Can someone explain the Beatific Vision?

[Rocks_91]

I have gotten a faint idea of the Taborian Light that’s in Orthodox faith but I can’t understand the Catholic idea of Beatific Vision. I just read that it is an ‘intuitive’ vision or ‘intellectual vision’. I’m not a theologian, can someone explain what this means in layman’s terms, or by way of analogy? Is it like only a mental awareness of God? How does it compare to the Taborian Light? Also, I’m confused that in places, it is said that God’s essence is wholly transcedental according to Catholics and God doesn’t have a distinct ‘energies’, so what exactly will the Beatific Vision be a vision of, or can you in some sense see God and not see God at once? Please, explain this to me in layman’s terms. Thanks.

 

[truetofaith]

I have gotten a faint idea of the Taborian Light that’s in Orthodox faith but I can’t understand the Catholic idea of Beatific Vision. I just read that it is an ‘intuitive’ vision or ‘intellectual vision’. I’m not a theologian, can someone explain what this means in layman’s terms, or by way of analogy? Is it like only a mental awareness of God? How does it compare to the Taborian Light? Also, I’m confused that in places, it is said that God’s essence is wholly transcedental according to Catholics and God doesn’t have a distinct ‘energies’, so what exactly will the Beatific Vision be a vision of, or can you in some sense see God and not see God at once? Please, explain this to me in layman’s terms. Thanks.

We’ll know when we get to Heaven. Happy Easter!

 

[CarmelJerome]

Without getting deeply into Thomistic metaphysics too extensively, we see the essence of God by means of God’s essence - ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ being perfectly realized - ‘We shall see Him as He is for we shall be like Him.’ We will no longer see God by any image or secondary medium. In a certain sense, we will see only God, and all other things only through His essence.

 

[hazcompat]

Without getting deeply into Thomistic metaphysics too extensively, we see the essence of God by means of God’s essence - ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ being perfectly realized - ‘We shall see Him as He is for we shall be like Him.’ We will no longer see God by any image or secondary medium. In a certain sense, we will see only God, and all other things only through His essence.

The Light, better than life, is received. To see the unveiled Face of God and live is ineffable.

Peace

 

[Richca]

I have gotten a faint idea of the Taborian Light that’s in Orthodox faith but I can’t understand the Catholic idea of Beatific Vision. I just read that it is an ‘intuitive’ vision or ‘intellectual vision’. I’m not a theologian, can someone explain what this means in layman’s terms, or by way of analogy? Is it like only a mental awareness of God? How does it compare to the Taborian Light? Also, I’m confused that in places, it is said that God’s essence is wholly transcedental according to Catholics and God doesn’t have a distinct ‘energies’, so what exactly will the Beatific Vision be a vision of, or can you in some sense see God and not see God at once? Please, explain this to me in layman’s terms. Thanks.

The beatific vision consists, as the Catholic Church teaches, in seeing God’s essence, i.e, face to face, as He is. This is essentially an intellectual vision because God is immaterial and can’t be seen with bodily senses, for example, our eyes, for God dwells in inaccessible light. There is no sense in trying to imagine what this vision will be like because the imagination can only imagine corporeal images but God is not a body nor is he composed of matter. For example, the imagination is of no help in trying to imagine what our soul may look like or angels. Our soul and the angels are immaterial like God. We simply draw a blank if we try to imagine what immaterial substances look like. This is because human beings are a composite of soul and body and because of this union of soul and body and our placement in the physical universe, it is natural for us to gain knowledge of things through the images of those things we receive through our senses. This is how God created human beings. At the same time, since our souls are immaterial, we do have knowledge of immaterial concepts such as truth, justice, law, temperance, good and evil, humility, wisdom, morals, God, angels, etc; but we can’t imagine these concepts, we understand them through our immaterial intellects.

The orthodox do not believe we will see God’s essence in heaven but as you mention the Taborian light which is some kind of energy of God. However, St Paul affirms that “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known” ( 1 Corinthians 13:12). And St John says "Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed* we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is ( 1 John 3:2). According to the words of Holy Scripture, the Catholic Church believes that in heaven we will see God as he is in himself, just as you see your mother, for example, right in front of you.

