Chapter 3: Transcendence and Immanence

Have you ever stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon and felt incredibly small? The vast expanse stretches beyond what your eyes can take in, making you realize there are things much bigger than yourself. Yet at the same moment, you might feel the warm sun on your face and a gentle breeze touching your skin—things that are intimately close and personal. This experience gives us a tiny glimpse into one of the most profound truths about God: He is both infinitely beyond us and intimately near us at the same time.

This beautiful paradox has puzzled and comforted believers for thousands of years. How can God be further away than the most distant star, yet closer to us than our own breath? How can He be so high above creation that the universe cannot contain Him, yet so near that He knows the number of hairs on our heads? The Bible teaches both truths without apology or embarrassment. God is both transcendent (above and beyond creation) and immanent (present within creation).

Unfortunately, Finis Jennings Dake’s teaching completely destroys this biblical balance. By making God into a being with a physical body who must travel from place to place, Dake pulls God down from His transcendent throne and limits Him to being just another creature—albeit a very powerful one—within the universe. This chapter will explore what Scripture really teaches about God’s transcendence and immanence, show how these two truths work together perfectly, and demonstrate how Dake’s errors rob God of His glory and leave believers with a diminished view of their Creator.

1. Understanding Transcendence: God Above and Beyond All Creation

The word “transcendent” comes from Latin words meaning “to climb over” or “to go beyond.” When we say God is transcendent, we mean He exists above and beyond everything He has made. He is not limited by space, time, or any of the boundaries that define created things. God doesn’t live within the universe as we do—He exists in a completely different category of being.

The prophet Isaiah captures this truth powerfully when he records God’s words: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NKJV). Notice that God doesn’t just say His thoughts are a little better than ours—He compares the difference to the distance between heaven and earth. That’s an unimaginable gap!

When Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, he understood this truth clearly. Despite building the most magnificent structure in Israel’s history as a dwelling place for God, Solomon prayed: “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). Think about what Solomon is saying here. The entire universe—every galaxy, every star, every planet—cannot contain God. He is bigger than it all, beyond it all, above it all.

The Bible repeatedly emphasizes God’s transcendence through various descriptions. In Isaiah 40:22, we read: “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in” (NKJV). From God’s transcendent perspective, the entire earth is like a small circle beneath Him, and all humanity appears as tiny as grasshoppers. The vast heavens that leave us speechless with wonder? To God, they’re like a curtain He can stretch out or a tent He can set up.

The Psalmist declares in Psalm 113:4-6: “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). Notice something remarkable here—God is so transcendent that He must “humble Himself” even to look at the heavens! The very heavens that dwarf our comprehension are beneath God’s exalted position.

God’s transcendence also means He exists outside of time as we know it. Moses writes in Psalm 90:2: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (NKJV). God doesn’t experience past, present, and future as we do. He exists in an eternal “now” that encompasses all of time simultaneously. Peter reminds us of this truth: “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8, NKJV).

This transcendence means God is completely self-sufficient and independent of creation. Paul proclaimed to the philosophers in Athens: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25, NKJV). God doesn’t need anything from creation because He exists in perfect completeness apart from it.

2. Understanding Immanence: God Present Within Creation

While God is transcendent, the Bible equally emphasizes that He is immanent—present within and throughout His creation. The word “immanent” comes from Latin words meaning “to remain in.” God doesn’t stay distant from His creation like an absent landlord. Instead, He is actively present throughout it, sustaining it, governing it, and working within it.

The same Paul who proclaimed God’s transcendence to the Athenians immediately declared His immanence: “He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28, NKJV). Think about the intimacy of this statement. We don’t just live near God or with God’s help—we live “in Him.” Our very existence, movement, and being depend on God’s immediate presence.

The Psalmist beautifully expresses God’s immanence in Psalm 139:7-10: “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” (NKJV). There is literally nowhere in creation where God is not present. From the highest heaven to the depths of Sheol, from the beginning of the day to the farthest reaches of the sea, God is there.

Jeremiah records God’s own testimony about His immanence: “‘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 fills all of creation—not like water fills a cup, but in a way that maintains His divine nature while being fully present everywhere.

God’s immanence is especially evident in His sustaining power over creation. Colossians 1:16-17 declares about Christ: “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” (NKJV). The word “consist” means “hold together.” If God withdrew His sustaining presence for even a moment, everything would cease to exist.

The writer of Hebrews emphasizes this same truth about Christ: “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3, NKJV). Every atom, every molecule, every planet, every galaxy is held in existence by God’s immediate, present power. This isn’t remote control—this is intimate, immediate presence.

God’s immanence means He is actively involved in the details of our lives. Jesus taught: “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31, NKJV). God is so present in creation that He notices when a single sparrow falls and knows the exact number of hairs on your head—details that change daily!

The Psalmist celebrates God’s intimate involvement in human life from conception: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth” (Psalm 139:13-15, NKJV). God wasn’t watching from a distance as we developed in the womb—He was actively involved in forming us.

3. The Biblical Balance: Neither Deism nor Pantheism

Throughout history, people have struggled to hold God’s transcendence and immanence together, often falling into one of two errors. Deism emphasizes transcendence so much that God becomes distant and uninvolved—like a clockmaker who wound up the universe and walked away. Pantheism emphasizes immanence so much that God becomes identical with creation—everything is God and God is everything. The Bible rejects both errors and maintains a perfect balance.

Scripture never presents transcendence and immanence as contradictory truths we must somehow reconcile. Instead, it presents them as complementary aspects of God’s infinite nature. Jeremiah 23:23-24, which we looked at earlier, holds both truths in perfect tension: God is both “near at hand” (immanent) and “afar off” (transcendent). He fills heaven and earth (immanent) while remaining distinct from them (transcendent).

Isaiah 57:15 beautifully captures this balance: “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones'” (NKJV). Notice how God describes Himself as both the “High and Lofty One” who “inhabits eternity” (transcendent) and also as dwelling “with him who has a contrite and humble spirit” (immanent). He doesn’t choose between being high or being near—He is both simultaneously.

