Omnipresence and omnipotence are impressive sounding words. But, what do they mean? What attributes of God are we talking about when we use these words? Of course, presence has to do with someone being in a place, and potent or potency has to do with power. The important part of each of these words is the prefix omni. This is a Latin prefix meaning all. So, omnipresent and omnipotent mean that God is in all places, and he is all powerful.
Although the word omnipresent does not occur in Scripture, the idea is one that is presented throughout the pages of the Bible. One important theme is the idea that God cannot be contained in one place, even the heavens or the entire earth. When Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, he said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27).
When Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle in the wilderness, he also dedicated it to the Lord as his house on earth. After that we read, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys:” (Exodus 40:34-38).