Omnipresence, Theophanies, And Stuff Like That

The God who is eternal and, therefore, not limited by time, is omnipresent and not limited by space (Psa. 139:7-10; Prov. 15:3; Jer. 23:23,24). He is universally present to all of space at all times. This does not mean He is dispersed throughout the infinite reaches of space so that every part of space has at least a little part of God. In other words, God is not present in all space; instead, He is present to all of space. This means that the unlimited God in His whole being is present at every point of our space. Perhaps a better way to express God’s omnipresence is to say that all space is immediately present before Him.

God’s omnipresence does not prevent Him from manifesting Himself in a localized place. In fact, although His self-existent, eternal, and infinite Being is present to all of space equally, He has, on occasion, entered space at specific points and become present in it for a specific purpose. These “theophanies,” as they are called, most often involved redemption. For example, the pillar of cloud bearing the glory of God that appeared before the Israelites (Ex. 33:9; 40:34; I Ki. 8:10ff) is but one example of such a case. Of course, the most dramatic incident of God entering time and space from our perspective was the incarnation itself (Jn. 1:14; I Tim. 3:16). Consequently, Jesus was called Immanuel, or “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). But, in entering time and space, God, in His self-existent, eternal, and infinite Being, did not cease to be omnipresent. He was, in fact, still present to every point of space, holding everything together by the word of His power (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). In fact, it is evidently the omnipresence of “God with us” that is the subject of John 3:13, which says, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of God who is in heaven.” If omnipresence is not under discussion, then what? Remember, these words were being spoken by God Himself while manifested here on this earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Another example of God interjecting Himself into time and space would be the coming of the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension to heaven (Acts 2:1-4), as well as His indwelling of the body of every Christian (I Cor. 6:19). “Mind-boggling,” you say? Yes, but such is the nature of the I AM THAT I AM.

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