Chapter 1: The Biblical Foundation of God’s Omnipresence

Little Sarah tugged on her mother’s sleeve during the bedtime prayer. “Mommy, where is God?” she whispered. Her mother smiled and began to answer, “God is everywhere, sweetheart. He’s here with us right now, and He’s with Daddy at work, and He’s with Grandma in heaven.” Sarah’s eyes grew wide with wonder. “How can He be in all those places at once?”

This simple question from a child touches on one of the most profound truths about God’s nature—His omnipresence. Throughout church history, Christians have affirmed that God is present everywhere at all times. He doesn’t travel from place to place like we do. He doesn’t need to leave one location to arrive at another. God is fully and completely present in every place simultaneously.

Yet this foundational doctrine has come under attack in recent times. Finis Jennings Dake, author of the popular Dake Annotated Reference Bible, taught something radically different. In his book “God’s Plan for Man,” Dake wrote: “God has a body and goes from place to place like anybody else” (Dake, 1949, 57). He further claimed that while God is “omni-present,” He is “not omni-body,” meaning that “His presence can be felt by moral agents who are everywhere, but His body cannot be seen by them every place at the same time” (Dake, 1949, 61).

This teaching represents a fundamental departure from biblical Christianity. It reduces the infinite God to a finite being, trapped within the limitations of space and time. It transforms the Creator into merely a powerful creature. Most seriously, it contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture about God’s nature and presence.

In this chapter, we will examine the solid biblical foundation for God’s omnipresence. We’ll explore what Scripture actually teaches about God’s presence everywhere. We’ll see how the Old and New Testaments consistently affirm this truth. And we’ll begin to understand why Dake’s alternative teaching creates serious theological problems that affect our worship, prayer, and daily Christian life.

1. What Does Omnipresence Mean?

Before we dive into the biblical evidence, we need to understand what Christians mean when we say God is omnipresent. The word itself comes from two Latin words: “omni,” meaning “all” or “every,” and “presence,” meaning “being present.” Simply put, omnipresence means that God is present everywhere.

But this simple definition needs careful explanation. When we say God is everywhere, we don’t mean that God is spread out through space like air or that pieces of God are scattered throughout the universe. We mean that the whole of God—all that He is in His divine nature—is fully present at every point in space simultaneously. As theologian Wayne Grudem explains, “God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places” (Grudem, 1994, 173).

This doctrine is closely connected to God’s other attributes. Because God is spirit, as Jesus teaches in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (NKJV), He is not confined by physical limitations. Because God is infinite, He cannot be contained by finite space. Because God is eternal, He transcends the boundaries of time and space that constrain created beings.

Common Misunderstandings About Omnipresence

Many people struggle to understand omnipresence correctly. Some fall into the error of pantheism, thinking that if God is everywhere, then everything must be God. But Scripture maintains a clear distinction between the Creator and His creation. God is present in His creation, but He is not identical with it. As Paul declares in Romans 1:25, we must not worship and serve “the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (NKJV).

Others imagine that omnipresence means God is like a gas that fills the universe or an energy field that permeates all things. This materialistic thinking fails to grasp that God is spirit, not matter. God doesn’t fill space the way water fills a cup. Rather, He is present in a way that transcends our physical categories.

Still others, like Dake, try to separate God’s “presence” from God Himself, as if God’s presence could be in a place where God is not. This creates an artificial and unbiblical distinction. God’s presence is God present. Where God’s presence is, there God is—fully and completely.

The biblical doctrine teaches that God is simultaneously present everywhere in creation while remaining distinct from creation. He is not divided or spread out. He is not limited or contained. The whole of God is present at every point in space, yet He remains transcendent above His creation.

The Relationship Between Omnipresence and God’s Other Attributes

God’s omnipresence cannot be properly understood in isolation from His other attributes. It flows from and connects with the totality of who God is.

Consider God’s omniscience—His perfect knowledge of all things. Hebrews 4:13 tells us, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (NKJV). How could God have perfect knowledge of all things if He were not present everywhere? A God who had to travel from place to place could only know what was happening where He happened to be at any given moment.

Or consider God’s omnipotence—His unlimited power. Jeremiah 32:17 declares, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (NKJV). How could God exercise power everywhere if He were not present everywhere? A localized God could only act where He was physically present.

God’s immutability—His unchanging nature—also relates to His omnipresence. Malachi 3:6 states, “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (NKJV). If God had to move from place to place, He would be constantly changing location, contradicting His immutable nature.

2. Old Testament Foundations

The Old Testament provides abundant testimony to God’s omnipresence. From the earliest pages of Scripture to the final prophets, we find consistent teaching that God is present everywhere and cannot be confined to any location.

Psalm 139:7-12 – The Inescapable Presence of God

Perhaps the clearest and most beautiful expression of God’s omnipresence in all of Scripture is found in Psalm 139. David writes:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 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, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Psalm 139:7-12, NKJV).

Notice how David explores every possible location—heaven, Sheol (the realm of the dead), the farthest reaches of east and west (taking “the wings of the morning” refers to the sunrise in the east and dwelling in the “uttermost parts of the sea” refers to the Mediterranean Sea to the west). No matter where David imagines going, God is already there.

This is not merely poetic language. David is making a theological statement about God’s nature. He’s not saying God could follow him to these places or that God could quickly travel there. He’s saying God is already present in all these places simultaneously. There is literally nowhere David could go to escape God’s presence.

The implications are profound. For the believer, this means we are never alone, never abandoned, never beyond God’s reach. For the unbeliever, it means there is no hiding from God, no escape from accountability, no place beyond His jurisdiction.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 – God Fills Heaven and Earth

The prophet Jeremiah records God’s own declaration about His omnipresence:

“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23-24, NKJV).

God asks three rhetorical questions here, each building on the previous one. First, He challenges the idea that He is only a local deity, confined to one place. He is both near and far simultaneously. Second, He asserts that no one can hide from Him because He is present even in the most secret places. Third, He declares that He “fills” both heaven and earth.

The Hebrew word translated “fill” (male’) means to fill completely, to permeate entirely. God is not saying He is stretched throughout heaven and earth like a substance filling a container. Rather, He is affirming His complete presence throughout all of creation. There is no corner of heaven or earth where God is not fully present.

This passage directly contradicts Dake’s teaching that God must travel from place to place. If God fills heaven and earth, He doesn’t need to go anywhere—He’s already everywhere.

1 Kings 8:27 – Heaven Cannot Contain God

When Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, he acknowledged a profound truth about God’s nature:

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27, NKJV).

Solomon recognized the paradox of building a temple for God. On one hand, God had promised to dwell in the temple in a special way. On the other hand, Solomon knew that God could not be contained or confined to any building or even to the entire created order.

The phrase “heaven and the heaven of heavens” was a Hebrew way of expressing the totality of created space—everything that exists. Solomon is saying that even if you took all of creation together, it still couldn’t contain God. He transcends all spatial limitations.

This directly refutes Dake’s claim that God lives on a “material planet” called Heaven. If the heaven of heavens cannot contain God, how could He be localized to any particular place, even a place called Heaven?

Isaiah 66:1 – Heaven Is God’s Throne

The prophet Isaiah records another powerful statement about God’s relationship to space:

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?'” (Isaiah 66:1, NKJV).

This anthropomorphic language (describing God in human terms) is not meant to suggest that God literally sits on heaven like a chair. Rather, it’s expressing God’s sovereign rule over all creation and His transcendence above it. If heaven itself is merely God’s throne and earth His footstool, then God Himself must be infinitely greater than both.

Stephen quotes this passage in Acts 7:48-49 to argue that “the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands” (NKJV). God cannot be localized to any place, whether an earthly temple or even heaven itself.

Proverbs 15:3 – The Eyes of the Lord Are Everywhere

The wisdom literature also affirms God’s omnipresence:

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3, NKJV).

This proverb uses the metaphor of God’s “eyes” to express His awareness and presence everywhere. The Hebrew construction emphasizes that God’s eyes are in “every place” without exception. He observes both the evil and the good, meaning no moral agent anywhere is outside His presence and awareness.

This has profound implications for how we live. We are always in God’s presence, always under His watchful eye. This should inspire both holy fear and great comfort—fear because our sins are always exposed before Him, and comfort because His caring presence is always with us.

Additional Old Testament Witnesses

Many other Old Testament passages affirm God’s omnipresence. Job 34:21-22 declares, “For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves” (NKJV).

