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Bible Study Can God be seen?

jgredline

jgredline

Member
Exodus 24:9-11
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

According to this verse, Moses and the elders “saw the God of Israel.†Yet God told Moses that he could not see God’s face (Ex. 33:20), and John states flatly that “No one has seen God at any time†(John 1:18). How is this possible?
I have my thoughts but what say you?
 
jgredline said:
Exodus 24:9-11
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

According to this verse, Moses and the elders “saw the God of Israel.†Yet God told Moses that he could not see God’s face (Ex. 33:20), and John states flatly that “No one has seen God at any time†(John 1:18). How is this possible?
I have my thoughts but what say you?
Click to expand...

That is scary j....I was thinking just yesterday about the same...

Consider this...

Exd 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exd 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exd 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exd 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Dan 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.


I think those who read John would have known the story of Moses' encounter with God...I think it is the face that God warns about...
 
When Moses saw God, he went blind. When Paul saw Jesus in his glorified form, he lost his sight. They both regained their sight later. It says in the old Testament that anyone who sees God will die.
I have always thought that one of the reasons Jesus was born is so God could talk to his followers face to face without them dying or going blind. (I am being simplistic here, I hope you understand what I am really saying).
We all know that he came to die for our sins, but there was more than reason for Him to come down to among His followers.
 
Hey George and Christine.
Good points. I mean this is tough stuff. I am still pondering this.
Lets see what comes out of this. George, it is scary because as I was writing this I was thinking of you. ''Yikes''
 
Not "they will die", it means they are already dead when they 'see' God. This is a common misconception, that Hebrew has tenses, it has them not, it's taken out of the context - and here context isn't clear at all.
 
jgredline said:
Exodus 24:9-11
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

According to this verse, Moses and the elders “saw the God of Israel.†Yet God told Moses that he could not see God’s face (Ex. 33:20), and John states flatly that “No one has seen God at any time†(John 1:18). How is this possible?
I have my thoughts but what say you?
Click to expand...

Both the Tenach and the NT clearly state that no one can see God. This is because God is the manifestor, not a manifestation (remember, all things are OF Him, He is not "of" anything) So when the bible cites instances where it seems to indicate someone "saw God", that "seeing" is either anthropormorphic or allegorical in nature, or is a dream or "vision".
 
To me, the key verses seem to be the one in Exod. 33:20 (No man could see His face and live), and John 1:18 (No on has seen God at any time).

Starting with these two as true, then, in the case where Moses and the elders "saw the God Of Israel", there must be some reasonable solution.
The difficulty is when nothing is written. However in this account, the inspired writer, Moses, does spend a few words describing what God was standing on: from the NIV: "Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself."

Now, if God was standing on this pavement on the ground, it would have been hard to say it was clear. So. it is my opinion, that God was above them, and though they could see his body through the perfectly clear "pavement", they could not see his face.

Bick
 
jgredline said:
Hey George and Christine.
Good points. I mean this is tough stuff. I am still pondering this.
Lets see what comes out of this. George, it is scary because as I was writing this I was thinking of you. ''Yikes''
Click to expand...

:angel: :bday: :-D

watch out J....next you'll be saying "shalom y'all".....Ok...one step at a time... :-D
 
Exd 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exd 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exd 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exd 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.


Can someone help me with this....what does "Back Parts" mean?

Seems to me that that is part of God's person....
 
In the ESV,LITV, and ASV translation of the bible it says "back", so it probably means back. I am not even going to repeat what "back parts" sounds like, it might be a sin.
 
ChristineES said:
In the ESV,LITV, and ASV translation of the bible it says "back", so it probably means back. I am not even going to repeat what "back parts" sounds like, it might be a sin.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean.... :D
 
Did not Jesus say that if you have seen him you have seen the father?
 
Georges said:
Exd 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exd 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exd 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exd 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.


Can someone help me with this....what does "Back Parts" mean?

Seems to me that that is part of God's person....
Click to expand...

Again, it is an anthropormorphism. God has no literal hands, feet, or "back parts". The intent, I believe, is that God allowed Moses to see some of His surrounding glory, :onfire: as it were, but God Himself, we are told in John.4:24, is "Spirit", and spirit is invisible.
 
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