939.“见主的面”并非表示看见祂的脸面，而是表示认识并承认祂在众多神性属性上的性质，那些通过爱与祂结合的人都认识祂，因而得见祂的面；这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
你们来见耶和华的面，所献的许多祭物与我何益呢？（以赛亚书1:11，12）
我心说，你寻求我的面；耶和华啊，你的面我正要寻求。（诗篇27:8）
让我们向拯救我们的磐石欢呼，我们要以称谢来到祂面前。（诗篇95:1，2）
我的灵魂渴求永生神，我几时来朝见神的面呢？然而，我要称谢祂，祂的面是救恩。（诗篇42:2，5）
谁也不可空手见我的面。（出埃及记23:15）
要来哀求耶和华的面。（撒迦利亚书8:21，22；玛拉基书1:9）
使你的脸光照你的仆人。（诗篇31:16）
谁能指示我们什么好处？耶和华啊，求你仰起脸来，光照我们。（诗篇4:6）
耶和华啊，他们在你脸的光里行走。（诗篇89:15）
愿神怜悯我们，赐福与我们，使祂的脸光照我们。（诗篇67:1）
愿耶和华赐福给你，保守你，愿耶和华使祂的脸光照你，赐恩给你，愿耶和华向你仰脸，赐你平安。（民数记6:24-26）
你必把他们藏在你面前的隐密处。（诗篇31:20）
你将我们隐秘的事摆在你面光之中。（诗篇90:8）
耶和华对摩西说，我的脸面要去；摩西说，若你的脸面不去，就不要使我们从这里下去。（出埃及记33:14，15）
放在会幕桌子上的饼（出埃及记25:30；民数记4:7）被称为面饼（bread of faces，经上译为陈设饼）。
经上频繁说到，“耶和华掩面或转脸”，如以下经文：
因他们的邪恶，我就向他们掩面。（耶利米书33:5；以西结书7:22）
你们的罪恶使神向你们掩面。（以赛亚书59:2）
耶和华的脸面不再眷顾他们。（耶利米哀歌4:16）
耶和华必照他们所行的恶事向他们掩面。（弥迦书3:4）
我必离弃他们，向他们掩面；因他们所行的一切恶，我必定掩面。（申命记31:17，18）
此外还有其它经文（如以赛亚书8:17；以西结书39:23，28-29；诗篇13:1；22:24；27:8-9；69:17；88:14；102:2；143:7；申命记32:20）。
就反面意义而言，“耶和华的面”表示怒气和厌恶，因为恶人转身离开主；当他转离时，在他看来，似乎是主转离，并且发怒；这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
我向他们变脸的时候，必向他们变脸，火要烧灭他们。（以西结书15:7）
凡吃血的人，我必向那灵魂变脸。（利未记17:10）
他们因你脸上的叱责就灭亡了。（诗篇80:16）
耶和华的脸反对行恶的人。（诗篇34:16）
我差遣使者在你前面；你们要在他面前谨慎，因为他必不赦免你们的过犯。（出埃及记23:20，21）
愿你的仇敌四散，愿恨你的人从你面前逃跑。（民数记10:35）
我看见坐在宝座上面的，从祂面前天地都逃避。（启示录20:11）
如前所述，没有人能见诸如在祂自己里面的主；这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
耶和华对摩西说，你不能看见我的面，因为人见我的面不能存活。（出埃及记33:20）然而，祂的确被看到过，而且他们都活着，因为这事是通过一位天使成就的，这从有关经文明显可知（如创世记32:30；士师记13:22，33等）。
939. The fact that seeing the Lord's face does not mean seeing His face, but knowing and acknowledging Him as He is in respect to His Divine attributes, of which there are many, and that people conjoined with Him by love know Him and in that way see His face, can be seen from the following passages:
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me... ...When you come to see the face of Jehovah... (Isaiah 1:11-12)
My heart said..., "Seek my face. Your face, Jehovah, I am seeking." (Psalms 27:8)
We will shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His face with confession. (Psalms 95:1-2)
My soul thirsts... for the living God. When shall I come to see the face of God? ...yet shall I confess to Him the salvation of His countenance. (Psalms 42:2, 5)
They shall not see My face empty-handed. (Exodus 23:15)
...to come... to placate the face of Jehovah. (Zechariah 8:21-22, cf. Malachi 1:9)
Make Your face shine upon Your servant. (Psalms 31:16)
Who will show us any good? Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, Jehovah. (Psalms 4:6)
They shall walk, O Jehovah, in the light of Your countenance. (Psalms 89:15)
...O God, cause Your face to shine, that we may be saved! (Psalms 80:3, 7, 19)
God be merciful to us and bless us. May He cause His face to shine upon us. (Psalms 67:1)
Jehovah bless you and keep you; Jehovah make His face shine upon you and be merciful to you; Jehovah lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
You hide them in the secret place of Your countenance... (Psalms 31:20)
You have set... our hidden secret in the light of Your countenance. (Psalms 90:8)
(Jehovah) said (to Moses), "My countenance will go... (Moses) said..., "If Your countenance does not go..., do not bring us down from here." (Exodus 33:14-15)
The bread on the table in the Tabernacle was called [literally] "the bread of faces" (Exodus 25:30, Numbers 4:7).
