" God Himself had told Moses: 'There shall no man see me, and live' (Exodus 33:20). Similarly, the apostle Paul spoke of God as "dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see" (I Timothy 6:16)… Indeed the very concept of an everlasting, omnipotent God who created the mighty universe seems impossible to grasp by mere mortals—especially by those astronomers and cosmologists whose very careers are spent in studying the universe and trying to understand its origin and nature. Surveys have shown that only a very small percentage of scientists in these fields are active in any kind of church. Their very purpose in life seems to be to try to explain not only the evolution of the universe, but even its very origin, without God. ... Such explanations are considered by them to be preferable to believing that, "in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). While it is true that one cannot prove that God created, neither can anyone prove that the universe created itself. At least the concept of Almighty God as Creator presents a reasonable First Cause, able to account for the complex of myriad effects that comprise the cosmos, whereas the assumed primeval nothingness explains nothing! Creationists thus have a reasonable faith, based on good evidence, whereas cosmic evolutionists have a highly credulous faith, based on the omnipotence of "nothing." It may, indeed, be true that we cannot actually "see" God, for He is "the King eternal, Immortal, invisible, the only wise God" (I Timothy 1:17). Christ Himself said that no man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18). And to those in this scientific age who stress that the scientific method requires "observability," this may seem to be a problem. But the fact is that God has been seen by men! Enoch and Noah both 'walked with God' (Genesis 5:24; 6:9), and "the LORD appeared unto Abram" (Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1), as well as Isaac (Genesis 26:2). Jacob testified: "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30). It was also said that Moses was a man 'whom the LORD knew face to face' (Deut 34:10). During the period of the conquest and the judges, there were occasions when "the angel of the LORD" appeared to men, and was recognized as the Lord Himself (note the case of Gideon and also that of the parents of Samson, for example; Judges 6:22; 13:21,22). The patriarch Job could say, after deliverance from his sufferings: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42:5). Much later the great prophet Isaiah testified: "I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up" (Isaiah 6:1). Ezekiel also saw that 'upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it....' This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 1:26,28). There were still other occasions recorded in the Old Testament when the Lord appeared to men, either in a vision or 'face to face,' as well as even more times when He 'spoke' audibly to men. As would be expected, numerous skeptics through the centuries have said this was one of the Bible's 'contradictions.' In many places, they say, the Bible says that no man can see God, whereas in other places it says that many men did see God. This superficial discrepancy, of course, is beautifully resolved in the wonderful truth of the Tri-une Godhead, and was specifically clarified by the Lord Jesus Christ, when He said: No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him (John 1:18). That is, whenever the omnipresent, invisible God has deigned to appear to men, He has done so in the person of His eternal Son, who is "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Since the Son is, indeed, 'in the form of God—equal with God' (Philippians 2:6), He is omnipotent and can surely assume the form of an angel or a man or even a burning bush (note Exodus 3:2-6), when He so wills. Thus men have on occasion in the past, actually seen God. It was not God in His essential tri-une glory, of course, but rather God declared and manifested as God the eternal Son, forever 'in the bosom of the Father' (John 1:18), yet eternally going forth (Micah 5:2) to manifest the Godhead. All such appearances of God to men were what are called 'theophanies,' or preincarnate appearances of Christ. The English word 'theophany' is from two Greek words meaning 'God appearing,' and it beautifully defines these many appearances of God the Son to men before He actually became man. … But [SOON]we also shall see Him in the flesh…, for He is still a true man, resurrected and glorified, forever the Son of man as well as God. Furthermore, "when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope In Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (I John 3:2,3). And when we finally see Him, it will be far more glorious than when John and Peter saw Him by the Sea of Galilee. The only place in the Bible where His physical appearance as Son of Man is actually described is when John saw Him on the Isle of Patmos, many years later, after His resurrection and ascension. Here is how John saw Him, and this is how we shall see Him--not as a babe in a manger and not as our sin-bearing substitute nailed to a cross, but as our eternal King of kings and Lord of lords! I saw ... one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. Arid His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as Me sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength (Revelation 1:12-16). Then, when we, as His heavenly Bride, shall 'see Him as He is,' we can say with thanksgiving, 'This Is my beloved, and this is my friend' (Song of Solomon 5:16)."
* Dr. Henry M. Morris (1918-2006) was Founder and President Emeritus of ICR. http://www.icr.org/article/783/
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