What is God's Presence?

The New Testament, expressed in Greek, uses two main words that are translated presence. One is parousia and the other is prosopon.

Parousia

The word parousia is often used when speaking of the second coming of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:23 says,

²³ But each in his own order; Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming [parousia]

Parousia is translated “coming” in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 (NASB),

¹⁹ For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence [emprosthen] of our Lord Jesus at his coming [parousia]?

Again, Parousia is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:13,

¹³ so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Parousia is not merely the act of coming but, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, “denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with.” Hence, to translate parousia as “coming” only gives us a partial picture. That is why the word is sometimes translated “coming” and at other times “presence.” The parousia of Christ, then, is when He comes to be joined with His body, so that we may have personal fellowship in His presence.

A different word picture is given to us through the word prosopon, which Paul uses to describe the transformation or “change” in our “face” when the glory of God is manifested in our bodies.

Prosopon

The word prosopon means “face.” So we read in Matthew 6:17,

¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face [prosopon].

This word correlates with the Old Testament Hebrew word paniym, “face, presence.” It is used to describe those who are face to face. In that way, the meaning is similar to parousia, but the emphasis is on the face. In fact, prosopon is from pros, “toward” and ops, “the eye,” so it literally has to do with looking at each other.

The word is often translated “before,” as in the case where someone is standing in front of God, or in His presence. Numbers 5:16 says,

¹⁶ Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before [paniym] the Lord.

If we were to translate this literally, it would read, “have her stand before the face of the Lord.” But we do not speak like that in English.

The word paniym is translated into Greek as prosopon, and so it is often the case that prosopon too must be rendered “before.” This is the case in Luke 1:76, speaking of John the Baptist,

⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before [prosopon] the Lord to prepare His ways.

In 1 Peter 3:12 we read,

¹² For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face [prosopon] of the Lord is against those who do evil.

The apostle was quoting from the Septuagint translation of Psalm 34:16, which uses the word paniym for “face.” So again, we see that paniym and prosopon were equivalents.

In the story of Moses in Exodus 34, we read how Moses’ face was glowing after He returned from the Mount. We read in Exodus 34:29, 30,

²⁹ It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face [paniym] shone because of his speaking with Him. ³⁰ So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face [paniym] shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

The Septuagint (Greek) translation of this passage renders paniym as prosopon, which shows that prosopon must be defined as an expression of the Hebrew paniym. This, of course, was a type of transfiguration, akin to Christ’s experience when He ascended Mount Hermon in Matthew 17:1, 2,

¹ Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain [overlooking Caesarea Philippi, Matthew 16:13] by themselves. ² And He was transfigured before them; and His face [prosopon] shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light.

Paul shows us the significance of this in the context of Christ’s coming, when the overcomers will be changed into His likeness.

The Change of Face

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:18,

¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, [of] the Spirit.

The context shows that the those who have an Old Covenant mindset remain veiled (vs. 14). We read in 2 Corinthians 3:16,

¹⁵ But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Therefore, it is only through the New Covenant that one can be “changed” (transfigured), and this requires faith in the Mediator of the New Covenant—Jesus Christ. Paul draws from the example of Moses, whose face shone after speaking with God face to face. In like manner, we too are transfigured by speaking to God face to face.

His glory is contagious. When we too are transfigured, then it will be as if God is looking in a mirror and seeing His reflection in our faces. This is the event that restores us to the original intent and purpose for creation—to be made in His image (Genesis 1:26, 27).

This is the presence of Christ in us that is expressed in prosopon. The timing of this event coincides with the parousia, the coming of Christ and beholding Him as we enjoy full face-to-face fellowship with Him.

The Manifestation of Christ’s Presence

When Moses came off the mount with his face glowing, the people were frightened. Fear is an Old Covenant characteristic. People of the Old Covenant cannot stand in the unveiled presence of God’s glory. So we read that Moses had to veil his face.

Yet Paul interprets this to say that people themselves were veiled. Those who are changed are those “with unveiled face” (2 Corinthians 3:18), but as for the others who remain in Old Covenant religion, “a veil lies over their heart” (2 Corinthians 3:15).

It is clear, then, that when the firstborn sons are presented to God, all veils are removed. When they return to be manifested to the rest of the people on earth, it appears that they will have to put on a veil of flesh in order not to frighten those who remain unchanged.

We are told in Hebrews 10:20 that Christ’s flesh was a veil, hiding the glory in His inner being. When speaking of the light of Christ, Paul says that we too—even now—“have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:6, 7). That glory is veiled by our flesh in the same way that Christ’s glory was veiled by His flesh. But the day is coming when the light will shine forth into the earth through those who are the mirror image of Christ.

The question then arises: Will everyone see Christ when He comes again? Will He manifest Himself as He did in His first appearance? Certainly, at some point, “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7), but will they all see Him at the same time?

In John 14:8-10 we read,

⁸ Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus said to Him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?...

In Christ’s first appearance, He came to reveal the Father. In His second appearance, I believe, the body of Christ will return from the presentation ceremony to reveal Christ. In other words, the body of Christ will be fully unveiled, but if the rest of humanity wants to see Christ, they will probably have to see His presence in the firstborn sons of God. The sons of God will reveal Christ, even as Christ revealed the Father. The principle is the same that Jesus told to Philip.

Hence, the common idea that Jesus will come to earth and live in an earthly temple in Jerusalem is not a proper way of viewing things. He will come to inhabit the temple described in Ephesians 2:20-22, which is the temple of the New Jerusalem, for in the heavenly city there is no need for a physical temple (Revelation 21:22). Collectively, we will be the living stones of the true temple.

Whereas men used to go to a physical temple to speak with and learn about God, the day comes (and is already here) that men will learn about God from those who are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Anyone who turns to Christ will shed the veil that is over his/her eyes, and then, perhaps, they might see the glory of God manifested to them. I do not know for sure.

Let us also keep in mind that there was more than one veil (or door) in Moses’ tabernacle. The first door led to the Outer Court, which correlated with the feast of Passover. This was open to all who desired to be justified by faith in the Sacrifice of Christ. The second door (open only to the priests) was to the Holy Place, which signified the feast of Pentecost. The third was the veil into the Most Holy Place, leading to the full presence of God through the feast of Tabernacles.

It seems to me that those who are justified by faith have removed just one veil in their spiritual journey into the presence of God. Those who are filled with the Spirit have entered the sanctuary as priests of God. Yet it requires a Tabernacles experience to see the glory of God with no veils hiding that glory.

So in the coming time of world evangelism, while the firstborn sons of God are manifesting the prosopon of God’s glory, many will be justified by faith, and most of them will also be sanctified by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Yet it seems that they will spend their days learning to be led by the Spirit in the feast of Pentecost. I do not think that any of them will be allowed to break through the final veil prior to the great White Throne judgment when they receive their final reward (John 5:28, 29).

I may be wrong, of course. Whatever God wants to do, I will be in full agreement. Right now, we are still in the process of searching the Scriptures so that we have an understanding of things to come.