Is God Omnipresent, Or Present Everywhere?
Many preachers, Bible scholars and common people believe that God is omnipresent, that is, present everywhere. According to this view, he’s in every place at all times. What does the Bible tell us?
EXAMINING CLAIMS OF OMNIPRESENCE
“Even if they dig their way into Sheol, my hand will take them from there. Even if they go up to heaven, I will bring them down from there. Even if they hide on top of Mount Carmel, I will look for them and take them from there. Even if they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command a sea snake to bite them” (Amos 9:2-3 GWT). These verse are often used to assert God’s being omnipresent. However, Amos is using figures of speech to illustrate the futility of thinking that anyone can escape from Almighty God’s judgment.
The Psalmist asks: “Yahweh . . . Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (Psalm 139:1,7-10 LSB). At first glance it appears that Yahweh is present everywhere. However, if we look at it closely we can see that is not the case. The psalmist asks, “Where can I go from Your Spirit?”. Yahweh’s spirit represents God’s presence.
Amos 9:2-3, Psalm 139:7-10 and Jeremiah 23:24 do not mean that Yahweh God is omnipresent, as many claim. These scriptures indicate that Yahweh God can “send” his “spirit” (Psalm 104:30 NRSV) anywhere, anytime, to do anything he wants done.
The thought of Psalm 139:7 is similar to Jeremiah 23:24, “‘Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?’ declares Yahweh. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares Yahweh” (LSB). Yahweh can see anywhere and everywhere by means of his holy Spirit.
BIBLICAL PROOF YAHWEH IS NOT OMNIPRESENT
“So He said, ‘Go forth and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.’ And behold, Yahweh was passing by! And a great and strong wind was tearing up the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. Then after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire” (1 Kings 19:11-12 LSB). These scriptures plainly state that Yahweh was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, even though he caused these to occur. From this we have clear proof from the scriptures that God is not omnipresent. Did Yahweh literally pass by in front of Elijah? No, he didn’t need to, as we will see in the next subtopic.
WHY YAHWEH DOES NOT NEED TO BE OMNIPRESENT
“Look down from your holy dwelling, from heaven” (Deuteronomy 26:15 CSB). God is referred to as existing in heaven, seeing everything from there, without the need to be omnipresent.
“Hear from heaven, your dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:43 NIV). God is referred to as existing in heaven, hearing everything from there, without the need to be omnipresent.
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV).
“Yahweh is in His holy temple; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold . . . the sons of men. Yahweh tests the righteous” (Psalm 11:4 LSB). In both of these scriptures, God is referred to as existing in heaven, seeing everything and being able to test and judge all people everywhere from there, without the need to be omnipresent.
“The eyes of Yahweh are in every place; watching the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3 LSB). Yahweh’s “eyes” are obviously not literally everywhere, but the metaphor helps us to understand that he sees everything from his location in heaven.
“Take away their breath, they perish and return to dust. Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104:29-30 NAB). God is so powerful that he can accomplish anything he wants to, any time he wants to, any where he wants to, by means of his spirit, without having to travel to various locations in person. In the case of the natural phenomena that Elijah experienced (above), Yahweh’s spirit represents him, and accomplishes Yahweh’s work.
One thought on “Is God Omnipresent, Or Present Everywhere?”
BA1: Is God omnipresent, or present everywhere?
GW1: As far as I know, there is no difference.
BA1: Many preachers, Bible scholars and common people believe that God is omnipresent, that is, present everywhere. According to this view, he’s in every place at all times. What does the Bible tell us?
GW1: I think at the most, if God did exist, he would be in every place not occupied by something else. An alternative interpretation, however, is that God would occupy one place, unknown, but would be observing or perceiving everywhere in the cosmos. So, he would be everywhere in his collection of information.
EXAMINING CLAIMS OF OMNIPRESENCE
BA1: “Even if they dig their way into Sheol, my hand will take them from there. Even if they go up to heaven, I will bring them down from there. Even if they hide on top of Mount Carmel, I will look for them and take them from there. Even if they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command a sea snake to bite them” (Amos 9:2-3 GWT). These verse are often used to assert God’s being omnipresent. However, Amos is using figures of speech to illustrate the futility of thinking that anyone can escape from Almighty God’s judgment.
