In this article I discuss an issue that is often raised by those believing Messiah to be God. Actually, it is raised because they realize they must address it. It concerns the issue of whether or not God has ever been LITERALLY "seen" (visually) by man. Obviously, if God has NOT been seen, the issue of Yeshua the Messiah allegedly being God is quickly put to rest. If God cannot be seen, yet Yeshua most certainly was seen, then Yeshua cannot possibly be God.
Additionally, though this article was initially conceived to focus only upon the issue of "seeing" God, as I composed it I found it to be an excellent example of deceitful practices advanced within counterfeit Messianic Judaism and Nazarene groups. Thus, it became a dual article that focuses also on the common tactics of false Messianic leaders. Having been around the Messianic world for years, my observation is that what you will read below is truly typical of the deceptions found within counterfeit Messianism. Unfortunately for them, as you will see, the deceit shown by this particular Messianic rabbi is so obvious and blatant that defense of it is impossible without those attempting to defend him making themselves out to be active co-conspirators of deception. In short, this common teaching from a typical Messianic rabbi suggests he is intentionally deceiving.
Well, let's study this issue. You will see that those that claim God was "seen" in a literal way are wrong and promote their views ONLY because they realize the Trinity and/or deity of Messiah doctrines stand or fall on this single issue. Knowing this, they distort Scripture and totally discard the Hebraic mind set as they struggle to sell their deceptions.
As a means of study I will relate part of a response I gave to someone that sent me the teachings of a typical Messianic "rabbi." His teaching dealt with the Torah portion (Parashas Vayeira: Gen. 18:1 - 22:24) in which we find 3 emissaries of God appearing to Abraham to inform him of the coming birth of Isaac. Due to its length I will not produce the entire communication.
Within my response you will see a number of other issues highlighted, not the least of which is the common tactic of Messianic leaders to portray their teachings as being based on traditional Hebraic understandings when, in fact, they are very UN-Hebraic. It is my opinion many - if not MOST - of these so-called rabbis know this and are intentionally deceiving their followers. You will see several examples of this within this article.
Let me be blunt: these counterfeit Messianic and Nazarene leaders are sowing half-truths or total untruths, and I feel many of them knowingly do this. One example of this is the current craze of using Judaic mysticism, Kabbalah, as "proof" that Messiah is God. This, despite the fact TRUE Kabbalah does not prove such at all. I want to also emphasize that I support and agree with much they teach regarding some of the other aspects of Torah. However, I VERY much disagree with the common cheap grace teaching within the counterfeit Messianic world, which promotes the notion that Torah observance is optional. Allow me to briefly elaborate on the situation as it now stands within the counterfeit Messianic Judaism and Nazarene movements regarding their teaching that Messiah is God.
The leaders present their "God in the flesh" teachings as Hebraic and search the massive Talmud or other Judaic writings for rare shreds of "support" for their gross misrepresentation of "Hebraic" thought. Of course, they often fail to tell their listeners that Hebraic writings often conflict and are simply OPINIONS of various sages throughout history. They also do not discuss how even within those writings much of what they present as foundational (majority opinion) Hebraic concepts ACTUALLY represents the MINORITY of opinion from those writings.
They depend upon the ignorance of those listening and following them and assume their sincere listeners have not studied the TRUE Hebraic foundations in depth. Unfortunately, they are generally correct in their assumption of ignorance and intentionally deceive their audience. Of course, their audience is usually oblivious to the fact they are being lied to.
They present as "Hebraic" concepts that are actually often in direct conflict with true Hebraic thought or that are simply scattered comments within Hebraic writings that they take and misrepresent as being the standard understanding.
They often cunningly present TRUE Hebraic traditions as NON-Hebraic so that their listeners will be biased against the TRUE Hebraic truths by thinking they are actually non-Hebraic. The result is that many followers of counterfeit Messianic and Nazarene "rabbis" unknowingly reject the TRUE Hebraic foundations because their leaders have wickedly reversed the truth, that is, they present Hebraic as being non-Hebraic and Constantinian, Greek, Christianized concepts as being Hebraic! They call evil good and good evil, just as the prophets suggest regarding wicked leaders of G-d's people.
In short, many Messianic and Nazarene leaders are BLATANT sowers of lies and deception.
Though I will not address it in this article, I feel it is important to also point out that a growing trend within some circles of Trinitarian Messianic leadership is an INTENTIONAL avoidance of the issue regarding their belief that Messiah is "God in the flesh". I know of individuals belonging to Messianic organizations that have no idea that their "leader" staunchly supports a trinitarian view of God. In fact, some actually feel their leader agrees with their understanding (the TRUTH) that Messiah is NOT God. They do not know their leader's actual, hidden belief because he rarely or never discusses the issue.
There is an obvious "back room" agreement among many Messianic leaders that they best avoid the issue due to the fact so many are now waking up to the fact Messiah is NOT God. They realize their pro-mystery Babylon man-God beliefs have become increasingly difficult to defend, ESPECIALLY when common sense arguments like those on this web site are considered. Trinitarians and all others that believe in a "God in the flesh" Messiah HATE common sense reasoning!
Partial evidence of this is my observation that on some Messianic web sites previous discussions regarding their belief in a man-God Messiah have either been removed from the site, reduced, or edited to lessen the offense towards those that realize worship of a man-God Messiah is promotion of "other gods". In order to lure others that may reject the man-God Messiah doctrine into their groups and/or prevent an exodus of members some Messianic/Nazarene leaders are deceiving through silence. They realize that their power-base, careers, and prestige are at stake; therefore, you will find many Messianic leaders that embrace the mystery Babylon man-God of Constantinian Christianity either avoid the topic, hide their teachings with tactful verbal gymnastics, utilize the ejection device of Kabbalah, or twist the truth as illustrated below.Let me suggest a VERY simple way you can KNOW what actually represents foundational Hebraic concepts. It is NOT necessary to study the Talmud or to devote oneself to years of in depth searching through Hebraic writings. Many others have already done this and have presented in very easily understood format precisely what the TRUE Hebraic world view is. There are LOTS of Judaic publications one can reference, which prove that much of what counterfeit Messianics and Nazarenes promote as traditional Hebraic concepts are NOT Hebraic at all, especially their concepts that they use to support a "God in the flesh" Messiah.