[2] We are often told, too, that Jehovah hid His face or turned His face away, as in the following:
...for (their) wickedness I have hidden My face from (them). (Jeremiah 33:5, cf. Ezekiel 7:22)
Your sins have hidden (God's) face from you... (Isaiah 59:2)
The face of Jehovah... will no longer regard them. (Lamentations 4:16)
(Jehovah) will hide His face from them..., according as they have made their works evil. (Micah 3:4)
You hid Your face... (Psalms 30:7, cf. 44:24; 104:29)
I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them... I will surely hide My face... because of all the evil which they have done... (Deuteronomy 31:17-18)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 8:17; Ezekiel 39:23, 28-29; Deuteronomy 32:20.
[3] In an opposite sense, the face of Jehovah symbolizes anger and aversion, because an evil person turns away from the Lord, and when he turns away, it seems to him as though the Lord had turned away and was angry, as is clear from the following passages:
...I have set My face against this city for its evil... (Jeremiah 21:10, cf. 44:11)
I will set My face against that man and... devastate him... (Ezekiel 14:7-8)
I will set My face against them... and... fire shall devour them..., when I set My face against them. (Ezekiel 15:7)
...(he) who eats any blood, I will set My face against that soul... (Leviticus 17:10)
At the rebuke of Your countenance they perished. (Psalms 80:16)
The face of Jehovah is against those who do evil... (Psalms 34:16)
...I send an angel before you... Beware of his face..., for he will not endure your transgression. (Exodus 23:20-21)
Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee from Your countenance. (Numbers 10:35)
(I saw one sitting on the throne) from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. (Revelation 20:11)
That no one can see the Lord as He is in Himself, as we said above, is apparent from the following:
(Jehovah said to Moses,) "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." (Exodus 33:18-23)
That people nevertheless saw the Lord and lived, because He appeared by means of an angel, is apparent from Genesis 32:30, 1Judges 13:22-23, 2and elsewhere.
Footnotes:
1. Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
2. Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God!" But his wife said to him, "If Jehovah had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time."
939. That by 'to see the Lord's faces 1' is not understood to see His faces but to recognise and acknowledge what He is like as to His Divine attributes, which are many, and that those who have been conjoined with Him by means of love recognise Him and thus see His face, can be established from the following passages:
What to Me is a multitude of sacrifices, when you come to see the faces of Jehovah? Isaiah 1:11-12.
My heart said, Seek My faces; Thy faces, O Jehovah, do I seek. Psalms 27:8.
We shall shout to the Rock of our salvation, we shall come before His faces in confession. Psalms 95:1-2.
My soul thirsts for the living God, when shall I come that I may be seen by the faces of God? I shall yet confess to Him the salvations of His faces, Psalms 42:3, 6.
Emptily they shall not see My faces, Exodus 23:15.
To come to pray earnestly to the faces of Jehovah, Zechariah 8:21-22; Malachi 1:9.
Make Thy faces shine upon Thy servant. Psalms 31:16; [H.B. 17].
Who has shown us what is good? Lift up upon us the light of Thy faces, O Jehovah. Psalms 4:6; [H.B. 7].
O Jehovah, they shall walk in the light of Thy faces. Psalms 89:15; [H.B. 16].
O God, cause Thy faces to shine that we may be saved. Psalms 80:3, 7, 19 [H.B. 4, 8, 20].
