According to Maimonides, Moses’ prophecy was direct to his intellect, but all other prophets use their imagination and see visions. In the Zohar, the two elements of the mind, the intellect and imagination are referred to as the Glass that Enlightens, and the Glass that does not enlighten. The intellect comprehends things that are beyond the imagination.
The “reavealed colors” are figments of the imagination seen with the lends that doesnt light up. In other words, other prophets see visions with the imagination, which is Malchut of the intellect, and deriver from that true advice about what to do, which is vav-ketzavot, the six directions of the intellect. Although the six directions are often called "zer anpin" really z'er anpin only refers to the six directions of yetzira, and those above in briya are called "arich anpin." as per the Idra Raba in Naso.
וַאֲבָהָן הֲווֹ חָמָאן מִגּוֹ אִלֵּין גַּוְונִין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין, אִינּוּן סְתִימִין, דְּקַיְימֵי עָלַיְיהוּ דְּאִינּוּן דְּלָא נָהֲרִין, should be translated: The forefathers would see through those revealed colors, the colors that are hidden that are above those revealed colors that don't light up.
28. וְעַל דָּא קָרֵינָן, מֹשֶׁה זָכָה בְּאַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא דְּקַיְּימָא עַל הַהוּא דְּלָא נַהֲרָא. שְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, בְּהַהוּא אַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא. וַאֲבָהָן הֲווֹ חָמָאן מִגּוֹ אִלֵּין גַּוְונִין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין, אִינּוּן סְתִימִין, דְּקַיְימֵי עָלַיְיהוּ דְּאִינּוּן דְּלָא נָהֲרִין, וע"ד כְּתִיב, וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי, בְּאִינּוּן גַּוְונִין דְּאִתְחַזְּיָין.
28. And of this we learned that Moses merited the illuminating mirror, THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, AS MENTIONED, that are placed over AND ILLUMINATE the MIRROR THAT does not illuminate. Other people WERE WORTHY of the mirror, which does not illuminate ONLY, WHICH IS MALCHUT. But the patriarchs saw from within these three colors that appear IN MALCHUT those hidden THREE COLORS that are situated over them AND SHINE ON THEM, WHICH ARE THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, which THREE VISIBLE IN MALCHUT do not shine. SO WE CONCLUDE THAT ALSO THE PATRIARCHS CONCEIVED CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, THOUGH NOT FROM THEIR PLACE IN ZEIR ANPIN, BUT ONLY FROM CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET THAT ARE RECEIVED IN MALCHUT AND APPEAR THERE. Therefore it is written, "And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of El Shadai", that is, by the THREE colors that are visible IN MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED EL SHADAI.
29. וּשְׁמִי יְיָ' לֹֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם, אִלֵּין גַּוְונִין עִלָּאִין סְתִימִין דְּזָהֲרִין, דְּזָכָה בְּהוּ מֹשֶׁה לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוֹן. וְרָזָא דָּא, דְּעֵינָא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. סָתִים, חָמֵי אַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא, אִתְגַּלְּיָיא, חָמֵי אַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּלָא נַהֲרָא. וְעַל דָּא, וָאֵרָא, בְּאַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא, דְּאִיהוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא, בֵּיהּ כְּתִיב רְאִיָּה. בְּאַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא דְּאִיהוּ בִּסְתִימוּ, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ יְדִיעָה, דִּכְתִּיב לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי. אָתוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וְנָשְׁקוּ יְדוֹי. בָּכָה רִבִּי אַבָּא, וְאָמַר, וַוי כַּד תִּסְתַּלַּק מֵעָלְמָא, וְיִשְׁתְּאַר עָלְמָא יָתוֹם מִינָךְ, מַאן יָכִיל לְאַנְהָרָא מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
29. "But by My name, Hashem, I was not known to them": These are the supernal colors that are hidden yet illuminate, THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED YUD HEI VAV HEI that Moses merited to observe. And this is the secret reason why the eye is SOMETIMES closed and SOMETIMES, IF IT IS OPEN, IS visible. IF IT IS closed, it sees the illuminating mirror, WHICH IS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, AND IF IT IS open, it sees the mirror that does not illuminate, WHICH IS MALCHUT, AS MENTIONED. Therefore, THE VERSE SAYS, "And I appeared" in the mirror that does not illuminate, which is revealed, AS THE THREE COLORS ARE VISIBLE IN IT. Sight is mentioned in relation to it. BUT in relation to the illuminating mirror, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, which is concealed, THAT IS, SIGHT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO IT, knowledge is mentioned, as it is written, "BUT BY MY NAME, HASHEM, I was not known." AND IT DOES NOT SAY 'I DID NOT APPEAR,' SINCE SIGHT APPLIES ONLY TO MALCHUT. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba approached and kissed the hands OF RABBI SHIMON. Rabbi Aba wept and said, Woe, when you are gone from the world and the world will remain orphaned from you. Who will be able to illuminate THEN the words of Torah?
