p. 40 | Seeing God by Wm. Ings

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 14, 1873

Seeing God.

By Wm. Ings

A CORRESPONDENT wants Ex. 24:10, 11, harmonized with Ex. 33:20. The verses in the chapter first mentioned, read as follows: “And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”

Some think they see a contradiction in the verses above quoted and Ex. 33:20, which says: “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” It appears on the occasion referred to in Ex. 24:10, 11, the nobles of the children of Israel were permitted to behold the glory of God, although he being at a distance and wrapt in a cloud, yet they beheld him and also the pavement under his feet. The text in question does not say they saw his face, which is brighter than a thousand suns.

We find in Ex. 33:11, the Lord spake unto Moses, face to face. In this case the third person was not resorted to as is generally the plan of God to give messages to his people. God spake to Moses, mouth to mouth; yet it is not to be understood that it was actually necessary to see his face while conversing with him; but we will let Num. 12:5-8, settle the point.

“And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently.” Wm. Ings. Battle Creek.