Seeing the Lord (God) vs. Seeing Oneself

 

Seeing the Lord (God) vs. Seeing Oneself

Isa. 6:1–4: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne… the posts of the door moved… and the house was filled with smoke.”
Isa. 6:5: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips… for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” 

Aspect	Seeing the Lord (God)	Seeing Oneself
Meaning	To behold the glorious Lord, His holiness and majesty; to gain God Himself (Matt. 5:8), receiving His element, life, and nature.	Under the light of God, realizing one’s uncleanness, corruption, and unworthiness; recognizing that the old creation has nothing to boast of and only Christ can cleanse.
Symbols	(1) Temple filled with smoke → glory and burning majesty (Isa. 6:4). (2) Vision of the throne and the King → manifestation of holiness and sovereignty.	(1) Unclean lips (Isa. 6:5), much speaking of criticism and murmuring. (2) Conscience enlightened → self exposed. (3) Abhorring oneself (Job 42:6).
Distinction	Seeing the Lord → receiving God’s element, being transformed (2 Cor. 3:18). The more we see Him, the more we are sanctified and joined with Him.	Seeing oneself → knowing one’s filth, inability, and nothingness. The more we see ourselves, the more we deny and abhor self, turning to Christ.
Explanation	Seeing God equals gaining Him (Matt. 5:8), and through His glory we are constantly transformed until glorification, when we see His face (Rev. 22:4).	Each vision of the Lord leads to deeper self-exposure; cleansing is needed through the altar’s live coal (the redemption of Christ’s cross) (Isa. 6:6–7).
Examples	- Isaiah seeing the Lord of hosts in the temple (Isa. 6:1–4). - Moses seeing God’s glory on the mountain (Exo. 33:18–23). - John beholding the glorified Christ (Rev. 1:12–18).	- Isaiah: “Woe is me! for I am undone” (Isa. 6:5). - Peter: “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). - Job: seeing God and abhorring himself (Job 42:5–6).
Application	- Seek to encounter the Lord in spirit, live in His glory and presence. - Be continually transformed by His element. - Await glorification, seeing His face and being one with Him eternally.	- Learn to deny self, boast not in self. - Guard the lips, remove criticism, gossip, murmuring. - Rely on the cross and Christ’s redemption for cleansing and renewing.
Related Scriptures (Expanded)	- Matt. 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” - 2 Cor. 3:18: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.” - Rev. 22:4: “They shall see His face; and His name shall be on their foreheads.”	- Isa. 6:6–7: “Then flew one of the seraphim unto me… with a live coal… and said, Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” - Luke 5:8: “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” - Job 42:5–6: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
Conclusion	Seeing the Lord brings transformation, sanctification, and union with Him. Seeing oneself brings exposure, repentance, and the need for cleansing. The two complement each other: the more we see the Lord, the more we see ourselves; the more we see ourselves, the more we need Christ’s redemption and transformation.

  

*Please refer to the June 2025 Summer Training, General Topic: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (Part 3), Chapter 9: The Vision, Experience, Enjoyment, and Expression of the Supreme Treasure of Christ for the Genuine Church Life