So would you say the image of God was what Jesus always was before he was born of Mary? I'm thinking of these two verses about his glory, or lack of it, when he was on earth:Moses asked to see God's glory as expressed in His face or countenance, not to see His body orface apart from His glory. That Moses did see God's literal face is clearly stated in verse 11, where it says, "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend, and that he and all Israel had seen Gods glory in a limited sense is clear from Exodus 16:10, " And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud," and 24:17, " And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." So the request was for something he had not yet fully seen. Many others have also seen Gods face and spirit body apart from His Glory.
John 17:5
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 17:24
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.