Amos 9:2-3 echoes Psalm 139: “Though they dig into hell, from there My hand shall take them; though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down; and though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, from there I will search and take them” (NKJV).

Deuteronomy 4:39 calls Israel to “know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (NKJV). God’s presence in both heaven and earth simultaneously demonstrates His omnipresence.

3. New Testament Affirmations

The New Testament continues and expands the Old Testament teaching on God’s omnipresence. Through the apostles’ teaching and especially through the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, we gain even clearer understanding of this doctrine.

Acts 17:27-28 – In Him We Live and Move

When Paul addressed the philosophers in Athens, he proclaimed a God very different from their localized deities:

“So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring'” (Acts 17:27-28, NKJV).

Paul makes three crucial points about God’s omnipresence here. First, God is “not far from each one of us.” This isn’t just true for believers but for every human being. God is near to everyone, everywhere, at all times. Second, “in Him we live and move and have our being.” Our very existence depends on God’s present, sustaining power. We don’t just live in a universe that God created and left; we live and move “in Him.” Third, Paul even quotes pagan poets to show that even they recognized humanity’s dependence on divine presence.

This passage demolishes any notion of a distant, localized God who must travel to be present with His creatures. If we live and move and have our being “in Him,” then He must be present everywhere we are.

Ephesians 1:23 – He Fills All in All

Paul describes the exalted Christ in remarkable terms:

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23, NKJV).

The phrase “fills all in all” is comprehensive. Christ fills everything in every way. This is not pantheism—Paul is not saying everything is Christ. But he is saying that Christ’s presence permeates all of creation. There is no place where Christ is absent.

This same truth is expressed in Ephesians 4:10: “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things” (NKJV). Christ’s purpose in ascending was not to be localized in heaven but to fill all things with His presence.

Colossians 1:16-17 – All Things Hold Together in Him

Paul provides a cosmic vision of Christ’s relationship to creation:

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17, NKJV).

The word translated “consist” (sunistemi) means to hold together, to cohere. Paul is saying that Christ actively holds all creation together. Every atom, every galaxy, every living being is held in existence by Christ’s present, active power. This requires omnipresence—Christ must be present to all things to hold all things together.

If Dake were correct that God has a body and travels from place to place, how could Christ hold all things together? Would atoms stop cohering when God traveled elsewhere? Would gravity cease to function in God’s absence? The biblical teaching of Christ sustaining all things requires His omnipresence.

Matthew 18:20 – Present Where Two or Three Gather

Jesus made a remarkable promise to His disciples:

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20, NKJV).

Think about the implications of this promise. At any given moment, thousands or millions of groups of believers are gathered around the world. Christ promises to be present with each group. This is only possible if Christ is omnipresent. A localized being could only be present with one group at a time.

This promise has comforted Christians throughout the centuries. Whether believers gather in a grand cathedral or a hidden house church, whether in prosperity or persecution, Christ is present with them. He doesn’t need to travel from gathering to gathering. He is simultaneously present with all His people everywhere.

Matthew 28:20 – I Am with You Always

In the Great Commission, Jesus gave His disciples another promise requiring omnipresence:

“Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NKJV).

Jesus promised to be with His disciples “always”—literally, “all the days.” This promise extends not just to the original disciples but to all disciples throughout the age. Right now, missionaries in remote jungles, pastors in busy cities, and believers in closed countries all have Christ’s presence with them simultaneously. Only an omnipresent Savior could fulfill such a promise.

Hebrews 4:13 – Nothing Hidden from His Sight

The author of Hebrews emphasizes God’s omnipresent awareness:

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13, NKJV).

The language here is emphatic. “No creature” means no created being anywhere in the universe. “All things” are naked and open before God. This complete awareness of all creation requires omnipresence. A God who had to travel from place to place would have limited awareness, only knowing what was happening where He happened to be at the moment.

4. The Distinction Between Immensity and Omnipresence

Theologians often make a helpful distinction between God’s immensity and His omnipresence. While closely related, these terms highlight different aspects of God’s relationship to space.

Understanding Immensity

God’s immensity refers to His essential infinitude—the fact that God, in His very nature, transcends all spatial limitations. Even if God had never created the universe, He would still be immense. Immensity is an essential attribute of God that doesn’t depend on the existence of creation.

The Westminster Confession of Faith expresses this when it says God is “infinite in being” (WCF 2.1). God’s being cannot be measured, contained, or limited by any spatial categories. He is not just very large; He is beyond the entire category of size and space.

Louis Berkhof explains, “The immensity of God may be defined as that perfection of the Divine Being by which He transcends all spatial limitations, and yet is present in every point of space with His whole Being” (Berkhof, 1938, 60).

Understanding Omnipresence

Omnipresence, while flowing from God’s immensity, specifically refers to God’s presence throughout His creation. It’s the actualization of His immensity in relation to the created order. Because God is immense, He can be (and is) present everywhere in the universe He has made.

Herman Bavinck wrote, “When God’s immensity is related to space, to the universe, we call it his omnipresence. God’s immensity is his presence in all places; his omnipresence is his presence in all existing places” (Bavinck, 2004, 160).

How They Relate but Differ

Think of it this way: immensity is what God is in Himself, while omnipresence is how God relates to His creation. Immensity is an essential attribute that would be true even if nothing else existed. Omnipresence is the expression of that immensity in relation to the created order.

This distinction helps us understand that God’s omnipresence is not forced upon Him by creation. God doesn’t fill creation because creation exists and needs to be filled. Rather, God’s essential immensity means that when He creates space, He is necessarily present to all of it. As Stephen Charnock put it, “God is not contained in the world, but contains the world” (Charnock, 1853, 367).

This distinction also helps us avoid the error of thinking that God needs creation to be who He is. God was immense before creation; He is omnipresent in creation; and if creation ceased to exist, He would remain immense.

5. God’s Presence vs. Pantheism

One of the most important distinctions we must maintain when discussing omnipresence is between the biblical doctrine and the error of pantheism. Pantheism teaches that everything is God or that God is identical with the universe. This is emphatically not what Christians mean by omnipresence.

God Is Distinct from Creation

Scripture consistently maintains a fundamental distinction between the Creator and His creation. Genesis 1:1 begins with this distinction: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (NKJV). God exists before and apart from creation. He is not part of creation but its sovereign Creator.

Romans 1:25 warns against those who “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (NKJV). To confuse God with creation is to exchange truth for a lie.

Isaiah 40:25-26 emphasizes God’s transcendence: “‘To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things” (NKJV). God is the Creator of all things, not to be confused with the things He has created.

God Is Not Diffused Through Creation

When we say God is omnipresent, we’re not saying He is spread throughout creation like butter on bread or that He is divided up with parts of Him in different places. God is not diffused through space like a gas or an energy field.

Rather, the whole of God is present at every point in space. As Thomas Aquinas explained, “God is in all things by His power, inasmuch as all things are subject to His power; He is by His presence in all things, as all things are bare and open to His eyes; He is in all things by His essence, inasmuch as He is present to all as the cause of their being” (Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I.8.3).

This is a crucial distinction. Pantheism sees the divine as dispersed throughout creation, with perhaps more divinity in some places than others. Biblical omnipresence teaches that the whole, undivided God is fully present everywhere.

God Is Wholly Present Everywhere

The biblical doctrine teaches what theologians call the “whole presence” of God. This means that all of God is present in every place. You don’t have more of God in heaven and less of God on earth. You don’t have part of God here and part of God there. Wherever God is present, He is wholly present.

A.W. Tozer expressed this beautifully: “God is everywhere here, close to everything, next to everyone. ‘The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth’ (Psalm 145:18). Few other truths are taught more clearly in the Word of God” (Tozer, 1961, 76).

This truth has profound implications for our spiritual lives. When we pray, we have God’s full attention—not a fraction of it. When we worship, whether alone or with millions of others around the world, we have the whole of God present with us. When we face trials, all of God’s power and wisdom are available to us, not just a portion.

Creator-Creature Distinction Maintained

The biblical doctrine of omnipresence actually reinforces the Creator-creature distinction rather than undermining it. God is present to His creation as the transcendent Creator, not as part of creation itself. He is in creation but not of creation.

Think of it this way: an author is present to his story—every word, every character, every scene exists because of the author’s creative work. The author’s mind and creativity permeate the entire story. Yet the author remains distinct from the story. He is not a character in it (unless he chooses to write himself in, as God did in the incarnation). He transcends the story while being intimately involved with every aspect of it.

