The knowledge about events or things before they happen.
In the New Testament, the Greek word for "foreknowledge" appears only seven times. It describes:
How Christians are warned about false teachers (2 Peter 3:17)
The Jews' prior knowledge of Paul’s early life (Acts 26:4–5)
God’s awareness of Christ’s death before it happened (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:18–20)
God's knowledge of His people (Romans 11:2)
God's knowledge of His church (Romans 8:28–30; 1 Peter 1:1–2)
Although the term "foreknowledge" is not used often, the idea is present throughout the Bible. First, the Bible clearly teaches that God knows everything. His understanding is unlimited (Psalm 147:5). He knows every heart and thought 1 Chronicles 28:9). Psalm 139 describes God’s knowledge of all human thoughts, words, and actions. This knowledge even extends to the flight of a sparrow and the number of hairs on a person’s head (Matthew 10:29–30). From this limitless knowledge, we can infer that God also knows future events in human history.
The Bible also directly states that God is aware of events before they happen. This knowledge sets Him apart from idols, who cannot foresee the future (Isaiah 44:6–8; 45:21). God’s foreknowledge is the basis for the prophets' predictions. For example:
God told Adam and Eve that the woman's offspring would defeat the serpent and his offspring (Genesis 3:15)
He promised future blessings to Abraham (Genesis 12:3)
God also told Moses, "I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go" (Exodus 3:19)
The Old Testament prophets spoke about the coming glory of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:1–7; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Ezekiel 34:20–31; Hosea 3:4–5). In Daniel 7, God revealed the rise and fall of future world empires and the establishment of His kingdom (see also Daniel 2:31–45). The New Testament often sees Christ's ministry and the church as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies (Matthew 1:22; 4:14; 8:17; John 12:38–41; Acts 2:17–21; 3:22–25; Galatians 3:8; Hebrews 5:6; 1 Peter 1:10–12).
Early Greek philosophers believed that fate controlled all future events. This included human history and the gods' destinies. Sometimes, the gods might know a future event and reveal it to people, but such events were considered unchangeable. This view is very different from the biblical view of a personal Creator who knows the future and guides history according to His own purpose.
For centuries, theologians and philosophers have debated God's foreknowledge and human freedom. Some argue that if God knows what will happen in the future, then it must happen, making human choices irrelevant.
Early church theologians strongly denied that foreknowledge meant events were predetermined. Justin Martyr, for example, stated, “What we say about future events being foretold, we do not say it as though they come about by fatal necessity.” In other words, just because God knows what will happen does not mean He causes it to happen.
Some theologians worry that foreknowledge may kill human freedom. So, they argue that God does not know future events with certainty. Modern process theology, for example, views God as developing along with nature and humanity. This view suggests that God can only know past events. It leaves the future uncertain for both God and humans. An older theologian, Adam Clarke, suggested that although God can know all future events, He chooses not to know some of them beforehand.
Augustine had a different perspective. He argued that God lives in eternity, where all things are present at once. For God, there is no past or future. So, He would not "know" things before they happen. He sees all events from an eternal "now." However, Augustine did not deny God's knowledge of all things, including future events.
Evangelical theologians, citing the Bible, believe that God knows all future events. However, there is some disagreement. Calvin's followers assert that God knows all events. He determines what will happen in human history, even the smallest details. In this view, foreknowledge is closely tied to, or even identified with, foreordination (ensuring future events happen). Most Calvinist theologians say that humans are responsible for their choices. They are not victims of blind fate. They also hold that God is not the author of sin. Rather, sin comes from the rebellion of angels and humans against a holy, righteous God.
Armenian Evangelicals separate foreknowledge from the foreordination of events. They argue that God predetermined human history and the world's salvation. But, individual responses to God are not. Therefore, God can foreknow an event without directly causing it to happen.
Evangelical Christians may disagree on how God's foreknowledge relates to history. But, the Bible teaches both God's foreknowledge of all things and human responsibility for their choices.