This balance protects several crucial truths about God and creation. First, it maintains the Creator-creature distinction. God is not part of creation (against pantheism) but remains distinct from it as its 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). There is an absolute distinction between Creator and creature that must never be blurred.

Second, this balance ensures God’s genuine involvement with creation. God is not distant and detached (against deism) but actively present and involved. As Jesus promised His disciples: “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NKJV). This isn’t just spiritual sentiment—it’s the promise of God’s real presence with His people.

Third, this balance preserves both God’s holiness and His accessibility. Because God is transcendent, He remains holy, pure, and uncontaminated by evil. As Habakkuk 1:13 declares: “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness” (NKJV). Yet because God is immanent, He is accessible to us. Hebrews 4:16 encourages us: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (NKJV).

4. How Dake Destroys Transcendence: Making God a Creature Among Creatures

Now we come to the heart of the problem with Finis Dake’s teaching. By insisting that God has a physical body and must travel from place to place, Dake completely destroys God’s transcendence. He pulls God down from His position above and beyond creation and makes Him into merely another being within creation—essentially a creature among creatures, just with more power than the rest.

In his book “God’s Plan for Man,” Dake writes: “God is a person with a personal spirit body, a personal soul, and a personal spirit. He has a spirit body with a shape, and bodily parts, such as back parts, heart, hands and fingers, mouth, lips, tongue, feet, eyes, hair, head, face, arms, loins, and other parts” (God’s Plan for Man, p. 35). By giving God a physical body with spatial limitations, Dake has already destroyed transcendence. A being with a body exists within space, not beyond it. Such a being is contained within the universe, not transcendent over it.

Dake explicitly argues that when Scripture refers to God’s bodily parts, these descriptions must be taken literally. He writes: “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?”¹ Dake goes on to list “63 Facts About God,” including specific body parts: “He has a spirit body (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19; Isa. 6; Ez. 1; Rev. 4), Shape (Jn. 5:37), Form (Phil. 2:5-7), Image and likeness (Gen. 1:26; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9), Back parts (Ex. 33:23), Heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21), Hands (Ps. 102:25-26; Heb. 1:10), Fingers (Ps. 8:3-6; Ex. 31:18), Right hand (Rev. 5:1-7), Mouth (Num. 12:8; Isa. 1:20), Lips (Isa. 11:4; 30:27), Tongue (Isa. 30:27), Feet (Ex. 24:10; Ez. 1:27), Eyes (Ps. 11:4; 18:24; 33:18), Ears (Ps. 18:6; 34:15), Head (Dan. 7:9), Hair (Dan. 7:9), Arms (Ps. 44:3; Jn. 12:38).”²

Dake elaborates extensively on this literal interpretation of God’s body parts. He insists: “He has a heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21); hands and fingers (Exodus 31:18; Ps. 8:3-6; Rev. 5:1, 6-7); 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 goes even further, explicitly stating: “God goes from place to place in a body and functions as a man” (God’s Plan for Man, p. 96). Think about what this means. If God must “go from place to place,” then He is subject to spatial limitations like any creature. He cannot be above and beyond creation if He must travel within it like we do. This isn’t the transcendent God of Scripture who asks, “Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You” (1 Kings 8:27, NKJV).

Dake provides even more detail about God’s bodily activities, writing: “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.”⁹

Dake even describes Heaven as a “material planet” where God resides: “Heaven is a planet as real as the earth, having cities, mansions, houses, streets, gardens, parks, rivers, and all the things that earth has that are good” (God’s Plan for Man, p. 92). Dake elaborates extensively on this concept, teaching that “Heaven is a created planet like earth” and is a “material planet” that serves as “God’s dwelling place.”³ In Dake’s system, God doesn’t transcend the physical universe—He lives on a planet within it! This reduces God to being merely the most powerful resident of the universe rather than its transcendent Creator.

He further explains: “Heaven is a real place, a real country, a real planet, and a material land just like the Earth.”¹⁰ Dake even asserts that “God personally dwells in Heaven, not everywhere” and that “God has a body and goes from place to place like anybody else.”¹¹

The implications of Dake’s position become even more troubling when we consider what he says about God’s limitations. He writes: “God can be in only one place at one time with His body, but His presence can be felt everywhere by all who are in right relation with Him” (Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Psalm 139:7). Dake emphatically states: “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).”⁴ This explicitly denies God’s transcendence by limiting Him to one location at a time. A God who can be in “only one place at one time” is not transcendent—He is confined within the spatial dimensions of creation.

Dake reinforces this concept with an analogy: “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.”¹²

Consider how different this is from what Scripture teaches. The Bible says God “sits above the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22, NKJV), not that He travels around within it. Scripture declares that “the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 7:48, NKJV), not that He lives on a material planet. The Bible proclaims that God “inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15, NKJV), not that He moves through time and space like creatures do.

Dake tries to maintain that his God is still infinite and eternal, but these claims ring hollow when God has a body confined to space. How can a being with physical limitations be infinite? How can a God who travels from place to place be beyond the limitations of creation? Dake wants to have it both ways, but his position is logically incoherent. You cannot have a transcendent God with a physical body that exists in space and time.

5. How Dake Misunderstands Immanence: Reducing It to Psychological Experience

Not only does Dake destroy God’s transcendence, but he also fundamentally misunderstands His immanence. Instead of recognizing God’s actual presence throughout creation, Dake reduces divine immanence to a merely psychological or relational experience—something we “feel” rather than an objective reality.

Dake writes: “Presence is governed by relationship, not bodily sight. We have loved ones, a wife, husband, or children, and we feel their presence though not in bodily sight. One is just as conscious of the presence of loved ones at a distance as when in bodily contact” (God’s Plan for Man, p. 61-62). He further explains this concept: “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).”⁵ Notice how Dake has completely redefined divine presence. It’s no longer about God actually being present everywhere; it’s about people “feeling” His presence based on their relationship with Him.

