Moses in His Own Tent
Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp and called it the tabernacle of meeting. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. Ex.33:7-8.
Earlier we calculated that there were probably, at least, 3,600,000 people going to Canaan from Egypt, living in about 600,000 tents, but, illogically, the Bible says, each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.
How could they place 600,000 tents in such an arrangement that each man, standing at his tent door, could see Moses' tent, especially, considering that Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp?
How could they place 600,000 tents in such an arrangement that each man, standing at his tent door, could see Moses' tent, especially, considering that Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp?
A Chat with Jehovah
Moses and Jehovah had a real, "where the rubber meets the road", conversation. The Bible doesn't say so, but it is easy to surmise they were both sitting and talking about their future plans.
Here is part of the conversation: Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” And He (Jehovah) said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Ex. 33:12-14.
It is a fact, friend, you are not going to see God face to face. J. Vernon McGee. Maybe he should have read these words before he made his statement; The Lord is righteous; the upright man will contemplate His face. Psalm 11:7.
Seeing Jehovah is an honour reserved for the future state, to be the eternal bliss of holy souls. Matthew Henry.
Without saying so, concerning Jehovah's invisibility, most theologians agree, "let's not believe what the Bible says because if we do, we must concede that, till now, our theology was wrong, and we could never admit that".
Here is part of the conversation: Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” And He (Jehovah) said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Ex. 33:12-14.
The conversation continues in that vein, but the stickler here is, So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 33:11. (Remember, earlier the Lord sat and talked with Abraham in the shade of a tree.)
Only nine verses later we have these words, But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." Ex. 33:20. It is interesting what Bible commentators do with this whole idea. However, the long and short of what they say is that "the Bible does not mean what it says".
Some say that when the Bible says that someone saw Jehovah, it must be thought of as a theophany. That is, he didn't really see God, it just seemed like God.
Well, then, if we can make arbitrary changes to some facts in the Bible, why can we not also make arbitrary changes to other stated facts; for example, about "the flood" or the Nile river?
Obviously, we can't accept, at face value, both Ex. 33:11 and 33:20. Why should we necessarily believe 33:20, for no man shall see Me, and live, and not, rather, believe 33:11, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face?
Let us look at some of the many Bible verses that tell us that Jehovah, in fact, has been seen by humans, if we dare believe what the Bible says.
Only nine verses later we have these words, But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." Ex. 33:20. It is interesting what Bible commentators do with this whole idea. However, the long and short of what they say is that "the Bible does not mean what it says".
Let's take a few examples:
The Bible says that Moses saw God, but, in spite of that, many biblical commentators say Moses did not see Jehovah; they say that what he saw was a Christophany. That means, he saw Christ before Christ became human. KJV Bible Commentary. - Some theologians insist that when the Bible says that "Noah's flood" covered the whole world, it means that every piece of land in the whole world was under water.
- since the Bible says that "The Nile became blood", then, "The Nile was blood". You have to believe what the Bible says, right?
- But, in this case, Ex. 31:11, they speak as if they are saying, let's invent new, religious sounding, words so that the majority of the people can be duped!
Some say that when the Bible says that someone saw Jehovah, it must be thought of as a theophany. That is, he didn't really see God, it just seemed like God.
Well, then, if we can make arbitrary changes to some facts in the Bible, why can we not also make arbitrary changes to other stated facts; for example, about "the flood" or the Nile river?
Obviously, we can't accept, at face value, both Ex. 33:11 and 33:20. Why should we necessarily believe 33:20, for no man shall see Me, and live, and not, rather, believe 33:11, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face?
Let us look at some of the many Bible verses that tell us that Jehovah, in fact, has been seen by humans, if we dare believe what the Bible says.
- When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram. Gen. 17:1
- Moses covered his face for he was afraid to look at God. Ex. 3:6.
- Moses answered to Yahweh’s face. Ex. 6:12.
- the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Ex. 19:21.
- Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Ex. 24:9-10.
- After my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God. Job 19:26.
- As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness. Psalm 17: 15.
- I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. Isaiah 6:1.
- They shall see His face. Rev. 22:4.
It is a fact, friend, you are not going to see God face to face. J. Vernon McGee. Maybe he should have read these words before he made his statement; The Lord is righteous; the upright man will contemplate His face. Psalm 11:7.
Seeing Jehovah is an honour reserved for the future state, to be the eternal bliss of holy souls. Matthew Henry.
Without saying so, concerning Jehovah's invisibility, most theologians agree, "let's not believe what the Bible says because if we do, we must concede that, till now, our theology was wrong, and we could never admit that".
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