And the Great Glory was sitting
upon it—as for his gown, which was shining more brightly than the sun, it was
whiter than any snow. None of the angels was able to come in and see the face
of the Excellent and the Glorious One; and no one of the flesh can see him—the
flaming fire was round about him, and a great fire stood before him. No one
could come near unto him from among those that surrounded the tens of millions
(that stood) before him. (1 Enoch 14:20-22)
And the LORD called one of the
senior angels, terrifying and frightful, and he made him stand with me. And the
appearance of that angel was as white as snow, and his hands like ice, having
the appearance of great frigidity. And he chilled my face, because I could not
endure the terror of the LORD, just as it is not possible to endure the fire of
a stove and the heat of the sun and the frost of death. And the LORD said
to me, “Enoch, if your face had not been chilled here, no human being would be
able to look at your face.” (2 Enoch 37:1-2)
Also, as for the glory of those
who proved to be righteous on account of my law, those who possessed
intelligence in their life, and those who planted the root of wisdom in their
heart—their splendor will then be glorified by transformations, and the shape
of their face will be changed into the light of their beauty so that they may
acquire and receive the undying world which is promised to them/ (2 Baruch
51:3)
And I said to the angel who (was)
with me, for the glory of my face was being transformed as I went up from
heaven to heaven, “Nothing of the vanity of that world is named here.”
(Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah 7:25)
5. These things did the prophets
set forth in a prophetical manner; but they did not, as some allege, [proclaim]
that He who was seen by the prophets was a different [God], the Father of all
being invisible. Yet this is what those [heretics] declare, who are altogether
ignorant of the nature of prophecy. For prophecy is a prediction of things future,
that is, a setting forth beforehand of those things which shall be afterwards.
The prophets, then, indicated beforehand that God should be seen by men; as the
Lord also says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” But in
respect to His greatness, and His wonderful glory, “no man shall see God and
live,” for the Father is incomprehensible; but in regard to His love, and
kindness, and as to His infinite power, even this He grants to those who love
Him, that is, to see God, which thing the prophets did also predict. “For those
things that are impossible with men, are possible with God.” For man does not
see God by his own powers; but when He pleases He is seen by men, by whom He
wills, and when He wills, and as He wills. For God is powerful in all things,
having been seen at that time indeed, prophetically through the Spirit, and
seen, too, adoptively through the Son; and He shall also be seen paternally in
the kingdom of heaven, the Spirit truly preparing man in the Son of God, and the
Son leading him to the Father, while the Father, too, confers [upon him]
incorruption for eternal life, which comes to every one from the fact of his
seeing God. For as those who see the light are within the light, and partake of
its brilliancy; even so, those who see God are in God, and receive of His
splendour. But [His] splendour vivifies them; those, therefore, who see God, do
receive life. And for this reason, He, [although] beyond comprehension, and
boundless and invisible, rendered Himself visible, and comprehensible, and
within the capacity of those who believe, that He might vivify those who
receive and behold Him through faith. For as His greatness is past finding out,
so also His goodness is beyond expression; by which having been seen, He bestows
life upon those who see Him. It is not possible to live apart from life, and
the means of life is found in fellowship with God; but fellowship with God is
to know God, and to enjoy His goodness. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 4.20.5)
