PDF Notes

 

All through the Old Testament it appears in the words of the prophets that God the Father was mingling with men. Yet since the prophets of the New Testament added their inspired commentary, it doesn’t seem that it was so:

John 1:18 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 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

John 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

1 Timothy 6:14-16 …until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

John 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

      • “In Christ God beheld the reflection of his own image. God was manifest in the flesh because of the entire identity of his character with Christ’s character…”
        ST April 15, 1897, par. 10

Revelation 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Notice a few of the references in the Old Testament when it appears that God had visited the earth. More about this here: RevelationWithDaniel.com/angels-in-the-old-testament/

Genesis 4:6 The LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

      • “God condescends to send an angel to Cain to converse with him.” SR 53.1

Genesis 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

      • “They had built their tower to a lofty height, when the Lord sent two angels to confound them in their work.” SR 73.1

Exodus 4:24 The LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

      • “An angel appeared to him in a threatening manner, as if he would immediately destroy him.” PP 255.5

Deuteronomy 34:5-6 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

      • “But angels of God buried the body of His faithful servant and watched over the lonely grave.” PP 477.2

1 Chronicles 28:19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

      • “The Lord, through his angel, instructed David, and gave him a pattern of the house which Solomon should build for him. An angel was commissioned to stand by David while he was writing out, for the benefit of Solomon, the important directions in regard to the arrangement of the house.” 1SP 387.2

When did God visit the earth?

Exodus 20:1-3 God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

      • “The Father and the Son, attended by a multitude of angels, were present upon the mount.” PP 339.1

Exodus 34:5-6 The LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth…

      • 2 Corinthians 3:15-17 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Matthew 3:16-17 Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

      • The reason “no man has seen God at any time” is because “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). If God were to show up without the merciful protection of clouds, as demonstrated at mount Sinai, we would all be consumed.
      • “Never had angels listened to such a prayer. They were solicitous to bear to the praying Redeemer messages of assurance and love. But no; the Father himself will minister to his Son. Direct from the throne proceeded the light of the glory of God. The heavens were opened, and beams of light and glory proceeded therefrom and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” YI March 1, 1874, par. 4

Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

      • It clear that clouds were involved here, representing the angels:
      • Psalms 104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
      • Psalms 68:17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

      • Psalms 18:4-11 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
      • “In that thick darkness God’s presence was hidden. He makes darkness His pavilion, and conceals His glory from human eyes. God and  His holy angels were beside the cross. The Father was with His Son. Yet His presence was not revealed. Had His glory flashed forth from the cloud, every human beholder would have been destroyed. And in that dreadful hour Christ was not to be comforted with the Father’s presence. He trod the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him.” DA 753.4
      • “Had it been possible, the prince of darkness with his apostate army would have kept forever sealed the tomb that held the Son of God. But a heavenly host guarded the sepulcher. With majestic and terrible tread, the God of heaven, followed by the angels, walked round the tomb of Christ. They had been unseen witnesses of all that had taken place in the mock trial in the judgment hall. Every action was noted, every taunt recorded.” 12MR 421.3

I have personally taught in the past that God the Father would come at the second coming of Christ, but I have learned that to be an addition to what the Bible says. More on that in a presentation entitled, “Matthew 25c” online.

Here are the highlights that have been covered:

  • No man has seen God
  • The Old Testament shows it to be either Christ or angels
  • When God has visited the earth, it has been through a merciful covering of clouds (angels)