Dake elaborates on this relational understanding of presence: “Presence is governed by relationship, not bodily contact only. Man has the same faculty that God has to make his presence felt by others, only it is on a finite scale. God’s attribute of presence is infinite, but it works literally on the same principle as that of man. It is governed by relationship and knowledge as well as bodily sight.”¹³ He provides a personal illustration: “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.”¹⁴

This is a catastrophic misunderstanding of biblical immanence. When the Bible says God fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24), it doesn’t mean people everywhere feel warm feelings about God. It means God is actually, objectively present throughout creation. When David asks, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7, NKJV), he’s not talking about being unable to escape feeling God’s presence—he’s talking about God’s actual, inescapable presence everywhere.

Think about the difference this makes. In Dake’s view, God’s presence depends on human consciousness and relationship. If you’re not in “right relation” with God, or if you’re not conscious of Him, then His presence isn’t there. But the Bible teaches that God is present whether anyone feels it or not, whether they believe in Him or not, whether they’re in relationship with Him or not.

Dake explicitly connects God’s presence to human awareness: “Men who do not know God seldom, if ever, feel His presence. They never do except as their creative spirit begins to think of where they came from, why they are here, and where they are going; when they give the Holy Spirit on Earth a chance to reason with them; when there are times of serious meditation; when some trouble comes; or when someone brings the knowledge of God to them. Then they know that there is a real God some place. They do not really realize and feel His presence, though, until they get to know about Him and begin to conform to His will.”¹⁵

Consider Jacob’s experience at Bethel. After his dream of the ladder reaching to heaven, Jacob exclaimed: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” (Genesis 28:16, NKJV). God was present there the entire time, but Jacob wasn’t aware of it. God’s presence didn’t depend on Jacob’s awareness or feelings—it was an objective reality that Jacob discovered.

The Bible is clear that God is present even with those who reject Him. Amos 9:1-4 describes God’s inescapable presence even in judgment: “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; though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them” (NKJV). These people are fleeing from God, certainly not feeling His presence in a positive relational way, yet God is present to judge them.

Jonah learned this lesson dramatically. He tried to flee “from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3, NKJV) by sailing to Tarshish. But he discovered you cannot escape God’s presence by geographical relocation. God was present in the storm, in the great fish, and in Nineveh. Jonah’s feelings about God or his relationship with God didn’t determine God’s presence—God was objectively present regardless.

Even in hell itself, God is present. Psalm 139:8 declares: “If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” (NKJV). The souls in hell are certainly not enjoying a positive relationship with God or feeling His presence in a comforting way, yet God is present there in judgment. Revelation 14:10 speaks of the torment of the wicked taking place “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (NKJV).

By reducing God’s presence to a felt experience based on relationship, Dake has made God’s immanence subjective and variable. In his system, God is present to some people and not to others, present at some times and not at others, all depending on human consciousness and relationship. This is not the omnipresent God of Scripture who declares: “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24, NKJV).

6. The Westminster Confession’s Clear Teaching

To understand how far Dake has strayed from orthodox Christian teaching, it’s helpful to examine what the historic confessions of the church say about God’s omnipresence. The Westminster Confession of Faith, one of the most influential Protestant confessions, provides crystal-clear teaching that directly contradicts Dake’s errors.

The Westminster Confession states: “God is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute” (WCF 2.1). Notice the explicit statement that God is “without body, parts, or passions.” This directly contradicts Dake’s claim that God has a physical body with various parts.

The Confession uses the word “immense” to describe God, which in theological terminology refers to God’s infinity with respect to space—He is not measured by or contained within space. The Westminster Larger Catechism explains this further, stating that God is “infinite in being and perfection” and “most free from all limitations” (WLC Q. 7). A God who must travel from place to place is neither immense nor free from limitations.

The Westminster divines understood that God’s omnipresence flows from His spiritual nature and His immensity. The Shorter Catechism asks, “Where is God?” and answers, “God is everywhere present” (WSC Q. 4). This isn’t qualified with “God’s presence can be felt everywhere” or “God can make His presence known everywhere.” It’s an absolute statement: God IS everywhere present.

Similarly, the London Baptist Confession of 1689, following the Westminster pattern, declares: “God is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite” (2LCF 2.1). Again, we see the explicit denial of God having a body or parts, and the affirmation of His immensity.

The Heidelberg Catechism, from the Reformed tradition, asks: “Is God also a man as we are?” and answers: “God is indeed a real and eternal Spirit, but man was created by God in His own image” (Q. 4). It further explains God’s presence: “He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live, and move, and are” (Commentary on Q. 27).

These confessions represent the consensus of Protestant orthodoxy developed through careful study of Scripture and refined through centuries of theological reflection. They unanimously affirm that God is spirit without body, that He is immense and infinite, and that He is truly present everywhere. Dake’s teaching stands in direct opposition to this unified testimony of the church.

The consistency of these confessional statements is remarkable. Whether Presbyterian, Baptist, or Reformed, whether from the 16th, 17th, or later centuries, they all affirm the same fundamental truths about God’s nature and presence. This isn’t because they’re copying each other blindly, but because they’re all drawing from the same biblical wells of truth.

7. Christ’s Omnipresence: The Ultimate Test Case

One of the clearest proofs that Dake’s understanding is wrong comes from considering the omnipresence of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Christ, in His divine nature, is omnipresent, while in His human nature, He has a localized body. This distinction helps us understand why Dake’s application of bodily limitations to God the Father is so problematic.

Jesus Himself claimed omnipresence in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (NKJV). Think about this claim. At any given moment, there are thousands of gatherings of believers around the world. Jesus promises to be present in the midst of all of them simultaneously. This is impossible for someone with a localized body who must travel from place to place.

