It is sometimes said that the Trinity is the main teaching of the scriptures. During a crucial time for God’s people, before and after the destruction of Jerusalem, and thereafter God’s people taken off into exile to the world power of Babylon, God raised up and mightily used his prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel as major prophets for his people then, and for us now. Their recorded prophecies are in books bearing their names in the Bible’s Hebrew-Aramaic Scriptures, the Old Testament, and comprise a total 112 chapters. Naturally, we would expect to see the Trinity doctrine in these very important Bible books if the doctrine is true. No one can rightly say Trinitarians are not very imaginative and creative in their trying to find something in the Bible to support their doctrine. For example: “It has been said that Ezekiel is the prophet of the Spirit, as Isaiah is the prophet of the Son, and Jeremiah the prophet of the Father” (brothersoftheson.com).” In the light of such glowing claims, we do well to ask, “Is the Trinity in Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel?”read more
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”’” (Isaiah 46:10New International Version) There is no question that the one who has “perfect knowledge” ( Job 36:4 NIV), Almighty God “knows everything” (1 John 3:20 NIV), so everything CAN be “foreknown” (1 Peter 1:20 LSB) by him. There have been numerous cases that are Biblically documented where he has demonstrated his unique ability to foreknow the future about many things, including individuals. The Bible is clear that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). However, just because he CAN know everything in advance, does that mean he does know everything in advance? While we will deal with this subject in general, this article will focus on the question, “does Almighty God foreknow each person’s eternal destiny?”
RELEVANT FACTS WE KNOW ABOUT GOD
Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (NIV). “This phrase suggests that humans have an innate sense of the eternal, a longing for something beyond the temporal world. This concept is unique to humanity, as it reflects . . . the image of God in which humans were created (Genesis 1:27). The awareness of eternity points to a spiritual dimension that transcends earthly existence, indicating a divine purpose and destiny. This longing for eternity can be seen in various cultures and religions throughout history, where people seek meaning beyond the material world. It also connects to the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to set their minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)” (Bible Hub Study Bible). We know that, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Would such a loving Almighty God put such a concept of, and desire for, “eternity” without any way to achieve it? – Hardly!
We know that “God . . . cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), and the “hope” that he offers “will not lead to disappointment” (Romans 5:5 NLT).
The scriptures refer to “foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:2 NIV), and “God’s settled purpose and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23Weymouth New Testament) of certain important events.There is no question that God has chosen to foreknow, and even to “purpose”, or “foreordain” (1 Peter 1:20 NKJV) certain events in advance. But, does God foreknow everything that will ever happen in advance, including each person’s eternal destiny?
GOD CAN RESTRAIN HIS POWERS
Isaiah 42:14 – “For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself” (English Standard Version). “The Lord God Almighty” (Revelation 4:11) has unlimited powers. “The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power” (Job 37:23New International Version). The Bible is also clear that he also has perfect self-control, “perfect patience” (1 Timothy 1:16 NASB), over those powers. That is, he controls his use of his powers to suit his purpose. Instead of using all of them indiscriminately, he exercises discriminate use of his powers. The thought of Almighty God using self control, or restraint, might, on the surface, seem strange. But, if we think through that a little bit, it is completely reasonable to think of him as doing so. Otherwise, wouldn’t he be out of control, even uncontrolled? For example, he has the power to destroy every human, and he has the power to give every human eternal life. But he will do neither. He will selectively give some eternal life, and some eternal death (Matthew 7:13,14).
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF GOD NOT USING HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE
“The doctrine of the Trinity is embedded in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation” (The Master’s Seminary Blog). With such a bold statement as this, we would surely expect the Trinity to be in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Is the Trinity in Genesis?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). “Let us make mankind in our own image” (Genesis 1:26 NIV). The Hebrew word “Elohim” is translated “God,” which is the plural of “El,” so it is asserted that “Elohim” stands for the Trinity. In other words, it is claimed that “the Trinity created the heavens and the earth,” and “the Trinity spoke to itself (“us”) about creating humans.” Since, however, the Hebrew “Elohim” is also used for excellence or majesty, and, in the Bible, often is used for the Almighty God, Yahweh. Even the singular pagan god Dagon is described as “Dagon our god [Elohim]” (1 Samuel 5:7). So the use of “Elohim” does not guarantee that the “God” referred to is plural. The Biblical Almighty God is a singular God, according to the Bible. Notice: “Yahweh is our God. Yahweh in one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4 LSB). The Hebrew word for “one” used here is “echad”, the numeral “one”. Jesus quoted this by saying, “YAHWEH OUR GOD IS ONE YAHWEH” (Mark 12:29 LSB margin). The Greek word for “one” used here is “heis”, the numeral “one”. “God is only one” (Galatians 3:20 NASB). “There is no God but one . . . for us there is but one God” (1 Corinthians 8:4,6). Even if “Elohim” had been used in its plural sense in Genesis 1:1,26, there is nothing to indicate a threesome. Thus, Trinitarians simply imagine the Triune God right into the text Genesis 1:1,26. and never stop to really think it through. There isn’t even one single aspect of the Trinity dogma in this context, i.e., nothing about three being God, or Almighty, or eternal, or equal, or of three being of one “substance”, “essence”, or “being”, etc. There’s simply nothing in the text to even hint at three of anything.read more
Psalms is one of the longest books in the Bible. Based on what many scholars and experts assert, we would expect to find this doctrine in such a long and prominent Bible book. Is the Trinity in Psalms?
Does it strike you as odd that even the most scholarly proponents of the doctrine admit it is neither understandable nor explainable?
“The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to completely understand it or explain it. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. But we do trust the Bible, which teaches that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. At the same time, the Bible also teaches there is only one God. So, the one God exists in three Persons. It’s possible to understand some facts about the Trinity and some of the relationships the different Persons of the Trinity have to one another. But, ultimately, how a single Being can exist in three distinct Persons is incomprehensible to us. Our inability to understand, however, does not mean the doctrine of the Trinity is untrue or unbiblical. The word Trinity is not found in Scripture. It is a useful term in discussions of the triune God, as we speak of three coexistent, co-eternal divine Persons who are One. Although the word itself is not found in the Bible, the concept represented by the word Trinity certainly is.”-–GotQuestions.orgread more
