If God is omnipresent, does that mean God is in hell?
Is God in Hell?
A Theological and Biblical Explanation of God’s Omnipresence and Judgment
The question “Is God in hell?” arises from a tension between two doctrines that are both clearly taught in Scripture: God’s omnipresence and God’s justice. On the one hand, Scripture declares that God is everywhere present. On the other, hell is described as a place of separation from God. How can both be true?
1. God’s Omnipresence: He Is Everywhere
The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent, meaning He is present in all places at all times. There is nowhere in the universe where God is not.
Psalm one hundred thirty-nine, verses seven through eight says,
"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."
The word translated “hell” here in the New King James Version is Sheol, which refers to the grave or the place of the dead—not necessarily the final place of punishment. The psalmist David is declaring that not even death or the realm of the dead is beyond the reach of God’s presence.
So, yes, God is present everywhere, including the realm of the dead.
2. God’s Justice: Hell as Separation from His Favor
Second Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 9 says,
"These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."
This verse describes the eternal destiny of the unrepentant: everlasting destruction, and it seems to say they are removed from God’s presence. At first glance, this appears to contradict Psalm one hundred thirty-nine.
However, there is a deeper theological truth here: “From the presence of the Lord” in this context does not mean that God is completely absent from hell in the sense that He has no awareness or power there. Rather, it means that God’s favorable presence, His grace, mercy, fellowship, and blessing, are entirely withheld. Those in hell experience God’s judgment but not His love, peace, or kindness.
Dr. Louis Berkhof explains in his Systematic Theology that the punishment of hell is not so much spatial distance from God as it is relational separation from all that is good in Him. He writes that hell involves the “total absence of the favor of God.”
This aligns with Psalm twenty-two, verse one, where Jesus, quoting from the cross, says,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?"
Even though God the Father was present and in control, the favor and comfort of the Father were temporarily withheld during the Son’s bearing of sin.
3. Apparent Contradictions Resolved by Language
Revelation chapter 14, verse 10 gives us another perspective:
"He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."
Here we see the wrath of God executed in the presence of the Lamb—Jesus Christ. The Greek word used is enopion, meaning in front of or in the face of. This describes literal proximity, showing that God is fully aware and even actively presiding over judgment.
By contrast, Second Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 9 uses the Greek word prosopon, often translated “face” or “countenance.” It implies not just presence but personal relationship or favor. So, being “away from the presence of the Lord” in 2 Thessalonians means being cut off from relationship and blessing, not that God is unaware or incapable of acting there.
4. Heaven and Hell: Opposites in Fellowship, Not Distance
Heaven is the place of full fellowship with God. In Revelation chapter 22, verse 4, it says of the redeemed,
"They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads."
The greatest blessing of heaven is seeing God’s face—experiencing His presence in full joy, peace, and glory. This is the beatific vision, the full realization of God’s love.
Hell, by contrast, is the place where God’s fellowship is withdrawn, and only His righteous wrath remains. There is no joy, no peace, and no comfort. Hell is separation not from God's knowledge or sovereignty, but from His favor and kindness.
5. Final Conclusion: God Is Omnipresent, Even in Judgment
So, is God in hell?
Yes, God is present in hell, but not in the same way He is present with believers. He is present in justice, not mercy. He is aware, sovereign, and active, but He is not offering comfort, grace, or fellowship.
Hell is a place of eternal justice, and God—being holy and omnipresent—does not abandon His authority there. But for those who suffer there, God’s face is turned away.
This sobering truth should not only answer our theological question but should also compel us to warn others and call them to repentance and salvation through Christ.
As Proverbs chapter 30, verse 5 says,
"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him."
And as Psalm chapter 9, verse 10 reminds us,
"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You."