Even more explicitly, Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20: “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (NKJV). He made this promise to all His disciples, who would soon scatter across the known world. How could Jesus be with all of them always if He were limited to one location at a time? Only if He possesses divine omnipresence.

The apostle Paul understood Christ’s omnipresence when he wrote in Ephesians 1:23 that Christ is “Him who fills all in all” (NKJV). You cannot fill “all in all” if you’re limited to one location. Paul further declares in Colossians 3:11 that “Christ is all and in all” (NKJV). These are statements of omnipresence, not mere influence or felt presence.

How do we reconcile this with the fact that Jesus has a human body? The answer lies in understanding the two natures of Christ. The Chalcedonian Creed, formulated in 451 AD, clarifies that Christ has two natures—divine and human—united in one person. These natures are “without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.”

In His divine nature, Christ is omnipresent, filling all things. In His human nature, Christ has a real body that was born in Bethlehem, walked the dusty roads of Palestine, died on a cross in Jerusalem, rose bodily from the dead, and ascended bodily into heaven where He remains until His return. The Westminster Confession explains: “Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself” (WCF 8.7).

This is crucial for understanding why Dake’s position is impossible. Dake wants to give God the Father a body like Christ’s human body, but this would eliminate divine omnipresence entirely. If the Father has a localized body, and the Son (in Dake’s system) would presumably have only His human body, and if the Spirit also has a body (as Dake claims), then you have three localized beings, none of whom are omnipresent. This destroys both the Trinity and the biblical doctrine of God.

The early church father Athanasius understood this well when he wrote about Christ: “He was not bound by His body, but rather was Himself wielding it, so that He was not only in it, but was actually in everything, and while external to the universe, He yet abides in His Father only” (On the Incarnation, 17). Even while incarnate, Christ’s divine nature remained omnipresent.

The Lutheran Formula of Concord addresses this directly: “We believe, teach, and confess that the Son of God, although He has been from eternity a distinct and complete person, and in the fullness of time assumed human nature, nevertheless, is not two persons but one Christ, one Son of God and Son of Man” (Epitome VIII). It goes on to affirm that Christ’s divine nature retains all divine attributes, including omnipresence.

8. Practical Implications: How This Doctrine Affects Our Daily Lives

The proper understanding of God’s transcendence and immanence isn’t just theological theory—it has profound implications for how we live every day as Christians. When we grasp both truths correctly, it transforms our prayer life, our worship, our pursuit of holiness, our comfort in trials, and our motivation for mission.

For Prayer: Because God is transcendent, we can pray with confidence knowing we’re speaking to the sovereign Lord of the universe who has power over all things. Because God is immanent, we know He is near to hear us and doesn’t need to travel from some distant location to help us. As James 4:8 promises: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (NKJV).

Consider how different this is from Dake’s system. If God has a body and is localized somewhere in the universe, how can we be sure He’s listening to our prayers? Is He close enough to hear? Is He paying attention to us or dealing with something else somewhere else? The biblical truth of God’s omnipresence assures us that God is always present to hear every prayer instantly. As the Psalmist declares: “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely” (Psalm 139:4, NIV).

For Comfort: The balanced truth of God’s transcendence and immanence provides unshakeable comfort in trials. Because God is transcendent, we know He is sovereign over our circumstances and nothing happens outside His control. Because He is immanent, we know He is with us in the midst of our sufferings. Isaiah 43:2 beautifully captures both truths: “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).

The God who promises to be with us isn’t limited by space or time. He doesn’t have to rush from one crisis to another. He is fully present with every one of His children in their moment of need. When a believer in China cries out in persecution while simultaneously a believer in Nigeria faces danger and a believer in South America struggles with loss, God is fully present with each one. This is impossible in Dake’s system but gloriously true in biblical theology.

For Holiness: Understanding God’s omnipresence is a powerful motivation for holy living. Because God is present everywhere, there is no secret place where we can hide our sin. Proverbs 15:3 warns: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (NKJV). This isn’t about God trying to catch us doing wrong—it’s about living with the conscious awareness that we always live coram Deo—before the face of God.

If Dake were correct and God had to travel from place to place, we might imagine we could sin when He’s not looking or present. But the omnipresent God sees all, knows all, and is present everywhere. As Hebrews 4:13 reminds 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).

For Missions: The truth of God’s omnipresence gives us confidence in spreading the gospel. We’re not trying to bring God to places where He’s absent—He’s already there! When missionaries enter unreached areas, God has been present there all along, preparing hearts and orchestrating circumstances. Paul could confidently enter pagan cities knowing that God was already at work there.

Jesus emphasized this in the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… and lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV). We go with confidence not because we bring God with us, but because He’s already present everywhere we go and promises His special presence with those who obey His commission.

For Worship: Understanding God’s transcendence and immanence revolutionizes worship. His transcendence calls us to approach Him with reverence and awe. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 warns: “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God… Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (NKJV).

Yet His immanence invites us to worship Him with intimacy and joy, knowing He is present with us. Jesus taught that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23, NKJV)—not in a specific location, because God is present everywhere. Whether we gather in a cathedral, a home, or under a tree, God is equally present to receive our worship.

9. Common Questions About Transcendence and Immanence

As we consider these profound truths about God’s nature, several questions naturally arise. Let’s address some of the most common ones with biblical clarity.

Question 1: If God is transcendent and beyond space, how can He also be present within space?

This question touches on the mystery of God’s infinite nature. The answer is that God’s presence in space doesn’t limit Him to space. Think of it this way: when sunlight enters a room, the sun itself isn’t contained by the room. The sun remains in the sky, transcendent over the room, while its light fills the space. This analogy is imperfect (as all analogies about God are), but it helps us understand that God can be present within creation without being limited by it.

Scripture affirms both truths without seeing them as contradictory. In Isaiah 66:1, God declares: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool” (NKJV), showing His transcendence over creation. Yet in the same book, Isaiah 57:15 says God dwells “with him who has a contrite and humble spirit” (NKJV), showing His immanent presence. God is big enough to do both!

