Page 21 - The Identity of Jesus Christ revised by Apostle Teklemariam Gezahegn

Nevertheless, as v\/e have already seen, the men who came to Abraham were not gods, but an gels. In fact, there was not a single time in the days of the Old Testament" when people saw God in His divine spiritual essence. Instead, He made angels bear His name and spoke to men through them (Exodus 23:20-23). Our God, who cannot lie, has as
sured us of His invisibility in Exodus 33:20: "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live" (NKJV). True, Moses was privileged to see the brightness of the glory of God; Abraham to see him in a vision, and Ezekiel, Isaiah, and other prophets to hear his voice and receive His blessings. Yet they never saw His spiritual essence with their human eyes face to face.
It is true that Jacob spoke of seeing the Lord God face to face (Genesis 32:30). A thorough study of the passage, however, makes it clea that he
wrestled with the angel of the Lord (Hosea 12:4). And it was in a dream that Jacob saw the angels of the Lord ascending and descending a ladder, and the Lord standing above it. It is also true that men like the priest and elders of Israel (Exo.24:9-11), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8), and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1-28) saw God. When we consider texts such as Exodus 33:20, Deuteronomy 4:12-19, and John 1:18, however, we realize that they must have seen Him in visions and not face to face, for these verses affirm that no one can see, and has never seen, God face to face.
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God Is Invisible