What is the correct interpretation of the Almighty's saying: (Everything will perish except His Face) and what is the extent of validity of the Ash'arites' interpretation of it as His Essence?

Scholars interpret the verse "Everything will perish except His Face" in two ways: The first is that the Face is an attribute of Allah, and the second is that the meaning is "except what is intended for the sake of Allah's Face." Both interpretations do not contradict each other, as they can be held together. Everything perishes except the Essence of Allah, and every deed vanishes except what is done sincerely for His Face. Ibn Kathir affirms that the verse establishes a Face for Allah, and that seeing Allah's Face is the greatest bliss in the afterlife. He substantiated this with verses and hadiths that prove this attribute. The attribute of "Face" is firmly established for Allah Almighty by the Qur'an and Sunnah; it is an essential, خبرية (narrative) attribute that does not resemble the faces of creation.