Many Bible critics say, by knowing that Judas will betray Jesus hundreds of years in advance, that makes it foreordained to happen. As a result, human freedom is removed. Based on this reasoning, God foreordained even the sin of Adam and Eve, and thus they never had the free will to do otherwise. The Bible says that God is not the author of sin, but this would argue otherwise, contradicting Scripture. However, with this equation, sin is the result, not the result of Adam’s choice, but of God’s choosing, which should make us feel uncomfortable
Here is a simple way to understand the foreknowledge of God.
It is a NT concept.
Foreknowledge does not lock God into the present like we men are.
God is omnipresent. He is separate from time and exists outside of it and sees all events at one time. This is the reason he cannot take an unsaved sinner to heaven. God would see him sinning always. A sinner must have his sins washed away and he must have perfect sinless righteousness to be in the presence of God. He created the lake of fire where he sends sinners and it is the only place he has chosen to not be present and he forgets the inhabitants of that place.
Therefore, foreknowledge is in the context of time as it relates to a specific purpose of his will. It is a reference to the people he foreknew before the NT era, which is his own people Israel with whom he had covenant relationship with. He consider this people collectively as his son. It was his purpose to save them as one person. He has one name for them collectively. It is Jacob.
God did not foreknow a single Calvinist in the sense that foreknowledge is defined by the scriptures. The fact that Jacob did not get saved collectively when Jesus first came does not mean they will never get saved collectively because they certainly will. And it will be because they as a people (those that are left) will choose Jesus Christ to be their saviour. It is written. It is a future surety.
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them (
Israel), when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they (
Israel) are enemies for your (
gentiles - remember he started speaking to gentiles in V 13 of this chapter) sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's (
the patriarchs of Israel) sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye (
gentiles)
in times past have not believed God, yet have
now obtained mercy through their unbelief (
how could anybody not understand this?):
31 Even so have these (
of Israel) also now (
in the NT era) not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (
this is speaking of the collective in the now)
Isn't it a good time for Calvinists to drop this ignorant worship of a religious system that does not allow for the proper definition of words like forknowledge that applies only in the context of Israel, the people?