Can we really see and hear God

[bangmegafan]

So far I'm thinking I might be eligible to hear and see God

Seen many testimonies where people say they have face to face encounter with God which made me think it is possible

However following verses below contradict my own opinion

Your neutral opinion please

John 5:37

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

Exodus 3:2

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Acts 7:38



He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

 

[Tangible]

If you mean other than through the ministry of Word and Sacrament, Lutherans say no.

“Therefore we ought and must constantly maintain this point, that God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments. It is the devil himself whatsoever is extolled as Spirit without the Word and Sacraments.” – The Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article VIII, 10

 

[frienden thalord]

It is time to flee any concept of any other religion.
If memory serves me, on another post you seemed inclinded to believe the Koran.
First repent of all other notions of any other way as right.
Understand fully , that JESUS is the only way . And then hear from GOD you will.

 

[JCFantasy23]

Seen many testimonies where people say they have face to face encounter with God which made me think it is possible

Face-to-face, like actually see? No, we could not survive that. In Exodus 33:20, God declares, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Hearing is debatable - I think God does communicate in different ways with different people through different methods, including in prayer and continued deeper fellowship - and I won't discount other members here saying they have on occasion heard something audible.

 

[Albion]

So far I'm thinking I'm eligible to hear and see God

Seen many testimonies where people say they have face to face encounter with God which made me think it is possible

However following verses below contradict my own opinion

Your neutral opinion please

I'd say that it's possible...but it's a one in a million chance that God will depart from the system that he provided to mankind so that we would know his will and intentions. And if for some reason he did raise up a new prophet, what are the chances that it would be you, me, or anyone either of us knows? In other words, you deceive yourself if you convince yourself that it will happen to you. Much better to become really knowledgeable about his holy word, the Bible.

Many people don't know it very well at all, but you with your desire to know God's word, could commit yourself to learning it well. That would be achievable.

 

[“Paisios”]

There are plenty of places in the Bible where the Lord speaks directly to people...

1 Samuel 3
Acts 9

Are the first that come to mind.

(I am absolutely convinced that the Lord has spoken to me in some kind of a direct way also, for whatever my testimony is worth.)

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So far I'm thinking I'm eligible to hear and see God

Perhaps.
As / while/ reading through Scripture, seeking His Kingdom always,
you might see several things He says makes people ineligible. (like in post 2) ..... men won't usually tell us/ you/ anyone.... but His Word is plain and simple concerning this, for all who seek the TRUTH in HIM.

 

[Tangible]

And then hear from GOD you will.

 

[bangmegafan]

It is time to flee any concept of any other religion.
If memory serves me, on another post you seemed inclinded to believe the Koran.
First repent of all other notions of any other way as right.
Understand fully , that JESUS is the only way . And then hear from GOD you will.

Ok I'm influenced by some muslim video and posted that thread and also explained why I thought like that in my recent post

But this is nothing to do with that kind of impression.. Asking genuinely as I want to know truth

We are saved whether God speak to us directly or not. We are saved as we believe in Jesus Christ.

Here my question is to understand if we can expect if God can speak to us directly in the context of bible. There are n number of testimonies where people have seen God and spoken to him directly

In fact, I have been praying since 1 year, pleeding God to appear and directly speak to me.. If know answer, then I will know if I can pray like that or not

 

[Tangible]

Read the bible. Those who were spoken to directly by God neither sought that privilege nor were always very happy about it. Be very careful what you wish for.

Deuteronomy 18
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.

Hebrews 1
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Seeing God as in face to face... no.

Seeing visions from God - sure, happens all the time.

Hearing God... depends. Most people will never hear his audible voice, although a few have. Usually God speaks through the inner man, aka our spirit. Which is why to hear God it is necessary to quiet yourself and listen within.

Sometimes God speaks through the visible world as well, and in that case you need to be both hearing and seeing

 

[AlexDTX]

So far I'm thinking I might be eligible to hear and see God

Seen many testimonies where people say they have face to face encounter with God which made me think it is possible

However following verses below contradict my own opinion

Your neutral opinion please

John 5:37

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

Exodus 3:2

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Acts 7:38



He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

Remember that God has a face: it is Jesus. He said, if you have seen me you have seen the Father. God communicates to us through many means. Jesus has shown himself to me in a few different forms in my dreams. Once he was an old man with youthful eyes. In another dream he was a short haired VFW veteran. In another dream he came to me as 10 year old boy. He once showed himself to me in a mental vision when my eyes were closed laying on my bed, but I was still awake. It was an answer to my prayer as to how should make my living. He showed himself in a long white robe as a middle aged man running down a rod tumbling platform performing a round off back handspring back layout. I laughed aloud and saw another image in my mind's eye of the laughing Jesus. He spoke to my heart and said to teach gymnastics that it was good for children (I am a gymnastics coach).

