No One Has Seen God.

 If no one has seen God, then how do we explain Christophanes in the OT? In place like Judges 13:22 where Manoah states that he and his wife have seen God, or in Genesis 32:30 where Jacob after wrestling with God, saying that he has seen God face to face. Yet in John 1:18 it tells us that no one has seen God, but Jesus has made Him known. Does this mean that He's been seen? Even though Moses saw Him in Exodus 33:20, God said that Moses could not see His face. In John 6:46 is says that the only one to see the Father is the one who is from the Father. Yet in John 14:9ff Jesus says, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father...I am in the Father and the Father is in me." Is this a different manner of being 'seen?' Doesn't Christ make God known before the incarnation? Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), and He has been seen, making the Father known, but we cannot see His face? Hebrews 1:3 says, "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature..." Is there a difference in seeing the Father through the Son and actually seeing the Father?

We know that the Father is seen in Jesus, but what about verses like 1 Timothy 6:16, speaking of God, "...who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." Or Hebrews 11:27 & 1 Timothy 1:17 that speak of God as invisible, or 1 John 4:12 that says, "No one has ever seen God..." God is Spirit right? Is not being able to see God solely due to Him being an invisible Spirit? 

We can't see the fullness of God the Father, no one has nor could withstand being in His holy presence. Jesus is the only one who could with stand the holiness of God, because He is God and He is the image of God. While I don't have the answers to this I am beginning to think that we often  make God out to be less holy, less righteous, and less awesome than He really is. And in this process we elevate ourselves thinking of ourselves as though we were like the most high. Pride is indicative of not only the world, but the church as well. Christ has made God known and has given us access to the Father, let us not trample that privilege, yet hold to the good confession of faith, knowing most humbly who we are, and humbly grow in our knowing of God. 

I haven't been able to spend much time refining the questions above, nor have I been able to come up with a good answer to them. The questions were raised by someone else and I feel like my answer to them was inadequate. So, if you have the time or energy please give some constructive criticism. I have given a more complete answer to the one who as inquired, but I refrain from giving all that I have come up with to see what others think. Please be kind, I set this out in a humble and fearful manner.