And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
Exodus 33:18-23

Moses was “In Christ” as pictured in Exodus 33:18-23. Moses wanted to see God’s glory. But neither Moses (nor anyone else) can see God and live (v.20). So God set Moses up to see as much of God and His glory as he could safely bear. Moses was directed to wedge himself into a crevasse in a rocky cliff. God promised to pass by, covering Moses’ face. And then when God had passed by, He removed His hand and allowed Moses to see the backside of His glory as God went away from Moses.

Is God stingy about allowing us to see Him and His glory? No, He loves us too much to allow us to experience His glory—that would kill us. That’s right, God is so holy that to look on Him, or even on His unveiled glory, would kill us. Imagine something so beautiful that to see it would mean death! That is resoundingly true of God!

That Moses was “in a rock” for protection is a picture of believers being “in Christ.” The good news is that while Moses could not see too much, we who are “in Christ” will see God’s face in Heaven!