Has anyone ever seen God?

The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God (John 1:18), except the Lord Jesus Christ. In Exodus 33:20, God says: "You cannot see my face, because man cannot see me and live". These passages of Scripture seem to contradict other scriptures that describe people who "see" God. For example, Exodus 33: 19-23 describes Moses talking to God "face to face". How could Moses speak to God "face to face" if no one can see the face of God and survive? In this case, the phrase "face to face" is a metaphor that indicates a very close communion. God and Moses spoke to each other as if they were two human beings engaged in an intimate conversation.

In Genesis 32:20, Jacob saw God in the form of an angel, but did not really see God. Samson's parents were terrified when they realized that they had seen God (Judges 13:22), but had only seen him in the form of an angel. Jesus was God become flesh (John 1: 1,14), so when people saw Him, they were seeing God. So, yes, God can be "seen" and many people have "seen" God. But at the same time, nobody he has never seen God revealed in all His glory. If God reveals himself completely to us, in our fallen human condition, we will be consumed and destroyed. So God veils himself and appears in such forms that allow us to "see Him". However, this is not the same as seeing God in all His glory and holiness. Men have had visions of God, images of God and apparitions of God, but no one has ever seen God in His fullness (Exodus 33:20).