Angels And Fire

Et volavit ad me unus de Seraphim, et in manu eius calculus, quem forcipe tulerat de altari, et tetigit os meum, et dixit: Ecce tetigi hoc labia tua, et auferetur iniquitas tua, et peccatum tuum mundabitur. Volavit, vel missus est unus de Seraphim, qui interpretatur incendens, ut Prophetae labia purgaret immunda, et pruna vel calculo, quem de altari tulerat, excoqueret. Multi autem putant, duos esse Seraphim, quia clamabat alter ad alterum, cum et de pluribus possint singuli clamare ad singulos; et LXX editio magis significet plurimos, qui interpretati sunt, Seraphim stabant in circuitu eius. Quod si de duobus diceretur, non in circuitu, sed ex utraque parte dixissent. Et hoc convenit Angelorum multitudini, quae in Dei ministerium praeparata est. Seraphim autem plurali numero appellantur, et singulari Seraph: sicut Cherubim, et Cherub. Quod autem altare sub quo animae martyrum sunt, videantur in coelo, et Ioannes in Apocalypsi loquitur: et calculus iste qui a solis LXX ἅνθρας, id est, carbunculus est interpretatus potest non carbonem significare, vel prunam, ut plerique existimant, sed ἄνθρακα, id est, carbunculum lapidem, qui ob coloris flammei similitudinem igneus appellatur. Ex quo intelligimus altare Dei plenum esse carbunculis, hoc est, ignitis calculis et prunis, peccata purgantibus. Unde scriptum de Deo legimus: Carbones succensi sunt ab eo. Et de ipso Domino dicitur, quod ignis consumens sit. Et Salvator in Evangelio: Ignem veni mittere super terram: ut baptizaret in Spiritu sancto, et igni. Uniuscuiusque enim opus quale sit, ignis probabit. Et qui salvandus est, sic salvabitur, quasi per ignem transierit. Et hoc notandum, quod ad Ieremiam, cui dictum est: Prius quam te formarem in utero novi te, et in vulva matris tuae sanctificavi te, quia labia non habebat immunda, sed tantum dixerat: nescio loqui, quia iuvenis sum, extendit ipse Dominus manum suam, et tetigit os eius, et dixit: Ecce dedi sermones meos in os tuum. Porro ad Isaiam qui dixerat: Vir pollutus labiis ego sum, et in medio populi polluta labia habentis ego habito, non Dei manus porrigitur, sed Seraphim mittitur a Deo, vel volat propria voluntate, quia huic officio mancipatus est. Et in manu sua tenet calculum, quem iuxta LXX et Theodotionem, forcipe: iuxta Aquilam, et Symmachum, qui Hebraicum sunt secuti, forcipibus apprehendit, id est, MALCAIM, ut tangeret os eius, et pristina delicta purgaret. Manus autem, et a Deo et Seraphim mittitur, ut Propheta sui corporis membrum videns, tactu non terreatur externo. Quidam nostrorum forcipem, quo calculus comprehenditur, duo Testamenta putant, quae inter se Spiritus sancti unione sociantur. Quia vero sedens Dominus introducitur, et sedens in Templo, et domus impleta est fumo, ut Iudaei putant, thymiamatis; consequenter ponuntur et forcipes, quos et in sacerdotali ministerio legimus. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum In Isaiam Prophetam, Lib III Cap VI Source Migne PL 24.96a-97a

'And one of the Seraphim flew to me and in his hand he had a coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth and said, 'Behold, I have touched your mouth and taken away your iniquity and cleansed you of your sin.' 1 One of the Seraphim flew, or was sent, the name of which is interpreted 'Flaming One', that he purge the unclean lips of the Prophet, and he applied fire with a glowing stone, or coal, which he had taken from the altar. Many think there are two Seraphim, because they called one to the other, 2 and being plural one can call to another one. The Septuagint clearly signifies there are more, the translation of which has: 'the Seraphim stood in a circle'. For if it had spoken of two it would have said that they were in different places, not in a circle. So this befits a multitude of angels which were arranged to give service to God. Seraphim is the plural form, Seraph the singular, just like Cherubim and Cherub. The altar is that beneath which the souls of the martyrs are, which may be seen in heaven, which John spoke of in his Apocalypse. 3 And this coal the Septuagint calls 'anthras' which translated is a small coal, but it is possible that it does not mean a coal, or a stone, as many judge it, but anthraka, that is, the 'carbuncle,' a gem, which because of the likeness of its colour to flame is so called. From which we understand that the altar of God is full of these 'carbuncles', that is fiery stones and coals, for the purging of sin. Whence we read that it has been written of God 'Coals were lit by it.' 4 And concerning the Lord Himself it is written that He is a consuming fire. 5 And the Saviour says in the Gospel: 'I have come to place fire on the earth.' 6 as He was to baptise in the Holy Spirit and in fire. 7 And everyone's work will be tested by fire, and he who can be saved will be saved as one who passes through fire. 8 And it should also be noted that in Jeremiah it is said: 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and in your birth from your mother I sanctified you.' because it was not that he had unclean lips, but he said, 'I do not know what to say, because I am young,' that the Lord stretched out His hand and touched his mouth and said, 'Behold, I give my words into your mouth.' 9 However to Isaiah who said, 'I am a man with unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people who have unclean lips,' the hand of God did not stretch forth, but one of the Seraphim was sent by God, or he flew by his own will because he was appointed to this office. And in his hand he held a coal, which according to the Septuagint and the translation of Theodotion was taken by the use of pincers, but Aquila and Symmachus who follow the Hebrew understand tongs, that is 'Malcaim', so that he might touch his mouth and purge the old sins. And it is by the hand, from God and the Seraphim who was sent, so that the Prophet, seeing a member of his own body, would not be terrified by the external touch. Now the tongs in which the coal was taken are thought to be the two Testaments which are combined together by the union of the Holy Spirit. However, because the Lord is introduced as seated, and sitting in the Temple, and it is full of smoke, or as the Jews think, incense, so the tongs are found, which we read are for the ministry of the priest. Saint Jerome, Commentary On The Prophet Isaiah, Book 3, Chap 6 1 Isaiah 6.6 2 Isaiah 6.3 3 Apoc 6.9-11 4 Ps 17.9 5 Deut 4.24, Heb 12.29 6 Lk 12.49 7 Mt 3.11 8 1 Cor 3.13-15 9 Jerem 1.5-9