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I believe that God is omnipresent, but what are some Bible verses that back this up?

Here are some counterarguments:

Exodus 3:16 "...I have surely visited you and seen what is being done to you in Egypt."

Genesis 28:12  And he dreamed: There was a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 28:13  And there was Jehovah, standing above it..."

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  • Do you mean literally physically omnipresent versus omnipresent as a function of omniscience? Some people view God as a giant blob of spirit that has no form and fills all space and is thus literally omnipresent physically, while others think of him as having human form and only see omnipresence as a function of omniscience meaning God can be literally present in one place (like his throne in heaven) but virtually present everywhere by knowing what's going on everywhere. You should clarify the question accordingly. Nov 8, 2014 at 1:02
  • I suppose my understanding of omnipresence is that God is everywhere in the sense that He 1)sees and knows everything in every place, and 2)He responds, not from the heavens, but right in that individual situation. I guess you could say that fits more with your first definition, where God can live, move, and act simultaneously in every place.
    – Mirror318
    Nov 9, 2014 at 1:53
  • Cautionary Note From the Temptations of Jesus, one learns that seeking passages to back a position is something even the devil can do, and thus not the advisable and profitable method if solely relied upon to the knowledge of God.
    – user13992
    Nov 17, 2014 at 20:17

1 Answer 1

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David speaks of God's ability to be everywhere in Psalms 139:

  1. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

  2. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

  3. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

  4. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

  5. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

  6. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. (Psalms 139:7-12;)

Another passage in the Old Testament is Jeremiah 23:24:

24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

There are a few other scriptures in the New Testament that could also be referring to omnipresence:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being..." (Acts: 17:28)

"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23)

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;" (Colossians 1:19)

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  • "... He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever." (D&C 88:7-13,41)
    – ShemSeger
    Nov 6, 2014 at 20:23
  • Thanks ShemSeger, do you also have any New Testament references?
    – Mirror318
    Nov 9, 2014 at 1:49
  • "For in him we live, and move, and have our being..." (Acts: 17:28) Other than that I don't know of any other scriptures in the Bible that could refer to omnipresence.
    – ShemSeger
    Nov 9, 2014 at 2:01
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    @Mirror318 I've found a couple more NT passages that could be interpreted as omnipresence, see my edited answer.
    – ShemSeger
    Nov 9, 2014 at 2:30
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    @FMS - Good find.
    – ShemSeger
    Nov 14, 2014 at 19:46

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