SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS’ HOW GOD IS KNOWN BY US

2/3/2024

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Whether Any Created Intellect Can See the Essence of God?

God is supremely knowable, but not in the same way to every type of intellect. Some are closer to God, while others are further away – as the Psalmist says, “The Lord is on high, but cares for the lowly and knows the proud from afar” (Psalm 138:6). If it were true that the created intelligence of man could never fathom or come to know God in any such way, beatitude would be impossible to obtain, and man would perpetually remain in darkness with no understanding. However, this is not so, as we see with the faith and the Church and its many clergy and Ministers, Priests, Bishops, and Deacons who know God and carry out His will – including the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Saints. It is more than just a knowing of authority, but a call one receives prior in time to the act, for the one called feels the Lord both internally and outside his or her body and can discern the presence of God in many other things, including oneself, thus guiding one’s course of actions in a way better described without words. This is the attainment of the First Principle, which is what mankind was built for – to be in union with God and to glorify His Name through the attainment of beatitude. Furthermore, in a lesser way, we see this guiding principle among those who do not even wish to attain knowledge of Him as to achieve glory, but display its desire to a lesser degree through natural wonder and wanting to realize and know the effects of things and why they come into range of the intellect as something knowable and identifiable – like the secular sciences and many arts throughout the cultures of the world. Finally, if the intellect in the rational creature was not capable of adhering to and seeking out the First Cause of all things, which is the First Principle – that is God, to which all attain their final outcome through, its natural desire to know things and attain a higher degree of completeness in the intellect of one’s surroundings and knowing would be void, and that person would be something like an animal or less than rational creature. As for coming to the vision or knowing or understanding of the full essence of God, more so at a higher degree than other created intellects, the blessed and those on the road to Sainthood are granted sight of the essence of God in ways others at a lesser degree have not attained.

Whether the Essence of God Is Seen By the Created Intellect through An Image?

By way of the natural senses and corporeal things pertaining to matter, the limited faculties that provide us with eyesight show us what things appear to be in matter by their likeness through created intellect, not by their essence. For example, a person knows the game of baseball. So, when this person sees a bat and a baseball lying on the grass on the way to work in the morning; more than likely the game of baseball will show up in their mind so as to create an association with what the eyes are seeing in the created forms and likeness that are the circular baseball and the cylinder shaped baseball bat in order to make sense of it by way of the created intellect. God is the first intellectual power, and the most perfect one – to which all intellectual powers spring forth from by His design and creation. For the created intellect to come into the realization of what it is actually seeing by way of the essence of something beyond its likeness, there exists the factor of something outside of the creature’s intellect which raises its own intellect in a higher way to understand God and the essence of things it is observing as it pertains to God; an illuminating light if you will. In other words, one may see an image representing God, but will not know it to be anything else unless that person’s intellect is raised up to the knowledge and light of the knowledge of God through grace and the glory of His illuminating light – which enhances the intellect to recognize Him. In this way, the created intellect worships in a better way and draws closer to God in a higher degree. It would appear that in the Moderni age, so many are living in darkness and sin, which clouds the intellect and prevents the light of grace from entering, and reinforces the walls of ignorance and unbelief in many thus preventing them from recognizing any light that shines through the cracks of the perimeter walls they setup in their own hearts that acknowledge the truth of the One and Only Living God. Additionally, those who are closer to God in a lesser degree and not in its fullness, view any kind of image that represents God or has been given sanctity and power through His will – to include objects and images that honor Him, as a form of idolatry and false worship. This is rooted in recent religious formations dating back to the the middle part of the second millennium - where the practice really set sail - and has morphed through such denominations such as calvinism and other denominations that formulate their own rules on the matter in accordance with their own councils formed throughout the generations void of communion with the Seat of the Apostle Peter. Furthermore, according to the theology of these movements on individual levels, the fear of committing idolatry outweighs the goodness of honoring God through various images and works of art and objects, as we see with some people who would rather be alone and sick in the hospital without any holy images or prayer beads in their company. This appears to be the result of doctrinal error rooted in recent sub-Christian movements ingrained and infused in the minds of successive generations, centuries, and splitting/schism of denomination that holds newfound charismatic leaders implementing their own subjective view of worship and doctrine that is not beholden to anything objective like we see to the Magisterium. Lastly, what the Lord deems to have power – will have power. An Ark of the covenant for the Israelites to which only the Levites could carry, lest you die? Yes. A staff for Moses? Yes. A Cross for the faithful? Absolutely. All are examples of God’s power. Knowing what it represents and holding it in reverence to honor God is not idolatry. Worshiping the object as if it were a God, as the secular atheist in society does for his bank account, his career, possessions, and reputation, are better examples of what true idols are and their many effects they have on the soul of the one who lives for them so as to worship them.

