to burn,” marking them as beings of purifying fire and consuming holiness. They are the closest to the presence of God in this vision, stationed above His throne.
Each seraph possesses six wings arranged in three pairs, each serving a distinct purpose: two wings veil the face in reverence before the overwhelming glory of God, two cover the feet as an act of humility, and two are used for flight. Their ceaseless cry of “Holy, holy, holy” shakes the very foundations of the temple and fills it with smoke.
When Isaiah despairs at his own unworthiness, one of the seraphim takes a burning coal from the altar with tongs and presses it to the prophet's lips, declaring his guilt taken away and his sin atoned for. They serve as agents of both worship and purification — guardians of divine holiness who prepare mortals to stand before God.
Further Reading
- Isaiah 6:1–7