Who is a visionary?

Yes I remember Moses, who got challenged by the vision of God at Horeb while he was shepherding the flock.

But here is a person who saw a vision at the death of somebody else!

The vision of Isaiah (Isaiah 6.1-13) is like that. A death, of course the death of a monarch, that leads to a heavenly vision.

The King was Uzziah, or ‘Azariah’ (2Kgs 15.1-7; 2 Chr 26) of Judah. He was a visionary, a fighter (2Chr. 26. 6-8), reformist, always open to new ideas, pro-develomental-ist, strategic military personal (2Chr. 26.11-13), eagerness for self reliance (2 Chr. 26. 14, 15), and a dare devil, others feared of him (2 Chr. 26. 8).

But when he had become strong he grew proud (Chr. 26. 16). He went on to the extent to make offerings at the altar, where the priests and Levites are allowed to enter. He dared to challenge the divine authority. The result was that he became leper. He lived in a separate house, excluded from the community to the rest of his life, till death.

Isaiah was an eye witness to all these realities. He was at the temple for the usual worship. He was deeply troubled by all the events. The land lost the great king. The death of the earthly king created a vacuum in his psyche. There is a void in his inner being.

As he was worshipping, the usual chanting of ritual got a new turn in his entire psyche. In this worship, the familiar Holy, Holy, Holy, chant spoke to him, a heavenly sensation. He could envision the heavenly worship and the heavenly King. The void created at the death of Uzziah was replaced by the Heavenly Eternal King.

He responded I am lost and I live among a lost community.

The heaven asked ‘who will go for me.’ ‘Here I am’, he responded.

The task is to proclaim the message of eternal judgment, a message of doom. He was prepared even for that.

He becomes a visionary, who receives a prophetic vision even in times of emptiness.

P.S. When we are disturbed, the vacuum or void it creates, helps us to the see extraordinary in life. It would provide us with the task of true prophet of God.