Similarly, God is present to every aspect of His creation while remaining distinct from it. He is the sustaining cause of all that exists, present to every particle and galaxy, yet He remains the transcendent Creator, not to be confused with what He has made.

6. The Three Modes of God’s Presence

While God is omnipresent—fully present everywhere—Scripture teaches that He manifests His presence in different ways or modes. Theologians have traditionally identified three primary modes of God’s presence: essential presence, providential presence, and gracious presence. Understanding these distinctions helps us grasp the richness of biblical teaching about how God relates to His creation.

Essential Presence (By His Being)

God’s essential presence refers to His presence by virtue of His divine nature. Because God is infinite and immense, He is necessarily present to all of creation simply by being God. This is the foundational mode of God’s presence from which the others flow.

Jeremiah 23:24 expresses this when God asks, “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (NKJV). God fills all of creation with His essential presence. There is no place where God’s being is absent.

This essential presence is not passive but active. God doesn’t just happen to be everywhere; He actively sustains everything that exists. Acts 17:28 tells us that “in Him we live and move and have our being” (NKJV). Every atom continues to exist because God is essentially present to it, sustaining it in being.

This mode of presence applies to everything and everyone without exception. The saint and the sinner, the angel and the demon, the star and the stone—all exist within God’s essential presence. This is what makes atheism so ironic: even the atheist who denies God exists within God’s essential presence, dependent on God for every breath.

Providential Presence (By His Activity)

God’s providential presence refers to His active governance and care for creation. While God is essentially present everywhere, He acts differently in different places according to His sovereign will and purposes.

Psalm 104:27-30 beautifully describes God’s providential presence: “These all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth” (NKJV).

God’s providential presence is seen in His governance of nations (Daniel 2:21), His control over nature (Psalm 147:15-18), His direction of individual lives (Proverbs 16:9), and His orchestration of history (Ephesians 1:11).

This mode of presence explains how God can be omnipresent yet act differently in different situations. God was present with both the Israelites and the Egyptians at the Red Sea, but He acted to save one and judge the other. God is present in both heaven and hell, but His activity in each place is vastly different.

Gracious Presence (By His Special Favor)

God’s gracious presence refers to His special, saving presence with His people. While God is essentially present to all and providentially active throughout creation, He is graciously present in a special way with those who belong to Him.

This is what David refers to in Psalm 16:11: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (NKJV). David isn’t suggesting that God is absent elsewhere, but that there is a special experience of God’s favorable presence available to His people.

Jesus promised this special presence to His disciples: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23, NKJV). This doesn’t mean God is absent from unbelievers, but that believers experience a special indwelling presence of God.

The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence in believers is a prime example of God’s gracious presence. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” (NKJV). While the Spirit is omnipresent, He dwells in believers in a special, gracious way.

This gracious presence can be experienced in greater or lesser degrees. Sin can grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) and hinder our experience of God’s presence. Obedience and faith can lead to a fuller experience of His gracious presence.

How All Three Work Together

These three modes of presence are not separate or contradictory but work together in perfect harmony. They are like three dimensions of the one reality of God’s presence.

Consider how they work together in the life of a believer. God is essentially present to the believer as He is to all creation, sustaining them in existence moment by moment. God is providentially present, directing their steps, working all things together for their good (Romans 8:28), and accomplishing His purposes in their life. And God is graciously present, indwelling them by His Spirit, conforming them to Christ’s image, and granting them the joy of fellowship with Him.

Or consider how they work in the case of an unbeliever. God is essentially present, for “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28, NKJV). God is providentially present, causing the sun to rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45), restraining sin, and working out His sovereign purposes. But the unbeliever lacks God’s gracious presence and may even experience God’s presence as judgment rather than blessing.

Understanding these three modes helps us make sense of biblical passages that might otherwise seem contradictory. How can God be omnipresent yet “come down” to see what’s happening (as in Genesis 11:5)? How can people be cast “away from God’s presence” (2 Thessalonians 1:9) if God is everywhere? The answer lies in recognizing that these passages are speaking of different modes of God’s presence.

7. Dake’s Fundamental Misunderstanding

Having established the biblical foundation for God’s omnipresence, we must now address the serious errors in Finis Dake’s teaching. Dake’s view represents not merely a minor theological disagreement but a fundamental misunderstanding that strikes at the heart of who God is.

His “Omnipresent but Not Omnibody” Teaching

Dake attempts to maintain some form of omnipresence while denying its biblical meaning. He writes, “God is omni-present but not omni-body, that is, His presence can be felt by moral agents who are everywhere, but His body cannot be seen by them every place at the same time” (Dake, 1949, 61).

In his Annotated Reference Bible, Dake expands on this distinction: “Omnipresent (not omnibody, 1 Ki. 8:27; Ps. 139:7-12). Presence is not governed by bodily contact, but by knowledge and relationship (Mt. 18:20; 28:20; cp. 1 Cor. 5:3-4). God’s body is not omnipresent, for it is only at one place at one time like others (Gen. 3:8; 11:5; 18:1-8, 33; 19:24; 32:24-32), but His presence can be realized any place where men know Him and seek Him (Mt. 18:20)”¹ (Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible [Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963], 1035).

This statement reveals multiple confusions. First, Dake creates an artificial separation between God and His presence, as if God’s presence could be somewhere that God Himself is not. This is philosophically incoherent and biblically unfounded. God’s presence is God present. To say God’s presence is somewhere is to say God is there.

Second, Dake reduces God’s presence to something that can be “felt by moral agents.” This makes God’s presence subjective and psychological rather than objective and ontological. In Dake’s view, God is not actually everywhere; rather, people everywhere can feel Him. This fundamentally misunderstands the nature of omnipresence.

Third, by insisting that God has a body that cannot be everywhere, Dake imports physical limitations into the divine nature. He makes God subject to the constraints of space and time that govern created beings. This reduces the infinite Creator to a finite creature.

Dake further elaborates in his glossary: “Omnipresent, everywhere present. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all present where there are beings with whom they have dealings; but they are not omnibody, that is, their bodies are not omnipresent. All three go from place to place bodily as other beings in the universe do”² (Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible [Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963], Glossary). He continues: “Omnipresence then, is different from omnibody, and is governed by relationship and knowledge of God. Like the presence of someone being felt by another who is thousands of miles away, so it is with the presence of God among men (1 Cor. 5:3-4)”³ (Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, Glossary).

Dake’s understanding of God’s presence as a subjective feeling rather than an objective reality is further revealed when he writes: “The vague way men think and speak of God as being a universal Spirit that fills all space and all solid matter, and that He is impersonal, intangible, unreal, and without a body, soul, and spirit, with parts, passions, feelings, appetites, desires, will, mind, or intellect, is the height of ignorance. God wants us to know that He is a person; that He is real; that He has a body, soul, and spirit; and that He has literal faculties to hear, see, speak, will and do anything any other person can do. God is not a universal nothingness floating around in nowhere”²⁴ (Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man [Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949], 60).

He explicitly defines his view: “God is not a universal nothingness floating around in nowhere. He is not impersonal, immaterial, intangible—an unreal person. He is not a universal mind, soul, spirit, conscience, goodness, principle—an abstract power or force filling the whole of space and solid matter, as false cults teach. He is not omni-body; that is, His body is not everywhere at all places at the same time. It is just as visible, tangible, and material as the bodies of all other spirit beings”²⁵ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 60-61).

Quote: “God Has a Body and Goes from Place to Place”

Perhaps Dake’s most shocking statement is this: “God has a body and goes from place to place like anybody else” (Dake, 1949, 57). This single sentence contains multiple serious theological errors.

First, it directly contradicts Jesus’ teaching in John 4:24 that “God is Spirit” (NKJV) and the clarification in Luke 24:39 that “a spirit does not have flesh and bones” (NKJV). If God has a body, He is not spirit, which contradicts explicit biblical teaching.

Second, if God “goes from place to place,” then He is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at a time, traveling from location to location. This means there are places where God is not present, times when He is absent, situations where He must travel to arrive. This demolishes the biblical doctrine of omnipresence.

Third, the phrase “like anybody else” reduces God to the level of His creatures. It removes the fundamental distinction between Creator and creation. God becomes merely a powerful being among other beings, not the transcendent Creator of all.