When you reference the sources just mentioned, you will EASILY see that MOST of what counterfeit Messianic and Nazarene rabbis present as foundational regarding their promotion of a "God in the flesh Messiah", is actually NOT foundational at all! Instead, most of their arguments are completely opposed to foundational Hebraic thought and are obtained from the spiritual drug store of the Great Harlot. The same Harlot these false rabbis apparently represent as they promote her mystery Babylon definition of God.
In this article you will see how the standard deception tactics previously stated are used by this typical Messianic rabbi as he deceptively seeks to convince his followers that his teachings regarding the topic of how God HAS been literally seen are Hebraic. Friend, such NOT the case. This typical Messianic rabbi's comments will be shown in italics. Where my comments appear within his I also attempted to show my comments both without italics and in red letters. To protect the guilty I will not reveal the name of this Messianic "rabbi" from the state of Washington. Sadly, this man's teachings are often seen in the counterfeit Messianic publication, First Fruits of Zion and he is adored by many naive individuals that seem to hang on his every word. Frankly, his comments prove to me he is either totally ignorant of the TRUE foundational Hebraic teachings or he is an intentional deceiver. You will see within my response that I am convinced that his goal is INTENTIONALLY deception. Worst still, his tactics are truly the rule rather than the exception within counterfeit Messianic and Nazarene organizations.
Beginning of response to typical teaching from a Messianic rabbi:
It is remarkable that in our times the issue of G-d's incarnation has once again been raised as a nagging question. With the post Holocaust "theology" of modern Judaism teaching that it is impossible (because it is beneath Him) for G-d to ever participate in material substance, many Messianic congregations are once again being confronted with a crucial question: is it possible for Jesus (Yeshua) to be G-d in the flesh, to actually be Immanuel?
In the very first paragraph he has already implicitly lead the reader astray. He implies "post Holocaust theology of modern Judaism" is a root cause of the teaching that Yeshua is not LORD. This is incorrect. Judaism, indeed basic Hebraic thought, has ALWAYS taught man cannot be God. In fact, first century Messianism taught the same thing! And, of course, the incarnation of G-d has NEVER been found within traditional Hebraic thought!
The "issue" was not "resolved" until the Church forced it upon all with the threat of death. In truth, the conflict has been ongoing despite efforts of the Trinitarians of the world to make it appear otherwise. The only way it could be almost stamped out was through severe persecution of those that did not hold to the pagan trinity. TRUE Monotheistic Messianics (ONE God and ONE separate Messiah) have always had a remnant. Even the heralded John Calvin murdered those that opposed the Trinity. The horrible death of Michael Servetus at the hands of Calvin should be required reading for all sincere believers. Amazingly, these murderous, adulterous, tyrannical "church fathers" are adored as "Saints" and virtually worshipped by millions upon millions of untaught Christians. It is a fact that many of today's orthodox beliefs were largely "purchased" with the blood of those opposed to them. The Trinity is one of those doctrines.
At the basis of this question is the notion that G-d could never take on physicalness, because if He did, He would be less than the eternal G-d, and would, by definition, not be G-d! This Greek philosophical method of thinking may pose a problem for the Western mind, but it did not so present itself to the ancient Hebrew. [this last statement, which I have underlined, is totally false!] If G-d wanted to appear to a person or persons, He did so by taking on physical form.
HE did NOT take on physical form. HE sent proxies, messengers, angels in His name to perform His will. This, again, is a standard accepted foundational principle understood by those most familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and/or Hebraic thought. This individual is either grossly ignorant of the basics of Hebraic thought or he is promoting falsehood. Since this particular teacher is highly revered in Messianic circles and shows a good knowledge of Hebraic thought in other areas of teaching, I am forced to conclude he is INTENTIONALLY sowing falsehood in order to further his traditional Christian, Constantinian concept of the man-God Messiah. He purposely and grossly deviates from Hebraic thought, yet doesn't inform his listeners he is doing so. This type deviation when Messiah and/or God is discussed in Messianic groups is typical. Here we see him intentionally reversing Hebraic and Greek thought - he is calling good evil and evil good! Actually, it is the GREEK philosophical mind set that has no problem with God taking human form! This guy is brazenly sowing falsehood, and projects this same falsehood all throughout his comments! The Hebraic mind VERY MUCH DOES have a problem with the Almighty Creator taking human form, particularly if that human is tempted by Satan, tempted by Satan to worship him, and killed, all of which one MUST believe if they believe Yeshua the Messiah is God!
Yet, clearly another issue confronts the Messianic believer when this topic is raised. Don't the Apostolic Scriptures teach that G-d is invisible and that no one has ever seen Him? Yes, they do! Consider the following:
John 1:18 No man has seen G-d at any time, the only begotten G-d who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.I Tim 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only G-d, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.I Tim 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen!So here we have the proverbial problem: the scriptures must contradict themselves, for on the one hand they teach us that G-d is invisible (meaning that He does not take on physical form) and yet they also teach us that G-d appears to people in physical form.
WHOA! STOP! They do NOT contradict themselves, and I will show such as I correct his traditional interpretation.
First, he intentionally fails to mention that his rendering of John 1:18 was specifically selected by him to further his viewpoint. His teaching here is absolutely filled with such biased, unexplained slight-of-hand, which is necessary and typical among counterfeit Messianic leaders. However, there is STRONG evidence the verse is more properly rendered as:
or, as presented in Young's Literal Translation:
There are several pages devoted to this verse in Bart D. Ehrman's book, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament. He concludes his comments with the following:
... Given the fact that the established usage of the Johannine literature is known beyond a shadow of a doubt, there seems little reason any longer to dispute the reading found in virtually every witness outside the Alexandrian tradition. (The Alexandrian tradition is where "God" is used instead of "Son".) The prologue ends (here he is referring to John 1:18) with the statement that "the unique Son who is in the bosom of the Father, that one has made him known."
In other words my friend, the correct rendering is as presented in the KJV, ("only begotten Son"), NOT as presented by this Messianic rabbi ("only begotten God"). Indeed, the thought that God can be "begotten", is itself blasphemous. Nevertheless, traditional Christian and counterfeit Messianic leaders show no hesitation to promote blasphemy of the Living God as a standard practice.
Also, note how Paul CLEARLY refers to the True invisible God as the ONLY God. He also refers to this God as being ALONE in possessing immortality. It is this same TRUE God that gave immortality to Yeshua and will likewise give it to those that follow the footsteps of Yeshua, God's perfect servant, agent, and witness.
