In Awe of God’s Omnipresence (Part 3)

Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Will the Holy Spirit Leave During the Tribulation?

Sometimes 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 is used to teach that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the world before the tribulation begins. But how can this be true in light of the doctrine of omnipresence?

This problem is easily resolved. Even if we take the words “He who now restrains” (v. 7) to refer to the Holy Spirit—a view which I accept—there is no conflict. The Holy Spirit will indeed leave the Earth at the pretribulational rapture—but not in terms of His omnipresence. He will actually be very active upon the Earth during the years of the tribulation (see Ezek. 37:14 Rev 14:13; 22:17). He will leave only in the sense of ending the unique relationship that He came to have with church-age believers on the day of Pentecost (see John 14:16-17). No one would argue that His omnipresence was not evidenced before that time.

The Presence of God with the Believer

Some of the confusion that may trouble us as we grapple with the doctrine of God’s omnipresence will fade away when we keep a basic precept in mind. Ryrie summarizes the point as follows: “Omnipresence does not mean that the immediacy of His presence does not vary.”¹

Dr. Woodrow Kroll expounded upon this truth:

Because God is omnipresent, we are never out of His infinite presence. But there is a world of difference between His infinite presence and His intimate presence. Both King Saul and King David lived in God’s infinite presence, but only King David lived in His intimate presence.²

The believer may draw great comfort from the doctrine of God’s omnipresence. Just as God is with us always, so He is with us everywhere (see Matt. 28:20). Just as He never fails us, so He never forsakes us (Heb. 13:5). This is true not only in terms of days and difficulties but also in terms of distance. No matter how dark the night, no matter how threatening our surroundings, no matter how bleak our prospects—God is right there. As Ryrie states: “No person can escape the presence of God. This warns unbelievers and comforts believers who, because God is omnipresent, can practice the experience of His presence in every circumstance of life.”³

I will never forget our first day of touring in Germany, as we arrived to celebrate the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation, in September of 2017. The city of Wittenberg was our very first stop. The bus let our group out with two hours of free time around noon on a Friday, and our six days of exploring were officially about to begin.

Walking the streets of Wittenberg, in the shadow of the Castle Church where Luther posted his 95 theses on October 31, 1517, I stumbled into what we in America might call a military surplus store. It was filled with German military memorabilia.

I am not entirely sure of all that was in that store, because I did not take any pictures—and I did not stay very long! An elderly woman was kind enough to offer help (in German), but the store itself was dark, dusty, and musty. It smelled like mildew.

I don’t want to be driven by feelings but, in this case, it seemed that I could sense a level of spiritual darkness in that place. I was, frankly, repulsed and wanted to leave as quickly as I could.

Isn’t it amazing—here I was literally down the street from one of the greatest sites in all of church history … in a place that made me feel as far from God’s presence as I might ever hope to be.

I may not have felt it at that moment—but I know that God was still right there with me. And, as a believer, I don’t just acknowledge His infinite presence, but I can also experience His intimate presence.

Let us rejoice together, even with the limited understanding that our fallen, finite minds provide, in the astonishingly awesome doctrine of omnipresence.

This article first appeared in the Voice magazine (May/June 2022). Used by permission of IFCA International. The original article can be read at: https://www.ifca.org/file/b1eb0370-2323-11ed-a52f-25a71110f36e

Notes