General and natural revelations are often used interchangeably since they are very similar. But there is sometimes an emphasis that differentiates them. General revelation includes learning about God from the universe as well as our internal awareness. Natural revelation focuses mainly on externally derived knowledge of God by observing the universe but excludes inner awareness of God.
General Revelation
General revelation refers to the idea that God reveals Himself in ways accessible to everyone through creation and inner revelation. It is regardless of location, culture, or time in history. It can be a means of deriving a few characteristics of God by observing the order of creation. God’s self-revelation includes our awareness of morality and universal truth within all people. Therefore people can learn general ideas about God by looking to creation and sensing His morality within us (The Law written on our hearts). However, it is insufficient to understand His nature (Trinity), His work in the world (Providence and Incarnation), His intentions for us (Sanctification and Judgment), etc.
Natural Revelation
Natural revelation, though very similar to general revelation, is sometimes considered a subset of general revelation. However, it focuses more on God’s self-revelation is restricted to observing the created order. It does include the ideal of the internal revelation of people’s sense of morality. It emphasizes the idea that the creation itself is a reflection of the Creator’s nature and that patterns and design in nature point to an intelligent designer who has great wisdom, understanding, and power. As said above, it excludes the inner aspect of God’s presence.
Problems with General and Natural Revelation
Both general and natural revelation are insufficient to learn about God’s nature, purpose, and moral requirements for us. They fail to recognize God’s self-revelation in Scripture (the Bible) and the incarnation of Christ Jesus. Furthermore, they cannot discern the covenant aspect of God’s work, salvation, damnation, and how sin affects the world and our relationship with God. This is why we have the Bible.
