Has anyone seen Jesus on earth?

[placebofactor]

Some people claim to have seen Jesus here on earth. Can this be true? Or is it some fabricated nonsense? The New Testament consistently teaches that after Jesus ascended, He is in heaven, at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55–56; Hebrews 10:12). His physical, earthly appearances ceased with the ascension, as recorded in Acts 1.

But the Bible does record visions of the risen and glorified Christ. They are not normal physical encounters on earth, but supernatural revelations. Let's begin with Stephen when martyred. Acts 7:56, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”

Paul, on the road to Damascus, encounters the risen Christ in a heavenly revelation. 1 Corinthians 15:8, "And last of all he was seen of me also.” This is not described as a physical, earthly sighting but a heavenly appearance accompanied by a blinding light.

In Revelation, John sees Christ in glory. Revelation 1:12-18, “I saw… one like unto the Son of man…” This was a vision of the exalted Christ in heaven, not a physical meeting on earth.

According to the Bible, after Jesus ascended, no one has ever seen Him physically on earth. Several see Him in visions or heavenly revelations (Stephen, Paul, John), but these appearances were supernatural, not earthly.

Your thoughts

[placebofactor]

Some people claim to have seen Jesus here on earth. Can this be true? Or is it some fabricated nonsense? The New Testament consistently teaches that after Jesus ascended, He is in heaven, at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55–56; Hebrews 10:12). His physical, earthly appearances ceased with the ascension, as recorded in Acts 1.

But the Bible does record visions of the risen and glorified Christ. They are not normal physical encounters on earth, but supernatural revelations. Let's begin with Stephen when martyred. Acts 7:56, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”

Paul, on the road to Damascus, encounters the risen Christ in a heavenly revelation. 1 Corinthians 15:8, "And last of all he was seen of me also.” This is not described as a physical, earthly sighting but a heavenly appearance accompanied by a blinding light.

In Revelation, John sees Christ in glory. Revelation 1:12-18, “I saw… one like unto the Son of man…” This was a vision of the exalted Christ in heaven, not a physical meeting on earth.

According to the Bible, after Jesus ascended, no one has ever seen Him physically on earth. Several see Him in visions or heavenly revelations (Stephen, Paul, John), but these appearances were supernatural, not earthly.

Your thoughts

Matthew 24:23, paraphrased: "If any man shall say unto you, I have seen Jesus and spoken to him in my bedroom, at the Mall, walking down the street, at the Wailing Wall, in a vision, in my garden, believe him not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, and speak great words, insomuch that, if it were possible, anyone of us can be deceived." With 1 Timothy 4:1, "That in the latter days many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils."

Seducing spirits = heretical teachers. 1 John 4:2-3-6, "the spirits of error" opposed to the spirit of truth, or the doctrines of demons, James 3:14-15, "But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. this wisdom descended not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish."

2 Corinthians 11:15, "It is no great thing if his (Satan's) ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

Titus 1:10, "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision (the Jews):"

[William]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #1]

supernatural revelations.

"supernatural" as defined (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.

"scientific" based on or characterized by the methods and principles of science.

"understanding" the ability to understand something; comprehension.

"revelation" a surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed to others.

supernatural + revelations = contradiction

viewtopic.php?t=42852

[placebofactor]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #1]

supernatural revelations.

"supernatural" as defined (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.

"scientific" based on or characterized by the methods and principles of science.

"understanding" the ability to understand something; comprehension.

"revelation" a surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed to others.

supernatural + revelations = contradiction

viewtopic.php?t=42852

Good morning, William.
There are several ways to understand the word "Revelation." It can mean the removal of the veil of ignorance and darkness by communication of light and knowledge. Luke 2:32. Or it can be understood as disclosure or manifestation of that which becomes manifest by the event, Romans 2:5. And it can be understood in the sense of appearance, and spoken of Jesus' appearance from heaven, 2 Thessalonians 1:7.

Concerning the word supernatural:
The following Bibles never use the term “supernatural”. They are the King James, New King James, English Standard, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, Christian Standard Bible, RSV, NRSV, Douay, Rheims, and Geneva Bible, but the concept is everywhere. And the Amplified Bible and New English Translation do.

We can draw the meaning “supernatural” from how Scripture describes God, angels, miracles, and spiritual realities. In biblical terms, “supernatural” refers to anything that exists above, beyond, or outside the ordinary physical world, originating from God, the Holy Spirit, or angels. It describes events or realities that cannot be explained by natural laws and occur through divine power.

The Bible describes the supernatural through God’s nature. God is a spirit and not bound by physical limitations; John 4:24. Throughout the scriptures, we see the acts of God overriding natural processes. For example, Jesus walking on water, and the parting of the Red Sea. We read of invisible, nonphysical beings like angels acting in the world. Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits…?”

We are told unseen forces are influencing the visible world. Ephesians 6:12, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood…” Then we have the LORD speaking through visions, prophecy, and inspiration. 2 Peter 1:21, “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

So, let’s define what Supernatural means in a Biblical sense. It means that which belongs to the spiritual realm and operates by God’s power rather than by natural laws. It is anything beyond human ability, physical limitation, or the ordinary course of nature.

