Topic:  Does God alone know the future?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: February 11, 2003

Moderator who originally posted this source: Father Phillip

Question:  I returned to the church in 1984 at 30 years of age and also joined the charasmatic renewal. Ever since then I have received images or visions almost daily. I have heard God's (??) voice internally and externally and received prophecy in a miriad of ways.My question is..Does God alone know the future?I ask this because I have received prophetic visions the content of which located me somewhere or had details that were not relevant at the time.. meant nothing to me. Years passed and I have unwittingly ended up somewhere and then realized that the earlier vision was being fulfilled.Is it possible that Satan could know my every future move and thus deceive?The visions guide, uplift, console but it troubles me.I tend to think Satan is not omniescient for this reason. The plan for man's salvation was dreafted in the Garden of Eden. Jesus was to die to save us. Therefore Satan would have known the ramifications of His death upon his [Satan's] work. Yet he was unable to prevent the sacrifice Jesus made or didn't understand.What do you think?

Answer: 

How wonderful, Rick, that the Lord led and that you responded positively to that leading back in 1984! May God continue to bless you!

According to what the Catholic Church teaches, God alone knows the future. Only God is omniscient.

The counter-spirit (as Saint Ignatius of Loyola calls that one) is a creature and so positively cannot be omniscient.

Infinity, ubiquity, onmiscience, omnipotence, omnibeneficience -- those attributes belong exclusively and only to God -- thank God!

With regard to your private revelations...well, the Church certainly says that private revelations can and do occur, but the Church also tells me as an 'official' of the Church to withhold any word accepting and/or endorsing what people think are private revelations. Such "Church endorsement" takes a really long time, lots of study by competent officials (not me!), and comes from the Vatican in the end.

I guess I would just say something like -- not to be disrespectful in any way -- "the proof is in the pudding." You, Rick, say, "The visions guide, uplift, console...." All I can say, without endorsing or condemning, is thank Goodness you are being guided, uplifted, and consoled! God is very good like that!

So, rebuke the enemy of our human nature (another of Saint Ignatius' names for 'him') in the Precious Name of Jesus and move on with your life!

Blessings,
Father Phillip