“No Man Shall See Me and Live”

Fr. Scott A. Haynes

In the Book of Exodus, God says to Moses:

“Thou canst not see my face: for man shall not see me and live.”— Exodus 33:20

Here we are confronted with a great mystery: the face of God — the infinite majesty of the divine Being — is hidden from man. The fire of God's holiness is so consuming that mortal flesh cannot endure it.

Even Moses, who spoke to God “face to face” as a friend (Exod. 33:11), saw only the back of God’s glory. His face was veiled, for to behold the fullness of God would undo the creature.

But that veil would not remain forever.

A Face We Can See

With the coming of Jesus Christ, everything changes. The God who once thundered on Sinai now speaks from a manger in Bethlehem. The hands that shaped the stars now stretch out to the leper. The face that once remained hidden is now visible — and it bears wounds.

“He that seeth me, seeth the Father also.”— John 14:9

In Christ, the unseeable becomes seeable. The eternal Son takes on a human face so that man may at last see the glory of God and live.

“The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we saw His glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”— John 1:14

This is no mere metaphor. The Church Fathers insist: to see Christ is to truly behold the living God.

“He became what we are, that He might make us what He is.”— St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V. Preface

“In Christ we see the face of God revealed, not in wrath, but in mercy.”— St. Ambrose, On the Mysteries, 58

The Martyr Saw Heaven Opened

Now we turn to St. Stephen, the first martyr, whose vision shatters the old boundary between heaven and earth.

As stones are hurled at him, Scripture says:

“He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.”— Acts 7:55

He cries out in ecstasy:

“Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”— Acts 7:56

This moment is thunderous with meaning. Stephen — a man of faith, filled with the Spirit — sees what Moses could not. He sees the face of the glorified Christ, radiant with divine majesty. And he lives — or rather, he dies into life.

“Stephen did not see the essence of the Father, but the glory — and he saw the Son in the flesh, standing as intercessor. Thus he was granted what Moses longed for.”— St. Augustine, Sermon 318

Why Was Jesus Standing?

The Fathers ponder why Christ, who is usually described as seated at the right hand of the Father, is now standing.

“Christ rose from His throne to help His servant, to receive His athlete crowned with victory.”— St. Ambrose, On the Duties of the Clergy, 1.41

Here is Jesus, the eternal High Priest, standing in solemn witness to His martyr. As Stephen confesses Christ before men, Christ stands to confess Stephen before the Father.

“Everyone therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.”— Matthew 10:32

This is not merely vision — it is communion, intercession, and the foretaste of eternal reward.

A New Mountaintop: From Sinai to Calvary

Moses once stood on Sinai and asked to see the face of God, but he was only granted a glimpse.

Stephen stands at the foot of Calvary, sharing in Christ’s Passion through martyrdom — and he sees more.

Why? Because the face of God is now crucified love.

“We see the face of God in the face of Christ crucified. This is the face we must look upon to learn how to love and how to forgive.”— St. Leo the Great, Sermon 54

Stephen’s death is not just a tragedy. It is a theological event. It shows us that the separation between earth and heaven is now torn open by the Cross. And so, as his body is shattered, he sees the Son, and his final words echo those of Christ Himself:

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”— Acts 7:59

“Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”— Acts 7:60

Here is a man conformed to Christ in love, prayer, and forgiveness.

You Shall See His Face

Dear brothers and sisters, Stephen’s vision is a promise for you.

You were made to see the face of God.

“Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.”— Matthew 5:8

This promise is fulfilled through Jesus. In Him, the veil is lifted. In Him, the unseeable becomes touchable, kissable, sacramentally consumable. In Him, the eternal God has a human face.

And so we live in hope:

“They shall see His face: and His name shall be on their foreheads.”— Revelation 22:4

This is our destiny — not just to live morally, not just to avoid hell, but to behold the Face of God in glory.

As St. Thérèse of Lisieux once wrote:

“The only thing I want now is to see the Face of Jesus… to contemplate the beauty of His Face.”— *St. Thérèse, Last Conversations

Conclusion: Be Like Stephen

Let us live as Stephen lived — full of the Holy Ghost, eyes lifted to heaven, lips filled with prayer, hearts filled with mercy. And when our hour comes, may we too see Christ standing — not as Judge first, but as Savior, Intercessor, Brother, and Friend.

May the veil be torn for us. May the Face of Christ be the last thing we see in this life — and the first we see in glory. Amen.