Question 2: Doesn’t the Bible say that sin separates us from God? How can God be present with sinners?

Yes, Isaiah 59:2 does say: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (NKJV). However, this separation is relational, not spatial. Sin breaks our fellowship with God and brings us under His judgment, but it doesn’t cause God to be spatially absent.

Consider Adam and Eve after they sinned. Genesis 3:8 says they “heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden” and hid themselves. God was still present—it was their relationship with Him that was broken. Similarly, when Cain killed Abel, God was present to confront him immediately (Genesis 4:9-10). Sin separates us from God’s blessing and fellowship, not from His presence.

Question 3: If God fills all things, doesn’t that make everything divine (pantheism)?

No, and this is a crucial distinction. God fills all things by His presence and power, but He remains distinct from creation. When we fill a glass with water, the water and glass remain two distinct things. Similarly (though the analogy is imperfect), God’s presence fills creation while He remains distinct from it.

Paul makes this clear in Acts 17:24-25: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (NKJV). God is the Creator, distinct from His creation, even while being present throughout it.

Question 4: How can God be present in hell if hell is separation from God?

Hell is separation from God’s blessing, love, and fellowship—not from His presence as such. Psalm 139:8 explicitly states: “If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” (NKJV). In hell, God is present in judgment and wrath rather than in grace and mercy.

Revelation 14:10 describes the fate of those who worship the beast: “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (NKJV). The torment occurs “in the presence of the Lamb,” not in His absence. It’s the quality of God’s presence (judgment rather than blessing) that makes hell terrible, not His absence.

Question 5: When the Bible speaks of God “coming down” or “visiting,” doesn’t this imply He wasn’t present before?

These expressions refer to God’s special manifestation or intervention, not to His becoming present where He was previously absent. When God “came down” to see the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5), He wasn’t absent before—He was manifesting His presence in a special way for judgment.

Similarly, when we read that “the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20, NKJV), this was a special theophanic manifestation, not God arriving where He hadn’t been. God was already present everywhere, but He chose to manifest His presence in a unique, visible way at that specific location for a specific purpose.

10. The Historical Development of These Doctrines

Understanding how the church has historically understood God’s transcendence and immanence helps us appreciate the depth of these truths and see how far Dake has departed from orthodox Christianity. From the earliest days of the church, Christians have affirmed both God’s transcendence over creation and His immanence within it.

The early church fathers were clear about God’s transcendence. Irenaeus (130-202 AD) wrote: “God is not as men are; and His thoughts are not like the thoughts of men. For the Father of all is at a vast distance from those affections and passions which operate among men. He is a simple, uncompounded Being, without diverse members” (Against Heresies, Book II, Chapter 13). Notice how Irenaeus emphasizes God’s transcendence over human categories and His spiritual simplicity.

Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD) taught: “God is beyond place and time and name and thought” (Stromata, Book V, Chapter 11). This clearly affirms God’s transcendence over all created categories, including spatial location—directly contradicting Dake’s view of a God with a body who travels from place to place.

Augustine (354-430 AD), perhaps the most influential church father after the apostolic age, wrote extensively about God’s omnipresence. In his Confessions, he beautifully expressed both transcendence and immanence: “You were more inward than my most inward part and higher than my highest” (Book III, Chapter 6). Augustine understood that God is both more transcendent than we can imagine and more intimate than we can comprehend.

Augustine also explicitly rejected the idea that God has a body: “God is not a body, not earth, not heaven, not sun, not moon, not stars, not this ethereal light which is invisible to us, not any body whatsoever” (Confessions, Book VII, Chapter 1). He understood that attributing a body to God would destroy His transcendence and make Him a creature.

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the great medieval theologian, developed these ideas with philosophical precision. In his Summa Theologica, he wrote: “God is in all things; not, indeed, as part of their essence, nor as an accident, but as an agent is present to that upon which it works… God is in all things by His essence, presence, and power” (Part I, Question 8, Article 3). Aquinas carefully maintained both God’s transcendence (He’s not part of creation’s essence) and His immanence (He’s present by His power).

Aquinas also argued strongly against God having a body: “It is impossible that God should be a body. For no body is in motion unless it be put in motion… But it has been already proved that God is the First Mover, and is Himself unmoved. Therefore it is clear that God is not a body” (Summa Theologica, Part I, Question 3, Article 1).

During the Protestant Reformation, the Reformers continued to affirm these truths. Martin Luther 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 Still Stand Firm, 1527). Yet Luther was careful to maintain God’s transcendence, adding that God is also “beyond all creatures.”

John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, wrote: “God, by the incomprehensible power of His Spirit, holds together all the parts of the world, how base or vile soever they may be, we must admit that His glory is displayed in all places” (Book I, Chapter 14, Section 20). Calvin saw God’s omnipresence as essential to His sustaining of creation.

The Puritan theologian Stephen Charnock wrote an extensive treatise on God’s attributes, including His omnipresence. He stated: “God is essentially present with all creatures; there is no place where He is not, no place where He can be absent” (The Existence and Attributes of God, Discourse 4). Charnock carefully explained how God’s presence differs from created presence—God is wholly present everywhere, not partially present as creatures are.

11. Modern Challenges and Ancient Truths

In our modern age, with our scientific understanding of the vast universe, some might think the biblical doctrine of God’s transcendence and immanence needs updating. After all, the biblical writers didn’t know about galaxies billions of light-years away or subatomic particles. Does their teaching still hold up?

The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, modern discoveries about the universe’s vastness and complexity only magnify our understanding of God’s transcendence and immanence. The God who is present in every subatomic particle while transcending billions of galaxies is even more awesome than ancient people could have imagined.

Consider what modern astronomy tells us. The observable universe contains an estimated two trillion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. The distances are so vast that light from the most distant galaxies takes over 13 billion years to reach us. Yet the Bible’s teaching remains true: “Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You” (1 Kings 8:27, NKJV). The bigger we discover the universe to be, the greater God’s transcendence appears.

