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The Supernatural Presence of God in Scripture and Experience

The supernatural presence of God is a foundational concept in biblical thought, evidenced by divine actions and communications that transcend natural laws and human capabilities [2, 6]. The Bible consistently portrays God as actively involved in the world, performing "signs and wonders" that demonstrate his power and authority [1, 3, 5].

One primary way God's supernatural presence is revealed is through miracles. An event is considered a miracle when it is "brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses" [2]. Such occurrences are "above nature and above man," indicating an intervention that is not limited by the fixed laws governing matter or mind [2]. For instance, Nebuchadnezzar recounts the "signs and wonders" that the "Most High God worked for me," acknowledging their extraordinary nature [3]. Adam Clarke, commenting on Daniel 4:3, emphasizes that God's "preternatural signs" and "miraculous interferences" surpass all human power, demonstrating his "all-governing influence" [11]. John Gill similarly notes that God "thundereth marvellously with his voice," producing effects that are "almost incredible" were they not well-attested [12]. These miraculous interventions serve to authenticate God's divine commission of religious teachers and the truth of their messages [2].

Beyond overt miracles, God's supernatural presence is also manifested through revelation and inspiration. Revelation is defined as "an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen" [6]. God has chosen to make a "supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans" in various ways and at different times, which has been committed to writing under the guidance of his Spirit [6]. The Scriptures are not merely a record of revelation but are the revelation itself in written form, ensuring its accurate preservation and propagation [6]. Inspiration, closely related to revelation, refers to the "extraordinary or supernatural divine influence" vouchsafed to the biblical writers, rendering their writings infallible [7]. This means the Scriptures are "theopneustic," or "breathed into by God," ensuring that the writers expressed exactly what God intended as a revelation of his mind and will [7]. The Holy Spirit is explicitly identified as a witness to the divine origin and authority of Old Testament books, confirming that their penmen were inspired by the Holy Ghost [13].

The Bible also describes God's supernatural presence through direct communication, such as dreams and visions. While dreams were a vehicle for divine revelation in the Old Testament, the New Testament places them below prophetic visions, where the understanding plays a more active role [8]. Under the Christian dispensation, trances and visions are more frequently mentioned as means of divine communication than dreams [8].

The concept of God's presence extends to his immanence among his people. John Gill, commenting on Zephaniah 3:17, highlights that "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty," providing support, supply, assistance, and defense to his church [14]. This presence is not merely essential or providential but a "gracious presence, peculiar to his church and people" [14]. However, the full revelation of God's holy presence is so profound that human beings cannot fully experience it and survive, as seen in Old Testament accounts of divine visitations [15]. These visitations, often in human form, foreshadow the ultimate "full appearance of God on earth in the incarnation of Jesus" [15].

The very name for God in Hebrew, 'El or 'Elohim, derives from a word meaning "to be strong," inherently suggesting a powerful, supernatural being [4]. The existence of God and his supernatural attributes, such as his infinite foreknowledge, are taken for granted throughout the biblical narrative [4, 9]. The "testimonies" of God, referring to the Scriptures, are described as "wonderful" due to their divine authorship, the marvelous events they recount, and their profound impact [10].

Sources

  1. Daniel “Daniel 3:99 (DRC) — The most high God hath wrought signs and wonders towards me. It hath seemed good to me, therefore, to publish”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Miracle — An event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to authenticate the divine commission of a religious teacher and the truth of his message (John 2:18; Matt. 12:38). It is an occurrence at once above nature and above man. It shows the intervention of a power that is not limited by the laws either of matter or of mind, a power interrupting the fixed laws which govern their movements, a supernatural power. "The suspension”
  3. Daniel “Daniel 4:2 (LEB) — It is pleasing to me to recount the signs and wonders that the Most High God worked for me.”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  5. Hebrews “Hebrews 2:4 (BBE) — And God was a witness with them, by signs and wonders, and by more than natural powers, and by his distribution of the Holy Spirit at his pleasure.”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Revelation — An uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Heb. 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. (See WORD OF [532]GOD.) The Scriptures are not merely the "record" of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, in order to the accurate presevation and propagation of the truth. Revelation and inspiration differ. Rev”
  7. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Inspiration — That extraordinary or supernatural divine influence vouchsafed to those who wrote the Holy Scriptures, rendering their writings infallible. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (R.V., "Every scripture inspired of God"), 2 Tim. 3:16. This is true of all the "sacred writings," not in the sense of their being works of genius or of supernatural insight, but as "theopneustic," i.e., "breathed into by God" in such a sense that the writers were supernaturally guided to express exactly what God intended them to express as a revelation of his mind and ”
  8. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Dreams — The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in (1 Corinthians 14:15) dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and vision, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the ”
  9. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
  10. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 119:125: PE.--The Seventeenth Part. PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful,.... The Scriptures, which testify of God, his mind and will, are wonderful both with respect to the author of them, the things contained in them, and the use and advantage of them. They give an account of the wonderful works of creation; of their author and matter; of the manner, order, and time of their being wrought: they relate many wonderful events of Providence, both in a way of mercy and judgment; they declare several surprising miracles, wrought by Moses and others, and exhibit many marvellous t”
  11. Daniel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Daniel 4:3: How great are his signs! - There are no preternatural signs like his! His wonders - miraculous interferences, are mighty - they surpass all human power. He is the Sovereign of all kings, and his dominion is everlasting; and every generation is a proof of his all-governing influence. These are very fine sentiments, and show how deeply his mind was impressed with the majesty of God.”
  12. Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 37:5: God thundereth marvellously with his voice,.... Or "marvels" (c), or marvellous things, which may respect the marvellous effects of thunder and lightning: such as rending rocks and mountains; throwing down high and strong towers; shattering to pieces high and mighty oaks and cedars, and other such like effects, mentioned in Psa 29:5; and there are some things reported which seem almost incredible, were they not well attested facts; as that an egg should be consumed thereby, and the shell unhurt; a cask of liquor, the liquor in it spoiled, and the cask not touched; money ”
  13. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 10:15: Wherefore the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us,.... In Jer 31:33. This preface to the following citation shows that the books of the Old Testament are of divine original and authority; that the penmen of them were inspired by the Holy Ghost; that he existed in the times of the Old Testament; that he is truly and properly God, the Lord, or Jehovah, that speaks in the following verses; and that he is a distinct divine Person, and the author of the covenant of grace; and in what he says in that covenant, he bears testimony to the truths before delivered, concerning t”
  14. Zephaniah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty Every word carries in it something very encouraging to the church and people of God; and is an antidote against those fears and faintings they are subject to; Christ "is in the midst of" them; near at hand to support and supply them, to assist and strengthen them, to protect and defend them; he is not only near by his essential presence, which is everywhere; and by his providential presence, which is concerned with all his creatures; but by his gracious presence, peculiar to his church and people; and which gives th”
  15. Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 13:19: 13:19-22 It is not possible for human beings to take in the full revelation of God’s holy presence and still live (cp. 6:20-24; Exod 19:21; 33:20). The Old Testament frequently reports divine visitations on earth in human form; these visitations foreshadow the full appearance of God on earth in the incarnation of Jesus.”
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