What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "How is the apparent contradiction explained that Moses spoke with God face to face, yet later he was told that he could not see God's face?"
Answer
The apparent contradiction is explained by the fact that God has veiled His glory in order to enable fellowship with Moses. While Moses spoke with God trustingly “face to face” as with a friend, the warning that he could not see God's face referred to the un‑veiled, full glory of the Divine. In his mortal condition Moses would not have survived the direct manifestation of divine splendor, therefore God protected him by dimming His glory.
The Veiling of Divine Glory
»Christ was about to visit our world to become flesh. Had He appeared with the glory He possessed before the foundation of the world, we could not have endured the light of His presence. So that we could behold it and not be destroyed, His glory was veiled, His deity concealed with humanity. ... Thus God veiled His glory so that Moses could look upon it and live.«
The Limitation of the Mortal State
»The un‑veiled glory of God cannot be looked at by any person in this mortal state and remain alive; but Moses was assured that he should see as much of the divine glory as he could endure. ... The hand that created the world ... took this creature from dust, this mighty man of faith, and placed him in a rock crevice, while the glory of God and all His goodness passed over him.«
Intimate Fellowship versus the Full Vision
»Moses could not look at the revelation of the glory of God's face and live; but a promise has been given to us: “They will see His face.” When Moses descended from the mountain where he had been granted a view of God's glory, his face shone so brightly that Aaron and all the children of Israel “feared to approach him.”«
God as a Consuming Fire for Sin
»“Our God is a consuming fire” for sin; and thus it would be for God to meet a person in his own self or alone, only to consume him. People in sin cannot meet God alone and remain alive. ... A person who is in sin, a person in and out of himself, who meets God, would rather have a mountain upon him than be where the un‑veiled glory of God would shine upon him.«
Moses as a Privileged Friend of God
»Moses was greater than all who had lived before him. He was highly honored by God, having the privilege of speaking with the Lord face to face, as a man speaks with a friend. He was permitted to see the bright light and the splendid glory that enveloped the Father.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
