In the year which king died did Isaiah see his vision of the Lord on a throne?

The Answer

Isaiah's famous throne-room vision came in the year King Uzziah died, after a long and mostly prosperous reign of over fifty years. As the earthly throne sat empty, Isaiah saw the Lord high and exalted, with seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy.' The vision led directly to Isaiah's commission: 'Here am I. Send me!'

Uzziah had reigned for more than half a century — most people in Judah had never known another king. His death shook the nation's sense of stability. And it was precisely then, in the year the throne seemed empty, that Isaiah saw the throne that is never empty.

Loss has a way of clearing our vision. When the things we leaned on give way, we discover what was holding us up all along.

If something steady in your life has recently been shaken — a job, a leader, a relationship, your health — lift your eyes. The King is still seated, His robe still fills the temple, and He may be preparing to say, 'Whom shall I send?'