Can You See God and Live? Exploring Biblical Contradictions and the Divinity of Jesus

One frequent objection I encounter from Muslims, Atheists, and even some non-Trinitarians revolves around the claim that "In the Old Testament, no one has seen God and lived; therefore, how could people see Jesus and live?" The argument seems pretty straightforward: if Jesus is God, shouldn't viewing Him lead to death, as suggested by the Old Testament?

This objection might sound compelling at first glance, especially in today's era where misinformation spreads faster than truth. However, a closer examination of the scriptures reveals that this argument oversimplifies the complex nature of divine encounters described in the Bible. Let's take a moment and actually look into this matter and see what the texts actually convey about seeing God and the identity of Jesus.

Unpacking the Old Testament's Divine Encounters

Let's address this objection head-on. The notion that no one in the Old Testament has seen God is simply inaccurate. There are numerous instances where individuals encounter God visually. Consider, for example, Exodus 24:9-11, which states, "Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank."

This passage clearly shows that not just one or two, but seventy-four people witnessed God. This is but one of many such encounters described in the Old Testament. However, those who argue that no one has seen God typically refer to passages like Exodus 33:20, where it's written, "But, he said, 'you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live,'" and John 1:18, which says, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

Wow! Seems like a pretty solid case, doesn't it? I guess we should all pack our bags and just admit the Bible is full of errors and is corrupted. While we're at it, let's join Islam! But in all seriousness, this argument only holds if you ignore the context in which these verses are presented. When we allow scripture to speak for itself, a coherent and nuanced understanding begins to emerge.

The Idiomatic Use of "Face to Face" in Scripture

Let's revisit Exodus 33:20, taking a moment to absorb its meaning: "But, he said, 'you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.'" Notice the emphasis on "my face." This phrase, "my face," appears throughout the Old Testament, often used in a way that suggests it might be more of an idiom rather than a literal reference to physical visibility. Let's go through some of these other instances where this expression is used to better understand its significance.

Jacob's Encounter at Peniel

Going back to Genesis, specifically Genesis 32:30, we find, "So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, 'For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.'" This is intriguing, especially considering the statement in Exodus 33:20, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." Let's pause on that thought and examine some additional passages, shall we?

The Warning Against Idolatry in Deuteronomy

For our next reference, let's turn to Deuteronomy, specifically chapter 4, verses 15 through 20:

"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day."

In this passage, the Lord is cautioning the Israelites, saying that He did not reveal His form or shape when He spoke to them at Horeb. While this passage also warns against idolatry, for our purposes, the key takeaway is the statement that they "saw no form." Now that we've established that, let's continue to Deuteronomy 5:4, just one chapter later.

Direct Communication at Horeb

Deuteronomy 5:4 states, "The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire." Here again, the phrase "face to face" is used, referring to the same events we've just discussed.

Let's clarify this point. The Israelites did not see any form or shape, yet they are described as speaking to God "face to face." How can this be reconciled? The scripture explicitly indicates that God was directly present with them at the mountain, speaking from within the fire. This raises the question: how could they interact with God "face to face" without seeing a form or facing death?

Resolving Biblical "Contradictions"

Given the context, it appears the idiom "face to face" does not imply seeing God's literal face but rather signifies a direct, intimate encounter with Him, despite God having no visible form. When one takes the time to read and interpret the text in its entirety, allowing scripture to clarify itself, these apparent contradictions begin to make sense.

Thus, we can conclude that the so-called "contradiction" has been thoroughly addressed and dissolved. However, this only addresses half of the original objection. To reiterate, we're responding to the claim, "In the Old Testament, no one has seen God and lived, so how could people see Jesus and live?"

I believe we've effectively tackled this objection. However, in discussions with those of different faiths, particularly Muslims, we often need to go much, much farther. So, let's proceed to defend the deity of Christ. I've already written several articles on this topic, but what's one more, right?

The Deity of Christ in Old Testament Prophecy

To prove that Jesus is God, I'm going to take us back to the Old Testament. Let's examine Daniel chapter 7, verses 9 through 10, which reads:

"As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened."

In this passage, we're given a vivid description of the Ancient of Days, traditionally identified as God the Father, along with an intriguing detail: multiple thrones. Take another look at the text, reading it slowly. Notice it mentions thrones in the plural, not just a single throne. Yet, it also specifies that the Ancient of Days takes a seat on a singular throne. This detail is quite intriguing, isn't it?

The Vision of Daniel and the Plural Thrones

Continuing in Daniel 7:13-14, we read:

"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."

Here, we encounter this figure described as "one like a son of man," coming before the Ancient of Days. This son of man is bestowed with everlasting dominion and a kingdom over all. From this, we can deduce that one of the thrones mentioned earlier must be for this son of man. So, who is this son of man? Fortunately, the New Testament provides clarity. Let's examine this further, shall we?

Turn to Mark chapter 14, verses 61 and 62, where it reads:

"But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, 'I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'"

In this passage, Jesus not only identifies Himself as the Christ and the Son of Man but also associates Himself with the divine title "I AM," directly connecting His identity to the figure from Daniel's vision.

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