God is often depicted in Scripture as both light and fire; His flame is so fierce, He desires nothing less than pure living for His people and takes great delight in pursuing everything that would bring harm or discord into their lives.
But what exactly is God? Answers can shed new light on your understanding.
Table of Contents
Light and Fire
The Bible describes God as many different things: a burning bush, glowing cloud, pillar of fire and blazing flame. Additionally, He is often described as being “consuming,” symbolizing His passion for justice. Additionally, various prophets had visions of Him wearing white clothing with fire emanating from His mouth as He sat upon a throne above.
The Biblical account of God’s appearance is designed to provoke reverence in us and make us wonder who He really is and what He looks like in real life. According to scripture, He is the Creator of all things, with light being an icon of His glory and power – but what exactly does that look like?
Researchers conducted a new survey and discovered that most respondents think God is an average-looking young Caucasian male. After surveying 511 devout Christians and asking them to select faces that they thought resembled God most closely, researchers combined all these pictures into one composite image of Him – with respondents’ average selection being male with dark hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.
People may find it strange that people want to know what God looks like, but this knowledge can actually be very beneficial in connecting and feeling comfortable when reading or praying the Bible or prayerfully for guidance in difficult times. Furthermore, this can give hope and strength during challenging periods.
Some might assume it is unimportant to know what God looks like since He is spirit; however, the Bible states otherwise in Colossians 1:15. Therefore it is crucial that we gain an understanding of His form so we can better visualize Him when reading Gospels or the Bible.
Glory
Glory is a word used to refer to God’s immense value, unfathomable worth, and divine presence. It represents light in places where there was previously darkness or fog; scripture uses this term when God revealed His power beyond human comprehension or comprehendibility; additionally it refers to Jesus and other saints–their aura or halo or nimbus–having this divine quality radiating off them.
The Bible describes God’s glory as His holiness, power and love – qualities we should strive for as human beings. When we encounter His glory directly in our lives it changes us because it connects to who He is – it brings peace and joy into our hearts while making us aware of just how unclean we truly are in His sight. You may witness His glory when the orange sun rises over the hills or when mothers and their children collaborate together on solving a problem or even just through smiling friends!
Ezekiel had the privilege of witnessing God in all His splendor when he saw His glory revealed through visions such as seeing a vision of Heavenly thrones with images that depicted something that resembled human faces on top (Ezekiel 1:26-28).
Moses and Isaiah both fell to their knees before this magnificent being that shone brightly and burned with fire – an image which God Himself was using to convey that His presence was so holy it made it impossible for them to remain standing nearby.
Majesty
The word majesty is used in the Bible to refer to God’s power and glory. When we think of His Majesty, it brings to mind an image of a most powerful being who can do whatever He wishes in creation; His Majesty allows Him to do just that in our universe! According to Genesis 1:26, his Majesty can be seen both through creation of our universe (Genesis 1:1-26) as well as His holiness – his purity and perfection which He manifests.
Artists throughout history have created images depicting what they believe God to look like, often in terms of an older male with white beard, often set against clouds or other celestial imagery and often complete with a halo to indicate His holiness and depicted either sitting or standing upon a throne with serene, loving expressions.
Many have experienced profound spiritual experiences where they felt and saw the presence of God, yet the Bible doesn’t provide us with a picture of what that looks like. Although He is unseen and beyond our comprehension, we understand His true form through Jesus Christ who represents the invisible one (Colossians 1:15).
One reason we don’t know what God looks like is because He only reveals himself to people with faith who are open and ready to receive Him. When God shows Himself to others, it is usually to bless them – He wants them to experience his grandeur so they will trust, love, and obey Him in turn.
Power
God is an everlasting and majestic King whose power stretches to every corner of our globe and into all hearts of mankind. Though His justice will judge the evildoer, His compassion provides strength when we need it and aids the weak. God provides strength during hardships and struggles as well as protection when needed, helping us overcome any barriers along our paths.
Jesus came into this world and revealed what God looks like – wearing a golden toga as His royal regalia, He demonstrated He is King over heaven. This image became our standard depiction of what we know from scripture about him: long haired, bearded God sitting atop a throne.
The Bible also gives some descriptions of God. Genesis 18:1-3 and Ezekiel 1:26-28 both give account of how he appears as a man; unfortunately, however, the Old Testament doesn’t give any more detailed insights into this aspect of worship.
The New Testament gives us more of an idea of what God looks like. John describes God in Rev 4:11 as appearing “like jasper and clear as crystal,” alluding to His stunning purity. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you cannot see all of God’s glory at once as it would blind your eyes (Exodus 33:20). Unlike the sun where you can gaze upon it for mere seconds without suffering its scorching heat; His splendor surpasses any earthly thing we could imagine!
Love
Many Christians have often wondered what God resembles physically. While the Bible provides information about His power, majesty and glory without providing any descriptions of His physical appearance – there were however witnesses in Scripture who saw Him and described what they saw – including John Mark when He saw Jesus Christ at Pentecost!
Jesus Christ offers us a window into God through his person. Jesus represents the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) while also living among us as a human being – His life and teachings reveal who he truly is.
The Bible declares that God is love (1 John 4:8) and light, without any darkness in Him (John 1:5); therefore, its central theme of who God is is His love.
Love fills our lives with hope and joy, enabling us to forgive easily, and filling us with compassion – something God also expresses through us. To know God more fully, spend time with Him and get acquainted with His heart.
Psychologists conducted a survey among 511 American Christians and discovered that they believe God resembles a young Caucasian male. After showing the participants pairs of photos to compare, they were asked which one more closely represented God; interestingly enough they tended towards younger faces with attractive features – likely influenced by depictions of him such as those seen in Sistine Chapel paintings which typically portray Him with beard and serene features.