 

[Jamminontha1]

So far I'm thinking I might be eligible to hear and see God

Seen many testimonies where people say they have face to face encounter with God which made me think it is possible

However following verses below contradict my own opinion

Your neutral opinion please

John 5:37

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

Exodus 3:2

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Acts 7:38



He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

But John 5:37 is before Jesus died and rose again and sent the Holy Spirit, known as the comforter. Some people, to feel comforted need to hear. I think it is debatable.
(Luke 12:12, John 14:26, John 16:12)

I've heard God on multiple occasions. Not that often though, maybe about 5 times, and I know it's him because what he says always aligns with his word and the fruits of the spirit. I always feel the power of the holy spirit when he speaks. I also know what my conscious sounds like and it's not the same voice when I hear God speak.

 

[tturt]

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" John 10:27

“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” John 6:45 One example "... that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying," Jere 36:1-4

Today,
-"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Matt 13:9
-"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice," Heb 3:7, ALSO v. 15; 4:7
-"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into · all truth, for he will not speak on his own, but will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you things yet to come." John 16:13, Mounce

An example of the contrast of voices - Yahweh convicts while the enemy condemns. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3;17 “And he, when he comes, will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:” John 16:8

 

[Albion]

Here my question is to understand if we can expect if God can speak to us directly in the context of bible.

No. We can't.

If you want to put it in simplest terms, and have the best possible answer...that's it.

He did this in Biblical times, but all that fact tells us that he did it then, and even then it was an extremely rare event.

 

[Albion]

There are plenty of places in the Bible where the Lord speaks directly to people...

1 Samuel 3
Acts 9

Are the first that come to mind.

(I am absolutely convinced that the Lord has spoken to me in some kind of a direct way also, for whatever my testimony is worth.)

'In some kind of a direct way??'

What are we to understand by that choice of words?

 

[sdowney717]

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, so faith comes by hearing God speak to you.

This people think is indirect as they might not be aware of the source of inspiration, but there is a spiritual communication going on from His Spirit to your own spirit the things of God.

Example:

1 Corinthians 2:9-13New King James Version (NKJV)
9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

In fact, I have been praying since 1 year, pleeding God to appear and directly speak to me.. If know answer, then I will know if I can pray like that or not

Many on the forum(s) online have had a vision/ apparition/ voice/ whatever
and probably 90% of those have been false (demonic or fleshly).
That's the 'safest', most in line with all YHWH'S WORD, to realize - visions and such are almost always fake. (perhaps a 'test' to see if people will follow that, or follow the SHEPHERD JESUS; MOST follow "that", something other than, instead of , JESUS).

 

[tturt]

That's not been my experience individually nor with other believers.

What's your % of accuracy?

Yahweh's speaking all the time but we usually need to learn to hear Him and still learning myself.

Believe Scripture that says He gives prophecies, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, tongues and interpretation of tongues, dreams, and visions. Plus other Scripture that says He speaks to us in numerous, varied ways such as:

Notice it's addressed to brethren - "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." I Cor 7, 8, 10, 11,

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." Acts 2:17

But yes there are tests. "Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." I Thess 5:20-21

For example, once a prophesy is given, some additional steps are needed to prove all things such as:
-checking it against Scripture (Acts 17:11),
-asking The Holy Spirit and hearing His voice for ourselves, confirmation (Matt 18:16; II Cor 13:1; Acts 9;9-19 especially v 10-12)
-fasting (Matt 6:16),
-spiritual discernment (I John 4, I Cor 12)
-does it point to Yeshua,
-receiving G_dly counsel (Prov 11:14).

Same method applies to sermons "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:10-11

 

[“Paisios”]

'In some kind of a direct way??'

What are we to understand by that choice of words?

I don't know quite what to make of it myself, but many years ago, when I most needed it, I "experienced" direct words from God - but I don't know if they were placed in my mind directly, whether I heard them internally, or whether other people (if they had been around) would have heard the voice too. It has affected my life ever since (more than 30 years now), and was consistent with biblical truth...but much more real and had more of an impact. I think that is as much as I am willing to share online right at this moment. Sorry.