We need to explain HOW God knows the future?

tonychanyt · Apr 18, 2025

Dr James White said:

I would like to submit that if God created with full and complete knowledge everything that is going to happen in time

Not only that, I believe that God knows everything that could have happened outside of space-time.

you need to then give some reason as to how God has that kind of knowledge.

Emphasis added.

Well, God is omniscient. The way he knows things is beyond our capacity. Is 55:

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We are not God. We don't know how God possesses such omniscient knowledge.

Romans 11:

33 O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

Job 11:

7“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? 8 It is higher than heavenc—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9 Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.

God is omniscient and sovereign. We cannot understand how he does certain things, and he has no obligation to explain how or why he does them.

Do we need to explain how God knows the future?

No, we don't need to. He is God, and we are not.

Do we need to provide a reason for how God has knowledge of the future?

You can try if you want. As for me, I don't know the whys and hows of God, except what he has revealed to us in the Bible. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God's infinite mind is beyond our finite human minds.

trophy33 · Apr 18, 2025

It is quite simple, really. Everything that is created exists in Him. Like your thought exists in your head.

And space-time is simply one of the dimensions of the universe. God knows it all at once as you can know your thought all at once. Future exists only for us, because we move through the universe (through spacetime), God does not.

HTacianas · Apr 18, 2025

tonychanyt said:
Dr James White said:

Not only that, I believe that God knows everything that could have happened outside of space-time.

Emphasis added.

Well, God is omniscient. The way he knows things is beyond our capacity. Is 55:

Romans 11:

Job 11:

God is omniscient and sovereign. We cannot understand how he does certain things, and he has no obligation to explain how or why he does them.

Do we need to explain how God knows the future?

No, we don't need to. He is God, and we are not.

Do we need to provide a reason for how God has knowledge of the future?

You can try if you want. As for me, I don't know the whys and hows of God, except what he has revealed to us in the Bible. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God's infinite mind is beyond our finite human minds.

God's foreknowledge is the same as the foreknowledge of a master home builder. A home builder has a vision of what his next home will look like and takes the steps necessary to build it. He can describe in detail what it will look like because he is the one causing it to be.

Amo 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Ivan Hlavanda · Apr 18, 2025

Not only does He know the future, He also planned it.

tonychanyt · Apr 18, 2025

HTacianas said:
Amo 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Let proposition P1 = God has to explain how and why he does any given thing.

Is P1 true?

PesachPup · Apr 18, 2025

To understand how he knows everything that will happen (in the future) is not hard to understand. He knows everything about the present (as well as the past). If he knows everything about any present second (of time), then he knows everything about the immediately future second of time, and every second after that, infinitively on and on.
Be Blessed
The PuP

Clare73 · Apr 18, 2025

tonychanyt said:
Dr James White said:
Not only that, I believe that God knows everything that could have happened outside of space-time.
Emphasis added.
Well, God is omniscient. The way he knows things is beyond our capacity. Is 55:
We are not God. We don't know how God possesses such omniscient knowledge.
Romans 11:
Job 11:
God is omniscient and sovereign. We cannot understand how he does certain things, and he has no obligation to explain how or why he does them.
Do we need to explain how God knows the future?
No, we don't need to. He is God, and we are not.
Do we need to provide a reason for how God has knowledge of the future?
You can try if you want. As for me, I don't know the whys and hows of God, except what he has revealed to us in the Bible. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God's infinite mind is beyond our finite human minds.

In the NT God's foreknowledge (prognosis) is of his works.

"Known to the Lord for ages is his work." (Ac 15:18)

God foreknows his work of the future because he has decreed long before time that he shall do it

Jan001 · May 17, 2025

Ivan Hlavanda said:
Not only does He know the future, He also planned it.

God knows the future. Before the foundation of the world, his salvation plans for mankind took into account his foreknowledge of all future free will actions of every person on earth until the time of his death.

Hebrews 4:3 For we who believed enter into [that] rest, just as he has said: “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter into my rest,’” and yet his works were accomplished at the foundation of the world.

com7fy8 · May 31, 2025

You a human can know the future as much as you are in control of something.

Like this, God knows all because He is all-controlling.

all-working > Ephesians 1:11

all-managing for His good > Romans 8:28

all-timing > Ecclesiastes 8:6-7

all-coordinating > Colossians 3:15 > our Heavenly Father rules His obedient children in His own peace > "in one body" > like how He can coordinate all the members of a human body.

Yarddog · Jun 5, 2025

tonychanyt said:
Dr James White said:

Not only that, I believe that God knows everything that could have happened outside of space-time.

Emphasis added.

Well, God is omniscient. The way he knows things is beyond our capacity. Is 55:

We are not God. We don't know how God possesses such omniscient knowledge.

Romans 11:

Job 11:

God is omniscient and sovereign. We cannot understand how he does certain things, and he has no obligation to explain how or why he does them.

Do we need to explain how God knows the future?

No, we don't need to. He is God, and we are not.

Do we need to provide a reason for how God has knowledge of the future?

You can try if you want. As for me, I don't know the whys and hows of God, except what he has revealed to us in the Bible. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God's infinite mind is beyond our finite human minds.

I absolutely love your faith. How can we explain the unexplainable. It kinda makes us look stupid. Part of faith is accepting what we don't understand.

Free2bHeretical4Him! · Jun 5, 2025

trophy33 said:
It is quite simple, really. Everything that is created exists in Him. Like your thought exists in your head.

And space-time is simply one of the dimensions of the universe. God knows it all at once as you can know your thought all at once. Future exists only for us, because we move through the universe (through spacetime), God does not.

Nicely and succinctly stated brother …

”Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.“
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭30‬-‭36‬ ‭NABRE‬‬

Romans 11:30-36 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive merc | New American Bible, revised edi

Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive merc

bible.com

Fantastic quote (unknown author).
Note the words "of him" (Greek ex autou), "through him" (Greek di' autou), and "unto him" (Greek eis auton). By these three prepositions Paul ascribes the universe (Greek ta panta) with all the phenomena concerning creation, redemption and providence to God as the Source (ex), the Agent (di), and the Goal (eis).

trophy33 · Jun 5, 2025

Free2bHeretical4Him! said:
Nicely and succinctly stated brother …

”Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.“
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭30‬-‭36‬ ‭NABRE‬‬

Romans 11:30-36 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive merc | New American Bible, revised edi

Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive merc

bible.com

Fantastic quote (unknown author).
Note the words "of him" (Greek ex autou), "through him" (Greek di' autou), and "unto him" (Greek eis auton). By these three prepositions Paul ascribes the universe (Greek ta panta) with all the phenomena concerning creation, redemption and providence to God as the Source (ex), the Agent (di), and the Goal (eis).

For in Him we live and move and are.
Act 17:28

We need to explain HOW God knows the future?

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