At the same time, quantum physics has revealed the intricate complexity of the subatomic world. Particles smaller than we can imagine follow laws of breathtaking mathematical precision. The Bible’s teaching remains true here too: God “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3, NKJV). The more complex we discover matter to be, the more amazing God’s immanent sustaining power appears.

This is why Dake’s reduction of God to a being with a physical body is so tragic. At the very moment when scientific discovery is revealing the universe’s mind-boggling scale and complexity, Dake would have us believe in a God who has to travel from place to place like a cosmic commuter. This doesn’t make God more real or relatable—it makes Him absurdly small compared to His creation.

12. Dake’s Specific Arguments Examined and Refuted

To fully address Dake’s errors, we need to examine his specific arguments for why he believes God has a body and is not truly omnipresent. By carefully analyzing his reasoning, we can see where he goes wrong and why his conclusions contradict Scripture.

Dake’s Argument 1: “The Bible says God has hands, eyes, feet, etc., so He must have a body.”

Dake frequently points to biblical passages that mention God’s body parts as proof that God has a physical form. He writes: “God has a spirit body with a shape, and bodily parts, such as back parts, heart, hands and fingers, mouth, lips, tongue, feet, eyes, hair, head, face, arms, loins, and other parts” (God’s Plan for Man, p. 35).

This argument fails because it doesn’t understand anthropomorphic language. Anthropomorphism is when we describe God using human characteristics to help us understand Him. The Bible uses this literary device frequently, but it also makes clear that God is spirit (John 4:24) and doesn’t have a physical body.

Consider how the Bible also says God has “wings” and that we can hide “under the shadow of His wings” (Psalm 91:4). Does this mean God is a giant bird? Of course not! It’s metaphorical language expressing God’s protection. Similarly, when the Bible speaks of God’s “eyes” seeing or His “hand” acting, it’s using human language to describe God’s knowledge and power, not claiming He has physical eyes or hands.

The Bible itself tells us these descriptions aren’t literal. Numbers 23:19 states: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent” (NKJV). 1 Samuel 15:29 adds: “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent” (NKJV). God explicitly distinguishes Himself from human beings with bodies.

Dake’s Argument 2: “Man was made in God’s image, so God must look like man.”

Dake argues that since Genesis 1:26-27 says humans were made in God’s image, God must have a physical form like ours. This fundamentally misunderstands what the “image of God” means in Scripture.

The image of God in humanity refers primarily to our spiritual, rational, and moral capacities—not our physical form. We bear God’s image in our ability to reason, to make moral choices, to create, to love, and to have dominion over creation. Colossians 3:10 speaks of “the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (NKJV). Notice it’s about knowledge, not physical appearance.

Ephesians 4:24 describes the image as “true righteousness and holiness” (NKJV), not physical form. If the image of God meant physical appearance, then we would lose the image when our bodies decay, but the Bible never suggests this.

Dake’s Argument 3: “The Bible says people saw God, so He must have a visible body.”

Dake points to passages where people “saw” God as evidence for God having a body. He catalogs an extensive list of biblical appearances where “God has been seen bodily by human eyes many times,” including appearances to Adam and Eve, Cain, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah, David, Isaiah, and others.⁶ However, the Bible explicitly states that no one has seen God in His essential nature. John 1:18 declares: “No one has seen God at any time” (NKJV). 1 Timothy 6:16 says God “alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (NKJV).

When the Bible speaks of people “seeing” God, it refers to theophanies—temporary, visible manifestations of God for specific purposes. These aren’t God’s essential nature but accommodations to human limitation. When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God replied: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20, NKJV). God then allowed Moses to see His “back”—a partial, accommodated revelation, not God’s essential being.

Dake provides a list of biblical examples: “Abraham made a dinner for God and two angels and they actually ate food (Gen. 18). Jacob had a physical wrestling match with God all night (Gen. 32:24-30). Moses talked with God face to face (Exodus 33:11-23). Seventy-four elders of Israel had a banquet with God in Sinai (Exodus 24:9-11). Joshua and all Israel saw God with a sword in His hand (Josh. 5:13-15). Gideon (Judg. 6:11-23), Manoah and wife (Judg. 13:3-23), David (1 Chron. 21:15-17), Job (42:5), Isaiah (6:1-13), Amos (9:1), and others saw God standing on the ground, sitting on thrones, and having bodily parts like man.”¹⁶ However, these were special theophanies, not God’s essential being.

Dake’s Argument 4: “Heaven is a material place, so God who dwells there must be material.”

Dake claims: “Heaven is a planet as real as the earth, having cities, mansions, houses, streets, gardens, parks, rivers, and all the things that earth has that are good” (God’s Plan for Man, p. 92). He reasons that if Heaven is physical, God must be physical to live there.

This argument makes multiple errors. First, even if Heaven has physical dimensions (which is debatable), this doesn’t mean God is physical. God can manifest His presence in physical places without being physical Himself, just as He was specially present in the temple without being confined to it.

Second, the Bible teaches that God transcends Heaven itself. “Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You” (1 Kings 8:27, NKJV). God doesn’t need a physical place to exist because He existed before He created any places. As Psalm 90:2 states: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (NKJV).

13. The Trinity and Omnipresence

One of the most serious problems with Dake’s view becomes apparent when we consider the doctrine of the Trinity. Orthodox Christianity teaches that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God in three persons, sharing the same divine essence and attributes, including omnipresence. Dake’s view makes this impossible.

If God the Father has a body and is localized in Heaven, as Dake claims, then He cannot be omnipresent. Dake tries to maintain that the Father is still somehow omnipresent through His “felt presence,” but we’ve seen this is a redefinition of omnipresence, not the real thing. Dake teaches that “All three go from place to place bodily as other beings in the universe do,” referring to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.⁷ The same problem would apply to the Son and the Spirit if they have bodies, as Dake suggests.

