Can God see his own future?

[Grey Oran]

Hello TOL community!

I met with a friend recently who seemed to believe in a form of Calvinism.
We talked about whether the future was settled or not (I'm an open theist).

It came down to whether God could see his own future or not (After all, how could we have free will if He can't?).

I said I don't believe God could see the future exhaustively (His or ours), because if he could, He would be predestined to whatever He saw.

Then my friend told me how God could see his own future, then change it, due to being all powerful. It's not really the future if you can change it.
He used Psalm 147:5 as his example of God's Infinite knowledge.

But due to my believe of an open worldview, I don't agree infinite knowledge includes the future, something that doesn't exist.

So if anyone has thoughts, or support for either of our sides, I would like to know why.

 

[Tambora]

Hello TOL community!

I met with a friend recently who seemed to believe in a form of Calvinism.
We talked about whether the future was settled or not (I'm an open theist).

It came down to whether God could see his own future or not (After all, how could we have free will if He can't?).

I said I don't believe God could see the future exhaustively (His or ours), because if he could, He would be predestined to whatever He saw.

Then my friend told me how God could see his own future, then change it, due to being all powerful. It's not really the future if you can change it.
He used Psalm 147:5 as his example of God's Infinite knowledge.

But due to my believe of an open worldview, I don't agree infinite knowledge includes the future, something that doesn't exist.

So if anyone has thoughts, or support for either of our sides, I would like to know why.

He's been watching too many reruns of Groundhog Day.

Not to mention that if GOD is all knowing He would have been smart enough to do it right the first time so it wouldn't need to be changed.

 

[iouae]

I said I don't believe God could see the future exhaustively (His or ours), because if he could, He would be predestined to whatever He saw.

I agree with what you wrote.

God has the power to make the future. And God is creative enough to make changes at any time, or even at our suggestion, like any Father might.

And if the future is infinite, it is logically impossible to see into the infinite future, because where do you stop seeing ... there is more future ahead, so you would keep looking and looking... and that would never stop.