God Knows the Future
There
are those among us who speculate that our kind heavenly Father does not
know future events. In other words, He is not omniscient. Here are
passages from Inspiration which clarify this:
DATE
OF PUBLICATION: DECEMBER 2001
BEFORE
THE PAST, GOD KNEW THE FUTURE—“God
had a knowledge of the events of the future, even before the creation of
the world. He did not make His purposes to fit circumstances, but He
allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring about
a certain condition of things, but He knew that such a condition would
exist. The plan that should be carried out upon the defection of any of
the high intelligences of heaven —this is the secret, the mystery
which has been hid from ages. And an offering was prepared in the
eternal purposes to do the very work which God has done for fallen
humanity.”—Signs, March 25, 1897; 6 Bible Commentary, 1082.
HE
SEES THE EVENTS OF TOMORROW—“If you have given yourself to God,
to do His work, you have no need to be anxious for tomorrow. He whose
servant you are, knows the end from the beginning. The events of
tomorrow, which are hidden from your view, are open to the eyes of Him
who is omnipotent.”—Mount of Blessing, 100.
GOD
CLEARLY SEES THE MOST DISTANT PAST AND FUTURE—“I AM means an
eternal presence; the past, present, and future are alike to God. He
sees the most remote events of past history, and the far distant future
with as clear a vision as we do those things that are transpiring daily.
We know not what is before us, and if we did, it would not contribute to
our eternal welfare. God gives us an opportunity to exercise faith and
trust in the great I AM.”—1 Bible Commentary, 1099 (Manuscript
5a, 1895).
GOD
HAS FORESEEN EVERYTHING THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE—“Through
centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His
church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for;
not one opposing force has risen to counterwork His work, that He has
not foreseen. All has taken place as He predicted. He has not left His
church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would
occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell has
been brought about. All His purposes will be fulfilled. His law is
linked with His throne, and no power of evil can destroy it. Truth is
inspired and guarded by God; and it will triumph over all
opposition.”—Acts of the Apostles, 11-12.
CHRIST
READS THE FUTURE—“ ‘He that loveth Me shall be loved of My
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.’ Jesus
read the future of His disciples. He saw one brought to the scaffold,
one to the cross, one to exile among the lonely rocks of the sea, others
to persecution and death. He encouraged them with the promise that in
every trial He would be with them. That promise has lost none of its
force.”—Desire of Ages, 669.
CHRIST
KNOWS THE FUTURE—“Bidding His hearers marvel not, Christ opened
before them, in still wider view, the mystery of the future.”—Desire
of Ages, 211.
CHRIST
LOOKS DOWN THROUGH THE AGES INTO FUTURITY—“With prophetic eye He
looks into futurity, and sees not only years, but centuries and
ages.”—Desire of Ages, 157.
CHRIST
READS THE FUTURE AS AN OPEN BOOK—“As Christ’s earthly ministry
drew to a close, and He realized that He must soon leave His disciples
to carry on the work without His personal supervision, He sought to
encourage them and to prepare them for the future. He did not deceive
them with false hopes. As an open book He read what was to be. He knew
He was about to be separated from them, to leave them as sheep among
wolves. He knew that they would suffer persecution, that they would be
cast out of the synagogues, and would be thrown into prison. He knew
that for witnessing to Him as the Messiah, some of them would suffer
death. And something of this He told them. In speaking of their future,
He was plain and definite, that in their coming trial they might
remember His words and be strengthened to believe in Him as the
Redeemer.
“He
spoke to them also words of hope and courage. ‘Let not your heart be
troubled,’ He said; ‘ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I
am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye
know.’ John 14:1-4. For your sake I came into the world; for you I
have been working. When I go away I shall still work earnestly for you.
I came to the world to reveal Myself to you, that you might believe. I
go to My Father and yours to co-operate with Him in your behalf.”—Acts
of the Apostles, 21-22.
IN
HIS WORD, GOD HAS REVEALED KEY EVENTS OF THE FUTURE—“God has in
His Word opened before us the great events of the future—all that it
is essential for us to know—and He has given us a safe guide for our
feet amid all its perils; but it is Satan’s purpose to destroy men’s
confidence in God, to make them dissatisfied with their condition in
life, and to lead them to seek a knowledge of what God has wisely veiled
from them, and to despise what He has revealed in His Holy Word.”—Patriarchs
and Prophets, 686-687.
