“so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard from us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?” 39 The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and has made their hearts hard, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn around and I heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. (John 12:38-41)
John chapter 12 verses 38-41, references two passages from the book of Isaiah. The first comes from Isaiah 53, presenting the prophecy of the suffering servant, the Messiah.
(Isaiah 53:1) Who has put faith in the thing heard by us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?
The other is from Isaiah 6, where Isaiah saw Jehovah on his throne in a vision.
(Isaiah 6:1) In the year that King Uz·×zi´ah died I, however, got to see Jehovah, sitting on a throne lofty and lifted up, and his skirts were filling the temple.
(Isaiah 6:5) And I proceeded to say: “Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!”
(Isaiah 6:9-10) And he went on to say: “Go, and you must say to this people, ‘Hear again and again, O men, but do not understand; and see again and again, but do not get any knowledge.’ 10 Make the heart of this people unreceptive, and make their very ears unresponsive, and paste their very eyes together, that they may not see with their eyes and with their ears they may not hear, and that their own heart may not understand and that they may not actually turn back and get healing for themselves.”
Advocates of the Trinity seize upon this as proof that Jesus is Jehovah. Their argument rests in Isaiah viewing Jehovah within Isaiah 6. More specifically the Septuagint reads of Isaiah’s viewing of Jehovah’s glory filling the temple. As John speaks of Isaiah seeing “his [Jesus’] glory” and one of the two passages quoted in John is from Isaiah 6, it is argued that “his glory” is Jehovah’s glory and so Jesus is Jehovah. In fact, the entire argument is rather circular for it assumes the very thing that it is attempting to prove. Nevertheless, there is much more to be said about this text.
A careful study of John’s statement reveals a significant difficulty for the Trinitarian position. They have seen the words “his glory” in John 12 and that the text speaks of God’s “glory” in the Septuagint of Isaiah 6. They have also seen that John quoted two texts, one being Isaiah 6 and the other Isaiah 53:1. Since, as they assume, no mention of glory is made in Isaiah 53:1 they argue that the text supports them theologically. Admittedly, without a close study of the text their argument seems very reasonable, yet when a careful examination is made the meaning of the passage proves to be quite different.
After having quoted Isaiah 53:1 and 6:10 the apostle John comments with the words in John 12:41.
(John 12:41) Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.
John does not say when Isaiah said what he said, but he gives the basis for him saying what he said, saying: “Isaiah said these things because…”Comparing the quoted texts in their original context along with the basis that John provides for Isaiah’s statement allows us to determine which statement John had in mind when he said what he said.
Examining Isaiah 6 we can find no evidence to support the idea of Isaiah having said the words in verse 9-10 because of the reasons defined in John 12:41.
To observe that Isaiah did see God in Isaiah 6 does nothing to show the recording of Isaiah 6:10 was based upon that sight. Similarly, nothing indicates that Isaiah recorded the words “because he spoke of him.” Isaiah “said” the words of 6:10 because he was commanded to, not because he saw anyone’s glory or because he spoke about one that he saw.
When we consider the numerous other prophecies that Isaiah “said” none were based upon seeing God or speaking about him. They were all “said” because God had commanded that he do so. As nothing in Isaiah 6 makes the prophecy uttered in verses 9-10 based upon his viewing God and speaking about him, there is simply no reasonable basis for concluding that the apostle John had Isaiah 6 in mind when he made the observation presented in 12:41. Quite to the contrary, he was contemplating Isaiah 53:1.
Referencing Isaiah 53, the first text quoted by John, Isaiah clearly speaks of Jesus, the Messiah. In Isaiah 52:13 the prophet begins speaking of the Messiah, his work and how he would be responded to.
(Isaiah 52:13,14) From the Septuagint reads: “Behold, my servant shall understand, and be exalted and glorified exceedingly. As many shall be amazed at thee, so shall thy face be without glory from men, and thy glory shall not be honoured by the sons of men.
This discussion continues throughout the entire 53rd chapter.
So how did Isaiah see the Messiah’s glory so as to cause him to make the statement of 53:1? Isaiah saw the Messiah through prophetic foresight, viewing him receiving glorification (Isa. 52:13), and beyond that he saw the glory of the Messiah in his work. Isaiah went on to explain that he had foreseen that the Messiah would suffer for us all, that he would bear our sins and that he would be delivered. (Isa. 53:3-4, 12) It was his work in doing these things in our behalf that Isaiah foresaw, and it was this work that was truly his glory. He lived, suffered and died, by which he ““bore the sins of many,”” (Isa. 53:12) resulting in our salvation.
