Can god see into the future?

DuvanMuvan

This is something that's been bothering me for a while.

If god could see into the future, why has he allowed so many bad things to happen? For example in the garden of eden. He should have known from the beginning what would happen.If there was even the tiniest chance that they'd eat the fruit then god obviously didn't think it would be benefical to, idk, prevent it from happening? Especially since he would have been able to see all the sufferring that would come as a result of it. I've been told that it was because of our "free will" or something but that raises a whole load of other problems.

If free will prevents god from being able to see what we are about to do or what could happen in the future then that just means god isn't as all-powerful as they say. Also, how could god prophecy things if there anything could happen because of our free will. Didn't god allegedly predict that the Babylonian Empire's (I think it was) conqueror's name before he was even born? How does that work unless:

1.god is one hell of a guesser

2.god knew exactly how things would play out (which means he could have stopped Adam and eve. Or at least make it so that sin wasn't inherited)

3.god influenced Cyrus' parents into giving him that name to fit with his prophecy. (But refused to influence hitler for example into not starting the holocaust)

happy to hear anyone's responses if they can explain or if they've found the same thing

Idk what happened with these lines.

prologos

God is already in the future, always has been there. but we are not. we are working out our future as it develops. Is god 'watching us from a distance'? With all the channels available, work to do, why?

Cyrus and the rest you mention are stories, some, if not all, fiction, and often written AFTER the event to mimic prophecy.

DuvanMuvan

That's a fair point but does god not want to stop bad things from happening before they happen then or does he just prefer to clean up after the sh*t hits the fan

And prologos i take it you're not a jw.

KateWild

You obviously have a problem with the God of the bible. Well done for having so many questions, keep on asking questions and searching for answers. If you don't get any satisfying answers then go with the evidence.

Personally I believe in a creator, but I don't believe he punishes or rewards people, and I don't think he cares about anyone. So if he can see into the future and predict what people will do, I don't think he will act to prevent suffering. Do you?

Well done for your well thought out questions, take care Kate xx

DuvanMuvan

Kate you're right. One of the things that made me not want to believe in the bible and by extension not be a jw was that the god of the bible just seems like what I guess American kids my age would call a d-bag.

I'm gonna be honest and say that every time I do think to myself about whether or not I believe in a creator my laziness kicks I'm and I just ignore it. I don't believe that god would care about humans and definitely wouldn't use other humans to deliver "his" message and allow it to get twisted this much. Since I have literally no idea how the universe came about I don't really think I can say whether or not God created it.

KateWild

Since I have literally no idea how the universe came about I don't really think I can say whether or not God created it.- Duvan

Good for being humble. You are still at school. You can study anything that interests you and become profecient at it. If you are not interested in science no big deal, you only have to know about something if you want to give your opinion on it. But keep on learning Duvan never stop asking questions.

Kate xx

blondie

Here is the WTS explanation of foreknowledge...I thought it was crap when I was a kid.

*** w11 1/1 pp. 14-15 Did God Know That Adam and Eve Would Sin? ***

Still, someone may object, ‘But how could an all-wise God not have known?’ Granted, a facet of Jehovah’s great wisdom is his capability to know “from the beginning the finale.” (Isaiah 46:9, 10) However, he does not have to use this capability, just as he does not always have to use his immense power to the full. Jehovah wisely uses his ability of foreknowledge selectively. He uses it when it makes sense to do so and fits the circumstances.

The ability to refrain from using foreknowledge can be illustrated with a feature of modern technology. Someone watching a prerecorded sports match has the option to watch the final minutes first in order to know the outcome. But he does not have to start that way. Who could criticize him if he chose to watch the entire match from the beginning? Similarly, the Creator evidently chose not to see how things would turn out. Rather, he chose to wait and, as events unfolded, see how his earthly children would conduct themselves.

As mentioned earlier, Jehovah in his wisdom did not create the first humans as automatons programmed for a fixed course. Instead, he lovingly endowed them with free will. By choosing the right course, they could manifest their love, gratitude, and obedience, thereby bringing added delight to themselves and to Jehovah as their heavenly Father.—Proverbs 27:11; Isaiah 48:18.

The Scriptures show that on many occasions God did not make use of his ability of foreknowledge. For example, when faithful Abraham went to the point of attempting to sacrifice his son, Jehovah could say: “Now I do know that you are God-fearing in that you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.” (Genesis 22:12) On the other hand, there were also occasions when the bad conduct of certain individuals caused God to “feel hurt.” Would he have felt such pain if he had long known what they would do?—Psalm 78:40, 41; 1 Kings 11:9, 10.

Thus, it is only reasonable to conclude that the all-wise God did not exercise his ability of foreknowledge to know in advance that our first parents would sin. He was not so foolish as to embark on a bizarre venture, using his ability to know the outcome in advance and then staging a mere rerun of what he already knew.

galaxie

Hi kate, I was wondering as you believe there is a creator, do you see it as one entity, or multiple causes for our existence?

What form would it take to have such immense power?

Is it an energy which would require replenishment , or can it produce its own?

Do you believe it still exists?

Perhaps it has exhausted itself as we haven't had much evidence of it lately.

Do you think it might be busy in another part of the cosmos?

I think belief in such a force requires these considerations.

Then perhaps I'm presuming you have not considered this already.

Best wishes.

NVR2L8

Just to illustrate the WT quoted by Blondie: my dad can't predict the future but when I was young he expressed his concerns when I told him I was buying a motorcycle. He lovingly explained the risks of riding and how he didn't want me to go through the same pain he went through when he was involved in a trafic accident. Since I have free will he let me make the final decision. Now if dad was like God and knew for sure that I would crash, kill myself and to protect my free will he said nothing, could I still say that I have a loving dad?

NewYork44M

Watch out for watchtower language that starts wiith "it is only reasonable to conclude" or my all time favorite "evidently."

These are code words for BS Alert

Can god see into the future?

Share this