Whether the Essence of God Can Be Seen with the Bodily Eye?

God cannot be seen by the sense of the eye or the imagination, but only by the intellect. Now, if an angelic or demonic entity is seen, as people have claimed to have seen, they are perceiving a creature that is also created by God and are not observing God’s essence, therefore, it is a “created” thing they are observing. The eye belongs to matter and the corporeal world and does not possess the capacity to see what is raised above it unless of course it is granted to it by the will of the One who sets all things into motion and raises the intellect in a higher way that can recognize Him and things beyond matter.

Whether Any Created Intellect by Its Natural Powers Can See the Divine Essence?

The created intellect knows and can identify matter with its given organs. However, to see beyond what matter is, such as the Divine Essence, as the angels see, is only possible by grace and not by nature alone. The created things that have their being in individual matter are subject to nature and can only be viewed according to nature and natural means, such as the sense of smell and sight. However, what is divine is of a different essence, and beyond matter, and is blind or invisible to the natural senses unless grace is infused to see or be made aware of more prominent realities through attainment of the divine intellect. Critically, there are two cognitive powers possessed in the soul; one, is the act of the corporeal organ that recognizes individual matter by nature, secondly, is the intellect which is not beholden to any corporeal organ and is the key to the Divine Essence by which we make God’s presence and divine things known to us such as angels, wicked spirits, and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Angelic being’s intellect, which is raised up on the divine within the measure of aeviternity, are predisposed to know these things by way of their intellect because by one movement they enter into knowing, salvation, condemnation, obedience, and disobedience because they were made eternal without suffering, hunger or mortality and of course their salvation or condemnation can be attained by one decision or movement as it was before the fall of man when the bad angels rebelled against their nature and became self-condemned and the good angels remained true to their nature and remained in grace. However, as it goes with created mankind, who can either attain salvation or condemnation by many successive movements as subject to time, where there is a beginning and an end, and salvation or condemnation can be reached by many movements and decisions. Our intellect is not completely raised up to the Divine Essence in this present life because we are subject to ignorance, hunger pains, death, and suffering. However, it does not mean that we cannot experience some of the Divine Essence in acceptable portions according to our likeness before the appointed time of our bodies to transition to sole spiritual forms.

Whether the Created Intellect Needs Any Created Light in Order to See the Essence of God?

The created intellect needs intelligible light that is grace and is from God to illuminate the understanding and wisdom of the knower so as to recognize the Divine Essence in things, other people, places, and within its own person. This illumination or light of glory is recognized in scripture as an understanding given to the person in a higher degree that is raised up to knowledge of the Living God and is beyond corporeal matter and the natural world which is recognized by the natural senses. In other words, a medium is used to know and see the essence of God, which is grace, but not in the way that the medium changes or alters His essence, but that it is needed to perceive the Divine Essence, as an intelligible factor attached to the human intellect enhancing its ability to know and understand – just as night vision goggles enhances the users perception and view of the woods in the dark of night. Finally, what is created is natural to the creature such as observance of ice and fire or wind and taste; however, the disposition of what is natural is to its form – for example; fire must be hot, and a spider must have many legs, but for the one who receives illuminating light and divine grace, that person is raised up to a likeness conforming to the form that is God which is divine.

Whether of Those Who See the Essence of God, One Sees More Perfectly Than Another?

Each and every soul shall shine in its glory according to its likeness – while some receive more splendor and majesty than another. If all of us were equal so as to see God for who He is, we would all be the same and equal in Heaven. However, this is not the case, because some are more beautified than others while some are closer to God in a higher degree and further away from God in a lower degree. Also, it so has it that there are multiple levels of heaven and hierarchies established closest and furthest to and from God based on love, as we see with the Seraphim. Because of the heart inflamed with charity and the willful urge to carry out good for others, even at the detriment of one’s own health, comfort, lifestyle, and well-being – this one becomes more closely aligned with the second Adam and the kind of human that is to inherit the earth once all is accomplished and is also the kind of worshiper the Lord seeks. In this way, one makes himself more receptive to what is about to be received and thus can receive it – ultimately resulting in a higher beautification (which is the attainment of the First Principle in Glory – true happiness and joy) than others who may have been less inclined to receive what was being given or is only capable of receiving a lesser portion of glory according to its likeness.

Whether Those Who See the Essence of God Comprehend Him?