Dake provides extensive details about God’s alleged physical form. In God’s Plan for Man, he lists what he calls “63 Facts About God”, beginning with: “1 He is a person (Job 13:8; Heb. 1:3) 2 He has a spirit body (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19; Isa. 6; Ez. 1; Rev. 4) 3 Shape (Jn. 5:37) 4 Form (Phil. 2:5-7) 5 Image and likeness (Gen. 1:26; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9) 6 Back parts (Ex. 33:23) 7 Heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21) 8 Hands (Ps. 102:25-26; Heb. 1:10) 9 Fingers (Ps. 8:3-6; Ex. 31:18) 10 Right hand (Rev. 5:1-7) 11 Mouth (Num. 12:8; Isa. 1:20) 12 Lips (Isa. 11:4; 30:27) 13 Tongue (Isa. 30:27) 14 Feet (Ex. 24:10; Ez. 1:27) 15 Eyes (Ps. 11:4; 18:24; 33:18) 16 Ears (Ps. 18:6; 34:15) 17 Head (Dan. 7:9) 18 Hair (Dan. 7:9) 19 Arms (Ps. 44:3; Jn. 12:38)”⁴ (Finis Jennings Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 896).

Dake insists emphatically: “The Bible declares that God has a body, shape, image, likeness, bodily parts, a personal soul and spirit, and all other things that constitute a being or a person with a body, soul, and spirit”⁵ (Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 896). He even argues: “God can be like man in bodily form and still be as magnificent as we have always thought Him to be. He can have a spirit-substance body and still be like man in size and shape”⁶ (Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 896).

He goes further to describe God as “a person who is Spirit, infinite, eternal, immutable, self-existent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, invisible, perfect, impartial, immortal, absolutely holy and just, full of knowledge and wisdom, in whom all things have their source, support and end. God is known in Scripture by over two hundred names. He is described as being like any other person as to having a body, soul, and spirit (Job 13:8; Heb. 1:3; Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-7). He is a Spirit Being with a body (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-6, 9-19; Exodus 24:11; Gen. 18; 32:24-32; Ezek. 1:26-28; Acts 7:54-59; Rev. 4:2-4; 5:1, 5-7; 22:4-5); shape (John 5:37); form (Phil. 2:5-7, same Greek word as in Mark 16:12, which refers to bodily form); and an image and likeness of a man (Gen. 1:26; 9:6; Ezek. 1:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9; Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-6). He has back parts; so must have front parts (Exodus 33:23). He has a heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21); hands and fingers (Exodus 31:18; Ps. 8:3-6; Rev. 5:1, 6-7)”⁷ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56). He continues: “nostrils (Ps. 18:8, 15); mouth (Num. 12:8); lips and tongue (Isa. 30:27); feet (Ezek. 1:27; Exodus 24:10); eyes, eyelids, sight (Ps. 11:4; 18:24; 33:18); voice (Ps. 29; Rev. 10:3-4; Gen. 1); breath (Gen. 2:7); ears (Ps. 18:6); countenance (Ps. 11:7); hair, head, face, arms (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19; Rev. 5:1, 6-7; 22:4-6); loins (Ezek. 1:26-28; 8:1-4); bodily presence (Gen. 3:8; 18:1-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Ex. 24:10-11); and many other bodily parts as is required of Him to be a person with a body”⁸ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 57).

Dake explicitly rejects the orthodox understanding: “No man, therefore, can say with Scriptural authority, that God consists of a kind of invisible substance which cannot be seen or touched by man. In fact, God will live among men in visible form for ever (Rev. 21:3-7; 22:4-5)”⁹ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56-57).

To support his claim that God travels from place to place, Dake writes: “God goes from place to place in a body just like anyone else (Gen. 3:8; 11:5; 18:1-22, 33; 19:24; 32:24-32; 35:13; Zech. 14:5; Tit. 2:13). He is omni-present, but not omni-body, that is, His presence can be felt everywhere but His body cannot, as seen in Point 9 below”²⁶ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 57).

He further describes God’s alleged travel methods: “He wears clothes (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19); eats (Gen. 18:1-22; Exodus 24:11); rests, not because he gets tired, but because he ceases activity or completes a work (Gen. 2:1-4; Heb. 4:4); dwells in a mansion and in a city located on a material planet called Heaven (John 14:1-3; Heb. 11:10-16; 13:14; Rev. 3:12; 21:1-27); sits on a throne (Isa. 6; Rev. 4:1-5; 22:3-5); walks (Gen. 3:8; 18.1-22, 33); rides upon cherubs, the wind, clouds, and chariots drawn by cherubims (Ps. 18:10; 68:17; 104:2; Ezek. 1:1-28); and does do and can do anything that any other person can do bodily that is right and good”²⁷ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 57).

Initial Problems with This View

Even a surface examination of Dake’s teaching reveals serious problems:

Biblical Problems: Dake’s view contradicts dozens of clear Scripture passages we’ve already examined. How can God “fill heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 23:24) if He has a localized body? How can we be unable to flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7) if He must travel from place to place? How can Christ hold all things together (Colossians 1:17) if He’s not present to all things?

Logical Problems: If God must travel from place to place, numerous logical problems arise. How fast does God travel? Does it take time for Him to get from one place to another? What happens to places when God leaves them? Can God hear prayers from places where He’s not currently located? These questions reveal the absurdity of a God who must travel.

Theological Problems: A localized God cannot truly be sovereign over all creation. He cannot have perfect knowledge of all things. He cannot exercise power everywhere. He cannot hear and answer all prayers simultaneously. Dake’s God is not the God of biblical Christianity but a diminished deity stripped of essential divine attributes.

Practical Problems: If God must travel from place to place, how can believers have confidence in prayer? Is God listening right now, or is He elsewhere? How can missionaries going to unreached areas know that God is already there preparing the way? How can we “practice the presence of God” if God might not be present?

Worship Problems: A God who is localized and travels from place to place is not worthy of the worship Scripture commands. We are called to worship God because He is infinitely greater than creation, transcendent above all limitations, present everywhere, knowing all things, all-powerful. Dake’s limited God does not inspire such worship.

Dake’s Mishandling of Scripture

To support his position, Dake misinterprets numerous Scripture passages. He takes anthropomorphic language literally, failing to recognize literary devices used to help us understand God. When the Bible speaks of God’s “eyes” or “hands” or God “coming down,” Dake interprets these as literal, physical descriptions rather than accommodative language.

For example, when Genesis 11:5 says, “The Lord came down to see the city and the tower,” Dake takes this to mean God literally traveled from heaven to earth to investigate. He fails to recognize this as anthropomorphic language emphasizing God’s judicial involvement in human affairs. God doesn’t need to “come down” to see anything—He sees all things perfectly from where He is, which is everywhere.

Dake writes extensively about Ezekiel’s vision: “God’s body is like that of a man, for man was created in His likeness and His image bodily (Gen. 1:26, notes; also note r, Jn. 4:24). Here He is described as being like a man from His loins downward (v 26-27; 8:2). In 8:3 He (the person on the throne) is referred to as putting forth a hand like that of a man, taking the prophet by the hair of the head, lifting him up between heaven and earth, and bringing him to Jerusalem… This entire description is one of the literal chariots of God on which He rides from place to place when He chooses”¹⁰ (Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 1365). He concludes: “God also has many other means of travel and goes from one place to another bodily as all other beings in existence. He is omnipresent, but not omnibody”¹¹ (Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 1365).

Similarly, when the Bible speaks of people being in God’s presence in a special way (like Moses on the mountain), Dake interprets this as God physically traveling to that location. He doesn’t understand the distinction between God’s essential presence everywhere and His special manifestation in particular places.

Dake makes the remarkable claim: “Besides the above appearances the prophets saw God, His shape, His body (like that of a man), His hair, eyes, and other bodily parts, His clothing, and even the prophets saw some of God’s literal chariots of war and heard the sound thereof (2 Ki. 6:17; Isa. 6; Ezek. 1-3; 8; 10-11; Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-6; Zech. 1:7-11; 6:1-8; Ps. 68:17; 2 Sam. 22:11; Ps. 18:10; 104:3). If we can ever come to the knowledge of what spirit beings are like, then we can begin to comprehend God as Spirit”¹² (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56).

Dake forcefully argues: “If God did not mean all He said about Himself in over 20,000 scriptures then why did He say such things? They certainly do not add to a true understanding of Him if the passages do not mean what they say. Furthermore, why would God, in hundreds of places, refer to Himself as having bodily parts, soul passions, and spirit faculties if He does not have them?”¹³ (Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 896). He further contends: “(Exodus 34:1-7, 27-28). He has revealed Himself in so many different ways, proving to men that He has a body with bodily parts like man, that only rebels and unbelievers will reject such obviously literal manifestations and revelations of Deity”¹⁴ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 57).