The ancient Hebrews didn’t divide “natural” and “supernatural” the way we do today; for them, all reality was unified under God, and the unseen realm was simply another part of creation. The ancient Hebrew worldview was holistic, not split into “natural vs. supernatural.” Instead, they saw a two-tiered universe. Heaven is the realm of God, angels, the divine council, and spiritual forces, and the earth is the domain of humans, animals, and physical creation.

These two realms interact constantly. Nothing about God’s intervention was “against nature,” it was simply God acting within His own creation. So, the Hebrew view was that God is the source of all power; there is no “nature” operating independently. Rain, fertility, healing, victory, and judgment all come from God.

Conclusion: Miracles, supernatural events, or things are not violations of nature; they are expressions of God’s will, not exceptions to physical laws. And the prophets of God stood at the intersection of the visible and invisible worlds, receiving divine messages.

[William]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #4]

I have replied to your post above, in the thread The Coherent Causality Argument

[placebofactor]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #4]

I have replied to your post above, in the thread The Coherent Causality Argument

Read your post:
Your reasoning is thoughtful, but the Bible gives us a fuller frame in which the terms supernatural, natural, and interactive are not set in opposition, but are in harmony. The Almighty is revealed as a personal, rational, purposive Being who works all things “after the counsel of his own will.” Yet the same Scriptures declare that His ways transcend the created order without dissolving into contradiction.

God is above creation, yet present within it. Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.” Psalms 145:18, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him.” God’s transcendence and immanence are not contrary but complementary. Scripture never portrays God as an ineffable void, but as a living Person whose being surpasses the created order.

Colossians 1:17, “By him all things consist.” The Almighty works by order, yet is not bound by it, because the creation itself is upheld by His consistent power. Hebrews 1:3, concerning Jesus, he “upholds all things by the word of his power.” Therefore, (all things) are not confined to the patterns He has established. Why? Because Psalms 115:3, “Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

His miracles are not violations of nature, but expressions of the same divine will that ordained nature. As stated before, the Bible never divides reality into “natural” and “supernatural,” rather, all things are under God’s dominion: Psalms 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof.”

Angels, spirits, miracles, and providence are not outside nature, but part of the total created order, which itself is upheld by God. So, to suggest that the “supernatural” is simply a subset of reality governed by God’s consistent power is not far from the biblical picture. Yet Scripture also maintains that God Himself is not merely the highest part of reality, but the uncreated source of all reality. Scriptures show both truths, that God’s personal interaction is not contrary to His transcendence. Isaiah 57:15, He inhabits eternity, yet He dwelleth with the contrite and humble. He is “the high and lofty One,” yet He spoke with Abraham, Exodus 33:11, “As a man speaks unto his friend.”

So, there is no contradiction, because the Creator is not limited by the categories that bind us, his creatures. In summary, the Almighty is above creation, He is within creation, is consistent in His works, and is free in His will. He can be both “supernatural” in the sense of transcending the created order and personally interactive within it, without contradiction.

[William]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #6]

My reply
The Coherent Causality Argument
Post #10

[placebofactor]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #6]

My reply
The Coherent Causality Argument
Post #10

What does the coherent causality argument say? It rejects any first cause that is, arbitrary, incoherent, unintelligible, and beyond conceptual grasp. If “God” is defined in those terms, then yes, God would be considered a supernatural mystery and therefore an inadequate explanation.

But the real question is, should God be defined as a coherent metaphysical necessity, or as an unknowable supernatural agent? Those two concepts behave very differently in philosophical arguments. Now, because Jesus Christ is God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all things therein, John 1:3, and Colossians 1:16, who is God manifest in the flesh, 1 Timothy 3:16, showing himself and proving that he is not a supernatural mystery, doesn’t that prove that God is not a supernatural mystery?

In theology, Jesus does not eliminate the mystery of God; he makes God knowable without reducing God. Christians teach that God is both transcendent and revealed. The New Testament presents Jesus as fully God, fully human, and the visible image of the invisible God. He is the Word made flesh. This means God is not unknowable, but neither is he fully understood. Christ reveals God without exhausting God.

A classic line is, “God is infinitely knowable, yet never fully known.” The Lord did not remove the mystery; he made the mystery personal and relational. He made God intelligible, not “non-mysterious.” So, from the perspective of the Coherent Causality Argument, “supernatural mystery” is something unintelligible, incoherent, or beyond conceptual grasp. But the Christian claim is that God is not incoherent; he is infinite. Those are two different things.

Jesus reveals that God is rational, purposeful, personal, morally intelligible, and relational. This is why Christians claim Jesus is the “self-revelation” of God, not the “explanation” of God in a reductive sense. There are two simultaneous truths: God remains infinite, eternal, and beyond creation; this is the “mystery” part. But he entered creation in a way humans could understand; this is the “revelation” part. The incarnation did not shrink God down to human size; it brought humanity up into a relationship with the infinite.

Question: Did Jesus prove God is not a supernatural mystery? What he proved is that God is not an incoherent mystery; he is not arbitrary, chaotic, or conceptually impossible. He is not an unknowable mystery. Why? Because he revealed himself in history, in flesh, in words, and in actions. Yet he is not a fully comprehensible being, because no finite mind can exhaust the infinite. Jesus did not eliminate mystery; he transformed it into a relationship. To conclude, the incarnation was not the removal of divine mystery; it was the revelation of divine coherence.

[William]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #8]
My reply:
Re: The Coherent Causality Argument
Post #13