In Exodus 33:14, God promises Moses that he would be present with him as he led Israel through their wilderness wanderings. Therefore, it is clear that God is also present to each person individually (Acts 17:27–28), but he is present in a special way with his people. He simultaneously fills the house and the entire creation. While present in the house, God cannot be confined to only the house. Thus we read in 1 Kings 8:27, “But will God indeed dwell on earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you how much less this house that I built. There is no place in creation that can restrict his presence to one finite location. Scripture also teaches that God is not confined by spatial limitations. The Scriptures clearly affirm that God is present both in heaven and on earth, in a word-everywhere. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD?” (Jer 23:23–24). Hebrews 4:13 reminds us that God sees us always and we are naked and exposed before him “to whom we must give an account.” Similarly, through the prophet Jeremiah, God asks, “Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Though people try to escape from God’s presence, such as Adam and Eve (Gen 3:8) and Jonah (Jonah 1:3), this is ultimately impossible. The Psalmist writes, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” King David’s point is that, no matter where he goes or how hard he tries to run away, he cannot escape from the presence of God. In Psalm 139:7–10, we learn that God is present in heaven and earth. The Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testaments leave no doubt that God is omnipresent. Laying the biblical and theological foundation for God’s omnipresence allows us to conclude by discussing several modern approaches to the doctrine of God’s omnipresence that depart from orthodox Christian teaching, with the goal that we will be better equipped to positively articulate and explain the doctrine of God’s omnipresence. Next, a theological explanation of God’s omnipresence, focusing on (though not exclusively) the Reformed tradition.
To begin, we will explore the biblical teaching of God’s omnipresence. Nevertheless, the rich and profound truth that God is everywhere present is the focus of this essay. In order to rightly understand the nature of God, a proper balance between the two must be maintained. If God is only transcendent, then we fall into the error of deism, which claims that God is far removed from and limited by his creation. Though God’s transcendence will remain in the background of our discussion, if it is separated from our investigation of his omnipresence, then we will fall into the error of pantheism, which claims that God is part of his creation. However, we will see that a proper view this doctrine of God’s omnipresence entails his transcendence as well. The purpose of this essay is to present the biblical teaching of God’s omnipresence. This grand truth cannot be fully explained and we must avoid speculation as we investigate our omnipresent God. As one of the most awe inspiring doctrines of the Christian faith, when we approach the doctrine of God’s omnipresence, we find we are standing on holy ground and must move forward carefully as the brightest among us quickly realizes that God cannot be fully grasped by any finite mind. This concept is commonly called the doctrine of God’s omnipresence. Scripture is declaring that God is infinite in that he is not confined to space. Acts 17:28 even says that “in him we live and move and have our being.” These verses make clear that God is present throughout heaven and earth, yet he cannot be contained by heaven and earth.
The Holy Scriptures proclaim that heaven and earth cannot contain God (1 Kings 8:27), but he also fills heaven and earth with his presence (Jer 23:23–24).
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