The Bible Tells Us That No One Has Ever Seen God

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. — John 1:18 LSB

No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. — 1 John 4:12 LSB

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. — John 6:46 LSB

But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” — Exodus 33:20 LSB

Yet, in the Old Testament, the Bible tells us that God was seen!

God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am Yahweh; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I was not known to them. — Exodus 6:2-3 LSB

So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has cut with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 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. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank. 12 Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” — Exodus 24:8-12 LSB

Thus Yahweh used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, and his attendant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. — Exodus 33:11 LSB

and He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Indeed clearly, and not in riddles, And he beholds the form of Yahweh. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?” 9 So the anger of Yahweh burned against them, and He went away. — Numbers 12:6-9 LSB

And he said, “Hear me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, — Acts 7:2 LSB

If no one has ever seen God (Jn 1:18;6:46, 1 Jn 4:12), Who were they seeing (Ex 6:2-3;24:9-11;33:11, Num 12:6-9, Acts 7:2)?

Conclusion

The paradox that no one has ever seen God (Jn 1:18;6:46, 1 Jn 4:12), and that God was seen (Ex 6:2-3;24:9-11;33:11, Num 12:6-9, Acts 7:2), is easily cleared up for those of us who actually read and understand the Bible. We find in Jn 6:46 that it is God the Father that has never been seen.

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. — John 6:46 LSB

✔️ Jesus IS the Yahweh God of the Old Testament made manifest in the flesh (Jn 1:1-3,14,18) Just as he claimed to be (Jn 8:56-59; Ex 3:14-16)!

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. — John 1:18 NIV