Exodus 24:9-10

"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the very heaven for clearness."

Note the marvelous unity and clearness of this passage. This is impossible of consideration as being derived from some "other source," because identically the same persons are again mentioned, and the word "then" indicates that immediately after the establishment of the covenant by the blood sprinkling, these representatives were granted a special theophany to celebrate and to stress the epic importance of what had just occurred.

Who were the seventy? It is not surely known. Perhaps they were men selected by Moses, some six men from each of the twelve tribes, as representatives of all Israel.

"And they saw the God of Israel ..." Due to the teaching of many other passages in the Bible, it must be received as certain that they did not see God "face to face" in all of his eternal glory (See Deuteronomy 4:15; 1 John 4:12; and 1 Timothy 3:16). However, they did behold a very wonderful display of God's excellent presence, sufficiently miraculous to inspire them with the knowledge that it truly was God Himself who had given them the covenant and sealed it with blood. The fact of this "seeing God" being mentioned before the sacrificial meal may not mean that the chronological sequence of the vision is strictly followed here. It may have occurred during the meal, being mentioned first because of its importance. It will be remembered that when Jesus shared that evening meal with the two disciples whom he had encountered on the way to Emmaus, that he was made known unto them "in the breaking of bread" (Luke 24:30). Again, we have light from the N.T. on the O.T. Thus, that event also fails to qualify as "another covenant ceremony," but as a celebration of the New Covenant already sealed with the blood of Christ! Therefore, we must conclude with Fields that, "3-8 are the ratification of the covenant, followed by a glorious experience of fellowship with God upon the mount."[17]

Deuteronomy 4:15 states categorically that the seventy and others on the mountain did not actually see any "form" whatever; thus what they did see was a special display of God's glory. Significantly, the things mentioned as being seen by them included that remarkable sapphire pavement, described also as "clear," reminding us of the "crystal sea" that lay beneath the throne of God, as described in Revelation 4. The Septuagint (LXX) here states that "they saw the place where God stood," and although we do not believe they had any right to change the text as they did, we can find no fault with their interpretation of what it means!