Category: Theology 101
Revelation & Inspiration
Necessity
The reason for using terms connoting an uncovering and a removal from hiding with respect to the knowledge of God is due to the fact that man cannot attain to the knowledge of God by his own efforts. Man is finite and sinful, and therefore incapable of ascending to the One who is infinite and holy. God remains covered or hidden to the eyes of man until or unless He condescends to make Himself known to man. Man lacks the ability to remove the covering, or perceive the invisible God, therefore it is necessary for God to reveal Himself if man is to know about Him.
This doctrine flies in the face of the way most Americans think about God. As a culture, we are pretty sure we understand God. Movies like Bruce Almighty, for example, convey a powerful, yet less than omnipotent, deity who is giving his best effort to help everyone fulfill their dreams. (And he has to do it without imposing himself on anyone.) The mind of man creates a god in his own image and he becomes the greatest of all super heroes or the cosmic vending machine. Sin, judgment, wrath, condemnation, hard and fast rules, etc., are all out of order; they're unbecoming a god of love and tolerance.
However, there is no proof that such a (demi-) god exists. It's just our imagination. However, the created order and the Scripture reveal the one, true, living God, and we should be grateful that He has chosen to make Himself known. Otherwise we would unable to see Him, not because He is really hidden, but because we are born blind.