In Isaiah chapter 6 Isaiah saw Jehovah’’s glory by an actual manifestation. Yet a person’s glory can also be seen in their activities. If we consider the use of the term translated glory elsewhere in the book of John we find that it does not always refer to a brightness or some type of outshining of glory, but it references the viewing of powerful works and special activities.
The resurrection of Lazarus is recorded in John 11. Here John explains that Martha approached Jesus and inquired of why he wanted the stone rolled away from the tomb. Jesus responds in saying that she would see the glory of God. (Joh. 11:39-40) This glory was not a bright light that was seen, similar to what Stephen saw just before his death. (Act. 7:55) Rather, the glory of God was seen in that God, through Jesus, raised Lazarus to life. Robertson explains: ““Jesus means the glory of God as shown in the resurrection of Lazarus as he had already said to the disciples (John 11:4) and as he meant Martha to understand (John 11:25) and may in fact have said to her.””[1]
The glory of God was seen in what God did, and so with Jesus, in his bearing our sins and redeeming us, his glory was seen. This is just as it was in John 2:11, where Jesus’ “glory [was] manifest” not in a physical out showing, but in the work that he did.
(John 2:11) Jesus performed this in Ca´na of Gal´i·×lee as [the] beginning of his signs, and he made his glory manifest; and his disciples put their faith in him.
Insight on the Scriptures Vol.1 page 964 says:
“Glory here refers to an impressive evidence of miraculous power identifying Jesus as the promised Messiah.
Why, though, did John reference Isaiah 6 after he had already quoted Isaiah 53 only to then reference the basis for Isaiah’s statement? Look closely at what John says:
(John 12:37-38) But although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, 38 so that the word of Isaiah the prophet (53:1) was fulfilled which he said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard by us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?”
In quoting Isaiah 53:1 John was showing that they were unable to believe. Their inability to believe was what fulfilled this prophecy. But what was causing this unbelief to take place? John answers this by quoting from Isaiah 6:10, providing the basis for the unbelief that 53:1 defined.
(John 12:39-40) The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and he has made their hearts hard, that they should not see with their eyes and get the thought with their hearts and turn around and I should heal them.”
In John’s text Isaiah 53:1 provided the foundation of his discussion, while 6:10 was merely supplemental.
While many would like to take the reference to Jesus’’ glory in John 12 to be Jehovah’’s glory in Isaiah 6, the fact that the text quoted by John was said ““because”” of what Isaiah saw and spoke of, it is an argument without a foundation. What Isaiah said in the passage quoted from Isaiah 6 was said because God commanded him to, saying: “Go and say to this people…” On the other hand, the text quoted from Isaiah 53 presented Isaiah’s own words. The events that he had prophetically foreseen and went on to define prompting him to ask the questions provided in the text. In line with this The College Press NIV Commentary relates:
“As John points out, Isaiah himself had a basic understanding of this astounding unfaith. Isaiah experienced unbelieving rejection in his own ministry, but even more he saw Jesus’’ glory [death/resurrection] and spoke about him.” [brackets original to the reference]
Clearly it is more natural to see John having Isaiah 53 in mind, for the context makes such a reference highly fitting.
When we consider John 12 we find that Isaiah 53:1 is quoted and is the primary text in view, whereas the passage from Isaiah 6 is cited to only further explain this primary text. Indeed, it is in vain that Trinitarians have tried to argue from this text, for when we carefully examine the passage it simply does not support their position. Even if we accept their view of John’’s words so as to have John referring to Isaiah 6 in John 12:41, this would tell us nothing other than that Jesus was God’’s agent. He appeared as God’’s representative and as such, for Isaiah to see him was legally the same as his beholding God. (See Joh. 12:45; Heb. 3:1-6; Num. 12:5-8, cf. Joh. 1:18)
If this were the case the most it would mean is found in the position taken by The Expositor’’s Greek Testament:
““This involves that the Theophanies of the O[ld] T[estament] were mediated by the pre-existent Logos.
[1] Robertson, A. T. Word Pictures in the New Testament (RWP). Electronic Version found within BibleWorks 6 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934.)[2] Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. John. The College Press NIV commentary (Joplin, Mo.:College Press Pub. Co., 1998), John 12:39-41[3] The Expositor’’s Greek Testament, vol. I, Edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, Reprint from the edition originally published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pubishing Company, (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2002.), 812.