God exercises sovereignty over both physical sight and spiritual understanding, and He closes eyes as He works out His purpose. He struck the Sodomites with blindness at Lot's door, blinded the Syrian army at Elisha's request, blinded Elymas at Paul's word, and struck Paul himself blind on the road to Damascus. Exodus 4:11 makes plain that the LORD makes the seeing and the blind. Blindness may result from sin, but at other times God wills it for another purpose. For disobedience, He promises madness, blindness, and confusion of heart (Deuteronomy 28:28-29), a curse that leaves people unable to discern the cause of their troubles or to find the remedy of repentance. Jesus came so that those who see may be made blind (John 9:39), and John 12:37-40, citing Isaiah, says God blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of the Jews lest they turn and be healed. Paul teaches that Israel is blinded in part until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, because God is now working with the elect. Israel will later be restored to understanding. Scripture consistently shows the true God opening and closing eyes, never Satan, who deceives and distorts rather than blinds. So the "god of this age" in II Corinthians 4:4 is probably God, since Scripture never calls Satan a god, only a ruler. God's blinding is usually temporary, withholding full understanding, or it is a judgment. People may also close their own eyes to truth they dislike, and God then gives them the delusion they prefer (II Thessalonians 2:10-11).

God exercises sovereignty over both physical and metaphorical sight, determining when to open or close the eyes of His creation according to His will. He blinds as a form of judgment or out of mercy, ensuring that truth is revealed or hidden as He deems appropriate for His purpose. In His wisdom, He withholds understanding from some, as seen when He blinded and hardened the hearts of the Israelites due to their disobedience. He has concluded humanity in unbelief to show mercy to all, closing spiritual eyes of those He will work with in later ages. As the true God of this age, He restrains or grants sight, such as when He restrained the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus before opening them to comprehend the Scriptures. For those perishing, the gospel remains veiled, their minds blinded by Him, lest the light of Christ's glory should shine on them. He equips only the elect with the Spirit to grasp deeper truths, while others await their time for understanding. His act of closing eyes is not vindictive but purposeful, aligning with His plan to guide creation toward everlasting light.