God be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause His faces to shine upon us. Psalms 67:1; [H.B. 2].
Jehovah bless thee and keep thee, Jehovah cause His faces to shine upon thee and be merciful unto thee, Jehovah lift His faces upon thee and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26.
Thou hidest them in the secret of Thy faces. Psalms 31:20; [H.B. 21].
Thou hast set our secret in the light of Thy faces. Psalms 90:8.
Jehovah spoke to Moses, My faces shall go; Moses said, If Thy faces go not, make us not to go down from hence, Exodus 33:14-15.
The bread upon the table in the tabernacle was called the bread of faces, Exodus 25:30; Numbers 4:7.
[2] It is also frequently said that Jehovah has hidden, also that He has turned away [His] faces, as in these passages:
On account of their wickedness I have hidden My faces from them. Jeremiah 33:5; Ezekiel 7:22.
Your sins have hidden God's faces from you. Isaiah 59:2.
The faces of Jehovah shall no more regard them, Lamentations 4:16.
Jehovah shall hide His faces from them as they have rendered their works evil. Micah 3:4.
Thou didst hide Thy faces. Psalms 30:7; [H.B. 8]; Psalms 44:24; [H.B. 25]; Psalms 104:29.
I will forsake them, and I will hide My faces from them, biding I will hide My faces for all the evil that they have done. Deuteronomy 31:17-18; besides elsewhere, as Isaiah 8:17; Ezekiel 39:23, 28-29; Psalms 13:1; [H.B. 2]; Psalms 22:24; [H.B. 25]; Psalms 27:8-9; Psalms 69:17; [H.B. 18]; Psalms 88:14; [H.B. 15]; Psalms 102:2; [H.B. 3]; Psalms 143:7; Deuteronomy 32:20.
[3] In the opposite sense by 'the faces of Jehovah' is signified anger and aversion. This is because an evil man turns away from the Lord, and when he turns himself away it appears to him as if the Lord turns away and is angry, as can be established from these passages:
I have set My faces against the city for evil. Jeremiah 21:10; 44:11.
I will set My faces against that man and will devastate him. Ezekiel 14:7-8.
I will set My faces against them, and fire shall devour them when I put My faces against them. Ezekiel 15:7.
He who eats any blood, I will set My faces against that soul, Leviticus 17:10.
At the rebuke of Thy faces they have perished, Psalms 80:16 [H.B. 17].
The faces of Jehovah are against those doing evil, Psalms 34:16; [H.B. 17].
I will send an Angel before thee, beware of His faces, for He does not bear your transgression, Exodus 23:20-21.
Let Thine enemies be scattered, and let those hating Thee flee from before Thy faces. Numbers 10:35.
I saw the One sitting upon the throne, from whose face the heaven and the land fled away. Revelation 20:11.
That no one can see the Lord as He is in Himself, as was said above, is plain from these words:
Jehovah said unto Moses, Thou canst not see My faces, because a man shall not see Me and live, Exodus 33:18-23.
Yet that He has been seen, and they did live because it was by means of an angel, is plain from. Genesis 32:30; [H.B. 31]; Judges 13:22-23; and elsewhere.
Footnotes:
1. Here and in all quotations from the Old Testament in this paragraph the plural 'faces' is used in accordance with the Hebrew idiom.
939. That by "seeing the face of the Lord" is not meant to see His face, but to know and acknowledge Him as He is as to His Divine attributes, which are many; and that they who are conjoined with Him by love know Him, and thus see His face, may be evident from the following passages:
What to Me is the multitude of sacrifices, when ye come to see the face of Jehovah, (Isaiah 1:11-12).
My heart said, Seek ye My face; Thy face, O Jehovah, do I seek, (Psalms 27:8).
Let us shout to the Rock of our salvation, let us come before His face in confession, (Psalms 95:1-2).
My soul thirsteth for the living God, when shall I come to see the face of God? I will yet confess Him, His face is salvation, (Psalms 42:2, 5).
My face shall not be seen by the empty, (Exodus 23:15).
To come to supplicate the face of Jehovah, (Zechariah 8:21-22; Malachi 1:9).
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, (Psalms 31:16).
Who will show us any good? Lift up upon us the light of Thy face, O Jehovah, (Psalms 4:6).
