No Saint has seen God Yet

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

(Revelation 6:9-11)

We have already discussed this passage in relation to the saints’ rest in heaven. Nevertheless, there is another truth revealed here that must be noted: the saints do not yet worship before God’s throne. This passage shows that the Lord’s martyrs are resting under the altar of God, not worshipping before His throne.

It therefore follows that if the Lord’s martyrs are not yet worshipping before God’s throne, then neither are the rest of the saints, for they too are presently resting in heaven.

One reason for this is that the bride of Christ has not yet been perfected. Many saints are still to be added to the Church, and—apart from the few mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 27:51–53)—none have yet received their resurrected bodies.

Under the Old Covenant, the Lord did not permit anyone with physical imperfections to minister before Him as priests (Leviticus 21:16–24). God has not changed; therefore, under the New Covenant, He likewise does not allow any with imperfections to minister before Him—including the Church in its current, unglorified state.

If the saints cannot yet worship before God’s throne, it follows that they have not yet seen God.

And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

(Exodus 33:18-23)

In the passage quoted above, Moses asked God to show him His glory, to which God responded that no man can see Him and live. Contrary to popular belief, this means that the saints in heaven do not yet worship before the throne of God.

As we have already seen in an earlier passage, the Lord’s martyrs are not yet worshipping before God’s throne, for they are resting under the altar of God.

A careful study of Scripture shows that it is only at the regeneration—when the saints have received their resurrected bodies and when the entire Church is present—that the saints will worship before the throne of God for the very first time (Revelation 7:9).

Why is this the case? The answer lies in the perfection of God. Imperfection cannot behold the perfection of God and survive; to do so would result in instant destruction.

The angels of God are perfect beings, which is why they can look upon Him. As our Lord Jesus taught, they always behold the face of our Father in heaven (Matthew 18:10).

At this point in time, our Lord Jesus is the only perfect man and therefore the only man who can look upon God. Scripture teaches that, as the forerunner for us, He has entered behind the veil into God’s presence (Hebrews 6:19–20).

The saints in heaven do not yet have their resurrected bodies, and the Church is not yet complete in number. Therefore, the Church in heaven remains in an imperfect state, which precludes its members from being able to look upon God at this time.

I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honour and everlasting power. Amen.

(1 Timothy 6:13-16)

In the passage quoted above, the apostle Paul confirms the truth that no man has seen, or can see, God. When Scripture declares this, it is evident that the man Christ Jesus is excepted, for He is the only perfect man. In John’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus confirms that, because He is from God, He is the only man who has ever seen God (John 6:46).

So where does that leave the Church? The apostle John answers this question when he writes, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). In other words, once the Church reaches a perfected state, its members will no longer be mere men but will be like God. It is in this perfected state that they will finally see God as He truly is.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

(1 John 4:12)

In the above passage the apostle John also confirms that which Paul taught; that no man has seen God at any time. At the time of writing their letters, both Paul and John had seen the resurrected Lord, but neither of them had seen God the Father and both confirmed that it is not yet possible for any man to see God.

As an aside, there are accounts in scripture of the Lord allowing His form to be seen by those whom He selected, nevertheless none have been allowed to see the face of God.

Michael E.B. Maher

Resurrection of the Dead

Buy Now

Donate

Payoneer