The invisible being of God was quite often emphasized by the ancient synagogue so strongly that the possibility of seeing God was denied even to the highest angels (see the citations at § Matt 18:10 C). The common opinion was that no man could see God in the present age. Only at the hour of death would every human, good as well as bad, have to appear before God, to greet the face of the Shekinah. But in eternity seeing God, the epitome of all blessedness, would be the privilege of all the pious and righteous (see § Matt 5:8 B, #2). The inability of humanity to see God in this life was often grounded in the experience that no one was able to look at the blazing sun, which was only one of God’s servants.a Because of his invisible being, God himself is designated many times as the one who sees all things but who himself is seen by no one.b
a. Sibylline Oracles Preface 7ff.: “There
is one God who alone reigns, immeasurably immense, without beginning, almighty,
invisible ἀόρατος, himself alone
seeing everything, while he himself is not seen by mortal flesh. For what flesh
can see the heavenly and true, immortal God with his eyes, him, who inhabits
the vault of heaven? Rather, people cannot even stand in the face of the
blazing sun, those who are born mortal men, who are veins and flesh.” ‖
Babylonian Talmud Ḥullin 59B: The emperor (Hadrian) said to R. Joshua b.
Hananiah (ca. 90), “I would like to see your God!” This one responded, “You
cannot see him.” That one said, “I tell you, I want to see him!” Then at the
time of the summer solstice he went and faced him toward the sun and said to
him, “Look at it!” He said, “That I cannot do.” He responded to him, “Of the
sun, which is one of the servants which stands before God, you say, ‘I cannot
look at it.’ Is that not true above all of the Shekinah (divinity) itself?” ‖
TanḥumaB נשא § 34 (22B): R. Abin the Levite, the son of
rabbis (probably Abin II, ca. 370) said, “Joseph had spoken a word of praise,
and his master (Potiphar) saw him, how he whispered (prayed softly) with his
mouth. He said to him, ‘Joseph, what are you saying there?’ He answered and
said to him, ‘I am praising God.’ He said to him, ‘I would like to see your
God!’ Joseph answered him, ‘Behold, the sun, one of innumerable servants, you
cannot look at, so how much less his glory itself!’ ” — The same in Num. Rab.
14 (173C).
b. Sibylline Oracles 4:12: “(The great
God,) who, while seeing all things at once is himself seen by no one.” — See
Sib. Or. Preface 7ff. in n. a above.
‖ Jerusalem Talmud Šeqalim 5.49B.18: R. Hoshaiah the elder (ca. 225) had as a
teacher for his son a blind man who used to eat with him daily. Once he had
guests and the blind man did not come to eat with him (since he had not been
invited). In the evening he (R. Hoshaiah) went to him and said, “Let my lord
not be angry with me; but since I had guests today, I thought that the honor of
my lord should not be disparaged today (because of unkind remarks). Therefore I
did not eat with my lord today.” He answered him, “You have placated the one
who is seen but does not see. May the one who sees and is not seen (= God)
accept your placation (and repay you for it)!” He said to him, “Where did you
get that from?” He answered him, “From R. Eliezer b. Jacob (ca. 150). A blind
man came into the city of R. Eliezer b. Jacob. R. Eliezer b. Jacob took his
place beneath him, so it might be said, ‘If this were not a significant person,
R. Eliezer b. Jacob would not have taken his place beneath him.’ They
(therefore) gave him honorable provisions. He said to them, ‘Why?’ It was said
to him, ‘R. Eliezer b. Jacob took his place beneath you.’ Then he prayed this
prayer for him, ‘You have shown love to one who is seen but does not see. May
the one who sees but is not seen repay love to you.’ ” — The same is found
in y. Pe’ah 8.21B.39. ‖ See b. Ḥag. 5B and Lev. Rab. 4 (108A) at § John 1:18 A.
‖ Pesiqta Rabbati 6 (24A): “How great are your works, Yahweh, how deep are your
thoughts!” (Ps 92:6). Come and see the wonders of God!… He created his world,
he shaped the children of men in it and mazziqin
(wreckers = demons): the mazziqin see
the children of men but the children of men do not see them. He created mazziqin and angels of service, and the
angels of service see the mazziqin
but the mazziqin do not see the
angels of service. He created the angels of service and the mazziqin and the children of men: he
(God) sees all but all creatures do not see him. Say: “how deep are your
thoughts”! ‖ Deuteronomy Rabbah 1 (196A): Who is the God of the gods? The one
who sees but is not seen. (Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, A
Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Midrash, ed. Jacob N.
Cerone, 4 vols. [trans. Andrew Bowden and Joseph Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.:
Lexham Press, 2021], 3:37-38)