They shall walk in the light of Thy face, O Jehovah, (Psalms 89:15).
Cause Thy face to shine upon us, that we may be saved, (Psalms 80:3, 7, 19).
God be merciful to us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, (Psalms 67:1).
Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee, Jehovah make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee, Jehovah lift up His face upon thee, and give thee peace, (Numbers 6:24-26).
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy face, (Psalms 31:21).
Thou hast set our hidden things in the light of Thy face, (Psalms 90:8).
Jehovah spoke to Moses, My face shall go; Moses said, If Thy face go not, make us not go down from hence, (Exodus 33:14-15).
The bread upon the table in the tabernacle was called the bread of faces, (Exodus 25:30; Numbers 4:7).
[2] It is also frequently said, that "Jehovah hid and turned away His face;" as in these passages:
On account of their wickedness I hid My face from them, (Jeremiah 33:5; Ezekiel 7:22).
Your sins have hid God's face from you, (Isaiah 59:2).
The face of Jehovah shall no more regard them, (Lamentations 4:16).
Jehovah will hide His face from them, as they have made their works evil, (Micah 3:4).
Thou didst hide Thy face, (Psalms 30:7; 44:24; 104:29).
I will forsake them, and hide My face from them; I will surely hide My face for all the evil which they have done, (Deuteronomy 31:17-18).
Besides other places (as Isaiah 8:17; Ezekiel 39:23, 28-29; Psalms 13:1; 22:24; 27:8-9; 69:17; 88:14; 102:2; 143:7; Deuteronomy 32:20).
[3] In the opposite sense by the face of Jehovah is signified anger and aversion, for the reason that the evil man turns himself away from the Lord; and when he turns himself away, it appears to him as if the Lord turned Himself away and was angry; as is evident from these passages:
I have set My face against this city for evil, (Jeremiah 21:10; 44:11).
I will set My face against that man and will devastate him, (Ezekiel 14:7-8).
I will set My face against them, and fire shall devour them, when I shall set My face against them, (Ezekiel 15:7).
Whosoever eateth any blood, I will set My face against that soul, (Leviticus 17:10).
They shall perish at the rebuke of Thy face, (Psalms 80:16).
The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, (Psalms 34:16).
I send mine angel before thee; beware of his face, for he will not bear your transgression, (Exodus 23:20-21).
Let Thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee from before Thy face, (Numbers 10:35).
I saw Him that sat upon the throne, from whose face the heaven and the earth fled away, (Revelation 20:11).
That no one can see the Lord, as He is in Himself, as was said above, is manifest from this:
Jehovah said to Moses, Thou canst not see My face, for no man shall see Me, and live, (Exodus 33:18-23).
Yet that He has been seen, and they have lived, because it was through an angel, is manifest (from Genesis 32:30; Judges 13:22-23; and elsewhere).
939. Quod per "videre Facies Domini" non intelligatur videre Facies Ipsius, sed cognoscere et agnoscere Ipsum qualis est quoad Divina Ipsius attributa, quae plura sunt; et quod illi qui Ipsi per amorem conjuncti sunt, cognoscant Ipsum, et sic videant Faciem Ipsius, constare potest a sequentibus locis:
"Quid Mihi multitudo sacrificiorum; quando veneritis ad videndum Facies Jehovae," (Esaias 1:11-12);
"Dixit, cor meum, Quaerite Facies Meas; Facies Tuas, Jehovah, quaero," (Psalm 27:8);
"Jubilabimus Petrae salutis nostrae; 1veniemus ante Facies Ipsius in confessione," (Psalm 95:1-2);
"Sitit anima mea Deum vivum, quando venero ut videar Faciebus Dei; adhuc confitebor Ipsi, salutes Facies Ipsius," (Psalm 42:3, 6 (B.A. 2, 5));
"Non videbuntur Facies Meae vacue," (Exodus 23:15);
"Venire ad deprecandum Facies Jehovae," (Sacharias 8:21-22; Malachias 1:9);
"Illumina Facies Tuas super servum Tuum," (Psalm 31:17 (B.A. 16));
"Quis ostendit nobis bonum: tolle super nos Lucem Facierum Tuarum, Jehovah," (Psalm 4:7 (B.A. 6));
"Jehovah, in Luce Facierum Tuarum ambulabunt," (Psalm 89:16 (B.A. 15));
"Deus, lucere fac Faciet Tuas 2ut servemur," (Psalm 80:4, 8, 20 (B.A. 3, 7, 9));
"Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis, illuminet Facies Suas nobis," (Psalm 67:2 (B.A. 1));
"Benedicat tibi Jehovah, et custodiat te, illuminet Jehovah Facies Suas super te et misereatur tui, tollat Jehovah Facies Suas super te, et det tibi pacem," (Numeri 6:24-26); 3
"Occultas eos 4in abdito Facierum Tuarum," (Psalm 31:21 (B.A. 20));
"Posuisti occultum nostrum in lucem Facierum Tuarum," (Psalm 10:8);
Locutus Jehovah ad Mosem, "Facies Meae ibunt; dixit Moses, Si non Facies Tuae eant, ne descendere facias nos ex hinc," (Exodus 33:14-15);
Panes super mensa in Tabernaculo dicti fuerunt "Panes Facierum," (Exodus 25:30; 5Numeri 4:7).
