What Does God Look Like?
From the earliest recorded moments of civilization, people have theorized about who, or what, God looks like. Many cultures have ascribed certain physical features and powers to their deities; yet, the reality is that no one can agree on an accurate description of what the divine being may look like. So, what does God look like?
The Image of Light
One of the most common descriptions of God is that He appears as a being of light. In the Bible, when God is making a significant appearance, He is said to come in the form of a cloud of smoke, a being of flames, or even a tornado (Exodus 19:16-19; 33:18-23; Isaiah 6:1-8). In other religious texts, an extremely bright luminescence is used to indicate the presence of a deity.
The Bible”s book of John states that the Christian God is actually a complex being composed of three parts, each of whom is conceived of as being of a different substance but having a single divine essence. The biblical text indicates that the image of light might actually be symbolic, representing a simultaneous spiritual, physical, and emotional aspect of God.
The Human/Divine Hybrid
Another popular theory as to what God looks like is that He is a human/divine hybrid. Ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all tried to give physical form to their deities, creating humanoid images of each one.
In the Christian tradition, the image of Jesus has become the closest visual representation of what God looks like. For example, Jesus is often painted as having a strong jawline, light eyes, and a brown complexion — traits that some consider to be representative of God”s physical form. The Catholic Prince of Peace mosaic, which depicts an enthroned Jesus, is considered to represent the ultimate version of what God looks like.
God Beyond Human Perception
Some scholars argue that, due to the inconceivable scope of the divine, humans can never hope to see what God actually looks like. Instead, He may be a concept, an energy, or a force that is impossible to characterize visually.
Religious texts such as the Upanishad and the Quran indicate that any attempts at picturing God”s physical form are pointless due to the unknowable nature of the divine. To illustrate this fact, the story of Moses trying to look at God”s face is often quoted – in Exodus 33:20, God says to Moses “You cannot see my face; for there shall no man see me and live.”
Conclusion
The concept of what God looks like has been an ongoing debate with no definite answer. What is certain is that, despite varied theories and artist interpretations, no one can know for certain what the divine being looks like.