Dake’s argument rests on a false dichotomy. He insists: “All such statements are unscriptural in the extreme and are contradicted by thousands of plain passages about God. Why would God tell us that all invisible things are clearly seen by visible things on earth, even to His eternal power and Godhead (Rom. 1:20), if He is incomprehensible; if there is nothing on earth to resemble Him; if He is a bodiless being; if He is three beings in one being; if His image is only moral and spiritual; if descriptions of His body and bodily parts are not true and real; and if He is an invisible nothingness floating in nowhere?”¹⁵ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56). He continues: “If this is what God is why did He not say this instead of what He did say? Is it possible that He does not speak to us in plain human language? Or, is it possible that the church and false religions are in error and that God does mean what He says about Himself? Who gave man the right to change the Bible from a literal to an imaginative meaning? If statements about God are mere figures of speech trying to convey some idea of Him, what ideas do they convey? That He does not have a body with bodily parts, or that He does? That He is less real than His creations, or that He is as real? It would be unlike God to say over 20,000 things about Himself if He did not have a personal body, soul and spirit as stated”¹⁶ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56-57).

Dake explicitly rejects the traditional Christian understanding of anthropomorphic language: “Neither does the Bible say that the bodily parts of God are figures of speech or mere human expressions trying to convey some idea of God, or that they do away with the reality of God’s body. All figures of speech emphasize and make as real or more real the ideas they express than if literal language were used. There can be no true figure of speech to convey an idea unless the idea conveyed is real; so if God’s bodily parts are mere figures they are true figures of the real bodily parts of God”²⁸ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 54).

Regarding literal interpretation, Dake argues: “The literal truth in all figurative language is the thing to get, and one should not permit figures of speech to do away with the intended truth. If we fail to get the literal truth conveyed, the figure of speech has failed in its purpose… TAKE EVERY STATEMENT IN THE BIBLE AS LITERAL WHEN IT IS AT ALL POSSIBLE AND WHERE IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS LITERAL, OTHERWISE, IT IS FIGURATIVE. In other words, what cannot be literal must be figurative”²⁹ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 47).

He emphasizes physical manifestations of God: “In the first two chapters of Genesis alone there are nearly 200 separate personal acts of God in creating, planting, speaking, working, seeing, blessing, commanding, etc. He has eaten with men, as many as seventy-four at a time, who saw Him with their natural eyes and conversed with Him as literally as other persons at banquets (Gen. 18:1-22; Exodus 24:9-13). He has wrestled bodily with man (Gen. 32:24-32). He has written laws with His own finger while men looked on with the natural eyes (Exodus 34:1-7, 27-28)”³⁰ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 57).

8. Why This Doctrine Matters

Some might wonder why we should care so much about the doctrine of omnipresence. Does it really matter whether God is everywhere or travels from place to place? The answer is emphatically yes. This doctrine affects virtually every aspect of our Christian faith and life.

For Worship and Reverence

Our worship is shaped by our understanding of who God is. If we believe in a God who is truly omnipresent—infinitely transcendent yet intimately near—our worship will be marked by both awe and intimacy. We worship a God who is high and holy, filling heaven and earth, yet closer to us than our own breath.

Psalm 113:4-6 captures this dual reality: “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (NKJV). God is exalted above all, yet He is present to observe and care for the smallest details of creation.

When we gather for corporate worship, we can be confident that God is fully present. He’s not partially listening while attending to other matters elsewhere. We have His complete presence and attention. Whether we worship in a cathedral or a living room, whether with thousands or with two or three, God is fully present.

Moreover, understanding God’s omnipresence should inspire reverent fear. Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (NKJV). Knowing that we are always in the presence of the holy, all-seeing God should inspire both trembling and trust.

For Comfort and Assurance

The omnipresence of God is one of the most comforting doctrines in Scripture for believers. We are never alone. We are never abandoned. We are never beyond God’s reach or care.

David found comfort in God’s omnipresence even when contemplating death: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4, NKJV). Death itself cannot separate us from God’s presence.

When we face trials, we can take comfort knowing God is present in our suffering. He’s not watching from a distance; He’s right there with us. As Isaiah declares, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you” (Isaiah 43:2, NKJV).

Parents can find comfort knowing that God is present with their children even when they cannot be. Missionaries can have confidence that God is already present in the places He sends them. The elderly and shut-in can know that God’s presence is not limited by their circumstances.

The promise of Hebrews 13:5 depends on God’s omnipresence: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (NKJV). Only an omnipresent God can make and keep such a promise.

For Holiness and Accountability

God’s omnipresence is a powerful motivation for holy living. We are always in God’s presence, always under His gaze, always accountable to Him. There is no place where we can hide our sin from God.

Proverbs 5:21 warns, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths” (NKJV). Every thought, word, and deed is fully known to God. This should make us think twice before sinning.

Joseph understood this when he resisted Potiphar’s wife’s advances, saying, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9, NKJV). Even though no other human was watching, Joseph knew God was present and watching.

But God’s omnipresence doesn’t just expose our sin; it also provides the power to overcome it. Because God is always with us, His help is always available. We can claim the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13: “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape” (NKJV).

For Understanding God’s Nature

The doctrine of omnipresence is essential for properly understanding who God is. It’s connected to and supports other vital attributes of God.

Without omnipresence, God cannot be truly omniscient. How could He know all things if He’s not present to observe all things? Without omnipresence, God cannot be truly omnipotent. How could He exercise power everywhere if He’s not present everywhere? Without omnipresence, God cannot be truly sovereign. How could He rule over all if He’s not present to all?

Omnipresence also helps us understand God’s infinitude and transcendence. A God who can be fully present everywhere simultaneously is not bound by the limitations that constrain creatures. He is qualitatively different from everything He has made.

This doctrine also helps us understand God’s immanence—His nearness and involvement with creation. While God transcends creation, He is not distant from it. He is intimately involved with every aspect of what He has made.

For Prayer

Our prayer life is profoundly affected by our understanding of God’s omnipresence. If God is truly everywhere, then He hears every prayer instantly. We don’t need to wait for God to arrive or worry that He’s too busy elsewhere to listen.

Psalm 145:18 assures us, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (NKJV). This nearness is not just emotional or spiritual but actual—God is genuinely present with everyone who prays.

This means that millions of believers around the world can pray simultaneously, and God hears each prayer fully and personally. A mother in China, a father in Nigeria, a child in Brazil, and a grandparent in Canada can all pray at the same moment, and God is fully present to each one, giving complete attention to each prayer.

Understanding God’s omnipresence also means we can pray anywhere. We don’t need a special holy place or building. Whether in a church, a closet, a car, or a prison cell, God is fully present to hear our prayers.

For Evangelism and Missions

The doctrine of omnipresence provides powerful motivation and confidence for evangelism and missions. When we share the gospel, we can be confident that God is present, working in the hearts of those who hear. When missionaries go to unreached areas, they can know that God is already there, preparing the way.

Paul declared in Acts 17:27 that God positioned the nations “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (NKJV). Every person we meet is someone in whom God is already working, someone to whom God is near.

This truth should give us boldness in witnessing. We’re not trying to bring God to people; He’s already there. We’re not asking people to reach out to a distant deity; we’re introducing them to the God who is near.

Common Questions About God’s Omnipresence

1. If God is omnipresent, how can people be separated from God or sent away from His presence?

This is an important question that requires us to understand the different modes of God’s presence. When the Bible speaks of separation from God, it’s not referring to God’s essential presence (which is impossible to escape) but to His gracious, favorable presence.

For example, 2 Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of those who “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (NKJV). This doesn’t mean they will exist somewhere God is not present—that’s impossible. Rather, they will be excluded from God’s gracious presence and will experience His presence as judgment rather than blessing.

Similarly, when Genesis 4:16 says Cain “went out from the presence of the Lord” (NKJV), it means he left the place of God’s special, favorable presence, not that he went somewhere God wasn’t present. Jonah learned this lesson when he tried to flee “from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3, NKJV) only to discover that God was present in the ship, in the storm, and in the fish’s belly.

2. How can God be present in hell or in sinful situations without being contaminated by evil?

God’s presence in a place doesn’t mean He participates in or is contaminated by what happens there. God is present to all things as the holy, transcendent Creator, not as a participant in creation’s activities.

