Has Anyone Ever Seen God?
The question of whether anyone has ever seen God is an interesting one that the Bible addresses in several places. While the full glory and essence of God is unseen and beyond human comprehension, there are instances recorded in Scripture where people have some type of direct encounter with or vision of the divine. Examining the biblical accounts of these experiences can give us insight into how and when God chooses to reveal Himself to humanity.
God’s Appearance Unsafe for Humans
In Exodus 33, Moses asks to see God’s glory, and God responds that no one can see His face and live. This indicates that the full splendor and majesty of God in His unrestrained glory would be too much for mortal humans to handle. As 1 Timothy 6:16 (ESV) states, God “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.” God’s essence is so holy and powerful that it would overwhelm our finite human faculties. This is why when God chooses to appear to people in the Bible, He veils His true essence and appears in indirect or limited ways that we can partially grasp without being destroyed.
Visions and Dreams
One way that God appears indirectly to people in the Bible is through visions and dreams. These are highly symbolic experiences where the person may see images, forms, or patterns conveying a divine message. For example, Ezekiel 1 describes Ezekiel’s vivid vision of God’s throne-chariot, with flashing wheels and four living creatures. Daniel 7 records Daniel’s dream-vision of the Ancient of Days on a throne and the son of man coming on clouds. Though highly symbolic, these visions powerfully encounter the recipients with God’s glory and revelation.
Isaiah 6 depicts Isaiah’s dramatic vision of the Lord sitting on a throne, with seraphim calling “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” Though Isaiah does not see God directly, he experiences God’s awe-inspiring holiness and majestic kingship in the vision. Similarly, in Acts 9, Saul encounters the risen Christ through a blinding heavenly vision on the road to Damascus. Such dramatic vision experiences capture the recipients’ imagination and clearly reveal God to them, even if indirectly.
Theophanies
At strategic moments in biblical history, God chose to appear visibly to people in temporary physical manifestations called theophanies. For example, Genesis 18 records God appearing as a man who visited Abraham’s tent with two angels. Though recognizably anthropomorphic, Abraham declares this theophany as “the LORD” and interacts with God personally. Similarly, Jacob physically wrestles with a “man” who is also clearly identified as God in Genesis 32. Joshua 5 describes a theophany of the “commander of the army of the LORD” appearing as a soldier to Joshua before the battle of Jericho. The personification allowed significant interaction, even if God’s full essence remained hidden.
Perhaps the most profound Old Testament theophany was God appearing visibly in a burning bush to Moses in Exodus 3. Though not seeing God’s full glory, Moses saw God’s fiery presence focused in the bush. God then spoke audibly as “I AM WHO I AM” and commissioned Moses. For Moses, this tangible divine encounter changed his life and propelled him into leadership.
Visible Manifestations of God’s Glory
Though no one can see God’s full essence and live, at times in Scripture God chooses to manifest His glory visibly to humans in indirect ways they can partially grasp. In Exodus 24, Moses, Aaron and others see God’s glory as a consuming fire on top of Mount Sinai. Likewise, Exodus 40 describes God’s glory filling the completed tabernacle as a cloud, allowing limited interaction. Similarly, at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:16-17, God’s voice speaks audibly while the Holy Spirit descends on Christ like a dove, giving visible manifestation to the Triune God.
When Solomon dedicated the temple in 2 Chronicles 7, God’s glory filled the building as a cloud so thick the priests could not minister – a powerful encounter for all present. In the New Testament, at the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17, Jesus pulled back his flesh temporarily to unveil some of His divine inner glory to Peter, James and John. While not seeing God’s unrestrained essence, these visible manifestations powerfully present God’s glory to humans in ways they can see and grasp.
Mediated Appearances
In addition to theophanies, God sometimes chooses to appear mediated through created things like angels or men temporarily endowed with divine authority to convey His special revelation. For example, Genesis 16 records the Angel of the LORD speaking God’s words to Hagar. In Genesis 18, one of the three men visiting Abraham conveys God’s words and is identified as God Himself. When the incarnate Christ appears in the New Testament, He mediates God to humanity in tangible flesh.
Likewise, in Joshua 5-6, the Commander of the LORD’s army speaks authoritatively for God Himself. In these mediated appearances, God encounters people through created intermediaries, allowing indirect interaction to convey His message and presence.
Foreshadows of Christ
Many of these divine appearances in the Old Testament act as partial, indirect foreshadows pointing towards God’s climactic self-revelation through Christ in the New Testament. John 1 declares that while no one has ever seen God’s full glory, Jesus Christ has revealed God most completely as the incarnate “Word made flesh” who “dwelt among us.” 1 Timothy 6:16 notes that this embodied appearing was made possible when Christ Jesus “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Hebrews 1 explains that whereas formerly God spoke indirectly through prophets, visions and theophanies, now through Christ we encounter God’s fullness embodied in human form. As the perfect image and radiance of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3), Christ represents God’s clearest self-revelation. Though not yet seeing God’s unrestrained glory, encountering Christ by faith gives us the clearest glimpse available.
Beatific Vision Yet to Come
While Scripture records some incredible divine encounters, the Bible still holds out an even greater future hope for believers – the promise of seeing God’s glory fully in the afterlife. Psalms 17:15 expresses this longing powerfully: “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” 1 John 3:2 promises that when Christ returns, “we shall see him as he is.” In God’s very presence, we will be able to behold His majestic glory unveiled and live.
Paul describes this future glory in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” Unlike the mediated glimpses available now, God’s redeemed people will one day see and comprehend His glory in full community face-to-face. This unmediated beatific vision will bring human understanding of God to completion and fulfill our deepest longings to know God profoundly.
Conclusion
In examining biblical accounts of divine encounters, we find that while God’s full essence remains unseen and overwhelming to mortals, He occasionally chooses to reveal Himself in indirect, mediated and incomplete ways that point towards His unfathomable glory. Christ provides the clearest revelation available to us now. These glimpses grant assurance of God’s reality and love, yet also leave us longing for the day when we can behold God’s glory fully unveiled.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!