GW1: I agree with your interpretation of these verses. But if you could not escape God, then he would be omnipresent in some sense, I think.
BA1: The Psalmist asks: “Yahweh . . . Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (Psalm 139:1,7-10 LSB). At first glance it appears that Yahweh is present everywhere. However, if we look at it closely we can see that is not the case. The psalmist asks, “Where can I go from Your Spirit?”. Yahweh’s spirit represents God’s presence.
GW1: The answer appears to be that he cannot go anywhere from God or his spirit.
BA1: Amos 9:2-3, Psalm 139:7-10 and Jeremiah 23:24 do not mean that Yahweh God is omnipresent, as many claim. These scripture indicate that Yahweh God can “send” his “spirit” (Psalm 104:30 NRSV) anywhere, anytime, to do anything he wants done.
GW1: I disagree. God would not send a spirit. He would be a spiritual being. He would consist of a spiritual substance, not energy-matter of which we consist.
BA1: The thought of Psalm 139:7 is similar to Jeremiah 23:24, “‘Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?’ declares Yahweh. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares Yahweh” (LSB). Yahweh can see anywhere and everywhere by means of his holy Spirit.
GW1: I still don’t think God uses a Holy Spirit. I think he is a spiritual being. God would be observant of everything in the cosmos.
BIBLICAL PROOF YAHWEH IS NOT OMNIPRESENT
BA1: “So He said, ‘Go forth and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.’ And behold, Yahweh was passing by! And a great and strong wind was tearing up the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. Then after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire” (1 Kings 19:11-12 LSB). These scriptures plainly state that Yahweh was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, even though he caused these to occur. did Yahweh literally pass by in front of Elijah? No, he didn’t need to, as we will see in the next subtopic.
GW1: In this description of Yahweh, he does not have the property of omnipresence. However, the concept of Yawheh was just the root concept for God. The latter concept has been further refined and developed.
WHY YAHWEH DOES NOT NEED TO BE OMNIPRESENT
BA1: “Look down from your holy dwelling, from heaven” (Deuteronomy 26:15 CSB). God is referred to as existing in heaven, seeing everything from there, without the need to be omnipresent.
GW1: Yes, I think this is a better idea. God ordinarily and eternally would occupy some specific place, but be able to observe and know what was going on everywhere. It is as though omnipresence is sort of a subset of omniscience.
BA1: “Hear from heaven, your dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:43 NIV). God is referred to as existing in heaven, hearing everything from there, without the need to be omnipresent.
GW1: See my interpretation above. This verse, and others, contradicts St. Augustine’s view that God would be outside space and time. I think his idea is false.
BA1: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV).
GW1: Yes, I think this indicates the better understanding – God would be omni-observant or omni-perceiving.
BA1: “Yahweh is in His holy temple; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold . . . the sons of men. Yahweh tests the righteous” (Psalm 11:4 LSB). In both of these scriptures, God is referred to as existing in heaven, seeing everything and being able to test and judge all people everywhere from there, without the need to be omnipresent.
GW1: Yep. That seems correct. God could sit on his fat ass on his throne in heaven and be able to observe everything and be able to intervene in anything, as he saw fit.
BA1: “The eyes of Yahweh are in every place; watching the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3 LSB). Yahweh’s “eyes” are obviously not literally everywhere, but the metaphor helps us to understand that he sees everything from his location in heaven.
GW1: Yes, I think thisis correct.
BA1: “Take away their breath, they perish and return to dust. Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104:29-30 NAB).
GW1: I just don’t agree with this idea of “sending forth God’s spirit.” I just think it means that God could intervene anywhere at anytime.
BA1: God is so powerful that he can accomplish anything he wants to, any time he wants to, any where he wants to, by means of his spirit, without have to travel to various locations in person.
GW1: I don’t agree with this “acting by means of his spirit.” I think he could travel to anywhere or act at a distance with respect to any event elsewhere.
BA1: In the case of the natural phenomena that Elijah experienced (above), Yahweh’s spirit represents him, and accomplishes Yahweh’s work
GW1: I don’t agree with this idea of a separation of God and his spirit. I see God as a spirit, not using a spirit as some kind of tool.
GW1: Overall, however, I think we are mostly in agreement on this topic. From his throne in heaven God could observe Hitler preparing to begin genocide and he could and would prevent it.