Page 46 - The Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2009

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From the likes of these passages in Isaiah,
the question arises as to whether God merely knows in
advance what is going to happen (divine foreknowledge)
and therefore accurately declares it, or whether He is
actually causing all future events to happen (divine
intervention). I believe the right answer is a delicate and
proper balance of both. The Scriptures do state that God
has foreknowledge:

“ELECT, ACCORDING TO
THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER...”

1 Pet. 1:2
“FOR WHOM HE FOREKNEW,
HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED
TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON...”

Rom. 8:29

Although the Scriptures clearly state that “election” and “predestination” are the results of God’s foreknowledge,
man has swung the theological pendulum to embrace two extreme views:

FAR LEFT PENDULUM SWING: FAR RIGHT PENDULUM SWING:
THE CALVINIST VIEW IS THAT GOD THE DEISTS VIEW IS THAT
CAUSES ALL EVENTS GOD CREATED MAN,
(GOOD OR BAD) BUT MAKES NO FURTHER
TO HAPPEN TO MAN.
THE WILL OF GOD ALWAYS INTERVENTION IN HIS LIFE.
PREVAILS OVER THE WILL THE WILL OF MAN ALWAYS
OF MAN.
PREVAILS OVER THE WILL
OF GOD.

“Calvinism stresses the Neither of these two extreme pendulum “Deism is the belief that a
sovereignty or rule of God swings properly represents God’s supreme God exists and
in all things — not only in relationship to man. created the physical
salvation, but also in all of
life... The majority of the founding fathers of universe, and that religious
Calvinism is a an America were Deists, and that is why the truths can be arrived at by
approach to the Christian Declaration of Independence is filled with
life that emphasizes the statements elevating man’s reasoning to the application of reason
sovereign rule of God over “self-evident truths...inalienable rights...to alone, without dependence
all things... alter or abolish government...to amend such on revelation. Deists typically
The doctrine asserts that, as to them shall seem most likely...”
since God is sovereign Democracy has its foundational roots in the reject most supernatural
and His will cannot be principles of Deism rather than divine events (prophecy, miracles)
frustrated by humans or governing principles written in God’s Word. and tend to assert that God
anything else, those has a plan for the universe,
whom God has called to Likewise, Calvinism is an outright character
salvation will continue in assassination of the God of the Bible. The which he does not alter by
faith until the end. Those highest revelation of God in His Word is not intervening in the affairs of
who apparently fall away His absolute sovereignty over man, but
either never had true faith rather is the fact that God is the Righteous human life nor by
to begin with or will return Judge who deals with man according to suspending the natural laws
to God... According to this his/her choices in life.
viewpoint, the plan of God of the universe. What
is worked out in every Prophecy is not solely the by-product of organized religions see as
event of life. God as God’s sovereign intervention in man’s
Creator sovereignly rules affairs. Prophecy also contains God’s divine religion and holy
over all things...” foreknowledge of the choices man will books, most deists see as
(Wikipedia encyclopedia) make. We will not understand prophecy
properly unless we hold a delicate and interpretations made by
proper view of who God is and how He other humans, rather than
functions.
as authoritative sources.
Deists believe that God's
greatest gift to humanity is

not religion, but the
ability to reason.”

(Wikipedia encyclopedia)