Glorification: Seeing God Face to Face

     Isaiah chapter thirty-five is about the New Earth. Verse ten refers to the "ransomed of the Lord." Sometimes prophecy is difficult to understand. What era and to whom were the prophets speaking? That chapter seems to be about a return to Paradise for the Garden is adequately described. 

     That return is for those ransomed. "Ransomed" is "delivered from sin or penalty" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). We must keep in mind that Jesus's Purpose was to ransom mankind, not only from sin, but the consequences of it, and from the author of it. When Satan is destroyed forever, all mankind is saved. Satan's death is for everyone because God so loved the world (John 3:16), and everyone in it.

     Deviating from my point for a moment, salvation is by grace, and God's gift is to everyone. His death paid the ransom - redemption - for all mankind... even the hated Hitler and Stalin. Everyone are recipients of the gift of life, but like any gift, it must be desired or have utility for the recipient. Only those who appreciate and use the gift of salvation shall be saved. The gift cannot be declined nor put away for posterity. It is for immediate use. 

     Back to my point: Those ransomed by the Lord shall see the glory of the Lord! How do I know that?  Isaiah, inspired by God said it: "They shall see the glory of the Lord..." (from Isa 35:2).  We must remember the time when Moses was with God:

 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. (Exod 33:9,11, 18-23).

     God spoke to Moses face to face: However, Moses didn't see God's actual face; he saw God as a cloudy pillar. Sin kept Moses from seeing God's face. No man could look at God's face and live. Moses asked God to show him His glory, then the subject came to seeing God's face. Moses was not worthy to do so because of sin. No one was worthy because all had sinned:

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:22-23)

    Sin makes it impossible to see God's face. Only when sin is cleansed by Jesus paying the ransom can anyone see God's face. "Well," you might say, "even those who killed Jesus saw God's face." Not really! They saw the Son of Man and not the Son of God. However, Moses did finally get to see God's face and live. I am speaking of Moses when he and Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, and saw God's face in Jesus. It is supposed that off the mountain, Jesus appeared as an ordinary man, but when he was transformed, God endowed Jesus with His glorious face. Scripture described the glorious face of God quite well:

As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him... While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (Luke 9:29-32, 34-35)

    Peter, James, John, Moses, and Elijah saw God's glory - His face - and yet did not die because they were about to be ransomed. God was to redeem them by showing His face, and allowing the Face of God to be crucified.  Jesus showed God's face, and died so that others could look on His Face and not die. That's how the ransom was paid!
     Remembering the scripture when God appeared to Moses as a cloud but hid His face, now with the apostles and Elijah, Moses saw God's face as God disappeared in a cloud. Moses and Elijah "appeared in glory". Living in the presence of the Lord is glorification. Elijah never died. He was glorified when he looked on God's face in Heaven. Elijah saw God's face there - the face of Jesus transfigured, and before Jesus was ever born!
     Moses died, and was glorified. Moses and Elijah represent the living and the dead who will be glorified with the coming of Christ. The apostles were amazed; they saw God's face in Jesus. Elijah and Moses were not so amazed. They saw God's face all the time because there existence was in glory. We don't know what kind of temporary body Moses had, but someday soon his fleshly body will be rejoined to his soul, and will be incorruptible. That's what glorification does. It regenerates the body back to its original state as when Adam and Eve could see God's face.

     By the way, when I lift up Jesus and see the dead Serpent on his pole, I see the face of God. Jesus's Purpose is to kill the Serpent. He said that way back in Gen 3:14. My book, The Skull of Adam, is all about God showing His face to kill the Serpent once and for all!