Also, we see here the Messianic "rabbi" rushing past with great agility a VERY big point. That point is this: The Apostolic Scriptures - IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS - make it VERY clear no one has ever seen God! So here we have a critical situation. IN ORDER TO PROVE GOD CAN AND HAS BEEN SEEN THIS COUNTERFEIT MESSIANIC LEADER MUST LITERALLY PROVE THE APOSTLES WRONG! NOTE THE CLARITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS! Can anyone with the ability to read misunderstand the clear facts they present?
Often, if one looks at the original Hebrew or Greek, verses can be shown to be different in some ways than what appears in our modern translations. Anyone that denies translator bias is hopelessly naive. However, in this case the clarity and direct facts are preserved even when the original language is checked. So, the rest of his argument is an ATTEMPT at scriptural gymnastics to somehow show that the "apostolic" clarity is apparently not clear and to try to sow doubt regarding what the apostles CLEARLY and UNAMBIGUOUSLY said! So, if he "proves" such, we should tear the "apostolic scriptures" out of our Bibles because he would have "proven" them to be false teachings! THIS POINT MUST NOT BE MISSED! The "apostolic scriptures" are crystal clear on this matter; thus, despite his probable denial of it, he MUST prove the apostles (indeed many writers of scripture) wrong in order to advance his case for the Trinity or the deity of Yeshua!
The attempts to solve this "problem" along classical, Greek logical lines have been legion - sometimes intriguing, sometimes ludicrous, but almost always, wrong.
I agree, Greek thought patterns -- THE CHURCH - is sometimes intriguing and sometimes ludicrous but almost always wrong. That is the core of the problem. Most Messianics/Nazarenes that wrongly consider themselves "Hebraic" intentionally ignore the Hebraic context whenever they proclaim their man-God Messiah. It seems Hebraic context is considered by most "Messianic synagogues" only so far as it fits their already establish traditional Christian theology. When situations like the Trinity arise, suddenly Hebraic context falls by the wayside and Greek/Alexandrian, Plato-inspired, pagan church tradition prevails.
Our portion (the passages from Genesis to which this discussion specifically applies) is one of those texts which heads the list of "problem" passages.
This Messianic leader somehow MISSED the texts that actually "heads the list" of those that are "problem" passages and that prove God has never been literally seen, but I will present it now since you seem to have evidently misplaced it or conveniently forgotten of its existence.
FRANKLY, SINCE THIS MESSIANIC LEADER'S TREATISE IS DISCUSSING GOD'S SUPPOSED APPEARING IN THE FLESH, I FIND IT SUSPICIOUSLY ODD HOW HE COULD HAVE OVERLOOKED THIS CRUCIAL VERSE AND MUST CONCLUDE HIS EVADING OF IT WAS INTENTIONAL! Once his concealment of these passages is removed his reason for ignoring them becomes obvious.
Let us proceed to a LITERAL discussion between the LORD and a great man named Moses. Let us look at Exodus chapter 33. Here I will present the relevant verses, which destroy his argument even before it is made, unless the very literal voice and Words of the Living God STRAIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF HIS PERSONAL EMISSARY are not convincing enough for his and his fellow Trinitarians! Unfortunately, I suspect as with most, his traditions are so ingrained that even the literal Words from God, Himself cannot change them. Here we have the Torah verses from the 33rd chapter of Exodus, which record a personal conversation between Moses and an emissary of the ONE and ONLY true Living God!
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. ...
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 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.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 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:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Note this: Is there ANY contradiction between what GOD says and what the Apostolic writers said in the aforementioned verses? Need one hesitate with the answer? NO!! There is NO contradiction. Unlike others the apostles were well aware of a basic fact. The fact that, indeed, NO MAN HAS EVER LITERALLY SEEN GOD! EVER!! Of course, for a Trinitarian or one that believes Yeshua is God to admit this is devastating. To accept this clear teaching STRAIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD'S PERSONAL EMISSARY (though since He was not "seen," it may well have been God) spells doom to any that claim Yeshua is God. Thus we can now understand the apparent "forgetfulness" by the counterfeit Messianic leader regarding this verse's existence. Trinitarians invent, devise, twist, theologize, dogmatize, philosophize, and demonize all they can to make clear words appear unclear.
Now, since GOD HIMSELF makes it clear "Thou canst NOT see my face: for no man can see me, and live...", and since the apostles and sages honor HIM more than tradition (accepting God's words instead of the words of the Pope, Popish people, counterfeit Messianic rabbis, or church tradition), we must therefore recognize that any verses that may appear to suggest God physically manifesting himself to anyone should be scrutinized WITH GOD'S OWN LITERAL SPOKEN WORDS IN MIND! Indeed, if GOD SAID no man can see Him and live and yet a man saw Him and lived; then, GOD is proven a liar! Does anyone wish to pursue a course that attempts to show God to be a liar? I suggest that may be a perilous course to follow despite the fact countless Trinitarians and others believing Messiah to be God seem willing to do so.
The point is this. GOD MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR IN THIS SINGLE AREA OF SCRIPTURE THAT NO MAN CAN SEE GOD AND LIVE! I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO ATTEMPT TO HURDLE THIS INFINITELY TALL AND WIDE ROADBLOCK AS THEY GO TO GREAT LENGTHS IN THEIR VERBAL GYMNASTICS. THESE VERSES ARE IMMOVABLE, STUBBORN, AND UTTERLY IRREFUTABLE! It is similar to Matthew 5:18 which clearly shows (since "heaven and earth" are still here) that the Torah is NOT abolished. Exodus 33:20-23, like Matt. 5:17-19, is absolutely unassailable and immune to misinterpretation. Nevertheless, they suffer assault, as is the case by those promoting the clearly false teaching that Yeshua is God.
Some wrongly assume that a clear example of God literally appearing or speaking to Moses can be found in the example of the giving of the Torah (Law) at Mt. Sinai. However, this typical assumption most make is incorrect. Note the following passages taken from the New Testament, which are in perfect agreement with the standard Hebraic way of thinking.
There is NO area of Scripture that more strongly implies God directly spoke or was seen by man than the passages of Torah that record the dialogue between Moses and YHVH. However, as these verses (and traditional Hebraic thought) prove, not even Moses directly saw or spoke with God! Therefore, since the passages that record the discourse between Moses and YHVH and that most strongly imply direct communication obviously were NOT direct communication, then all others examples we find in Scripture of God communicating or appearing should OBVIOUSLY not be assumed to be literal and direct contact. This is another issue that is easy to be grasped using a common sense reading of the passages I just presented from the New Testament.
