Have you ever seen a sunset so breathtaking that words could not describe it? The colors are so vibrant that mere words can’t do it justice. Who has words when your heart and soul are filled with wonder, and you are awestruck? In several nuggets of scripture, the writers show us the awe and wonder of God. We can see that they were overwhelmed by His presence and His glory.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1 CSB
Isaiah never describes seeing God’s face. He describes how the hem of God’s robe fills the temple.
Could it be that Isaiah was so filled with awe and reverence that he bowed and could only see the hem of God’s robe? And if the hem fills the temple, how much more the rest of God’s glory?
And they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Exodus 24:10 NASB
We see in Exodus that Moses, Aaron, Aaron’s eldest sons, and the seventy elders went up the mountain to ratify the covenant before God. They couldn’t describe God’s face. They only saw the pavement beneath His feet.
Could it be that they were prostrated before Him in awestruck wonder? Apparently, the sight was so grand that their eyes saw only below His feet.
And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Revelation 4:3 NASB
In Revelation, John was before the throne of God. He never describes what God looks like, but John has a detailed description of the throne around God. John had no words for the glory shining around him. Awestruck!
Scripture tells us that no one can see God and live. Got Questions1 describes it this way:
“When God told Moses, ‘You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live’ (Exodus 33:20), He was saying that truly seeing God as He is, in the fullness of His glory, is more than mortal man can tolerate (cf. Isaiah 6:5, emphasis mine).”
God’s glory is more than we can handle in this life. Oh, but in the life to come, we will see Him!
They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4
All those who have received Christ by faith are brought into the new heaven and new earth to be with Jesus for all eternity (Revelation 21:1–6). It is there that believers will get to look on His face. It will be more than we could ask or imagine. We will be speechless and awestruck!
For His glory,
1 https://www.gotquestions.org/God-Moses-face-to-face.html