To say God is omnipresent means He is present everywhere with His whole Being at all times. The prefix
- Omnipresence Means
- Omnipresence Pronunciation
- Omnipresent Definition
- Omnipresence Meaning
- Omnipresence In The Bible
- God's omnipresence is closely related to His omnipotence and omniscience: that He is everywhere enables Him to act everywhere and to know all things, and, conversely, through omnipotent action and omniscient knowledge He has access to all places and all secrets (compare Psalms 139).
- God is able to see everything and to act anywhere he chooses. (Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13) However, the Bible does not teach that God is omnipresent —that is, present everywhere, in all things.Instead, it shows that he is a person and that he resides in a dwelling place. God’s form: God is a spirit person.(John 4: 24) He is invisible to humans.
Omnipresence definition is - the quality or state of being omnipresent: ubiquity.
omni- comes from the Latin word meaning 'all.' Many religions believe God is everywhere at one time. However, the Bible specifically teaches that God is both everywhere at once and transcendent (above all) or outside of His creation.Psalm 33:13-14 reveals that God exists outside of our created world: 'The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth.' Yet God is also everywhere within our world. Psalm 139:7-10 notes, '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.'
Some religious systems teach that God is everywhere because He is everything. This belief, called pantheism, says God is diffused throughout the entire universe, making trees, rocks, animals, stars, and people all part of God. This is not the biblical view of omnipresence. God can reveal Himself in one location, yet His presence is simultaneously everywhere else in the universe. This is why it is important to say He is present everywhere with His whole Being at all times. God is present everywhere, but that does not mean we are each part of God.
God is present on His throne (Revelation 4:2), He was present at the Jewish temple (2 Chronicles 7:2), and He is present in the lives of each believer in Christ (Galatians 2:20). Yet God is supernaturally present at all other places at the same time. He may reveal Himself more fully in a particular time and place, but is not limited to a particular time and place.
A greater understanding of God's omnipresence makes the incarnation of Jesus even more significant. The omnipresent God of the universe intentionally chose to limit Himself to a physical human body to live among us. Further, He experienced the pains and joys of humanity, ultimately suffering in our place as a sacrifice for our sins. While Jesus never gave up His divinity, He chose to take the form of a human to show the full extent of His love.
Philippians 2:6-8 expresses it this way: 'he [who] was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.'
The omnipresence of God informs us of the greatness of God. It highlights the love of God expressed in Jesus Christ. And it reminds us that we can never hide from God—nor should we desire to do so. The Bible's teaching on God's omnipresence should be a source of comfort for God's children everywhere (Genesis 16:13; Matthew 28:20).
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Omnipresence of God – Can we truly understand it?
The omnipresence of God has caused controversy and concern for many individuals. In the midst of a catastrophic event we may ask, “Where was God?” In response to her children’s demands, a tired mother replies, “I can’t be in two places at the same time!” Even the most advanced technology is unable to physically place us in two locations within a single moment. Surely, if God is everywhere simultaneously, i.e. omnipresent, then nothing escapes His attention. Throughout the Bible, everything created continues to exist under the control of a sovereign God. An omnipresent God “saw all that he had made...the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 1:31–2:1).
If we could fully grasp the concept of eternity, the omnipresence of God might be within our comprehension. The human mind classifies events along a sequential timeline, with specific divisions for the past, present, and future. The constant transition from each classification relies upon an individual’s perception of a given occurrence. God, who is eternal, is not limited by time. As ruler over all mankind’s past, present, and future, God proclaims, “I am the Alpha [Beginning, First] and the Omega [End, Last]...who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13). He rules simultaneously over all human history, beyond the physical limitations of any timeline.
Omnipresence of God – Unrestricted
Since God is eternal, spatial dimensions cannot restrict Him. God’s time is infinite; therefore, God is also unrestricted with respect to space, i.e. omnipresent. King Solomon realized that God greatly transcends containment by anything in all creation. “But will God really dwell on the earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). Magnificent though a man-made temple may be, Solomon understood that God cannot be confined to any part of space, no matter how vast. “This is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?’” (Isaiah 66:1).
The omnipresence of God signifies that He cannot be contained by the largest space possible. While God does not have spatial limitations, He is not a “bigger space” or a layer area surrounding the space of the universe as we comprehend it. He does not simply exist in a kind of infinite, unending space. God is present to all space. This does not mean that “at least a little part of God” is dispersed throughout the infinite reaches of space. Instead, God in His whole being is present at every point of our space. All space is instantly present before Him. The 19th-century theologian, Charles H. Spurgeon, proclaimed:
Omnipresence Means
- “We believe that he [God] filleth heaven and earth, and hell; that he is in the very space which his creation seems to claim, for creatures do not displease God; and even the space which is occupied by his handiworks is still filled with himself. The rocky bowels of the unsearched-out depths are full of God; where the sea roars, or where the solid granite leaves no interstice or vacuum, even there is God; not only in the open place, and in the chasm, but penetrating all matter, and abounding everywhere in all, and filling all things with himself.”1
Omnipresence Pronunciation
of God—words that indicate a sense of shape. When Moses asks to see the glory of God, He responds, “Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (Exodus 33:18–23). God speaks of himself in human terms.Omnipresence of God – God's Reach
While we may not see the face of our Creator, the omnipresence of God confirms that God continually looks upon mankind. Adam and Eve tried to “hid(e) from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). The prophet Jonah attempted to “flee from the Lord.” In reverent awe, David realized, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7-18). In all creation, there is no hiding place from the Lord. Through His Spirit, God’s reach extends to every corner of the universe as well as into the hearts of mankind. “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them” (Psalm 11:4).
Footnote:
1 Charles H. Spurgeon, Sermon: Jacob's Waking Exclamation (July 21, 1861).
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Omnipresent Definition
Omnipresence Meaning
Omnipresence In The Bible
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