THE
FUTURE WAS SHOWN TO ADAM—“To Adam were revealed future
important events, from his expulsion from Eden to the Flood, and onward
to the first advent of Christ upon the earth; His love for Adam and his
posterity would lead the Son of God to condescend to take human nature,
and thus elevate, through His own humiliation, all who would believe on
Him. Such a sacrifice was of sufficient value to save the whole world;
but only a few would avail themselves of the salvation brought to them
through such a wonderful sacrifice. The many would not comply with the
conditions required of them that they might be partakers of His great
salvation. They would prefer sin and transgression of the law of God
rather than repentance and obedience, relying by faith upon the merits
of the sacrifice offered. This sacrifice was of such infinite value as
to make a man who should avail himself of it more precious than fine
gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
“Adam
was carried down through successive generations and saw the increase of
crime, of guilt and defilement, because man would yield to his naturally
strong inclinations to transgress the holy law of God. He was shown the
curse of God resting more and more heavily upon the human race, upon the
cattle, and upon the earth, because of man’s continued transgression.
He was shown that iniquity and violence would steadily increase; yet
amid all the tide of human misery and woe, there would ever be a few who
would preserve the knowledge of God and would remain unsullied amid the
prevailing moral degeneracy. Adam was made to comprehend what sin
is—the transgression of the law. He was shown that moral, mental, and
physical degeneracy would result to the race, from transgression, until
the world would be filled with human misery of every type.
“The
days of man were shortened by his own course of sin in transgressing the
righteous law of God. The race was finally so greatly depreciated that
they appeared inferior and almost valueless. They were generally
incompetent to appreciate the mystery of Calvary, the grand and elevated
facts of the atonement, and the plan of salvation, because of the
indulgence of the carnal mind. Yet, notwithstanding the weakness, and
enfeebled mental, moral, and physical powers of the human race, Christ,
true to the purpose for which He left heaven, continues His interest in
the feeble, depreciated, degenerate specimens of humanity, and invites
them to hide their weakness and great deficiencies in Him. If they will
come unto Him, He will supply all their needs.”—Story of
Redemption, 48-50.
THE
FUTURE REVEALED TO ENOCH—“As the scenes of the future were
opened to his view, Enoch became a preacher of righteousness, bearing
God’s message to all who would hear the words of warning. In the land
where Cain had sought to flee from the divine presence, the prophet of
God made known the wonderful scenes that had passed before his vision.
THE
FUTURE WAS SHOWN TO DANIEL—“While receiving instruction from man
in the duties of court life, he was being taught by God to read the
mysteries of the future and to record for coming generations, through
figures and symbols, events covering the history of this world till the
close of time.”—Prophets and Kings, 484.
FUTURE
EVENTS WERE SHOWN TO JOHN—“John was strengthened to live in the
presence of his glorified Lord, and then were presented before him in
holy vision the purposes of God for future ages. The glorious
attractions of the heavenly home were made known to him. He was
permitted to look upon the throne of God, and to behold the white-robed
throng of redeemed ones. He heard the music of heavenly angels, and the
songs of triumph from those who had overcome by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of their testimony.”—Sanctified Life, 78.
WE
NEED TO TRUST GOD FOR THE FUTURE—“Though their present needs are
supplied, many are unwilling to trust God for the future, and they are
in constant anxiety lest poverty shall come upon them, and their
children shall be left to suffer. Some are always anticipating evil or
magnifying the difficulties that really exist, so that their eyes are
blinded to the many blessings which demand their gratitude. The
obstacles they encounter, instead of leading them to seek help from God,
the only Source of strength, separate them from Him, because they awaken
unrest and repining.
“Do
we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we be ungrateful and
distrustful? Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our
welfare; and our anxiety and fear grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We
should not indulge in a solicitude that only frets and wears us, but
does not help us to bear trials. No place should be given to that
distrust of God which leads us to make a preparation against future want
the chief pursuit of life, as though our happiness consisted in these
earthly things. It is not the will of God that His people should be
weighed down with care. But our Lord does not tell us that there are no
dangers in our path.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 293-294.
WE
NEED NOT FEAR WHAT THE FUTURE MAY BRING—“In reviewing our past
history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present
standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I
am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We
have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way
the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.
“We
are debtors to God to use every advantage He has entrusted to us to
beautify the truth by holiness of character, and to send the messages of
warning, and of comfort, of hope and love, to those who are in the
darkness of error and sin.”—Life Sketches, 196.
