Why did God say “no one can see Me and live,” but people like Moses and Isaiah saw Him?
The Devotional Answer
The devotional truth found in this paradox is a profound lesson in God's condescension and protection. God's full, unveiled divine essence and glory are so intensely pure and holy that they would consume our fallen human nature (Question 43). When God says, "no one can see Me and live," it is an act of mercy, not cruelty.
When people like Moses or Isaiah saw "God," they were encountering a mediated manifestation—a temporary, protective veiling of God's full glory. This shows us that God desires intimacy with humanity, but He must tailor the experience to our limitations.
The ultimate answer to this problem is Jesus Christ, who is the visible manifestation of the invisible God, allowing us to see God's character without being destroyed by His power.
The Simple Answer
The resolution of this apparent contradiction lies in distinguishing between two concepts:
Seeing God's Full Essence: This refers to seeing God's absolute, unveiled glory and divine nature. God explicitly stated to Moses, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live" (Exodus 33:20, NIV). This is universally prohibited.
Seeing a Theophany (or Christ’s Pre-Incarnate Form): This refers to seeing a temporary, physical manifestation, veiled form, or angelic representative of God. Moses saw God's "back" or His glory passing by (Exodus 33:22-23), not His full face. Isaiah saw God's glory on a throne in a vision (Isaiah 6:1), also a mediated experience.
The encounters recorded in the Bible are controlled, limited appearances, not a direct viewing of the Almighty's unmediated being.
The Deeper Dive
The encounters with God in the Old Testament are often called Theophanies (from the Greek, meaning "an appearance of God").
1. Moses and the Theophany
In Exodus 33, Moses asks to see God's glory. God grants the request but shields Moses completely:
God said to Moses (Exodus 33:22-23): “When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
God protected Moses from the full intensity of His presence. What Moses saw was a secondary, tolerable manifestation of God's attributes, such as His compassion and grace (Exodus 34:6-7), not the unmediated, infinite source of light.
2. Isaiah's Vision and Mediation
Isaiah's vision of God's throne in the temple (Isaiah 6) was a dramatic, life-changing vision. However, it was a vision in a temple setting, mediated by the imagery of a royal court and the activity of the seraphim (angelic beings). Isaiah’s immediate reaction was fear, recognizing his sinfulness, until a seraph purified his lips with a coal—a necessary step for him to even survive the mediated presence.
3. Jesus: The Ultimate Solution
The ultimate answer to the question of seeing God is the Incarnation (Question 57). The New Testament affirms that no one has ever truly seen the Father, but Jesus has made Him known:
"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." — John 1:18 (NIV)
Jesus is the "image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). In Jesus, we can see the full character, love, and heart of God without being incinerated by His holiness.
God's Assurance
God assures you that though you cannot see Him now, you will see Him fully and know Him completely in the New Creation.
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." — 1 John 3:2 (NIV)
You are assured that the final goal of salvation is a glorious transformation that will equip you to stand in God's unveiled presence without fear or destruction.
Your Takeaway Thought
Do not seek a physical manifestation of God now; seek Him through His Word and through the Holy Spirit (Question 66). Let the story of Moses and Isaiah deepen your reverence for the awesome holiness of God. Be grateful that through Jesus, you have a foretaste of what it means to enter the presence of the Holy God safely.
