How does one explain God being outside the universe yet on the throne in heaven without violating divine simplicity?
Upvote:4
There is a misunderstanding of divine simplicity here, but also an unfortunately choice of phraseology.
When talking about space, divine simplicity just means that there are no subdivisions to God, not that he cannot be in many places at once. It is well-established doctrine that God can be with one group of "two or three who are gathered together" and also with another group at the same time.
The unfortunately phraseology is you use of the word "part". Saying that "part of God is outside the universe" is equivalent to saying that there is a part of God that is not inside the universe, which is fundamentally not true (according to divine simplicity).
If you were to phrase it as "God is both inside and outside the universe" that would convey what I believe you are trying to say without coming up against any theological doctrine. I suspect you knew it ws something like that because you chose to put quotes around "part".
Upvote:7
There is no throne 'room' in scripture.
There is the concept of a throne given to us for our understanding.
Since God created all things, heavens (plural) and earth, he cannot be 'part' of that universal creation. God is Spirit.
Being Spirit, he is not 'located' anywhere (in three dimensions).
God is Spirit and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit - and in truth. [John 4:24 KJV]
God is manifested, in flesh, in Jesus Christ, I Timothy 3:16 [TR] [KJV] but it is not revealed where (physically) Jesus Christ is now (a cloud received him out of their sight).
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. [Acts 1:9 , KJV]
The further Revelation of Jesus Christ is spiritual - it is not a physical revelation.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him (see Revelation 1:1) is, quite clearly, conceptual - for the apprehension of faith - and is not to be understood in a physical way.
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