Habakkuk 1:13 tells us that God is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness” (NKJV). This doesn’t mean God is literally unable to see evil (He sees everything), but that He cannot approve of it or be contaminated by it. God’s holiness is infinite and cannot be diminished by His presence in unholy places.

Think of light in a dark room. The light is present in the darkness, revealing it, but the light is not contaminated by the darkness. Similarly, God is present in all places, including where evil occurs, but He remains perfectly holy. His presence there is as Judge and eventual Redeemer, not as participant in the evil.

3. If God is everywhere, why do we pray for God to “be with” someone?

When we pray for God to be with someone, we’re not asking for God’s essential presence (He’s already there) but for a special manifestation of His presence, power, and blessing in their life. We’re asking for them to experience God’s providential care and gracious presence in a particular way.

It’s similar to how the Israelites prayed. They knew God was omnipresent, yet they asked for His presence to go with them (Exodus 33:15). They were asking for God’s special, favorable presence—His guidance, protection, and blessing.

When we pray for God to be with someone facing surgery, we’re asking for God to manifest His healing power. When we pray for God to be with missionaries, we’re asking for His special protection and empowerment. These prayers acknowledge that while God is always present, He can manifest His presence in special ways according to His will.

4. How can God be omnipresent if Jesus (who is God) has a physical body in heaven?

This question touches on the mystery of the incarnation and the Trinity. Jesus Christ is one person with two natures—fully divine and fully human. In His divine nature, Christ is omnipresent. In His human nature, His body is localized in heaven.

Jesus Himself affirmed both truths. He spoke of His localized human body ascending to heaven (John 20:17) while also promising His omnipresent divine presence: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NKJV).

The Westminster Confession explains that Christ’s two natures are “without conversion, composition, or confusion” (WCF 8.2). His human nature doesn’t limit His divine nature, nor does His divine nature eliminate the genuine humanity of His body. In His divine nature, Christ fills all things (Ephesians 4:10); in His human nature, He is at the Father’s right hand.

5. Does God’s omnipresence mean He knows the future by being present in all times?

God’s relationship to time is different from His relationship to space. While God is omnipresent in space, He is eternal regarding time—He transcends time altogether rather than being present at all points in time.

God’s knowledge of the future (His foreknowledge) comes not from being present in the future but from His eternal nature and sovereign decree. Isaiah 46:9-10 says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done” (NKJV).

God sees all of time—past, present, and future—as an eternal “now.” He doesn’t need to wait for the future to arrive or travel to the future to see it. From His eternal perspective, all moments in time are equally present to Him.

6. How should understanding God’s omnipresence change how I live daily?

Understanding God’s omnipresence should transform every aspect of daily life:

First, it should inspire constant awareness of God’s presence. Brother Lawrence called this “practicing the presence of God.” Knowing God is always with us, we can maintain ongoing communion with Him throughout the day.

Second, it should give us confidence in prayer. We can pray anywhere, anytime, knowing God hears us instantly. We don’t need to wonder if God is listening or wait for Him to arrive.

Third, it should motivate holiness. Knowing we’re always in God’s presence should make us think carefully about our thoughts, words, and actions. As Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the Lord always before me” (NKJV).

Fourth, it should provide comfort in trials. We’re never alone in our suffering. God is present with us in the valley of the shadow of death, in the hospital room, in the unemployment line.

Fifth, it should embolden our witness. God is present with those to whom we witness. He’s already at work in their hearts. We’re cooperating with His present activity, not trying to bring Him to them.

7. Why does the Bible sometimes speak of God “coming down” or “visiting” if He’s already everywhere?

These expressions are anthropomorphic—they use human language to help us understand God’s actions. When the Bible speaks of God “coming down,” it’s not describing physical movement but a special manifestation of His presence or a particular divine action.

For example, when Genesis 11:5 says “the Lord came down to see the city and the tower” of Babel (NKJV), it’s emphasizing God’s judicial examination and intervention, not suggesting He was absent before. God “coming down” indicates He is about to act in judgment or deliverance in a special way.

Similarly, when God “visits” His people, it refers to a special manifestation of His favor or judgment. Luke 1:68 says God has “visited and redeemed His people” (NKJV). God was always present with Israel, but in Christ, He manifested His presence in an unprecedented way for salvation.

Contrasting Biblical Truth with Dake’s Errors

To fully grasp the severity of Dake’s departure from biblical orthodoxy, it’s helpful to contrast his teachings directly with Scripture’s clear testimony about God’s omnipresence.

Dake’s Physical God vs. The Biblical Spiritual God

Dake teaches: “God has a body with shape, form, and bodily parts” (Dake, 1949, 35). He describes God as having physical features like hands, feet, eyes, and even wearing clothes. Dake writes: “God is a person who is Spirit, infinite, eternal, immutable, self-existent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, invisible, perfect, impartial, immortal, absolutely holy and just, full of knowledge and wisdom, in whom all things have their source, support and end. God is known in Scripture by over two hundred names. He is described as being like any other person as to having a body, soul, and spirit (Job 13:8; Heb. 1:3; Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-7). He is a Spirit Being with a body (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-6, 9-19; Exodus 24:11; Gen. 18; 32:24-32; Ezek. 1:26-28; Acts 7:54-59; Rev. 4:2-4; 5:1, 5-7; 22:4-5); shape (John 5:37); form (Phil. 2:5-7, same Greek word as in Mark 16:12, which refers to bodily form); and an image and likeness of a man (Gen. 1:26; 9:6; Ezek. 1:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9; Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-6). He has back parts; so must have front parts (Exodus 33:23). He has a heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21); hands and fingers (Exodus 31:18; Ps. 8:3-6; Rev. 5:1, 6-7)”¹⁷ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56). He continues: “nostrils (Ps. 18:8, 15); mouth (Num. 12:8); lips and tongue (Isa. 30:27); feet (Ezek. 1:27; Exodus 24:10); eyes, eyelids, sight (Ps. 11:4; 18:24; 33:18); voice (Ps. 29; Rev. 10:3-4; Gen. 1); breath (Gen. 2:7); ears (Ps. 18:6); countenance (Ps. 11:7); hair, head, face, arms (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19; Rev. 5:1, 6-7; 22:4-6); loins (Ezek. 1:26-28; 8:1-4); bodily presence (Gen. 3:8; 18:1-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Ex. 24:10-11); and many other bodily parts as is required of Him to be a person with a body”¹⁸ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 57).

Scripture teaches: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24, NKJV). Jesus explicitly stated that “a spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39, NKJV). The anthropomorphic language in Scripture is clearly metaphorical, helping us understand God’s actions in terms we can grasp.

The apostle Paul declared to the Athenians that God “does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything” (Acts 17:24-25, NKJV). A physical God would need a physical dwelling place, but the true God transcends all physical limitations.

Dake’s Traveling God vs. The Biblical Omnipresent God

Dake teaches: God “goes from place to place in a body and in a bodily form, for He has a bodily presence” (Dake, 1949, 35). He argues that God must travel to be present in different locations. Dake provides elaborate descriptions of God’s alleged travel: “Besides the above appearances the prophets saw God, His shape, His body (like that of a man), His hair, eyes, and other bodily parts, His clothing, and even the prophets saw some of God’s literal chariots of war and heard the sound thereof (2 Ki. 6:17; Isa. 6; Ezek. 1-3; 8; 10-11; Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-6; Zech. 1:7-11; 6:1-8; Ps. 68:17; 2 Sam. 22:11; Ps. 18:10; 104:3). If we can ever come to the knowledge of what spirit beings are like, then we can begin to comprehend God as Spirit”¹⁹ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56).

He further emphasizes how God’s body limits Him: “Spirit beings, including God, Himself, cannot be omnipresent in body, for their bodies are of ordinary size and must be at one place at a time, in the same way that bodies of men are always localized, being in one place at a time. God, angels, and other spirit beings go from place to place bodily as men do; but their presence can be any place in the universe—wherever there are other persons who also have the sense of presence enough to feel the presence of others regardless of bodily distance between them”³¹ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 61).

Scripture teaches: God declares, “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24, NKJV). The Hebrew word for “fill” (male’) indicates complete permeation, not partial presence. God doesn’t travel to fill heaven and earth; He already fills them completely.

The Psalmist emphasizes this truth: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7, NKJV). If God had to travel, there would be places we could go where He hadn’t arrived yet. But Scripture teaches that wherever we might go, God is already there.