It is no coincidence that the facts presented in the verses just quoted are not frequently discussed within Messianic/Nazarene or traditional Christian organizations. The reason is because of how these verses destroy the concept that God, Himself, was literally and directly communicating with Moses. If the truth acquired from these verses became widespread it would weaken the "God can be seen" argument they hope people continue to accept and thus weaken the argument for a "God in the flesh" Messiah. Leaders of these groups do not deny the verses I just showed; however, they prefer to avoid them since they fear the typical studious seekers of Truth might recognize from these verses that God truly CANNOT be seen and, therefore, Yeshua the Messiah is NOT God. They hope people will take the English translations literally and assume that YHVH directly interfaced with Moses and others. The truth is that YHVH did NOT directly communicate, instead He communicated, and continues to communicate, through divinely commissioned angelic emissaries. Of course, those that accept Yeshua as Messiah also recognize Messiah as THE primary divinely appointed and anointed emissary of the ONE TRUE YHVH Elohim (LORD God).
Now we will continue, but it is of utmost importance that the verses I just presented from Exodus should be fixed in our minds. REMEMBER THAT EVEN ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT GOD WAS CONCEALED IN SMOKE. EVEN TO MOSES GOD APPEARED IN A CLOUD, ETC. Remember, remember, remember God's own words as you stroll through scriptures thinking Yeshua is God.
It (the passages he discusses from Genesis) begins with "HaShem (God) appeared to him." Simple, straightforward, without any explanation as though some eternal reality has collided with temporal substance - no just simply, "HaShem appeared to him."
I will resist the temptation to comment in detail on the prevalent use of fancy phrases by Trinitarians, though it is tempting. Trinitarians love to seduce their audience using grandiose, lofty words and phrases.
The Hebrew word translated "appeared" is shown from Strong's to have several possible meanings. It could just as easily be God "looking at" or "perceiving", etc. The point being that it is wrong to force the meaning to be literally "appearing" in a physical sense. But I actually agree "appeared" is probably a correct rendering and find absolutely no problem with that. Why? Well, because the traditional Hebraic thought is virtually unanimous in teaching that God, Himself, always "appeared" in a vision or dream - in short - to men that were not fully conscious. Even if a man is conscious, God's "appearing" is through an intermediary or in a misty cloud or in a "scene" in heaven - concealed from literal view. The probability that the initial appearance to Abraham was in a vision or dream is supported by the very next verse when Abraham is said to "lift up his eyes and look." This "lifting" and "looking" implies that, indeed, he may have been in a state of slumber or vision when God's agent initially "appeared" (head down and napping or praying). It is odd how the Messianic teacher fails to mention this well established opinion of many sages - which is that God "appears" in visions and dreams and ALWAYS through Divinely commissioned emissaries and proxies (i.e. "angel - emissary - of the LORD"). Thus, we have no "external reality colliding with temporal substance." Instead we have a man that was initially was probably simply asleep or in a prayerful vision and to which 3 Divinely sanctioned agents of God physically appeared.
The heading in my Stone Chumash for this section is "Visiting the Sick and Hospitality to Strangers." [The Soncino Press edition of Pentateuch & Haftorahs calls this section "Visit of the ANGELS" because it was angels, NOT God Himself, that actually visited Abraham.] G-d is the One visiting the sick according to the Sages, [through an agent or in vision] because they reckon Abraham to have been circumcised only three days earlier.
Ok. I cannot allow this blatant and typical deception to pass without comment! In the comments just quoted from this false teacher we find a typical example of deception. Here, one cannot assume he is simply making a mistake, since within his comments he quotes from the very Hebraic Torah commentary (the Stone Chumash) that DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS WHAT HE IS SAYING!! This Messianic rabbi is PROVEN TO BE INTENTIONALLY DECEIVING due to the simple fact that the very text he uses, and thus obviously studied, directly conflicts with his statement, "G-d is the One visiting the sick according to the Sages." Let me quote from the very text (Artscroll edition of the Stone Chumash) he references during his teaching.
Within the commentary for Genesis 18:1 (the area of Scripture his teaching concerns) taken from the very Stone Chumash he references, we find the following.
"...God sent him three angels in the guise of people"
Then, quoting from the commentary for the very next verse from the SAME Chumash we find:
" ...God sent three different angels because, by definition, an angel is a function that God wishes to have performed. Thus, each function is a new angel, and since there were three missions to be accomplished in connection with Abraham and Sarah at this time, there were three angels to carry them out. In the words of the Midrash, 'one angel does not perform two missions.' In this case the three angels were Michael, who informed Abraham that Sarah would have a son [v.14], Gabriel, who overturned Sodom [19:25]; and Raphael, who healed Abraham and saved Lot ... The last two tasks, healing Abraham and saving Lot, constituted a single mission because they were for the sake of rescue. ..."
The Stone Chumash, as well as every other Torah commentary I referenced (Soncino Press Pentateuch and Haftorahs, JPS Torah Commentary Set, and the Soncino Chumash) very clearly state that God was NOT the one that literally visited Abraham. They all unanimously state that God sent emissaries (angels) to visit Abraham. Yet, this Messianic rabbi intentionally attempts to mislead the reader into believing the Hebraic commentaries say that it was God that was literally presenting Himself to Abraham, despite the fact those commentaries do not say that at all! Thus, this typical Messianic rabbi uses the typical tactic of intentional deception as he falsely presents his biased, Constantinian, Christianized understandings as though they are the opinion of the Hebraic Sages.
Here we have a clear example of how Messianic rabbis will knowingly sow falsehood and bear false witness to the truth of God's Word! This is inexcusable and is one reason I often find myself feeling righteous indignation towards the army of counterfeit Messianic leaders. Their typically deceptive ways are repulsive and proves that the Holy Spirit is not what guides them, since the Holy Spirit does not sow deception.
My point is:
If this man wishes to believe and promote that Messiah is God he has that right, and I will defend his right to his opinion. However, for him and other Messianic/Nazarene leaders to claim their teachings are backed up by the Hebraic Sages is a bold-faced lie! The least they can do is refrain from attributing their beliefs to the Sages of the Hebraic faith. I call upon Messianic leaders to stop hiding behind curtains of falsehood and to just honestly admit that their beliefs that God has been LITERALLY seen, and that Messiah is "God in the flesh" are NOT supported AT ALL within traditional Hebraic thought! I call upon them to honestly admit their beliefs stem from their biased traditional Christian foundations.
