Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
If God were visible to human observation, would he be God? Would he be material or immaterial, finite or infinite, limited or unlimited?
12 Answers
- Anonymous3 years agoFavorite Answer
No human can see God and live. In Exodus 33:18, Moses asks God, “Please show me your glory.” God responds, “‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’ Then the Lord said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’” (Exodus 33:19–23). So, clearly, Moses never truly or fully saw God.
It's not that God could not materialize and become visible to human observation - it's that humanity could not endure to look upon him and live.
However, we know that part of the One Being of God did materialize and come to earth in human form. He was material, finite and limited in his capacity as a human, because he was put to death by his enemies. The part of God that became flesh was the eternal and uncreated Word of God who was with God in the beginning and who is God. Men saw "his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
After his death and resurrection, Jesus materialized before various eyewitnesses, including his disciples. He was able to conceal his true identity and appear, at will, wherever and whenever and however he wished. He was unlimited and infinite, and returned to heaven from whence he had first come.
Just because the incarnation of God took on human form and was put to death does not in any way detract from the fact he was fully God as well as fully human. He chose to humble himself and take on human form. He allowed his enemies to beat him and crucify him. But, as God, he rose from the dead and after appearing in human likeness to his disciples, he then went back to heaven in his glorified resurrection body.
I don't think the fullness of God can ever be made manifest to human eyes, because we could not bear it. But just as Jesus Christ was God with us back then, so too is the Holy Spirit God with us now. God can choose to appear any way he likes.
- magix151Lv 73 years ago
Yes. As to what god would be, that would be up to how god chose to present himself.
- Andy WLv 73 years ago
God by definition cannot be visible to human or any non-God entity.
God is supposed to be infinite. How does an infinite Being appear to finite beings without limiting Himself in some ways? This is where the role of incarnation comes in - incarnation is the in-fleshing of God.
- Anonymous3 years ago
Here's the thing. Religion is supposed to work on faith. Faith is believing without seeing. Therefore, if God became visible, religion would die, and belief in him would die. As such, he would die.
- How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- Anonymous3 years ago
He'd be in a world He didn't create. God only creates what is like Himself, eternal
- Anonymous3 years ago
So you're saying "if god was real, would he still be the god I love and worship"?
Personally, I would say if the god of the bible was real you would really, seriously regret the fact that his nasty, vindictive, human hating **** ever existed.
- 3 years ago
material
Our eyes detect physical electromagnetic waves of certain frequencies which are reflected by material objects.
- Anonymous3 years ago
Which God are we talking about?
- Anonymous3 years ago
If he existed, he would be visible
- Anonymous3 years ago
You could ask the same questions about the Easter Bunny.