Dake’s Limited Presence vs. The Biblical Unlimited Presence

Dake teaches: While God is “omni-present,” this only means “His presence can be felt by moral agents who are everywhere” (Dake, 1949, 61). In Dake’s view, God’s presence is psychological rather than ontological—it’s about feeling God, not God actually being there. Dake also teaches that “Heaven itself is a material planet (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:10-16), having cities, mansions, furniture, inhabitants, living conditions, etc.”²⁰ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56). He provides “50 Facts About the Planet Heaven”, describing it as having real cities, mansions, temples, foundations, thrones, books, and even stating: “Location: in the north part of the universe, in relationship to the earth (Isa. 14:12-14; Ps. 75:6-7); above (1 Ki. 8:23); and in the highest part of creation (Job 22:12; Lk. 2:14; Eph. 1:21; 4:10)”²¹ (Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, 1034).

Dake explains his view of presence as feeling: “Presence is governed by relationship, not bodily sight. When the body of anyone is not literally present, one cannot say that it is present. The presence of two persons may be felt though thousands of miles may separate them bodily. In such a case, presence consists of union, relationship, memory, acquaintance, and association to the same end in life. The closer two persons are to each other in any relationship, the more they feel each other’s presence in the thought life. So it is with God. God dwells in Heaven and persons on Earth that know Him and are in union with Him in spirit can feel His presence in their lives regardless of where they are on the Earth or under the Earth”³² (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 61).

He uses a personal analogy: “We must understand all like passages, as teaching the omnipresence of God, but not the omnibody of God. While I write I feel the presence of my wife and children who are hundreds of miles away at this time. They are in my thoughts, my plans, my life, and all that I do. I do nothing without them, yet they are far away. I am building a home for them to move into. I plan for them. I see them in the new home. I experience the thrill of having them with me. They are here in spirit and presence, planning with me, and we are working together to the same end in life. This presence is constant, though distance separates bodily at times”³³ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 62).

Scripture teaches: God’s presence is objective reality, not subjective feeling. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28, NKJV). This isn’t about feeling God’s presence but about the fact that our very existence depends on His actual presence sustaining us.

Even those who reject God exist within His presence. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1, NKJV), yet even the fool who denies God lives and moves within God’s omnipresent reality.

The Theological Cascade of Dake’s Error

Dake’s denial of biblical omnipresence doesn’t stand alone—it triggers a cascade of theological problems:

If God has a body and must travel:

• He cannot be truly sovereign (limited to acting where He is physically present)
• He cannot be omniscient (can only know what He observes from His current location)
• He cannot be omnipotent (can only exercise power where He is bodily present)
• He cannot be immutable (constantly changing location)
• He cannot be infinite (bounded by physical form)
• He cannot be purely spiritual (possessing a material body)

In essence, Dake’s God ceases to be God in any meaningful biblical sense. He becomes merely a powerful but limited being—perhaps superior to humans but not qualitatively different from creation. This is not the God revealed in Scripture, who declares, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:9, NKJV).

Dake boldly asserts: “What we mean by Divine Trinity is that there are three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead, each one having His own personal spirit body, personal soul, and personal spirit in the same sense each human being, angel, or any other being has his own body, soul, and spirit”²² (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 35). This teaching makes the members of the Trinity into separate gods, each confined to their own localized body, rather than the one infinite God revealed in Scripture.

Dake’s extensive teaching on spirit bodies further reveals his error: “Angels, cherubim, seraphim, and all other spirit beings have spirit bodies and personal souls and spirits. They have been seen with the natural eyes of men over 100 times in Scripture (note n, Heb. 13:2). If all other spirit beings have spirit bodies, could not the members of the Trinity also have spirit bodies? The 284 passages on spirits in Scripture prove that spirit bodies are just as real and capable of operation in the material worlds as are flesh beings. There is no such thing as a world of creations made up of invisible substance. The so-called spirit-world must be understood simply as spirit beings inhabiting material worlds created by God. Heaven itself is a material planet (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:10-16), having cities, mansions, furniture, inhabitants, living conditions, etc.”²³ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 56).

He emphasizes that all three persons of the Trinity have separate bodies: “Each member of the Divine Trinity has His own personal spirit body, His own soul with all the soul feelings of other beings, and His own personal spirit with all the spirit attributes and powers that other spirits of persons have. This is proved by the bodily presence of God to men, as in points 3 and 7; by the many soul passions, emotions, and desires God has, as listed in point 8, above; and by the many spirit faculties God has, as listed in point 9, above”³⁴ (Dake, God’s Plan for Man, 60-61).

The Historical Witness of the Church

The doctrine of God’s omnipresence is not a modern invention or a disputed theological point. Throughout church history, Christians have consistently affirmed this truth. Understanding this historical consensus helps us see how far Dake has departed from orthodox Christianity.

The Early Church Fathers

From the earliest days of the church, Christian teachers affirmed God’s omnipresence. Clement of Rome (c. 96 AD) wrote, “For He is the searcher of the thoughts and desires; His breath is in us, and when He wills, He will take it away” (1 Clement 21:9). This early recognition that God’s presence sustains our very breath echoes the biblical teaching.

Irenaeus (c. 130-202 AD) explicitly taught God’s omnipresence: “For He is Himself uncreated, and unbeginning, and unchangeable, and invariable, and incomprehensible, and blessed, and without need, and perfect, and He is all things” (Against Heresies, 2.13.3). He understood that God’s perfection requires omnipresence.

Augustine (354-430 AD), perhaps the most influential theologian of the early church, wrote extensively on God’s omnipresence. In his Confessions, he asked, “Since, then, You fill heaven and earth, do they contain You? Or, as they contain You not, do You fill them, and yet there remains something over?” (Confessions, 1.3). Augustine understood that God is present everywhere yet not contained by anything.

Medieval Theologians

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the great scholastic theologian, provided careful philosophical analysis of omnipresence. He wrote, “God is in all things by His power, inasmuch as all things are subject to His power; He is by His presence in all things, as all things are bare and open to His eyes; He is in all things by His essence, inasmuch as He is present to all as the cause of their being” (Summa Theologica, I.8.3).

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) argued that omnipresence is necessary to God’s perfection: “You are not in place or time, but all things are in You. For nothing contains You, but You contain all things” (Proslogion, 19). The medieval church clearly understood and affirmed God’s omnipresence.

The Protestant Reformers

The Protestant Reformers strongly affirmed God’s omnipresence. Martin Luther (1483-1546) wrote, “God is substantially present everywhere, in and through all creatures, in all their parts and places, so that the world is full of God and He fills all” (That These Words of Christ, “This is My Body,” etc., Still Stand Firm Against the Fanatics, 1527).

John Calvin (1509-1564) taught clearly on this doctrine: “When we say that God is infinite, we mean that He is not bounded by any limits… His essence is diffused through all things” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, I.13.1). Calvin understood that omnipresence flows from God’s infinite nature.

The Reformed Confessions

The great Reformed confessions uniformly affirm God’s omnipresence. The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) declares that God is “infinite in being and perfection… immense” (WCF 2.1). The Westminster Larger Catechism asks, “What is God?” and answers in part that He is “infinite… in His being… present everywhere” (WLC Q.7).

The Belgic Confession (1561) states, “We believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God… He is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible… infinite, almighty” (Article 1). These confessions represent the consensus of Reformed churches on God’s nature.

The London Baptist Confession (1689), following Westminster closely, affirms the same truth about God’s omnipresence, showing that Baptists and Presbyterians agreed on this fundamental doctrine.

Later Theologians

Throughout subsequent centuries, orthodox theologians continued to affirm God’s omnipresence. Stephen Charnock (1628-1680) wrote one of the most extensive treatments of God’s attributes, dedicating significant space to omnipresence: “God is necessarily present in every place… His whole essence is in every point of the world” (The Existence and Attributes of God).

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), America’s greatest theologian, affirmed: “God is omnipresent, and is not absent from any part of the world… He is as much in one part of space as in another” (Miscellaneous Observations).

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), the “Prince of Preachers,” proclaimed: “God is everywhere. There is no place where God is not… God is as much in the deepest hell as in the highest heaven” (Sermon on Psalm 139:7-8).

The Universal Consensus

What’s remarkable about this historical survey is the complete unanimity among orthodox Christians throughout history. Despite differences on many theological points, Christians have agreed that God is omnipresent. Whether Catholic or Protestant, Baptist or Presbyterian, Lutheran or Methodist, orthodox Christians have affirmed that God is fully present everywhere.

