Does God Foreknow Each Person’s Eternal Destiny?
“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 46:10 New 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?”
Some people, even preachers, say that everything that happens in the world – good, bad, or otherwise – is the will of God. Is it? But often, people wonder, “Why do tragic things happen to good people?”