No created creature or thing can comprehend God in His fullness. For if this were so, God would have competition, and He wouldn’t be God, or there would be many gods, and as we have addressed previously, this is impossible. However, some and others may comprehend a portion of Him in a higher or lesser way as He determines according to His will and whom He chooses to reveal Himself to. As for the great Fathers in the past have said in summary – “Knowing a portion of Him is great gain.” For any created intellect cannot grasp His fullness, not even angelic beings – for He is infinitely knowable, but impossible to know infinitely, for it is beyond the capability of any created thing to comprehend such a thing. It is also said that the blessed and people like the Apostles, who are closer to God than most in a higher degree or better way, attain three attributes aligned to the soul and God – they are: hope, faith, and charity. Through these three attributes aligned with God, they are held closer to Him in a better way, thus fulfilling the object of their desire in God through these attributes, just as a hearty meal fills the desire of a hungry belly and completes it, or when a long-lost loved one is reunited with his or her family member, thus fulfilling the longing of love and familial companionship in the heart that was already desired.

Whether Those Who See the Essence of God See All in God?

Those who see the Essence of God are much better off in more ways than one for those who do not see the Divine Essence of God. However, it so has it they do not know all things, because in order to know all things in God, one must fully comprehend Him perfectly, and this does not belong to any creature or created thing, but God alone who can comprehend Himself, knows Himself, and is infinitely in Himself. Even the angels do not know all things, even though it may appear this way according to a human being’s mode of knowing in comparison. With that in mind, keep note that it's not the full attainment of glory and beatitude for humans to know all things through God, but to know God in the best way according to our likeness and the illuminating light of grace. Additionally, knowing God and comprehending God in anyway more so than another is great gain – even knowledge wise being tapped into the divine superhighway of information and knowing, almost like the internet and supercomputers, however, this isn’t the purpose of knowing God (to attain supernatural knowledge), but to know God in fullness as to complete what we were made for and that is to glorify our Creator and be made whole in that alone. Finally, it is impossible that any created thing could see all in God, for no created thing can comprehend His infinity and know infinite things like Him. If such a thing were given freely, it would probably be abused or used as a means for detestable sorted gain and profit, as we see with the occult using knowledge of curses and demonic rites to oppress and extract sorted gain for their clients and their targeted enemies.

Whether What Is Seen in God by Those Who See the Divine Essence, Is Seen through Any Similitude?

The Divine Essence of God that is united to the intellect of the person who sees God actually sees the Essence of God even if it is by way of a likeness or an image. Why? Because any likeness or image is pre-existent in God and is what God may choose to present His essence through. Not that the thing or creature in its likeness being seen is God in itself – independent; in a general example, like a bear or a deer roaming through the woods past an observer, but God using the image to convey His essence in a way the one who sees can understand and comprehend. Not that the deer or the bear is God, but that the Divine Essence of God is using the animals according to His will for the purpose of the message or vision to the one who is observing. These principles also apply to sacred images in paintings, pictures, and sacred displays conveying the Essence of God by way of a similitude the observer can associate to the material principle as he knows them and can identify knowable concepts and ideas through the corporeal organs. These possibilities are given to the human to identify perception through sight, smell, taste, and human feeling/sensations conveyed by the brain and central nervous system - such as seeing a Holy image and receiving a tingling down the spine accompanied by goosebumps, or the hairs on the skin rising at the presence of something the intellect (which is the soul) can identify.

Whether Those Who See the Essence of God See All They See in It at the Same Time?

Knowing and understanding what the Essence of God is demonstrating is a simultaneous act or movement, not many successive ones. For example: say one is pondering a life decision to pursue a career, but first must attend an accredited university in order to receive licensure for the career one wants to partake in. From there, one must figure out how to pay for that education, so this person decides to get a job in order to save up for such a pursuit. This would be an example of many successive movements to the goal of attaining a specific career and is directly opposed to the “simultaneous” or instant” in the way the Divine Essence of God who demonstrates or conveys knowledge and understanding to us. In another example, the simultaneous of knowing something with a singular word could be described in this way: the word “justice” may suggest the following: law courts, prosecutors, lawyers, judges, discovery of evidence, courtroom guards, weapons, paperwork, cameras, security, sorrow, joy, microphones, artwork, and authority of a government, even a certain way people in court may dress such as suits, ties, and leather shoes. With the single word, “justice,” one can determine and distinguish many things and avenues of knowing, and in the same way, the Essence of God conveys understanding and knowledge in one simultaneous movement, not many successive ones as the prior example demonstrates.

Whether Anyone in This Life Can See the Essence of God?

The true Divine Essence that is God cannot be seen in this life, for if this were so, no man could live any longer in his mortal body, as confirmed in the scriptures with Moses. For what we recognize as Divine Essence is given by way of “similitude,” or in other words, images or effects that our minds can perceive, process, understand, and learn from to use for edification of other people who know God to a lesser degree. Some varying opinions on this have inferred that to see the Divine Essence, or Him for Who He Is, the outpouring of love shall “make the heart explode” or His comprehension is not fitted for our mortal flesh, thus its power shall destroy it. However, in more simpler terms, it is so that we are composite bodies consisting of corporeal matter with a soul which is our intellect given to us as a gift which is also the image of the Living God to know Him through His effects in the world and to seek Him. Corporeal matter can only know and see matter that is natural to it by its forms. Also, the Divine Essence cannot be known through material things in the way the spirit knows it, which is the most accurate and truthful depiction. However, if one were to draw closer to spiritual things, this person would have to neglect corporeal things in matter, and in this way, this person would be more capable of perceiving and understanding abstract intelligent things that only the spirit can discern such as dreams, divine revelations, presence of spirits, and foresight.