This makes Dake’s departure all the more striking. He is not offering a different interpretation of a disputed doctrine. He is rejecting what the entire church has believed for two thousand years. When someone departs this radically from the unanimous testimony of the church, we should be extremely cautious about accepting their teaching.

Practical Applications for Daily Christian Living

The doctrine of God’s omnipresence is not merely theoretical theology—it has profound implications for how we live each day as followers of Christ. Understanding and believing in God’s true omnipresence transforms our spiritual lives in practical ways.

Practicing the Presence of God

Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk, taught the practice of continual awareness of God’s presence. He wrote, “We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence by continually conversing with Him” (The Practice of the Presence of God). This is only possible because God is truly omnipresent.

Throughout your day, you can cultivate awareness that God is with you:

• When you wake up, remember that God has been watching over you through the night
• As you work, know that God sees your diligence and integrity
• In conversations, be aware that God hears every word
• When you’re alone, remember you’re never truly alone
• As you go to sleep, rest in the knowledge of God’s present protection

This doesn’t mean living in constant fear but in constant communion. As Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved” (NKJV).

Confidence in Prayer

Because God is omnipresent, we can pray with absolute confidence that He hears us. We don’t need to wonder if God is paying attention or worry that He’s too far away to hear. Psalm 34:15 assures us, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry” (NKJV).

This means:

• You can pray silently, and God hears your thoughts
• You can pray while driving, and God is present in your car
• You can pray in a hospital bed, and God is right there with you
• You can pray in a prison cell, and walls cannot keep God out
• You can pray in a crowd or alone, and God gives you His full attention

Integrity in Secret

God’s omnipresence means there is no such thing as “secret sin.” Psalm 90:8 declares, “You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance” (NKJV). This truth should motivate us to live with integrity even when no human is watching.

Consider how this applies:

• Your internet browsing is done in God’s presence
• Your private thoughts are known to God
• Your business dealings, even behind closed doors, are observed by God
• Your treatment of family members at home is seen by God
• Your attitude when alone in your car is witnessed by God

Rather than being oppressive, this can be liberating. We don’t have to maintain a false public image while living differently in private. We can be the same person in public and private because we’re always in God’s presence.

Comfort in Suffering

When we face trials, God’s omnipresence provides immense comfort. We’re not suffering alone or abandoned. God is present in our pain, aware of every tear, and working even through our difficulties.

Isaiah 43:2 promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you” (NKJV). Notice God doesn’t promise to keep us from the waters and fire but to be with us in them.

This means:

• In the cancer ward, God is present
• In the unemployment line, God is there
• In the funeral home, God is near
• In the divorce court, God hasn’t abandoned you
• In the darkness of depression, God’s presence remains

Boldness in Witnessing

Understanding God’s omnipresence gives us boldness in evangelism. When we share the gospel, we’re not trying to introduce people to an absent God. God is already present, already at work in their hearts, already drawing them to Himself.

Jesus promised, “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matthew 10:19-20, NKJV). The omnipresent Spirit is with us as we witness.

Peace in Uncertainty

Because God is omnipresent, we can face uncertain futures with peace. Wherever life takes us, God is already there. Whatever tomorrow holds, God is present in our tomorrow just as He is present in our today.

Joshua 1:9 commands, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (NKJV). Joshua could face the unknown challenges of conquering Canaan because God would be present in every battle.

Conclusion: Standing Firm on Biblical Truth

As we conclude this examination of the biblical foundation for God’s omnipresence, we must recognize what’s at stake. This is not a minor theological disagreement or a matter of interpretation. The doctrine of God’s omnipresence touches the very heart of who God is and how we relate to Him.

Finis Dake’s teaching that God “has a body and goes from place to place like anybody else” represents a fundamental departure from biblical Christianity. It’s not a refinement or clarification of traditional doctrine—it’s a rejection of what Scripture clearly teaches and what the church has unanimously believed for two millennia.

The biblical witness is clear and consistent. From the Psalmist’s declaration that there is nowhere to flee from God’s presence to Paul’s affirmation that in God we live and move and have our being, Scripture teaches that God is fully present everywhere. This is not poetic exaggeration or metaphorical language but theological truth about God’s very nature.

The consequences of accepting Dake’s alternative are severe. If God has a physical body that must travel from place to place, then:

• Prayer becomes uncertain—is God listening right now?
• Providence becomes impossible—how can God govern what He’s not present to?
• Comfort evaporates—we might be alone in our suffering
• Accountability diminishes—perhaps God doesn’t see everything
• Worship is diminished—we’re not worshipping the infinite Creator but a limited being

But when we hold fast to the biblical doctrine of omnipresence, our faith is strengthened. We serve a God who is truly infinite, unbounded by spatial limitations, present to all creation while transcending it. This God is worthy of our worship, capable of hearing all our prayers, able to govern all things, and present with us always.

The practical implications are transformational. Because God is omnipresent:

• We are never alone
• We can pray anywhere with confidence
• We live with integrity, knowing God sees all
• We face trials with courage, knowing God is with us
• We witness boldly, knowing God is already at work
• We rest peacefully, knowing God’s presence never leaves us

As we continue in this study, examining how Dake’s errors compound and affect other areas of theology, let us hold firmly to the biblical truth. God is not a localized deity who must travel from place to place. He is the omnipresent Creator who fills heaven and earth, in whom we live and move and have our being.

Let us close with the words of David, who understood and celebrated God’s omnipresence:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 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, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10, NKJV).

This is our God—not Dake’s limited, traveling deity, but the infinite, omnipresent Lord who is everywhere present, upholding all things by the word of His power. May we never exchange this glorious truth for the diminished god of human imagination.

Prayer and Reflection

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are not a distant God who must travel to hear our prayers, but the omnipresent Lord who is nearer to us than our own breath. Thank You that we are never alone, never abandoned, never beyond Your reach.

Forgive us for the times we have lived as if You were absent, when we have sinned thinking You didn’t see, when we have despaired thinking You weren’t near. Help us to live constantly aware of Your presence, not in fear but in joyful communion with You.

Guard us from any teaching that would diminish Your infinite nature or reduce You to creaturely limitations. Give us wisdom to recognize error and courage to stand for truth, even when false teaching is popular or widespread.

Help us to practice Your presence throughout each day, to pray with confidence knowing You hear, to live with integrity knowing You see, and to face every circumstance with peace knowing You are with us.

We praise You that You fill heaven and earth, that in You we live and move and have our being, and that nothing can separate us from Your presence. You are the true and living God, infinite in being and perfection, omnipresent in Your creation while transcendent above it.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

Bibliography

Anselm of Canterbury. Proslogion. Translated by Thomas Williams. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1995.

Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1947.

Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 2: God and Creation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004.

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1938.

Brother Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982.

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Edited by John T. McNeill. Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960.

Charnock, Stephen. The Existence and Attributes of God. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1853 (reprint 1996).

Clement of Rome. 1 Clement. In The Apostolic Fathers. Translated by J.B. Lightfoot. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1989.

Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949.

Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963.

Edwards, Jonathan. The Works of Jonathan Edwards. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1974.

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Irenaeus. Against Heresies. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.

Luther, Martin. That These Words of Christ, “This is My Body,” etc., Still Stand Firm Against the Fanatics. In Luther’s Works, Volume 37. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1961.

Spurgeon, Charles H. The Treasury of David. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988.

Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper & Row, 1961.

The Belgic Confession. In Ecumenical Creeds and Reformed Confessions. Grand Rapids: CRC Publications, 1988.

The London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1981.

The Westminster Confession of Faith. Glasgow: Free Presbyterian Publications, 1994.

The Westminster Larger Catechism. Glasgow: Free Presbyterian Publications, 1994.

Footnotes

¹ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 1035.

² Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), Glossary.

³ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), Glossary.

⁴ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 896.

⁵ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 896.

⁶ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 896.

⁷ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

⁸ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 57.

⁹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56-57.

¹⁰ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 1365.

¹¹ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 1365.

¹² Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

¹³ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 896.

¹⁴ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 57.

¹⁵ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

¹⁶ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56-57.

¹⁷ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

¹⁸ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 57.

¹⁹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

²⁰ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

²¹ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 1034.

²² Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 35.

²³ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 56.

²⁴ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 60.

²⁵ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 60-61.

²⁶ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 57.

²⁷ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 57.

²⁸ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 54.

²⁹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 47.

³⁰ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 57.

³¹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 61.

³² Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 61.

³³ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 62.

³⁴ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 60-61.

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