Can I See Your Face & Live, Lord?

‘And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live’ (Exodus 33:20).

  

It seems most persons categorize this statement as being about judgment—the inability of the sin-tainted soul being able to stand in the presence of a pure, fire-consuming God. And I am not saying this is not part of what this means. Yet I wonder whether we have not mistaken the greater part of God’s meaning.

Many who have had spiritual encounters with God the Father and Jesus the Son have testified that Their faces are never completely clear. Their features are veiled by light or somehow indistinct. They are known to be of the Godhead, but the fullness of Them withheld. Is this because the sin-corrupted flesh cannot bear it? Certainly—God will not cease to be the Purifier He is in His natural state simply because we were corrupted by sin (which interferes with us drawing near). Of course in this low state we are vulnerable to that Consuming Fire. How could any soul convicted of its sin feel otherwise? And when we do feel otherwise, isn’t it usually because we realize it is by Christ’s Atoning Sacrifice that we can draw near? (Or we are just too foolish to believe we can approach God in His natural state while we are in ours—the One being Consuming Fire and the other as dry wood.) When we take the time to consider what we are about as we approach the Holy God, we are trusting that Jesus our High Priest has made things all right. But most of these encounters with the Godhead seemed to be in the spiritual realm rather than on the physical plane. So why the focus of God on Moses’ physical life when he asked if he could see His glory?

Many are content just to declare that it was because Moses lived before the first Advent of Christ and so had not the atoning Blood of Jesus to protect Him. But if this were so, why are not Their faces clear now to those who do have this protective Blood between them and the Fire?

Is this why Jesus’ disciples did not at first recognize Him after His resurrection? (See John 21:1-14.) As for those today, were His features indistinct enough from resurrection light that they did not immediately discern them with clarity? The same with His voice, for surely they were able to recognize this as He spoke to them from the shore, or recognize the form of the Man who stood in the relatively near distance. They lived with Him for three-and-a-half years under differing conditions. They heard Him talk, teach, pray, and cry out. That they did not immediately recognize Him seems to mean something. I believe there is another reason why we cannot look upon God’s face and live: because we would not want to remain here if we did.

One full look into the face of God, and the soul would want to transition immediately into His highest presence. It would not wish to remain in this body of death once it had a clear look into that which is indestructible Life. It would no longer wish to remain in this place of hatred and violence having looked clearly upon that which is pure Love.

Can a soul look upon God’s face and live? If He preserved that soul by His protecting grace, yes, I believe so, though I may be mistaken. But would a soul want to continue to live in this earth having looked upon it? No, I do not believe it would. Or at least, it may require all the strength God will give it to return long enough to finish its work.