Ok. Even though I realize I am being redundant, I feel it is essential to grasp the actual truth regarding the dominant opinion of the Hebraic Sages. As previously stated, virtually every single Hebraic commentary I have ever consulted states the overwhelming opinion of the Hebraic Sages that it is NOT God that literally visited or ever visits. Instead, they are virtually unanimous in stating (I've never personally seen a differing opinion within the commentaries) that God "visits" and/or "appears" in visions, dreams, or through appointed agents (angels). One must truly dig deep to find any Sage of traditional Hebraic thought that promotes the idea of literal appearances of God. As stated, this Messianic rabbi is either intentionally deceiving or is very ignorant of basic Hebraic teachings, and I am forced to conclude he is sowing intentional falsehood. There is widespread agreement among Sages that Abraham may very well have been in a prayerful vision and immediately afterward "looked up" to see the 3 emissaries sent by God, possibly in answer to his prayer.
The example of deception just covered is one of many reasons why you should never blindly accept what a Messianic rabbi teaches! Instead, study Hebraic thought and get the Torah commentaries so that you can see for yourself what the Hebraic Sages actually teach! Don't listen to those committed to deception! Do not listen to counterfeit Messianic leaders that show themselves (like this one) to be willing to intentionally deceive in order to promote their Christianized, unscriptural, Constantinian, mystery Babylon religion!
Now, let's continue reading the words of this proven false teacher.
In other words, he was recuperating from a very painful surgery. Yet, in his own pain, he still makes every effort to show hospitality to strangers (The writer to the Messianic Jews might have had a similar perspective, telling the believers of his day, who were facing much suffering, to nonetheless be generous in welcoming strangers into their homes.) We actually do not know exactly how much time has elapsed since the end of chapter 17 and out text. But to have Abraham sitting in his tent in the middle of the day does seem a bit strange, unless of course he had already worked in the morning and was planning to continue after the heat died down.
Abraham could have been napping in the heat of the day as he rested from his circumcision. It is often the case in hot climates to rest or nap during the hottest part of the day. I should know, I grew up in hot, humid Mississippi! It would also explain how "SINCE NO MAN CAN SEE ME [GOD] AND LIVE" God would have "appeared" to him during his nap in a vision or dream. I am not dogmatic about this, since the 3 messengers of God were NOT God anyway! They were divinely sent AGENTS of God! God said no man can see Him and live. That settles it with me and any other that truly reveres and fears the Living God. Apparently this rabbi doesn't hold the same level of reverence for God's statements as I do.
But the Stone Chumash makes another interesting and honest statement, reading verse 3. My L-rd. According to most interpretations, the word in this passage is sacred. Indeed, the Sages teach that whenever the scribes wrote the word Adonai with the vowel qametz under the nun, this always was a reference to HaShem (God)!
Having proven previously that he is intentionally misrepresenting the Sages, one would be unwise to accept anything this Messianic rabbi attributes to the Sages. I will agree with him that in virtually all cases (with a couple of exceptions) "Adonai" refers to HaShem OR ONE SENT IN HIS NAME AS HIS AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE. The Pentateuch. & Haftorahs states Abraham was speaking "to the one who appeared to be the chief of the three men (angels)". In that same reference Hertz presents the traditional understanding among Sages that "an angel is never sent on more than one errand at a time." Therefore, there were 3 - 1 to announce the birth of Isaac, the second to destroy Sodom, and the third to rescue Lot. That is why only 2 arrived at Sodom. The first "Lord" (authorized agent of the HaShem) had accomplished his mission of announcing Isaac's birth and remained with Abraham. Having completed his mission, there was no need for him to continue with the other 2 emissaries.
This interpretation is corroborated in our text by verse 22: "The men had turned from there and went to Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before HaShem."
I disagree that it is corroborated. I will explain. Here is vs. 22
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
NOW - Here are a couple of other verses in the Tanakh that should be considered in light of this verse:
Leviticus 9:5 - And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
2 Chronicles 20:13 - And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
If I may point out other verses:
Deuteronomy 10:8 - At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
Deuteronomy 19:17 - Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
Now, is this Messianic leader suggesting ALL the congregation of Israel literally saw the LORD in Lev. 9:5? Of course we know when the Levites "stood" before the LORD they were NOT LITERALLY SEEING THE LORD in Deut. 10:8! Is he now saying they did? We also know all of the tribe of Judah were not LITERALLY seeing HaShem in 2 Chronicles 20:13! So I suppose he is saying that indeed they did! We also know when men came to be judged by the priest and judges and stood "before the LORD" in Deut. 19:17 they were NOT LITERALLY SEEING THE LORD! ... ETC ... ETC ... ETC. I think the verses I show are sufficient to prove that "standing before the LORD" is not to be taken literally. I suspect this typical Messianic leader realizes this but must, as is common with Trinitarians, force phrases to fit his traditional Christianity based theology.
There are so few verses that provide ANY solid backing for the Trinity that Trinitarians have developed an amazing ability to make verses (and even individual words) say what they want them to say in order to frantically support for their erroneous doctrines. When verses are taken as they are written (and words as they are defined) the facts AGAINST the Trinity are overwhelming. Frankly this is even more the case in the New Testament, but few people ever notice the mountain of verses which prove Messiah is not God because their bias blinds them to the obvious. Sometimes, even when seen the verses that disprove the "God in the flesh" teaching are still rejected. For instance, I have had individuals tell me that if they found 100 verses that teach against the Trinity and ONLY 1 that appears to support it they would still accept the Trinity! Such people are hopelessly deceived and slaves to the spirit of delusion. They would rather accept a "mystery" they cannot explain than they would clear scripture that they can!
The Tanakh is full of people that "stood," "stand," etc. before the LORD (HaShem, YHVH), yet no one would be so crazy as to suggest the English meaning is actually descriptive of the exact situation. It is implicitly obvious that the term "standing/stood before the LORD" is an idiom that represents being SPIRITUALLY in the presence of the LORD.
Regarding the term Adonai ... as I pointed out, it is not always used to refer literally to the LORD. More important still is the fact that this counterfeit Messianic "rabbi" is here utilizing a tactic that is absolutely crucial for Trinitarians and those that teach Yeshua is God. He is playing word games. Echad, Elohim, Adonai, etc. ... It seems the Yeshua-is-God crowd are fixated on the "mystery" or the "inner, hidden meaning" of words to "prove" their arguments. Truth is no "mystery." Truth is extremely easy to understand. Today's theologians would have us to be fools and accept that which we cannot even understand!