Saepius etiam dicitur, quod "Jehovah occultaverit," tum quod "averterit facies;" ut in his:
"Propter malitiam eorum occultavi Facies Meas ab illis," (Jeremias 33:5; 6Ezechiel 7:22);
"Peccata vestra absconderunt Facies Dei a vobis," (Esaias 59:2);
"Facies Jehovae non addet respicere illos," (Threni 4:16);
"Jehovah occultabit Facies Suas ab illis, quemadmodum mala reddiderunt opera sua," (Micham 3:4);
"Abscondisti Facies Tuas," (Psalm 30:8 (B.A. 7); Psalm 44:25, (B.A. 24); Psalm 104:29);
"Deseram illos, et occultabo Facies Meas ab illis, occultando occultabo Facies Meas propter omne malum quod fecerunt," (Deuteronomius 31:17-18).
(Praeter alibi ut Esaias 8:17; Ezechiel 39:23, 28-29; Psalm 13:2 (B.A. 1); Psalm 22:25 (B.A. 24); Psalm. (27:) 8-9; Psalm 69:18 (B.A. 17); 7Psalm 88:15 (B.A. 14); 102:3 (B.A. 2); Psalm 143:7; Deuteronomius 32:20).
in opposito sensu per "facies Jehovae" significatur ira et aversio, ex causa quia homo malus avertit se a Domino; et cum ille se avertit, apparet ei sicut Dominus avertat Se et irascatur, ut constat ex his locis:
"Posui Facies Meas contra urbem hanc in malum," (21:10; 44:11); 8
"Dabo Facies Meas contra Virum illum, et devastabo illum," (Ezechiel 14:7-8);
"Dabo Facies Meas contra illos; et ignis comedet eos, cum posuero Facies Meas contra illos," (Ezechiel 15:7);
"Qui comederit ullum sanguinem, dabo Facies Meas contra animam illam," (Leviticus 17:10);
"Ab increpatione Facierum Tuarum perierunt," (Psalm 80:17 (B.A. 16));
"Facies Jehovae contra facientes malum," Psalm 34:17 (B.A. 16)); "Mitto Angelum coram te; caveto tibi a Faciebus Ejus, quia non sustinet praevaricationem vestram," (Exodus 23:20-21); "Dispergantur inimici Tui, et fugiant osores Tui a coram Faciebus Tuis," (Numeri 10:35); 9
"Vidi Sedentem super Throno, a Cujus Facie fugit Caelum et Terra," (Apocalypsis 20:11).
Quod nemo possit videre Dominum, qualis in Se est, ut supra dictum est, patet ex his:
Dixit Jehovah ad Mosen "Non potes videre Facies Meas, quia non videbit Me homo et Vivet," (Exodus 33:18-23).
Quod tamen visus sit, et vixerint, quia per Angelum, patet ex Genesis 32:31 (B.A. 30); 13:22-23; 10et alibi.
Footnotes:
1. nostrae pro "meae"
2. Tuas pro "suas"
3. vi. pro "xxvi."
4. eos pro "nos"
5. xxv. pro "xx."
6. 5 pro "1"
7. 18 pro "19"
8. Jerem. pro "Esaj."
9. x. pro "ix."
10. 23 pro "29"