How Does God Reveal Himself?

If God is real, why doesn't He reveal Himself to us in a way that should erase any doubt of His existence?

In reality, He has done this many times. Eyewitness accounts of human interaction with Him have been recorded and preserved for us in the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.. But does such documented testimony satisfy skeptics? It never has, and it never will.

If God accepted the challenge of always having to prove His existence, what would it take? Would it have been necessary for Him to personally appear to and perform miracles to every human being ever born? But even that might not be enough to satisfy everyone.

Instead, God long ago decided to provide solid evidence—in the form of His handiwork, human testimony and fulfilled prophecy—that He is the living, intelligent Creator of the universe. This evidence is compelling and powerful to those with an ear to hear and an eye to see. But everyone has a choice. He can face the evidence or scoff at it.

Does God hide Himself?

Let's briefly examine the record of the Creator God's revelations of Himself to mankind.

God walked and talked with Adam and Eve. During their close relationship with Him, He gave them specific instructions (Genesis 2:15-17 [15] And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of EdenThe land in which the Lord planted a garden for Adam to live in (Genesis 2:15). It was located at the branching of 4 rivers: the Euphrates, the Hiddekel (the Tigris), the Pishon, and the Gihon (Genesis 2:8-14). It was also the location of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (Genesis 2:16). to dress it and to keep it.
[16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
[17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

See All...; 3:2-3). Yet they chose to disobey and then attempted to hide themselves (Genesis 3:8-10 [8] And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
[9] And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
[10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

See All...).

Later God reasoned with their son CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1), he was a farmer, or tiller of the ground. He committed the first recorded murder when he killed his younger brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). After the murder of his brother, Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. about his unreasonable anger (Genesis 4:5-7 [5] But unto CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1), he was a farmer, or tiller of the ground. He committed the first recorded murder when he killed his younger brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). After the murder of his brother, Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. and to his offering he had not respect. And CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1), he was a farmer, or tiller of the ground. He committed the first recorded murder when he killed his younger brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). After the murder of his brother, Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
[6] And the LORD said unto CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1), he was a farmer, or tiller of the ground. He committed the first recorded murder when he killed his younger brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). After the murder of his brother, Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden., Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
[7] If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

See All...). CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1), he was a farmer, or tiller of the ground. He committed the first recorded murder when he killed his younger brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). After the murder of his brother, Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. rejected God's advice and murdered his brother. Instead of being truly sorry for his deed, CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1), he was a farmer, or tiller of the ground. He committed the first recorded murder when he killed his younger brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). After the murder of his brother, Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. "went out from the presence of the LORD" (verses 8-16).

God talked with faithful Noah (Genesis 6:13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
See All...). Noah was different from others to whom God appeared. He followed God's instructions (Genesis 7:5And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
See All...). The same was true of Abraham. God personally appeared to Abraham and had conversations with him on several occasions (Genesis 12:1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
See All..., 7; 13:14; 17:1-3).

God's willingness to reveal Himself to Moses and the people of ancient Israel is especially important to understand. "So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
See All...). God attempted to establish a similarly direct relationship with the Israelites. Moses recorded what happened: "The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain . . . I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain" (Deuteronomy 5:4-5 [4] The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
[5] (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

See All...).

The Israelites begged for more distance. They didn't even want to hear God's voice (Exodus 20:18-19 [18] And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
[19] And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

See All...). They requested that in the future He reveal Himself to them only through His prophet.

From that time forward God honored that request. He revealed Himself to ancient Israel through His prophets. He sent them to warn His people and encourage them to be faithful to Him. But their messages went un-heeded. The people cruelly martyred many of those prophets.

God allows man to choose

It was not God's idea to remove Himself and be seemingly unapproachable. It was mankind's choice. Beginning with Adam and Eve, God gave humankind freedom of choice. He allows us to choose whether we will believe in Him, accept the knowledge He reveals and obey Him—or not.

God didn't force Adam and Eve to follow His instructions. They freely chose not to. Humanity has felt the repercussions of that fateful decision ever since.

Neither did God force ancient Israel to obey Him. He clearly offered the Israelites a choice: "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses," He told them. "Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
See All..., NIV).

With their own ears they had heard God at Mount Sinai. They had witnessed miracle after miracle in their trek out of Egypt. Yet the Israelites quickly forgot that evidence and chose to disregard the way of life and blessings God offered (see also Deuteronomy 31:27For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
See All...).

Mankind has consistently chosen to turn away from God's revelation, preferring the way that ultimately leads to curses and death (Proverbs 14:12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
See All...; 16:25). Nothing has changed today. We are faced with the same two choices: Believe God and obey His laws, or disbelieve and disobey.

Most people like to think they are open-minded, that they wouldn't be antagonistic or prejudiced against the truth. Yet some of the same people who knew of Christ's miracles later shouted for His blood. Jesus pointed out that some were so hardened toward God that they wouldn't accept Him and His ways even if someone were raised from the dead (Luke 16:31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
See All...).

Human nature hasn't changed. The same bias and prejudice remain just as deeply entrenched in our modern era. It's not a pretty thought to consider that a significant part of humanity willingly hardens its thinking against God, yet it happens (2 Peter 3:5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
See All...). For the natural human way of thinking is fundamentally hostile to-ward God (Romans 8:7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
See All...). So people look for ways to dismiss Him from their lives. For some, particularly intellectuals, this takes the form of reasoning around clear evidence for His existence (Romans 1:18-22 [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
[21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
[21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

See All...). The heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
See All...) and convinces the mind of falsehood.

Has God ever provided human beings with absolute, indisputable proof of His existence? Will He ever provide such proof in the future? The answer to both questions is an emphatic yes.

When God brought ancient Israel out of Egypt, He performed many awesome miracles that demonstrated His existence, power and control over the laws of nature. "Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD'" (Exodus 10:1-2 [1] And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
[2] And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.

See All...).

They had their proof, but it quickly faded from their memory. "They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the molded image . . . They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things . . ." (Psalm 106:19-22 [19] They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
[20] Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
[21] They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
[22] Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

See All...).

Later God gave them proof that He was God through the words of His prophets. Fulfilled prophecy powerfully demonstrates the reality of God. He proclaimed, "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done" (Isaiah 46:9-10 [9] Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
[10] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

See All...). Only God can accurately foretell the future and bring it to pass.

BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. prophecy is one proof of God that can be easily verified. Although it is beyond the scope of this publication to explain the many precisely fulfilled prophecies, some examples are readily available to you in our booklet Is the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. True?

More absolute proof on the way

God has promised that the time is coming—at a time most people don't expect—when the whole world will witness the same type of miraculous evidence of His existence that He displayed in ancient Egypt.

This coming intervention in world affairs will be unmistakable. You can read about how God plans to reveal His great power and glory in our booklets You Can Understand BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. ProphecyA prediction of events to come. "A discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp[ecially] by foretelling future events" (Revised Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, "Propheteia"). and Are We Living in the Time of the End?