Dake explicitly teaches that all three persons of the Godhead have separate bodies: “If the fact is revealed that there are three separate distinct beings in the Deity or Godhead, this would be sufficient to warrant the conclusion that each of them have separate bodies, souls, and spirits, like all other separate and distinct beings… If they are separate and distinct persons, then each one would have to have His own personality, spirit-body, soul, spirit, and His own individuality in every sense that it is understood and required of any other person in existence.”¹⁷ He further argues: “Since there are three persons entirely separate and distinct from each other, it is only reasonable that each of them are the same in substance and nature, and that they all have had from eternity the same kind of spirit-bodies, soul passions, and spirit-faculties.”¹⁸

You would end up with three separate, localized beings—essentially three gods, not one God in three persons. This is tritheism, not the Trinity. The three persons of the Trinity are distinguished by their personal relations, not by having different bodies or being in different locations.

The Bible clearly teaches the omnipresence of each person of the Trinity. We’ve already seen that the Son is omnipresent (Matthew 18:20, 28:20; Ephesians 1:23). The Holy Spirit is also omnipresent. Psalm 139:7 asks: “Where can I go from Your Spirit?” (NKJV). The Spirit’s omnipresence is essential to His work of indwelling all believers simultaneously (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The Father’s omnipresence is equally clear. Jesus said: “the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10, NKJV). The Father was in Christ while Christ was on earth, yet Jesus also spoke of the Father being in Heaven. The Father can be in Heaven and on earth simultaneously because He is omnipresent.

The Westminster Confession beautifully summarizes the Trinity: “In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost” (WCF 2.3). Notice—”one substance, power, and eternity.” The three persons share all divine attributes, including omnipresence. They are not three separate beings in three separate locations.

14. Responding to Dake’s Followers

Those who have been influenced by Dake’s teaching often raise certain objections when confronted with orthodox doctrine. It’s important to address these with patience and biblical truth.

Objection 1: “You’re making God too abstract and philosophical. Dake makes God more real and personal.”

This objection misunderstands what makes God personal. Personality doesn’t require a body—it requires mind, will, and the capacity for relationship. God has all these without needing a physical form. In fact, limiting God to a body makes Him less personal to most people, not more. How can a God who has to travel from place to place have a personal relationship with billions of people simultaneously?

The omnipresent God of Scripture is infinitely more personal because He can be fully present with each of His children all the time. As David testified: “You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me” (Psalm 139:5, NKJV). This intimate, personal presence is impossible if God has a localized body.

Objection 2: “If God doesn’t have a body, how can we see Him in Heaven?”

The Bible does speak of believers seeing God (Matthew 5:8; 1 John 3:2), but this doesn’t require God to have a physical body. God can manifest Himself visibly to glorified humans in Heaven without having a permanent physical form. Remember, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, but God isn’t a bush. He appeared as a pillar of fire and cloud to Israel, but He isn’t fire or cloud.

In Heaven, with our glorified bodies and perfected natures, we’ll be able to perceive God in ways we cannot now. As 1 Corinthians 13:12 promises: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (NKJV). This “face to face” knowledge doesn’t require God to have a physical face—it speaks of direct, unmediated fellowship.

Objection 3: “Jesus has a body, so why can’t the Father?”

Jesus has a human body because He became incarnate—He took on human nature while remaining fully divine. This was unique to the Son and was for the specific purpose of our redemption. The incarnation was an addition of human nature to the divine person of the Son, not a revelation that God always had a body.

Philippians 2:6-7 explains that Christ, “being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (NKJV). The incarnation was a voluntary humiliation, not a revelation of God’s eternal form.

15. Conclusion: Returning to Biblical Balance

As we conclude this examination of God’s transcendence and immanence, we must return to the glorious biblical balance that Dake’s teaching destroys. The God of Scripture is not a limited being with a body who travels from place to place. He is the infinite, eternal, omnipresent Spirit who transcends all creation while being intimately present throughout it.

This balanced truth has profound implications for our faith and life. Because God is transcendent, we worship Him with reverence and awe, knowing He is infinitely greater than we can comprehend. As Psalm 145:3 declares: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable” (NKJV). We don’t worship a super-powered creature but the Creator of all things.

Because God is immanent, we can draw near to Him with confidence, knowing He is always present to hear, help, and heal. We’re never alone, never abandoned, never beyond His reach. As Deuteronomy 31:6 promises: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (NKJV).

The proper understanding of these truths protects us from both cold deism (God is distant and uncaring) and confused pantheism (everything is God). It preserves the Creator-creature distinction while assuring us of God’s intimate involvement with His creation. It maintains God’s holiness while proclaiming His accessibility through Christ.

Dake’s errors might seem like technical theological mistakes that don’t really matter for practical Christian living. But theology matters because what we believe about God shapes everything else. If we believe in a limited God with a body who must travel from place to place, our prayers become uncertain, our comfort in trials evaporates, our worship loses its foundation, and our understanding of salvation becomes confused.

The church has consistently taught for two thousand years that God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and omnipresent—transcendent over all creation yet immanent within it. This isn’t because of stubborn tradition but because this is what Scripture clearly teaches. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible presents God as the infinite Creator who fills heaven and earth while transcending both.

Common Questions About This Chapter’s Content

Q1: Why does it matter whether God has a body or not? Isn’t this just theological hair-splitting?

A: This is actually a fundamental issue that affects everything else we believe about God. If God has a body, He becomes limited by space and time like creatures. He cannot be truly omnipresent, omniscient, or omnipotent. Prayer becomes uncertain (is God close enough to hear?), comfort in trials disappears (is God here with me?), and worship loses its foundation (why worship a being who’s just bigger than us rather than qualitatively different?). This isn’t hair-splitting—it’s about the very nature of the God we worship.

Q2: How can God be both far away (transcendent) and close (immanent) at the same time?

