Can people actually see Jesus today?

by Matt Slick | Oct 12, 2023 | Jesus, Questions

Can people actually see Jesus today? Though I don’t find anything in the Bible that says it will happen, I also don’t find anything that says it can’t. In my opinion, I believe it is possible. Now, when I say it’s possible, that doesn’t mean it happens all the time or that it is true whenever someone says he has seen Jesus. We must examine everything closely (1 Thess. 5:21). Alight, but if it is possible to see Him, then how? Would it be in a literal physical manifestation or in visions and dreams?

Since Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9), He can appear to people, whether physically, in dreams, visions, impressions in the heart, or with an audible voice. There are countless stories of people all over the world having various encounters with Him.

In my own testimony of my conversion at the age of 17, I had an incredibly profound experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit upon me, where my sin was exposed, and I was reduced to a sobbing mass of repentance. I remember it well. But I also remember that the Lord Jesus ‘was there.’ I could see Him or touch Him. But, I remember His presence, His attention, and being both immensely intimidated as well as profoundly hopeful. And all I can say is that He moved into me, and I had the physical sensation of my sins leaving. I don’t use such experiences as the basis for truth, but nothing in Scripture that I’m aware of says such an experience can’t happen. (If you want to read a more detailed account of that encounter, please see the article https://carm.org/carm/matt-slicks-testimony.)

Visions and dreams

Since the Bible is the final authority in everything it addresses, what does it say about this?

Acts 2:17, “‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;”
Acts 9:3–5, “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
1 Cor. 9:1, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?”

So we can see that Scripture tells us that in the last days, people will see visions and dreams (Acts 2:17). Paul the apostle heard the voice of the Lord Jesus audibly (Acts 9: 3-5), and he said that he saw the risen Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 9:1). So, biblically there is a precedent that allows people to see and hear the Lord Jesus.

Muslims converting to Christ.

I know someone who was raised in a Muslim country and speaks Arabic as well as English. He is a strong Christian and online goes by the name ‘Christian Prince.’ He worked for the United States government as an interpreter of the Arabic language and the Arabic culture. He told me that one of his jobs was to listen to Al Jazeera. On two different occasions that Arabic news outlet said that Muslims were having visions and dreams of Jesus and converting to Christianity. This is not proof of anything, but it is consistent with Acts 2:17. Also, news accounts confirm that Muslims are encountering Jesus.

In another story, I once knew a gentleman who did missionary work in Mexico to people in prisons. He once was deeply involved in Hollywood, not on-screen but behind it. He was very successful, had a lot of influence, and was very well-off. We sat together in his vehicle as he told me the story of how it all came tumbling down. He mentioned how someone broke the law, and he was blamed for it. He lost his wife and his job and faced prison time. He told me that he had a gun to his head, ready to pull the trigger, when he heard an audible voice in the room – just as clear and as loud as if someone was standing there speaking. He said he heard, “Don’t. I love you.”

He was shocked and did not kill himself because of it. He ended up going to jail for two years and was finally released when a judge reviewed the case and freed him. This man received Christ in prison and, once he got out, went to the lowest of people to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We went to Mexican prisons on many occasions.

Can people see Jesus today?

So, we have Scripture that supports the idea that Christ can be encountered today, stories about Muslims having visions and dreams of Jesus, and a single anecdote (I know there are many more out there) where someone heard an audible voice of the Lord. The experiences confirm what Scripture teaches, and from God’s word, I conclude that it is possible for people actually to see Jesus today. Praise God.