Prescience / Foreknowledge / Foresight - Part 2

PART 2 of Prescience / Foreknowledge / Foresight

Now, let us turn to another wonderful statement “from the foundation of the world”.

According to Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Meaning generally accepted as “slain before creation of this world”

Before we comment on this here are other passage with the same wording “from the foundation of”

Matthew 13:35. {This was} to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."

Meaning A

“since” is the preposition APO in the Greek has the basic meaning “away from”. The wording of the text simply tells us that for purposes of comprehension and understanding the things uttered are now for the first time revealed to other beings outside the Godhead. It is my opinion that the reference to foundation should not carried the idea that what was hidden was conceived at the beginning of the foundation and hidden from that point until Christ revealed it. We process information on the basis of time so the foundation does this for us. However, to be sure what is uttered is eternally known at the point when there was no time. Reference to time is for our benefit but also including that all angels both good and evil who also did not have the privilege of knowing. “Apo” expresses the concept from a given point to a given point. In this verse the intent is not necessarily to see the things hidden as having their origin specifically from or at the time of the foundation of the world. The reference point is for our benifit and understanding, not God's.


Matthew 25:34. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world “From is “APO”

See meaning A

Luke 11:50. so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, “since” is “APO”


Meaning B

Here is a use of “APO” that we can say means specifically form a given point in time to a present point in time that being the time of the penning of this verse. We would not be incorrect to apply it or extent it to our time either.


Ephesians 1: 4. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love.

Here we have a clear reference that our election is before the foundation of the world IN HIM. The preposition is “PRO” This preposition expresses the farthest removed from the point of creation of all the prepositions. Of course the time factor means nothing to God but it is for our benefit that we understand things in our “Time and Space Continuum” The idea would carry with it that we freely believed in time and space were in Christ on the basis of God’s Omniscience / foreknowledge elected us seeing our faith in Christ. For God it is Absolute knowledge and for us it is foreknowledge, foresight , or prescience (all the same).

Hebrews 4: 3. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world

All that is involved in the Plan/s of God are finished and are seen as totally and absolutely sure from the beginning of time. Again God’s absolute knowledge sees and seals the beginning to the end. It will come to pass. While all acts of men are free and salvation is freely received, in the mind of God - who knows all actual and potential possibilities they are finished. They are not finished because all acts were forced on men but they are finished in the mind of God because He foresees / foreknows all real and potential actions, events, and outcomes. This does not negate freedom of individuals simply because God knows the act before it is committed. Another false accusation Calvinist level at the free will view is that it makes God a “crystal ball gazer” This hideous statement and approach is unworthy of consideration and is an act of arrogance. From is “APO”. See definition A

Hebrews 9: 26. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Since is “APO”. See definition B.

I Peter 1: 20. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

The question here is what about Christ is foreknown before the foundation of the world? It was his redemptive work. If God knows the absolute details both real and potential about the redemptive work then he knows all real and potential acts of all things before they happen. Knowing it is not forcing them to be but seeing it and declaring it so because His foreknowledge is sure / certian. Some Calvinist at this point will try to label this view as Hyper Calvinism but they do so to skew the truth and meaning of the view. You can take a horse to the water but you can not fore the horse to drink. You can take a Calvinist to the truth but you can not force them to accept the truth. The same applies to the Arminian as well.

If God’s perfect absolute knowledge is not sure then all statements in the Bible on the future, can not be trusted and we are in serious trouble. There are some things that are forced but the acts of men are free. You could be driving down a road and want to go left instead of right. You decide to go left but you are blocked by something and you go left. God blocked your free choice but the choice was free and you were in this sense forced to reconsider. The barrier limited you scope of freedom but you are free within your realm and capabilities. God has a plan of History and while all humans have “limited free will” this free will can not prevent God’s plans form coming to pass.

Revelation 13: 8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, {everyone} whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

While expressed in the negative this verse clearly tells us that all saved individuals are recorded in the book of life and have been from the foundation of the world. All lost are not there and they will also worship God / Jesus at this time even though they are not saved. See definition A


Revelation 17:8. "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. See Definition A.

Conclusion: God’s absolute knowledge is the basis for prophecy, and any declarative statement with reference to its surety in the Bible. All things are sure from God's side and thus determined in that sense. Some are determined without choice and others are determined that involved choice in the sense of God's Absolute Knowledge which is perfect. God is the only being that can do this. Because of God’s absolute knowledge He can perfectly, state those who will come to Christ are form His view appointed to life, saved, elect, chosen etc. He knows the end from the beginning which include all free choices and purposed events, and actions. God knows what He is going to do before He does it in your life and mine and in history with respect to his historical plan. I Peter clearly tells us it is foreknowledge. Our election is on the solid basis of what God foreknows, foresaw, yes prescience. I Peter is clear and Acts 13 is clear and Revelation 17 is clear too.