Did He see God?

John 1:18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸ No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

^{genesis 30:29} And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
³⁰ And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
³¹ And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
³² Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

So here Jacob sees God, and yet John declares that no man has ever seen God.
But to be fair this concept is mentioned elsewhere in OT scripture.

Exodus 33:20

King James Version (KJV)

²⁰ And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

So It is clear that we see examples of people claiming to see God, and yet also the claim is made that no one has seen God.   Does this not prove that Bible contradicts itself?


First of all we have to identify the nature of the problem.  It is not a textual or translational problem.  It is an attack on the whole of scripture.  It is a problem that must be dealt with in systematic theology, can these two paradoxical messages be reconciled?
If we are given the opportunity to explain the revelation which has been entrusted to us, then yes!

In the story with Jacob, we see Jacob, we see an individual in a wrestling match with him.  Jacob assumes him to be human.
jacob was used to this as the passage indicates..

  32 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

² And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

So spirits had the ability to manifest themselves in a physical form. This does not mean that they were truly physical or if this was an illusion. But they have done this.
hebrews 13:² Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
With the multitudes of people that travel in and out of the modern world it would be extremely easy for a person to appear and disappear in society and there are many stories of mysterious strangers doing just that.

In systematic theology when we see a character being introduced who is in fact God in visible form, we identify that as a christophany or a theophany.

 Question: "What is a theophany? What is a Christophany?"

Answer: A theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/theophany-Christophany.html#ixzz2tFOEOsib

Screipture bears witness to this here.

^{colossians 1:12} Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 john 1:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.
³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
⁷ The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
⁹ That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
¹⁵ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
¹⁶ And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.