The question of whether God knows the future has been debated by theologians and philosophers for centuries. Those who believe God is omniscient argue that God knows everything that will happen, while others contend that God chooses to limit His foreknowledge to maintain human free will. This article will examine biblical evidence and theological arguments on both sides of the issue.
God’s Omniscience and Attributes
In order to answer the question of whether God knows the future, we must first understand what the Bible teaches about God’s omniscience and attributes. The Scriptures clearly portray God as an all-knowing Being who understands all things past, present, and future.
Psalm 139:4 declares, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.” Psalm 147:5 tells us, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” And Hebrews 4:13 states that “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
These verses indicate that God’s knowledge and understanding surpass anything humans can comprehend. God’s omniscience is a key aspect of His divine nature.
Old Testament Examples of God’s Foreknowledge
Throughout the Old Testament, we find numerous examples of God demonstrating His foreknowledge of future events:
- God told Abraham his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years (Genesis 15:13)
- God revealed to Joseph Pharaoh’s dreams about seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (Genesis 41:25-32)
- God informed Moses how the 10 plagues would impact Pharaoh (Exodus 7-11)
- God declared through Isaiah that a Persian king named Cyrus would release the Jews from exile (Isaiah 44:28-45:1)
- God spoke to Jeremiah about the duration of the Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 29:10)
In these examples and others, God obviously knew the future and revealed to His people prophecies of events that would happen hundreds of years later. This affirms that God exists outside of time and can declare “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10).
Jesus Demonstrates God’s Foreknowledge
In the New Testament, Jesus provides clear evidence of God’s foreknowledge. He made predictions about specific future events that came to pass just as He foretold:
- Jesus predicted His death and resurrection (Luke 18:31-33)
- Jesus foretold Peter’s three denials (Mark 14:30)
- Jesus said Jerusalem would be destroyed (Luke 21:20-24)
Because all of Christ’s prophecies were precisely fulfilled, we can trust His teachings about God’s foreknowledge. Jesus declared that God “knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8) and spoke of events predestined to happen according to God’s eternal plan (Luke 22:22).
Biblical Support for God’s Foreknowledge
In addition to prophecies and Christ’s own words, Scripture contains many theological statements about God’s knowledge of the future:
- God declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)
- God knows what will happen and when it will happen (Daniel 2:20-21)
- God works all things according to His eternal purpose (Ephesians 1:11)
- God has chosen and predestined those who will be saved (Acts 13:48)
- God declares future judgments against nations (Amos 3:7)
These verses present a God who sovereignly directs the course of history according to His preordained plan. As John MacArthur states, “Not one thing in the universe happens without God’s sanction or decree.” This affirms that God knows and ordains whatsoever comes to pass.
God Cannot Learn or Change His Mind
In addition to declaring God’s foreknowledge, Scripture emphasizes that God cannot learn new things or change His mind. He does not discover facts as time unfolds:
- “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind” (Numbers 23:19)
- “I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6)
- “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)
These verses indicate God’s absolute steadfastness and immutability. Unlike humans, God does not change His plans or alter His intentions. There is never an “oops” moment where God thinks, “I didn’t see that coming!” His sovereign decrees and foreknowledge remain fixed from eternity past.
Objections to God’s Foreknowledge
Despite the extensive biblical evidence for God’s exhaustive foreknowledge, some theologians have objected to the view that God knows the future free choices and actions of mankind. They present two main arguments against this position:
1. It compromises human free will
Some argue that if God infallibly knows the future, human beings cannot truly have free will. They propose God chooses to limit His foreknowledge in order to allow for creaturely freedom and indeterminacy in history. This view is called open theism.
2. It makes God responsible for evil
If God knows all future events, then He must have foreknown all the horrible evils that happen in human history. Does this make God morally culpable for not preventing evil? Proponents of open theism argue God’s foreknowledge should be “open” to possibilities rather than certainties.
Responses to Objections
In response to objections against God’s exhaustive foreknowledge, several points can be made:
1. God’s foreknowledge does not cause human choices
God’s knowledge of future free choices does not in any way causally determine those choices. God knowing what a person will freely do does not make them do it. The human agent still makes the choice with free will.
2. God sees time differently than humans
As an eternal Being outside of time, God sees past, present, and future simultaneously in His eternal “now.” Just because God infallibly knows human choices does not mean humans experience any less freedom in making those choices from their finite perspective bound by time.
3. Evil originates in creatures, not God
God knowing about evil choices beforehand does not mean He causes those evil choices. Evil originates in the fallen creature, not the holy Creator. God remains perfectly righteous even though He allows rather than prevents evil.
In summary, God’s foreknowledge does not diminish human freedom or make God morally culpable for evil. Objections to God’s exhaustive foreknowledge fail to take into account God’s unique relationship to time and how He can exhaustively know future free choices without determining those choices.
Practical Implications
Understanding God’s complete foreknowledge provides great encouragement and comfort for the believer. Reflecting on this attribute leads to several important practical implications in the Christian life:
- God is worthy of worship – Knowing the future and working all things according to His purpose displays God’s unfathomable wisdom and might. He alone is worthy of worship.
- We can have confidence in God’s plan – No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s sovereignty knowing He has ordained what comes to pass for His glory.
- We should live holy lives – Since God knows the future, we should seek to obey Him knowing nothing escapes His sight.
- We can take comfort in God’s presence – No matter what we face, God already knows it and promises to be with us through every circumstance.
Though the idea of God knowing and planning the future may seem intellectually challenging, when grasped by faith it provides deep consolation and motivation to live godly lives in humble submission to His will.
Conclusion
In examining the biblical evidence, we find a clear and consistent testimony that God is an all-knowing Being who foreknows future events with absolute certainty. While this teaching raises difficult philosophical questions, Scripture leaves no room for denying God’s exhaustive foreknowledge. As RC Sproul concluded, “The God of the Bible has an exhaustive foreknowledge of all future events, including the choices made by free creatures. Therefore it behooves us to affirm what the Scriptures affirm and avoid speculating about difficulties or affirming logical inconsistencies.”
With humility and trust, we can accept that God transcends our comprehension regarding His omniscience and relationship to time. While we may struggle to reconcile God’s foreknowledge and human freedom, we do not need to grasp God’s infinite mind or redefine His attributes to eliminate mystery. When all objections and arguments fade away, we are left standing in awe of a God who declares the end from the beginning and works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). To Him alone be the glory both now and forever!
