The High and Lofty One Dwelling in the Heights and with his Servants: Intertextual Connections of Theological Significance between Isaiah 6,53 and 57 *

Abstract

Within the book of Isaiah the statement of 57.15 about the High and Lofty One and his dwelling in the heights refers to the throne vision of Isaiah 6. Surprisingly, the exaltation of the Servant in 52.13 is described using verbs of the same Hebrew stem as are used for the Holy One and his throne. The Servant will be exalted and lifted up, though according to the book of Isaiah it is a divine prerogative to be exalted (2.11, 17) and Yhwh will not give his glory to another (42.8; 48.11). The statement of 57.15, at the same time, proclaims that the High and Lofty One dwells with the contrite and humble in spirit, pointing to the servants of the Lord, but in the first instance using a noun that refers to the Servant of Isaiah 53 who, preceding his exaltation, has been crushed for the iniquities of his people (53.5, 10). These observations invite us to study these and other intertextual connections between Isaiah 6, 53 and 57, and to explore their significance for understanding the God talk of the book of Isaiah. In this article it is argued that within the context of the book the prophecy of Isaiah 53 functions as the missing link between the different statements which Isaiah 6 and 57 make about the High and Lofty One.