Is it true that no one can see God and live? If so, how did Moses talk with Him face-to-face as friends do in Exodus 33:11?

God is the INVISIBLE Spirit. Therefore – no one can “see God.” However, Christ is God’s VISIBLE IMAGE – the GLORY OF GOD – the LIGHT. That’s how God reveals Himself to those He wants.

• Colossians 1:15 “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed BEFORE anything was created and is supreme over all creation,”
• John 12:46 “I HAVE COME AS A LIGHT to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”

Moses DID NOT SEE the INVISIBLE Spirit of God, but His VISIBLE Glory – Christ. GOD’S GLORIOUS PRESENCE. The “face-to-face” should be understood as “personally,” not literally the way you see other people’s fleshy faces with features. God is NOT human.

Exodus 33:18–23 “Moses responded, “Then show me your GLORIOUS PRESENCE.”
The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may NOT look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my GLORIOUS PRESENCE passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But MY FACE WILL NOT BE SEEN.”

John 1:14 “So THE WORD BECAME HUMAN and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE FATHER’s ONE AND ONLY SON.”

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 “So all of us who have had that veil removed CAN SEE AND REFLECT THE GLORY OF THE LORD. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
• John 14:21 “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and REVEAL MYSELF to each of them.”
• John 17:26 “I have REVEALED YOU to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

1 John 3:2 “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that WE WILL BE LIKE HIM, for WE WILL SEE HIM AS HE REALLY IS.”

• Revelation 22:4 “And THEY WILL SEE HIS FACE, and his name will be written on their foreheads.”
  • Hebrews 12:14 “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are NOT holy will NOT see the Lord.”

If you think of Jesus Christ from a human perspective and imagine Him as human and/or think He looks like one of the paintings, think again. He does not look like any of them and will not come back as human.

• John 16:10 “Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.”
• John 16:16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”
  • IN GOD’S GLORY. Not flesh!
    • John 17:5 “Now, Father, bring me into THE GLORY WE SHARED before the world began.”

Matthew 24:23–25 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ DON’T BELIEVE IT. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.”

Matthew 24:27 “For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.”

Ezekiel 1:26–28 “Above this surface was something that looked like a THRONE made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what THE GLORY OF THE LORD looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.”

Ezekiel 43:2–7 “Suddenly, THE GLORY OF GOD of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory. This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on the ground. And THE GLORY OF THE LORD came into the Temple through the east gateway. Then the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE TEMPLE. And I heard someone speaking to me from within the Temple, while the man who had been measuring stood beside me. THE LORD SAID to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will live here forever among the people of Israel. They and their kings will not defile my holy name any longer by their adulterous worship of other gods or by honoring the relics of their kings who have died.”