Those of us that recognize Yeshua is not God are not at all hamstrung by the "mystery" that is unknowable. The truth that Yeshua is NOT God is clear, explainable, and very simple for us to understand. What is NOT easy to understand is why so many foolishly accept outrageous and unsubstantiated "mystery" and "mysticism" and why they base their entire faith upon a belief that is impossible for them to explain!
The same people that would consider it utter stupidity to sign an insurance policy, a home loan agreement, a financial contract, or most any other agreement of significance without first making sure they FULLY understand the details of the agreement will, nevertheless, place their infinitely valuable eternal souls into the hands of their religious leaders without even being able to explain their beliefs! They naively base their eternal destiny on a belief that even they admit is an unexplainable mystery! My friend, the term for that is - frankly - spiritual stupidity, and one reason for the resentment others show those like myself is due to their own frustration at not being able to substantiate their belief that Messiah is "God in the flesh." So, in truth, they vigorously oppose those like me because I expose the stupidity of their belief. I expose their lack of basic, common sense! I expose their ignorance and the fragile religious house of straw they choose to live in. Christians and counterfeit Messianics are in denial of their own self-imposed and preferred ignorance and seemingly love to have it so. Of course, Christian and counterfeit Messianic leaders oppose me largely because I threaten their incomes and power. I threaten their profitable careers and the worship from others that fuels their sometimes enormous egos.
Gnosticism (hidden knowledge) is very much present in orthodox Christianity. If it seems a mystery, you probably are misunderstanding the passage. That alone - the need, the essential requirement to defend the Trinity by departing from clear scripture and venturing into Kabbalistic/mystic explanations is another reason I finally realized the Trinity and the deification of Yeshua were wicked creations of deceived or even demonic minds.
One of Satan's probable intentions of this deception is to perpetually prevent Israel from recognizing their Messiah. As long as they are told they must accept Yeshua as God, they will rightly refuse to see Him as Messiah. This counterfeit "rabbi" and others in the counterfeit Messianic/Nazarene community are unwittingly - I give them the benefit of the doubt - doing the Devil's work and further insuring Israel will continue to suffer until the truth of Yeshua is finally brought forth - the truth that he is 100% human that has been given BY GOD all power and authority. He is Messiah - NOT God!
Messianics following traditional orthodoxy of the "church" are - by and large - unknowingly among the worst enemies of Israel because they deceptively paint themselves as "Judaic" when they are actually foursquare gospel, Baptist, Catholic, etc - in other words, raw, traditional, orthodox Christianity with all it's pagan derived beliefs. It is time they and others admit the truth and stop hiding behind Jewish garb. The Pope is still the Pope even when he puts on a tallit and parades around a Torah scroll! The deceptive presentation of most Messianic congregations does not fool Jews, though it does fool large numbers of Christians intoxicated on the wine of the great harlot, because they never have to stop drinking the wine. It only angers Jews and drives them often further from accepting Yeshua as Messiah. The Messianic deception provides the ammo needed by groups such as Jews for Judaism and strengthens the barrier between the Jews and their Messiah.
A side note to consider is that, according the the Hebraic references previously cited, the phrase "LORD said" is traditionally understood as often meaning "LORD thought". This provides even further evidence that the literal understanding many acquire from reading English translations of the Hebrew Scriptures is sometimes incorrect.
The fact is that GOD'S OWN LITERAL WORDS IN EXODUS 33 STILL STAND DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO IGNORE THEM AND CONCEAL THEM FROM THE HEARTS OF TRUE FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD!
So there you have it! HaShem appears to Abraham, eats with him, talks with him, negotiates with him - and the text carries on as though this is normal. There is not one hint of explanation in the text to overcome what we perceive as an insurmountable problem.
I AGREE THERE NO TRUE HEBRAIC EXPLANATION TO OVERCOME, BECAUSE THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE HEBRAIC EXPLANATION THIS MESSIANIC LEADER AVOIDS PRESENTING. HaShem said no man can see Him and no man ever has, unless one is prepared to refute the words spoken in the name of the Most High HaShem by His fully empowered agent. However, his teachings do present insurmountable problems because they are insurmountably incorrect and totally against basic Hebraic fact. This Messianic "rabbi" continues to conceal the almost unanimous belief among the Hebraic Sages that God has NEVER literally appeared before a man; however, God DOES "appear" IN PROXY through His messengers. These messengers are AMBASSADORS that function under total authority and with the legal backing of the LORD. THE best example of such an ambassadorial arrangement is Yeshua Himself. He is THE legal ambassador with complete, unequalled authority GRANTED HIM BY GOD. If you wish to see THE clearest example in the Torah of this note Joseph's (a type of Messiah) function AS Pharaoh in Genesis 41:38-46. Joseph, however, was NOT literally Pharaoh but had BEEN GRANTED ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY by Pharaoh.
Functioning as Pharaoh and being Pharaoh are NOT the same thing. To be given authority BY Pharaoh to execute judgment AS Pharaoh did not change the fact that Joseph WAS NOT PHARAOH! Joseph was STILL SUBJECT TO PHARAOH. SUCH IS THE CASE WITH YAHSHUA AND THE LIVING FATHER GOD! Joseph, like Yeshua, was even the same AGE when he was granted this power (30 yrs old as was Yeshua when He started His ministry of preaching the Kingdom). Yet note, as shown in 41:40, Joseph - like Yeshua - was NOT the absolute authority but was still subject to the absolute! Note how 1 Cor. 15:24-28 clearly says the same about Yeshua being subject to the Father. There are more verses - tons of them - which prove Yeshua's subjection to the Father, but that will suffice for now. The scriptural armory is full of rebuttals to the Yeshua is God deception. Unfortunately, bias, fear, pride, tradition, career, etc. blinds most to clear scripture. I was blinded for over 30 years to it. But now it is so clear it would almost be laughable were it not such a tragic false teaching.
What is the viewpoint of our text? That G-d has always existed in both invisible and visible form, and that is an eternal and thus essential aspect of His nature. To say anything less is to fail to let the text speak in its own words, its own language.
In this case the counterfeit Messianic "rabbi" failed to let GOD speak in His Own Words from Exodus 33. Where is this proof of God's visible form of existence this false rabbi mentions? God has NOT "always existed in both invisible and visible form" except in the mind of those that seem intent on casting aside unambiguous statements of scripture and doggedly maintaining their white-knuckled grip on tradition.