באל שדי: אתחזינא להו, מגו אספקלריא דלא נהרא. ולא אתחזינא מגו אספקלריא דנהרא. ואי תימא דהא אשתמשו בנוקבא בלחוד ולא יתיר. תא חזי, דלא אתפרשן לעלמין, הה"ד וגם הקימותי את בריתי אתם, דהא ברית אתחבר עמה.
.75. "By the name of El Shadai" means I appeared to them from within the mirror that does not illuminate, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED EL SHADAI, but did not appear through the illuminating mirror, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED YUD HEI VAV HEI. And if you say THE PATRIARCHS united with the Nukva only, NAMELY MALCHUT, and not more, come and see that ZEIR ANPIN never separated FROM THE NUKVA IN RELATION TO THE PATRIARCHS. This is the meaning of, "And I have also established my covenant with them" (Shemot 6:4), because the covenant THAT IS THE YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN joined with MALCHUT..
21. Rabbi Shimon was sitting one day with his son Rabbi Elazar, and Rabbi Aba. Rabbi Elazar said, in the passage, "And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob..." (Shemot 6:3), why is "And I appeared" stated? It should state, 'And I spoke.' RABBI SHIMON said to him, Elazar my son, this is a very high secret.
תא חזי, אית גוונין דמתחזיין, ואית גוונין דלא מתחזיין. ואלין ואלין, אינון רזא עלאה דמהימנותא, ובני נשא לא ידעין ליה, ולא מסתכלין ביה. ואלין דמתחזיין, לא זכה בהו בר נש, עד דאתו אבהן, וקיימו עלייהו. ועל דא כתיב וארא, דחמו אינון גוונין דאתגליין.
22. Come and see, There are visible colors and invisible colors. And both are a high secret of the Faith, but people neither know it nor observe it. No one was worthy of the visible COLORS until the patriarchs came and understood them, THAT IS, CONCEIVED THEM. Of this it is written, "And I appeared," since they saw the visible colors.
23. And which colors appeared? They are of El Shadai, WHICH IS MALCHUT, which are the reflection of the supernal colors, WHICH ARE IN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. These are THE visible COLORS, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY CONTAIN CHOCHMAH. And the colors above, IN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, which are concealed since they are invisible, WHICH MEANS THEY DO NOT CONTAIN CHOCHMAH BUT ONLY THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, no person understood them TO PERCEIVE THEM THERE, IN ZEIR ANPIN, except for Moses. Of this it is written, "But by My name, Hashem, I was not known to them" (Ibid.), WHICH MEANS I did not appear to them in the superior colors IN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED YUD HEI VAV HEI. And if you claim that the patriarchs did not know THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN; THIS IS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE, FOR THE PATRIARCHS ARE A CHARIOT TO CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. But rather, they knew it from those colors that were visible IN MALCHUT.
24. It is written, "And they who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and they who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). HE ASKS, In "And they who are wise shall shine," who are the wise ones. HE ANSWERS, This refers to the wise one who will perceive on his own LOFTY things that people cannot utter by mouth BECAUSE OF THEIR GREAT HEIGHT. And these are called "wise ones." "Shall shine like the brightness of the firmament": HE ASKS, What is the firmament? HE ANSWERS, This is the firmament of Moses, which is situated in the center, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT INCLUDES THE TWO COLUMNS AS WELL, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT. And its brightness is concealed and not revealed IN CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED BRIGHTNESS, THOUGH ITS LIGHT IS GREAT. By means of its color THAT INCLUDES ALL THREE COLORS, it is situated over and shines on the firmament that does not illuminate, WHICH IS MALCHUT, in which the colors are visible, WHICH MEANS IT ILLUMINATES WITH CHOCHMAH WHICH IS CALLED SIGHT. And even though these colors are visible in it, they do not illuminate like the brightness of those of unrevealed colors, WHICH ARE THE COLORS OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED THE ILLUMINATING FIRMAMENT.
(בראשית א׳:ד׳) וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר. אֶת, לְאַכְלָלָא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא, עִם אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְנָהֲרָא, דְּאִתְּמָר בֵּיהּ כִּי טוֹב. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אֶת, לְאַכְלָלָא וּלְאַסְגָּאָה אִינוּן מַלְאָכִין, דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְּאוֹר דָּא, וְכוֹלְהוֹ נָהִירִין בְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים.
"And God saw the light, it was good;" (Gen. 1:4) in which the participle אֶת joins the opaque reflection [Malchut] with the shining reflection [Zeir Anpin] – this union is what was "good". Thus says Rabbi Elazar, "'אֶת' includes the angels who come from the side of light, and shine as brightly as the primal light."