Whether God Can Be Known in This Life by Natural Reason?

The knowledge of God’s Essence is by grace, which is a higher truth, and is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The knowledge of God by natural reason belongs both to the bad and good person, even the one without faith or grace, because both the good and bad can know many truths even in a lesser way as compared to something that knows a truth in a higher way - nonetheless, both know the truth, even if the good and bad have a differing knowledge of it by degree of understanding. When the bad says “I don’t know Him” or “there is no proof of His existence,” it's not that this person cannot understand the truth by natural reason, for it has been made known to them, it is because this person rejects the truth, or refuses to acknowledge it through internal bias and rejection of what was meant for that person, or further influence from the demons who encourage wickedness and denial in mankind. With all of this said, it is still manifest to everyone by natural reason the existence of God, because God’s effects and images are clearly seen in the world for all to observe - both the bad and the good, both the believing and unbelieving, both the accepting and those in denial. If this wasn’t so, nobody could ever come to “conversion,” because such possibility would not be possible for the thoughts of a person or ways he or she accepted a way of life to change and move onto something better, which is God and the truth. Additionally, we see that there is the knowledge of God to a lesser degree in remote parts of the world throughout history and present times who did not have the gospel or the law preached to them, but they clearly knew a God existed regardless, which is evident through their culture, traditions, and belief system. All of these fall within the sphere of the observable universe and can be detected by the senses, for our natural knowledge can only take us far as the senses go, and as it goes, the senses can detect spiritual things and know God even if they cannot see Him, hear Him, smell Him, or touch Him in the way we experience corporeal things around us, but know Him by His effects in our surroundings, ourselves, and through others in more ways than one. This is knowing God to a lesser degree which is limited by our corporeal bodies of the flesh. Once we become spirit, and our soul leaves our body, then we shall know Him in a more accurate and better way beyond sense, which is a higher degree of truth and knowing than the corporeal flesh can provide by way of sense.

Whether by Grace a Higher Knowledge of God Can Be Obtained Than by Natural Reason?

Even though the revelation of grace which brings one to God in a higher degree does not reveal the full scope of “knowing” God for who He truly is in its fullness, without any further knowing to be added to it, it still increases our relationship and knowledge of His presence and effects in the world which are observable to all, both unbelieving and believing, but perceived in different ways, some more accurately and others less accurately (for those who do not attribute the proper effects to God that come from Him in the world around us) and those who only recognize something of Him by way of natural reason void of the illuminating light of supernatural grace. Nonetheless, it is by grace that we attain the higher knowledge of the Living God, and shall receive divine revelation, and spiritual things the corporeal flesh alone cannot decipher, for example - coming to the knowledge and acceptance in the heart that God is Three in One, and that God is One in Three. In the same way, knowing in the heart that the Five wounds of Christ are Seven, and the Seven wounds of Christ are Five. Not everyone might see this though, because of the layers or veils obstructing the objective of knowing something for what it is. By way of visions both private and prophetic as from scripture, the illuminating light of grace puts objects, places, and people into a sensible vision that can accurately describe what the Lord is conveying for the purpose of edifying others. For example, if one were to keep out light from entering into a room, that person may put up a blind. In addition, add a curtain as well. From there, there shall be no light of knowledge of divine knowing, or there may be a dimmer version of the light penetrating into the room. With supernatural divine grace that brings us to God in a higher degree of knowing, this illuminating light pierces the curtain and the blind, and still continues to light up the room in its brilliant radiance. If you were to be in that room, it would be impossible for you not to see what is around you and observe the light which engulfs your very being. Additionally, the light may illuminate a picture on your wall, so you may see it more clearly for what it is, even though you knew what it was earlier when there was no light, but you had a different perception of it. In the same way, the perceiving between natural reason and grace interact with our intellectual ability, which is part of our soul that was given to us by God to know Him, and is not attributed to any corporeal organ of the flesh - and is what separates us from rational beings who are made in the image of the First and Last Cause as compared to irrational animals who roam the earth for food, devour one another, and become food for us in kind. Finally, it can be said that “faith” is knowledge in itself without a vision from the person experiencing it, but its source coming from God alone who gives one faith to know Him more deeply and accurately in league with the intellect which alone is supernatural and unlike anything in comparison to it that is known to man in any creature or unintelligible body or form.

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.

Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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