How is that Scriptures can, on the one hand, flatly state that no one has seen G-d at any time, and yet plainly say that G-d has appeared to people? [It doesn't accept to the deceived] It is really very simple: when G-d is spoken of as invisible, it is speaking of G-d as revealed in the Name, or by the designation "Father." And when G-d appears to people it is speaking of the incarnate G-d, i.e., the Messiah, designated by the name "Son of G-d." [Sounds like a statement straight from the Vatican and theological realms. I wonder if he paraphrased from one of the councils or synods of the early church? Everything he said immediately above is pure conjecture - supposition that is unsubstantiated within the context of scripture. CONTEXT - SOMETHING TRINITARIANS DESPISE, as do all teachers of every false doctrine.]
G-d cares about His people and personally attends to the affairs of their lives. G-d pays a visit to Abraham! [through His appointed agent] He comes calling on His chosen one to help, aid, encourage, and advance His purposes for Him. [through His appointed agent] G-d is in every way interconnected with the daily lives of His people. What a tremendous reality and awesome thing, that the eternal G-d should desire to dwell with mortal man and woman. [through His appointed agent - in the ultimate sense - His unique, anointed, and chosen King Messiah Yeshua.]
Yet note how the "problem" our text raises is joined to the blessing it brings: G-d dwells with His people in the person of His incarnate Son. [Son - NOT "incarnate" Son] Long before Jesus (Yeshua) came as the man He would forever be, He appears in the history of redemption as the viable revelation of the otherwise invisible g-dhead. [God IS invisible - even Yeshua makes that clear "God is spirit." The "godhead" as understood by Trinitarians doesn't exist, but GOD and His King Messiah Son most certainly do.] The mysterious and unexplainable eternal G-d manifests Himself to His chosen ones in order that they might know Him, and become like Him. He chooses to make Himself known in the "language" of mankind's existence - in the thought patterns developed for his mortality. [I agree we can know God through Yeshua. But that does NOT force Yeshua into being God.]
But instead of accepting the revelation of the invisible G-d as a wonderful yet deep mystery, [there he goes with that "mystery" stuff again! Why do I get the feeling I'm in a Catholic Mass somewhere?] the Church, in her ever-increasing chasm with the synagogue, [his argument maintains that chasm] needed to formulate the unexplainable mystery [not again! "Mystery" PLEASE note how THE ENTIRE TEACHING OF THE TRINITY IS ULTIMATELY BASED UPON A "MYSTERY". The truth is NO mystery. Why hang on to a mystery when it is not necessary?] of the g-dhead into understandable and logical terms. For some, this was impossible, and so Arianism became their position. For others, the logical, mathematical systems of the Greek thought produced explanations for the mystery which later became confessional creeds, the litmus paper for orthodoxy. What one confessed about the "essence" of G-d made the difference between living or burning! [Correct, and those that refused to bow down to Papal authority and the creeds burned. The same litmus test this counterfeit Messianic rabbi is here defining! The Devilish Beast and Great Harlot are ever working to kill off their opponents when the laws allow such preferred tactics.]
Has it ever struck you that the Scriptures themselves never really attempt to defend what appears to be blatant contradiction, i.e. that the invisible G-d shows up as the visible G-d? [AHA! So at least he admits that what he is here teaching is a blatant contradiction of Scripture!] Paul, in Acts 20:28, does not even flinch to ascribe blood to G-d! For him, it was a natural way of thinking. For the Western mind, such a statement must lead to an involved philosophical explanation. But for Paul, the blood of Jesus (Yeshua), freely given on the alter of the cross, was surely the blood of G-d. For Paul, Yeshua was and is Immanuel!
Not so fast! There IS an alternate interpretation. Let's quote from a couple of versions ...
In the NASB there is a note which states the term "God" is actually "the Lord" in some manuscripts. Also note that the Greek term for "Lord" can just as easily be rendered Master and does NOT necessarily refer to Lord God. Thus, the "church of God" could be "the church of the Lord" and clearly be referring to the Master Yeshua. Which completely removes the "necessity" of "ascribing blood to God." When ALL the reference verses for verse 28 that appear in - for instance - The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge are viewed it is very clearly applying the "blood" to Christ! Check them for yourself. (Eph 1:7,14 Col 1:14, Heb 9:12-14, 1Pe 1:18-19, 2:9 Re 5:9) This Messianic "rabbi" should have known this, and I suspect he did. Not mentioning it is terribly deceptive if it was known and demonstrates the lengths Trinitarians must go in their zeal to defend or promote a false teaching.
There is NO verse that EVER dares imply the Almighty God literally bleeds! Such a teaching is blasphemy and definitely reveals a lack of complete awe for the Almighty, Creator, Master of the Universe, Infinite, Eternal Living God! Such belief is FORCED by those that promote a "God in the flesh" Messiah and is completely derived from presupposition founded in the pagan origins of their "God in the flesh" beliefs.
In the just quoted verse from Acts David Stern very accurately renders the correct meaning. His translation speaks for itself without need for further comment.
Also, if carefully read even the context suggests this the blood refers to Yeshua.
I am always amazed at how weak Trinitarian arguments are - and amazed even more that they are so lustfully and blindly swallowed by so many despite the absolute dominance of passages proving it to be a false doctrine. Oh. I forgot. It's a "mystery." Indeed it IS a mystery to me how so many people can be so easily deceived despite the overwhelming scriptural evidence to the contrary!
THE WEAKNESS OF ARGUMENTS FOR THE TRINITY AND/OR YAHSHUA BEING GOD IS THE REASON NON-TRINITARIANS ARE PREVENTED FROM PRESENTING THEIR POSITION. TRINITARIANS RECOGNIZE THAT IN A FACE-TO-FACE SCRIPTURE FOR SCRIPTURE DEBATE THEY WILL BE WASHED AWAY IN A FLOOD OF EVIDENCE ALONG WITH THEIR FALSE DOCTRINE. Therefore, the tactic used by Trinitarians is to censor, damn, bully, shout down - basically intimidate their opponents and even those that may be attempting to sincerely study the issue!
