different elements into a design so that they work together in harmony—
for example, the gems of different colors in the sash across a queen’s
chest, or the multicolored flowers used in a garland to please the eye.
Each side, then, contains things that are related to each other. The side of
good contains things that are related to each other, and so does the side
of evil; the side of truth contains things that are related to each other,
and so does the side of falsity. Things related to each other exist in
heaven and they exist in hell, but the things related to each other in hell
are all opposite to the things related to each other in heaven.
Now, because God is aware of, sees, and knows all related things in
heaven based on the divine design in which he himself is, and as a
result he is aware of, sees, and knows all the opposing related things in
hell, as follows from what was just said, therefore it is clear that God is
just as omniscient in hell as he is in heaven. He also has full knowledge
of people in the world. He is aware of, sees, and knows our evils and
falsities from the goodness and truth that he is in and that are essen-
tially him. As the Word says, “If I ascend into the heavens, you are
there. If I lie down in hell, behold, you are there” (Psalms 139 : 8 ). Else-
where it says, “If they dig through into hell, from there my hand will
take them” (Amos 9 : 2 ).
5. God is omnipresent in his design from beginning to end. God’s 63
omnipresence in his design from beginning to end is a function of the
heat and light from the sun that surrounds God in the spiritual world.
The divine design was created through this sun. From it God sends forth
a heat and a light that pervade the universe from beginning to end. That
heat and that light give life to humankind and to every animal. They also
produce the plant soul that every plant in the world possesses. The two
flow into every single thing and cause it to live and grow according to the
design assigned to it upon creation.
Because God is not extended and yet fills all things throughout the
universe that are extended, he is omnipresent. I have shown elsewhere
that God is in all space independently of space, and in all time independ-
ently of time [§ 30 ], and therefore the universe in its essence and design is
the fullness of God. Therefore he senses all things through his omni -
presence, he provides all things through his omniscience, and he pro-
duces all things through his omnipotence. Clearly then, omnipresence,
omniscience, and omnipotence are one; each presupposes the next.
Therefore they cannot be separated.
§63 god the creator & creation 85