A: This seems paradoxical to our finite minds because we’re used to physical objects that can only be in one place at a time. But God is not a physical object—He is infinite Spirit. Think of it like this: the law of gravity is transcendent over any particular object (it’s not contained in any object) yet immanent within all objects (it affects everything). This is an imperfect analogy, but it helps us see how something can be both beyond particular things and present within them. God, being infinite, can be both infinitely beyond creation and intimately present within it.

Q3: If God is present everywhere, does that mean He’s present in evil places or with evil people?

A: Yes, God is present everywhere, including where evil occurs, but His presence there is different from His presence with believers. God is present in judgment with the wicked, not in blessing. He sees all evil and will judge it. His presence doesn’t make Him contaminated by evil any more than sunlight is contaminated by shining on garbage. God remains holy and pure while being present everywhere. This is actually necessary for God’s justice—He must be present to witness and judge evil.

Q4: Doesn’t Jesus having a body prove that divine persons can have bodies?

A: No, this actually proves the opposite. The Son of God took on human nature in the incarnation—something unique and extraordinary. Philippians 2:6-7 presents this as an amazing condescension, not business as usual. If divine persons naturally had bodies, the incarnation wouldn’t be special. The fact that the Bible presents the incarnation as remarkable shows that having a body is not normal for deity. Moreover, even in the incarnation, Christ’s divine nature remains omnipresent while His human nature is localized.

Q5: How should I respond to someone who follows Dake’s teaching on this subject?

A: Respond with patience, love, and biblical truth. Start by asking them to read key passages like John 4:24 (God is Spirit), 1 Kings 8:27 (heaven cannot contain God), and Jeremiah 23:24 (God fills heaven and earth). Show them how Dake’s view creates logical contradictions and theological problems. Point them to the consistent testimony of church history. Most importantly, help them see how the biblical view of God’s omnipresence is more comforting and glorious than Dake’s limited God. Pray for wisdom and gentleness as you discuss these important truths.

Contrasting Biblical Orthodoxy with Dake’s Errors

To clearly see how far Dake has departed from biblical truth, let’s examine specific contrasts between orthodox Christian doctrine and Dake’s teaching:

These contrasts show that Dake hasn’t merely offered a different interpretation of minor details—he has fundamentally redefined the nature of God in ways that contradict both Scripture and the unanimous testimony of Christian orthodoxy.

Scripture Memory and Meditation

As we conclude this chapter, here are key Scriptures to memorize and meditate upon regarding God’s transcendence and immanence:

On God’s Transcendence:

• “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9, NKJV)

• “Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You” (1 Kings 8:27, NKJV)

• “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens” (Psalm 113:4, NKJV)

On God’s Immanence:

• “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28, NKJV)

• “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7, NKJV)

• “Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:24, NKJV)

On Both Together:

• “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit'” (Isaiah 57:15, NKJV)

• “‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘And not a God afar off?'” (Jeremiah 23:23, NKJV)

Prayer of Response

Let us close this chapter with a prayer that celebrates both God’s transcendence and immanence:

Infinite and Eternal God,

We worship You as the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity. You are above all, beyond all, greater than all we can imagine or comprehend. The heaven of heavens cannot contain You, yet You stoop to dwell with the humble and contrite.

We thank You that though You transcend all creation, You are not distant from us. In You we live and move and have our being. There is nowhere we can go from Your Spirit, no place we can flee from Your presence. You are our ever-present help in trouble.

Forgive us for the times we have tried to reduce You to our categories, to limit You to our understanding, to confine You to what makes sense to our finite minds. Help us to worship You as You have revealed Yourself—infinite yet intimate, transcendent yet immanent, high above all yet dwelling with the lowly.

Protect Your church from teachings that would diminish Your glory. Give us wisdom to discern truth from error, and courage to stand for biblical orthodoxy even when novel ideas seem appealing. Help us to pass on the faith once delivered to the saints, unchanged and uncompromised.

May our lives reflect the wonder of serving a God who is both infinitely great and intimately near. In Jesus’ name, who perfectly reveals Your nature, we pray. Amen.

For Further Study

To deepen your understanding of God’s transcendence and immanence, consider these recommended resources:

Classical Works:

• Augustine, Confessions (especially Books VII and X)

• Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part I, Questions 3-8

• Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God, Discourse IV on Divine Omnipresence

Reformation and Puritan Works:

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book I, Chapters 11-13

• John Owen, The Nature of God

• Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity

Modern Works:

• A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, Chapters 13-14

• J.I. Packer, Knowing God, Chapters 6-8

• Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapter 11

• R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

Specific Responses to Dake’s Errors:

• Various theological reviews and critiques available from conservative theological journals

• Comparative studies of orthodox theology versus aberrant teachings

Footnotes

¹ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 896.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid., 1034.

⁴ Ibid., 1035.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid., 92.

⁷ Ibid., 489.

⁸ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1977), 57.

⁹ Ibid., 57.

¹⁰ Ibid., 834.

¹¹ Ibid., 61.

¹² Ibid., 60-61.

¹³ Ibid., 61.

¹⁴ Ibid., 61-62.

¹⁵ Ibid., 62.

¹⁶ Ibid., 53.

¹⁷ Ibid., 448.

¹⁸ Ibid., 448.

Bibliography

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.

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. 2 vols. Reprint. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

Clement of Alexandria. Stromata. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing, 1885.

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

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

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

The Heidelberg Catechism. Grand Rapids: CRC Publications, 1988.

Irenaeus. Against Heresies. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing, 1885.

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

Owen, John. The Works of John Owen. Edited by William H. Goold. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1965.

Packer, J.I. Knowing God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973.

Sproul, R.C. The Holiness of God. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1985.

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

Watson, Thomas. A Body of Divinity. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1958.

The Westminster Confession of Faith. Atlanta: Committee for Christian Education & Publications, 1990.

The Westminster Larger Catechism. Atlanta: Committee for Christian Education & Publications, 1990.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism. Atlanta: Committee for Christian Education & Publications, 1990.

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