Omnipresence

Omnipresence. A theological term that describes God’s universal presence.

Omnipresence is derived from two Latin words, omni (all) and praesens (present). The concept embodies the expression of God’s presence in every time and space, at the same time. In the OT God is presented as being everywhere: “If I ascend into heaven, you are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, 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” (Ps 139:8–10). And “The eyes of the Lord are in every place” (Prov 15:3). Moreover, God’s own affirmation of His omnipresence is evident in the rhetorical questions, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jer 23:24). Based on the divine self-declaration, omnipresence denotes that God is congruously transcendent and immanent (e.g., Amos 9:2-4). SeeTranscendence; Immanence.

In the NT, no creature is hidden from His sight (Heb 4:13). Moreover, divine omnipresence is implied by God’s ability to sustain all things (Heb 1:3), and further emphasized in the declaratory statement, “He is before all things, and in him all things consist” (Col 1:17). Fittingly, God is not confined by time or space, yet He interacts with creation within both time and space. Equally, omnipresence is the prerogative of God alone. Creations, including Lucifer, are not omnipresent.

God’s omnipresence has significant theological implications: it accentuates that God is present everywhere in His creation, yet He is distinct from the creation in the absolute sense (see Pantheism; Panentheism). Accordingly, it affirms His universality and, at the same time, provides comfort and assurance that we are never alone, as reflected in the statement, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6; Heb 13:5).