Isaiah, Lehi, and the apostle John all wrote that they had been transported to a heavenly place where God sat on a throne surrounded by celestial beings. I’ve been thinking today about the similarities between these visions and what we can learn from them. Here are the three visions, side by side, with some phrases color-coded to emphasize the commonalities:
| Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-4, 2 Nephi 16:1-4) | Lehi (1 Nephi 1:8-11) | John (Revelation 4:2, 4-5, 8) |
|---|---|---|
| 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. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. | And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament. | And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.… And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God…. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. |
One thing I’ve noticed is that the heavenly beings in all three visions were both deferential and enthusiastic in their praise. I think we can emulate both their humility and their conviction in our worship.
There’s obviously a lot of symbolism in these visions. For example, Joseph Smith learned by revelation that the wings represent power and that the eyes represent knowledge. (See Doctrine and Covenants 77:4.) So I’m more inclined to see these as symbolic rather than literal descriptions of what it is like in the presence of God.
Still, I find the imagery useful as a way to visualize His power and glory. I think these three visions can help us adopt an appropriate attitude when we pray. President Henry B. Eyring taught:
God is close, and He loves you, and He’d love to have a conversation, but remember: He is God…. He’s on a throne, and when I approach Him in prayer, I’m approaching a throne. And the way you do that is different than if you just say, “I’d like a chat; I want a conversation.” It’s approaching a throne, for me at least, when I’m doing it right.
“Face to Face with President Eyring and Elder Holland,” March 4, 2017, 38:07-38:25, 46:18-46:44
Today, I will be grateful for scriptural accounts that help us perceive the majesty of God. As I approach Him in prayer today, I will remember the experiences of Isaiah, Lehi, and John, and I will visualize God sitting on a throne. I will be grateful for His supremacy in the universe and also for His empowering influence in my life.