And for whom did Paul learn this way of thinking? From none other Abraham, his father (and ours). Abraham hears the One who appeared to him and says (verse 14) "is anything too difficult for HaShem." [We already covered this. It was NOT literally God present and speaking.] The word translated "difficult" is used in Is 9:6 and 29:14, in each case only of the eternal G-d. [Oh puuleeessse (please)! Do we now have to believe that the word "difficult" proves Yeshua is God? The writer is simply implying that there is nothing beyond God's capability. Please. Give me a break already! That is REALLY reaching for "invisible" proofs.] Abraham calls the One who appeared to him "the Judge of all the earth" (verse 25), clearly a reference to G-d. [Read the verse. Abraham is not necessarily calling the actual speaker the "Judge of all the earth" but could be referring to the one whom the speaker represents. Once again Abraham could have been in vision - he could have been speaking to an AUTHORITATIVE AGENT of the LORD, etc.]
Abraham, the father of the faithful, was himself a man of great faith. He believed what he knew to be true, even when he could not see it (i.e. explain it). What he could not fully explain with the eye of his mind, he nonetheless believed with the eye of faith. Can we believe G-d for what He has said, even if our human reasoning cannot provide a "satisfactory" explanation? [We don't have to because basic common sense reasoning makes it no "mystery" except to those forcing it to be a "mystery" by refusing to open their eyes to the non-mysterious truth. The truth provides an extraordinarily simple and very understandable "satisfactory explanation."] Can we embrace the invisible G-d who makes Himself known in the visible Son? Can we live by faith and not by sight? May G-d Grant it to be so!
I do embrace the INVISIBLE God known in His VISIBLE Son, but I also realize they are distinct entities. Those of us that are not deceived have no contradiction between our faith and sight. We are not dependant upon the ejection buttons of Kabbala mysticism or traditional Christian mysteries, which are used to eject from a common sense discussion of the issue. It is clear to see that Yeshua is NOT God but IS the Son of God and Messiah. There exist no "mystery" or "mystic" explanation to us. Can you live by scripture and not by tradition? Can you accept the understandable and reject unexplainable mysteries? Can you eventually break free from the chains of pagan "mystery religion" inspired traditions and "come out of Babylon" before it is too late? May God grant it to be so!]
End of response to the Messianic rabbi.Now my friend, let me review some of the primary facts to consider regarding the response you just read.
First, I take serious issue with the way this typical Messianic "rabbi" bears false witness regarding what he claims are Hebraic truths. He repeatedly departed from what are true Hebraic traditional understandings of Scripture. Similar deviations are commonly done within counterfeit Messianic/Nazarene Judaism whenever the issues of God and Messiah are discussed. His grossest error, which is typical within Messianic/Nazarene circles, is his implicit claim that Hebraic tradition supports the notion that God has literally been seen or taken human form. He fails to mention that the overwhelming opinion is that God always appears through angelic beings that act as emissaries or agents of God. This Messianic leader's concealment of this basic truth betrays a clear attempt at intentional deception. There are other sometimes subtle - sometimes not so subtle - departures from the Hebraic context all throughout his writings as he falsely promotes what is actually his traditional Christian understanding of God as representing Hebraic thought. He is counting on the ignorance of his listeners or readers as he intentionally misinforms them. Sadly, his efforts to mislead usually succeed since so few verify his teaching by studying Hebraic writings themselves. He is just one more example of how those that promote the notion of a "God in the flesh" Messiah will distort Scripture,history, and even openly lie to advance their teachings.
The apostle John tells us in his first epistle:
This is a "killer verse" for anyone that wishes to believe or teach that Yeshua is God (YHVH). Several other verses in the New Testament make a similarly clear statement regarding the fact no one can or ever has seen YHVH. Among them are those mentioned previously.
THIS POINT MUST NOT BE MISSED! The New Testament passages are crystal clear on this matter; thus, despite their probable denial of it, those that believe or teach God (YHVH) was "seen" as Yeshua MUST prove the apostles (indeed many writers of scripture) wrong in order to advance their case for the Trinity or the deity of Yeshua! They MUST directly contradict many clear passages that leave not doubt that YHVH CANNOT BE SEEN AND NEVER HAS BEEN SEEN.
Let us return to the discussion between YHVH and Moses found in Exodus chapter 33. Here the relevant verses are presented, which destroy the Trinitarian argument even before it is made, unless the very literal voice and Words of the Living YHVH straight from His own mouth are not convincing enough for Trinitarians! Unfortunately, I suspect as with most, Trinitarian traditions are so ingrained that even the literal Words from YHVH, Himself cannot change them.
Is there any contradiction between what YHVH says and what the Apostolic writers said in the aforementioned verses? Need one hesitate with the answer? NO! There is no contradiction. The apostles were well aware of the fact that NO MAN HAS EVER SEEN YHVH! EVER! Of course, for a Trinitarian or one that believes Yeshua IS YHVH to admit this is devastating. To accept this clear teaching straight from the Divine mouth of YHVH's personally authorized emissary that spoke to Moses spells doom to any that claim Yeshua is YHVH.
Now, since YHVH makes it clear "Thou canst NOT see my face: for no man can see me, and live ... ", and since the apostles and sages honor HIM more than Christian Tradition, we must, therefore, recognize that any verses that may appear to suggest YHVH physically manifested himself to anyone should be scrutinized WITH YHVH'S OWN LITERAL SPOKEN WORDS IN MIND! Indeed, if YHVH said no man can see Him and live, and yet a man saw Him and lived; then, YHVH is proven a liar! Does anyone wish to pursue a course that attempts to show YHVH to be a liar? I suggest that may be a perilous course to follow despite the fact countless Trinitarians and counterfeit Messianics seem willing to do so.
The point is this. YHVH (God) made it abundantly clear in His conversation with Moses that no man can see Him and live! I challenge anyone to attempt to hurdle this infinitely tall and wide Scriptural roadblock as they go to great lengths in their verbal gymnastics. THIS VERSE IS IMMOVABLE, STUBBORN, AND UTTERLY IRREFUTABLE! It is similar to Matthew 5:18 which clearly shows (since "heaven and earth" are still here) that the Torah is NOT abolished. Exodus 33:20-23, like Matt. 5:17-19, is absolutely unassailable and immune to misinterpretation. Nevertheless, they suffer assault by those promoting the clearly false teaching that Yeshua IS YHVH.
It is of utmost importance that the verses I just presented with YHVH HIMSELF SPEAKING should be fixed in our minds. REMEMBER THAT EVEN ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT YHVH WAS CONCEALED IN SMOKE. EVEN TO MOSES YHVH APPEARED IN A CLOUD, ETC. Remember, remember, remember YHVH's own words as you stroll through scriptures thinking Yeshua is God.
Further discussion of this can be found in the article Theophanies and Christophanies?