 

[Richca]

The beatific vision consists, as the Catholic Church teaches, in seeing God’s essence, i.e, face to face, as He is. This is essentially an intellectual vision because God is immaterial and can’t be seen with bodily senses, for example, our eyes, for God dwells in inaccessible light. There is no sense in trying to imagine what this vision will be like because the imagination can only imagine corporeal images but God is not a body nor is he composed of matter. For example, the imagination is of no help in trying to imagine what our soul may look like or angels. Our soul and the angels are immaterial like God. We simply draw a blank if we try to imagine what immaterial substances look like. This is because human beings are a composite of soul and body and because of this union of soul and body and our placement in the physical universe, it is natural for us to gain knowledge of things through the images of those things we receive through our senses. This is how God created human beings. At the same time, since our souls are immaterial, we do have knowledge of immaterial concepts such as truth, justice, law, temperance, good and evil, humility, wisdom, morals, God, angels, etc; but we can’t imagine these concepts, we understand them through our immaterial intellects.

The orthodox do not believe we will see God’s essence in heaven but as you mention the Taborian light which is some kind of energy of God. However, St Paul affirms that “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known” ( 1 Corinthians 13:12). And St John says "Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed* we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is ( 1 John 3:2). According to the words of Holy Scripture, the Catholic Church believes that in heaven we will see God as he is in himself, just as you see your mother, for example, right in front of you.

(continued from post #5)

In catholic theology, we hold that no created intellect by its natural power can see the essence of God. In this sense, God’s being is wholly transcedental to us. We have a finite intellect whereas God’s intellect and being is infinite. The light of God’s glory, so to speak, would wholly blind our intellect in a vision of Him just as the overpowering light of the sun blinds the sight of an owl. In the beatific vision, God assists our natural intellectual power with a supernatural added power of grace called the light of glory to be able to see him.

Concerning energies of God that are distinct from His essence, catholic theology does not make a distinction here. Everything is one in God where there is no opposition of relationship. The only distinction that can be found in the Trinity are the relations of the three persons one from another and their manner of origin. The Father is from no one, the Son is from the Father alone, and the Holy Spirit is from both.

 

[Richca]

At the same time, since our souls are immaterial, we do have knowledge of immaterial concepts such as truth, justice, law, temperance, good and evil, humility, wisdom, morals, God, angels, etc; but we can’t imagine these concepts, we understand them through our immaterial intellects.
.

I do not mean to say here that God and the angels are simply concepts or ideas that exist only in our intellects. God and the angels are real beings who have real existence outside our intellects.

 

[Rocks_91]

the Taborian light which is some kind of energy of God

From what I gather, the Taborian light is not just ‘some kind of energy’, but God Himself. The energies of God are God Himself, I believe. And Orthodox seem to teach that we can even experience God and Taborian Light in this life.

Your explanation of the Beatific Vision cleared up my understanding a bit, thanks.

 

[Praedicare]

The Beatific Vision is seeing, knowing, and not dying from, the true deepest face of God.

This Beatific Vision is ongoing as we speak; the first Person to have this vision was, of course, God Himself. Christ, incarnate on Earth, had the Beatific Vision from the moment of His conception. All the saints now have this Vision. As it currently exists, it is only temporary for most saints, because those who have it – apart from Christ & the blessed Virgin Mary – are not yet resurrected. On the Last Day, when all are given glorified bodies, the final perfection of the Beatific Vision will be realized. Then we shall never know pain or tears.

I believe the Orthodox & Eastern Catholic brethren among us would have a problem with the Latin conception of the Vision. For one, they maintain that God is both essence & energies. We can only ever know God’s energies, for to know His essence would be to totally comprehend Him – which is impossible for us. Even the most perfect man cannot totally grasp God. Only God can do that. I wonder, often, if the Beatific Vision isn’t just the “greatest amount we can see” without dying.

At any rate, we’ll find out when we die. I do wish we didn’t get hung up on abstract questions that have no bearing on us. This life is given to live here, and now. The Beatific Vision we have now is the Eucharist and the Poor. Go, and be in communion with both; then, you will be guaranteed the true vision.

 

[JimG]

The Beatific Vision is being in the direct presence of God–something that we could not withstand without the presence of sanctifying grace.

For those of a philosphic bent, we usually “know” things by means of ideas, which are mental constructs–not imaginings, but not the thing itself. From the Thomistic point of view it is said that God himself–his essence–replaces our idea of Him, so that we really do experience him directly. (On earth we never experience anything directly, but only through sensory (name removed by moderator)ut and ideas.) Experiencing God directly should cause us to explode, but we don’t, because we have been sanctified by sanctifying grace and protected by God himself.