Exodus 24:10—Can God be seen?

Problem: According to this verse, Moses and the elders “saw the God of Israel.” Yet God told Moses that he could not see God’s face (Ex. 33:20), and John states flatly that “No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

Solution: God cannot be known directly in this life, nor can He be known completely. For “now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). God can be known “by the things that are made” (Rom. 1:20), but He cannot be known in Himself. The following contrast summarizes the ways God can and cannot be known:

While “no one has seen God [in His essence]” (John 1:18), nonetheless, His only begotten Son has revealed Him. Thus, Jesus could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.