TRUSTING
OUR FUTURE WITH GOD, WE ARE SAFE—“We are not to let the future,
with its hard problems, its unsatisfying prospects, make our hearts
faint, our knees tremble, our hands hang down. ‘Let him take hold of
My strength,’ says the Mighty One, ‘that he may make peace with Me;
and he shall make peace with Me.’ Isaiah 27:5. Those who surrender
their lives to His guidance and to His service will never be placed in a
position for which He has not made provision. Whatever our situation, if
we are doers of His Word, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever
our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow,
bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.
“If
in our ignorance we make missteps, the Saviour does not forsake us. We
need never feel that we are alone. Angels are our companions. The
Comforter that Christ promised to send in His name abides with us. In
the way that leads to the City of God there are no difficulties which
those who trust in Him may not overcome. There are no dangers which they
may not escape. There is not a sorrow, not a grievance, not a human
weakness, for which He has not provided a remedy.”—Ministry of
Healing, 248-249.
TRUST
THE FUTURE TO GOD—“There are many whose hearts are aching under
a load of care because they seek to reach the world’s standard. They
have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs.
Thus their character is marred and their life made a weariness. The
continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires them to
lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He
says, ‘My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’ Worry is blind and
cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In
every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. ‘No good
thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.’ Matthew 11:30;
Psalm 84:11.
“Our
heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know
nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God
supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their
feet.
“The
faithful discharge of today’s duties is the best preparation for
tomorrow’s trials. Do not gather together all tomorrow’s liabilities
and cares and add them to the burden of today. ‘Sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof.’ Matthew 6:34.
“Let
us be hopeful and courageous. Despondency in God’s service is sinful
and unreasonable. He knows our every necessity. To the omnipotence of
the King of kings our covenant-keeping God unites the gentleness and
care of the tender shepherd. His power is absolute, and it is the pledge
of the sure fulfillment of His promises to all who trust in Him. He has
means for the removal of every difficulty, that those who serve Him and
respect the means He employs may be sustained. His love is as far above
all other love as the heavens are above the earth. He watches over His
children with a love that is measureless and everlasting.
“In
the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, have faith in
God. He is working out His will, doing all things well in behalf of His
people. The strength of those who love and serve Him will be renewed day
by day.”—Ministry of Healing, 481-482.
GOD,
WHO KNOWS TOMORROW, WILL CARE FOR YOU—“If you have given
yourself to God, to do His work, you have no need to be anxious for
tomorrow. He whose servant you are, knows the end from the beginning.
The events of tomorrow, which are hidden from your view, are open to the
eyes of Him who is omnipotent.
“When
we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to
do, and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden
which God has not given us, and are trying to bear it without His aid.
We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and
thus are really putting ourselves in His place. We may well have anxiety
and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us. But when
we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good we shall
cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a
loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, for our
will is swallowed up in the will of God.
“Christ
has given us no promise of help in bearing today the burdens of
tomorrow. He has said, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee’ (2
Corinthians 12:9); but, like the manna given in the wilderness, His
grace is bestowed daily, for the day’s need. Like the hosts of Israel
in their pilgrim life, we may find morning by morning the bread of
heaven for the day’s supply.
“One
day alone is ours, and during this day we are to live for God. For this
one day we are to place in the hand of Christ, in solemn service, all
our purposes and plans, casting all our care upon Him, for He careth for
us. ‘I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’
‘In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in
confidence shall be your strength.’ Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 30:15.
“If
you will seek the Lord and be converted every day; if you will of your
own spiritual choice be free and joyous in God; if with gladsome consent
of heart to His gracious call you come wearing the yoke of Christ,—the
yoke of obedience and service,—all your murmurings will be stilled,
all your difficulties will be removed, all the perplexing problems that
now confront you will be solved.”—Mount of Blessing, 100-101.
BEFORE
US IS A WIDE, UNBOUNDED FUTURE—“It will not be long till we
shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His
presence, all the trials and sufferings of this life will be as
nothingness. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath
great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye
have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a
little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.’
Verses 35-37. Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase.
Let this faith guide you along the narrow path that leads through the
gates of the city of God into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded
future of glory that is for the redeemed. ‘Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth
for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it,
until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish
your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.’ James 5:7,
8.”—9 Testimonies, 287-288.
This
is one of a three-part set:
The
Openness Heresy [WM–1056].
The error, originated at La Sierra University by Richard Rice, that God
is inadequate and does not know very much.
The
Infinite Wisdom of God [WM–1057].
Bible and Spirit of Prophecy statements.
God Knows the Future [WM–1058]. Spirit of
Prophecy statements.
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