One Look At God Brings Death

[Reformed Roman]

We get the clear picture that one Look At God would bring death. We see that example multiple times in the OT.

Yet I believe we also see multiple "Theophanies" of the pre preincarnate Christ.

What is your best defense for someone, who isn't sure why Jesus can be clearly seen by man, yet seeing the face of the Father kills anyone who looks at it.

Is the best argument here, that people could not look upon the heavenly/true physical form of God, at least upon His face? And because Jesus is God incarnated in another body, even through the Theophanies, they are not at the direct spiritual face of God?

I feel I'm not using the right terminology and would like to hear some viewpoints.

I'm curious as I don't recall seeing a thread on Theophanies to begin with and I'm curious as to the views shared here

 

[Contra_Mundum]

The pre-incarnate theophanies were not meant--as the Incarnation was meant--to emphasize the Emmanuel principle in an ideal way. They were indications of God's nearness, but also manifested the reason he was to be feared. So, Moses veils his face at the burning bush. He is allowed to see but a glimpse of God's receding glory upon Mt.Sinai.

Abraham bows low, Joshua bows low, and Manoah fears for his life. Jacob names the place of his wrestling with God "Peniel," memorable because he "saw" God face-to-face (in the dark), and lived. And many others.

Clearly, the Angel of the Lord could restrain the devastating power of his majesty sufficiently for his revelatory purposes. But he never told anyone they were mistaken for the fear they felt. "Our God is a consuming fire." The unmediated divinity is unbearable, and even the angels respect it, "With two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet...." It was not our flesh in which God was appearing in the OT manifestations.

God made the humanity of Christ ordinary; he also allowed a rather extraordinary display of glory in his flesh upon the Mt. of Transfiguration. Which experience left Peter babbling like an idiot. God the Son took on our flesh, to surpass all his previous nearness. He veiled all that glory, Php.2:7-8, for our sake.

 

[earl40]

Is the best argument here, that people could not look upon the heavenly/true physical form of God, at least upon His face?

This would be a poor defense in that God, including The Jesus in His divinity, is not physical.

 

[Daniel M.]

This thread has helped me to understand that which I read this morning:

"22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face."
23 But the LORD said to him, "Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.''" Judges 6:22-23 (ESV)

Until I read this, I didn't understand Gideon's association with the angel of the Lord with death.

Praise God for His restraint and willingness to reveal Himself to His covenant people.


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[Dachaser]

Believe that we cannot bear to look upon thefullness of God, upon His full glory, as we as fleash and blood beings cannot endure that due to His glory...

Moses saw just his "backside" when he passed him by, more the afterglow of God!

Jesus as the Angel of the Lord was in a body that did not reflect that full glory he has, so men could see Him...
Like on the Mount of Transfigeration when Jesus showed off his real glory, and they had to turn aside, or like when John saw Him as really is, and fell to ground as a dead man!

 

[Reformed Roman]

What would you say to someone who questions the deity of Jesus because people do not have the same reaction to seeing Him as the Father.

 

[Daniel M.]

I would say that if God is omnipotent, He has the capacity to reveal Himself in any way He should choose. Fully aware of His glory and overflowing holiness, as well as the eradicating severity of these attributes on that which is tainted by sin and unholy, He can use the one thing only HE has: free will (that is, freedom and autonomy from intervention and frustration), to make Himself known as He pleases.

 

[Dachaser]

Point them to the mount of Transfiguration, where they beheld his glory!

Also, due to His Incanation, His Deity was veiled in His Humanity/flesh , so they would not be seeing Him as in his pre Incarnate glory state.

Also, he accepted the worship of both angels and men, and that is something only God could have done!

 

[Reformed Roman]

Great responses brothers. I was halfway asleep when I made this post. My wife and I were in a discussion on Theophanies... I was just shocked to find so few resources online, that specifically dealt with why Jesus could be God, be looked in the face without death. I wanted to hear some other recommendations to refine my own explanation, also I am pretty fascinated by the Theophanies to begin with. Thanks for the discussion

 

[Stope]

What would you say to someone who questions the deity of Jesus because people do not have the same reaction to seeing Him as the Father.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

 

[Peairtach]

What would you say to someone who questions the deity of Jesus because people do not have the same reaction to seeing Him as the Father.

I would say that Christ is the Mediator and the first point of God's Mediator is to save rather than destroy. The point of God providing mediation in the OT and in the incarnation is primarily or firstly gracious. So the Mediator is going to - usually - mediate God's glory in such a way as not to destroy or bring judgment (e.g. John 3:17; Luke 9:54-56)

But there are instances of the latter or of the possibility of it. I'll leave you to think of them. John 18:6 occurred to me as a hint of what could happen if Christ revealed His full glory which is equal to that of the Father.

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