If God is only spirit, what do these passages mean...?

Question

Gen 35:7. "...and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, ...
Gen 32:30. "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Ex 24:10. "And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness."
Matt 5:8. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
I agree that you can feel a spirit (and we can certainly feel God's spirit if we allow ourselves to), but I do not believe that you see them. In order for something to be seen, it must be in the physical spectrum of light our eyes can see. I'm having a very hard time with people who say God is only spirit. It doesn't make sense. Yes, God is spirit, but he must also be a physical being or we wouldn't be able to see him - and Matthew promises that we will see Him one day if we are pure in heart.

Answer 1

1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Are we spirits, if we are created in His image.

Answer 2

The scripture in Matthew refers to seeing the Father Spiritually.
If you are born again(you accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour) then your heart(spirit) is pure.
Of course God the Son became man and dwelt on the earth as a man for 33(approx) years. The Holy Spirit remains with us here on earth today. Your question is a lot more complex but this is all I have for now.
I Cr 13;8a, Love never fails!!!!!
11-10-6

Answer 3

Have you considered angels, messengers from God?

The fact that only two of their names, Michael and Gabriel, are given establishes the point sufficiently. (Da 12:1; Lu 1:26) The lack of more names was a safeguard against giving undue honor and worship to these creatures. Angels were dispatched by God as agents to act in his name, not in their own name. Hence, when Jacob asked an angel for his name, he refused to give it. (Ge 32:29) The angel that approached Joshua, when asked to identify himself, replied only that he was “prince of the army of Jehovah.” (Jos 5:14) When Samson’s parents asked an angel for his name, he withheld it, saying: “Just why should you ask about my name, when it is a wonderful one?” (Jg 13:17, 18) The apostle John attempted to worship angels and was twice rebuked: “Be careful! Do not do that! . . . Worship God.”—Re 19:10; 22:8, 9.

Angels are generally represented as males, and when materializing it was always in the male form, because God and his Son are spoken of as males.

To the peaceable who are pure in heart, the promise is made that they “will be called ‘sons of God’” and “will see God.” Anointed Christians are spirit-begotten and are adopted by Jehovah as “sons” while still on earth. (Romans 8:14-17) When they are resurrected to be with Christ in heaven, they serve in Jehovah’s presence and actually see Him.—1 John 3:1, 2; Revelation 4:9-11.

Does this make sense?

Answer 4

Could we not have vision as being a spirit? We will see God even though we dont have physical eyes!

Is God so limited in ability that he cannot come in human and/or physical form?

Im afraid you are making the assumption of old greek dualism which states there is nothing godly or good in matter and spirit is the only thing pure and capable of containing God. Very outdated and self-refuting philosophy.

Answer 5

These passages mean that God is not only spirit but can appear in the flesh. He appears to Abraham in Genesis several times. He wrestles with Jacob. Jesus was God on earth. Yes, God has been seen. We will not see the "glory" of God until we are glorified ourselves, made pure, at the final judgement. If you remember, Moses could not look on the face, glory, of God on the mountain. God covered him and Moses saw his back as he passed by. When God appears in the flesh he is but a dim reflection of his true self. We could not bear to look upon him in his full glory, just as Moses could not in the Old Testament.

Answer 6

God the Father is spirit, and has never appeared otherwise. When we see in the Old Testament the passages sighted as well as others, it is the pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus Christ is God and a member of the Godhead. He is the only member of that Godhead to take physical form.
Concerning the Matt. 5:8 passage,
1. Blessed are the pure in heart - That is, whose minds, motives, and principles are pure; who seek not only to have the external actions correct, but who desire to be holy in heart, and who are so. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
They shall see God - There is a sense in which all will see God, Rev_1:7. That is, they will behold him as a Judge, not as a Friend. In this place it is spoken of as a special favor. So also in Rev_22:4, “And they shall see his face.” To see the face of one, or to be in the presence of any one, were terms among the Jews expressive of great favor. It was regarded as a high honor to be in the presence of kings and princes, and to be permitted to see them, Pro_22:29, “He shall stand before kings.” See also 2Ki_25:19, “Those that stood in the king’s presence;” in the Hebrew, those that saw the face of the king; that is, who were his favorites and friends. So here, to see God, means to be his friends and favorites, and to dwell with him in his kingdom.

Answer 7

God sometimes reveals Himself in various manifestations, ie: like He did to Moses in the burning bush.

When it says we are created in the image and likeness of God, it is referring to human beings having been given a living soul (The Soul consists of intellect, will, and emotions).

But God is a Spirit. He is Holy, and His nature is Love. God is a Spirit Being, and those that follow and worship Him must learn to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

The Word of God, the Bible teaches these truths. We shall see God through the various ways He manifests Himself to us.

Some faiths, and religions out there, even some that claim to be Christian, have claimed to have seen a physical body to God, but remember that Satan will manifest himself as an angel of light, and allows people to see "what they really wish to see." Satan is the great deceiver, and the Father of lies. Do not believe his lies.
Do not allow him to deceive you.
God has made us in His image and likeness, having a soul, a mind, will and emotions. And thus we can withstand against any of the wiles of the devil.

Answer 8

We "see" God in Jesus Christ. As to Gods revelation of Himself He does take forms for us to see. He was in the fiery cloud. AS to the verses speaking of God it also says He gathers His own under His wings but God has no wings. These things are for us to understand something of the nature of God. And all the revelations of God are through the Son Jesus Christ and He has taken the form of a man yet His 2 natures are still distinct. As God He is Spirit and as man He is like us.

Answer 9

Ex 24:10
The answer is
Jesus is a jew of Isrial. The trinity, God ,Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The God of Isrial is Jesus.

Answer 10

no I think that in those passages they were in the holy spirit of god. Notice where he says that he say the face of god an lived. if God was able to be a human being what would be the purpose of Christ dying for our sins if he could do it himself? I think in these instances they were in the holy spirit of god.