In Genesis 32:30, Jacob called the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Did Jacob really see God face to face? Please explain. Because John 1:18 says, “No man has seen God at anytime…”
Sincerely,
Look Me In The Eye
Dear Look Me In The Eye,
Jacob did not actually see God face to face; Jacob was simply using poetic language to describe the fact that he had wrestled with an angelic, heavenly being and survived (Gen 32:24-25). God specifically told Moses that if anyone saw God’s face, they would die (Ex 33:20). Jacob had come face to face with a spiritual being sent by God and lived to tell the tale (Gen 32:28). That is all that is meant by the phrase “face to face”.