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

Jesus Christ is God. Hallelujah! If you do not believe this, stop reading and cancel your subscription. The Person and Work of Christ is the manifestation of God with us. All of our living a New Life in Christ is to bear witness to the Life of God, as we have His Life in us. This Life is only possible, practical, and purposeful if Christ is God. Jesus said, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). So He is the physical manifestation of God (I Tim. 3:16).

In the Old Testament, we learn that no man can see God’s Face and live (Ex. 33:20). When we come face to face, confronted with the awesomeness of God’s Holiness, we are able to see the magnitude of our own wretchedness and spiritual death. We are told that Moses spoke to God “face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend” (Ex 33:11). But this speaks of a special relationship between the two, and should not be read as a contradiction, because Moses later asked to see that glorious face of God (Ex. 33:18).

To the Old Testament saints, the “face” of God held special significance. The face of God was hidden to all but those to whom the Lord revealed Himself. Seeking the Lord’s face therefore meant a special encounter with the Divine (Gen. 32:20). It meant that God looked favorably upon one (Num. 6:25); that He showed favor (Ex. 33:17-18). It is symbolic of a blessed intimate knowledge of Him (Num. 14:14), and was emblematic of His very presence (Gen. 4:14). It was a terrible thing for the Lord to hide His face (Dt. 31:17-20).

To be able to see the face of God then implies the ability to enter into His presence, to draw close to God (Jas. 4:8) in fellowship and communion; to behold His glory, and so to be the recipient of His grace. The greatest possible joy, then, is to be in a position of honor and be granted the favor of looking into the very face of God. As we have seen, such a thing is impossible because God’s Holiness prevents our wretched selves from entering into His Presence. Something must be done to give us access into the Throne Room of God for an audience with the King.

Praise God for the work of Christ! “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19); “ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13); “Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Through the Work of Christ we have the boldness to enter into the very Presence of the Living God and to behold His glorious face.