Can demons/the devil know the future?

Angels & Demons
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Ian
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Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by Ian » Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:10 pm

Do you think that:

the devil (and therefore demons too) can know the future

or merely

he/they have a certain control over the things that come to pass and therefore might want to predict what they intend to try and bring about?

Or both?

This matter is of more than academic interest to me (I`ll explain later but don`t wish to influence your replies).

Thanks

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morbo3000
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by morbo3000 » Tue Mar 15, 2016 2:35 pm

From a purely explicit reading of the Bible I would say, we don't know. Because either it was never discussed doctrinally by someone like Paul, nor do we have an example that says something like "the demon tried to peer into the future, but was blocked."

Classical Christian theology would say the devil/demons can't see the future, because it ascribes the "omnis" only to God. Specifically, all-knowing, all-present. All-powerful.

Steve has a series on spiritual warfare that is excellent. Both biblical, and from his personal experience.

I look forward to hearing what others say.

Jeff


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steve7150
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by steve7150 » Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:20 pm

Classical Christian theology would say the devil/demons can't see the future, because it ascribes the "omnis" only to God. Specifically, all-knowing, all-present. All-powerful.












Yes Satan has the power of death as the bible indicates and to deceive but he can't see the future and he can't know our thoughts, as far as I know from scripture.

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Paidion
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by Paidion » Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:52 pm

No, neither Satan nor demons can know the future, since the future doesn't exist. It is merely a mental construct of events that may happen given certain other events occur.

There are no logical statements (that is, sentences that are either true or false) about anyone's future choices, for that is a contradiction in terms. For example, if it were NOW true, that you will eat an orange tomorrow at noon, then it would be impossible for you to refrain from eating an orange tomorrow at noon. For if you choose not to eat an orange tomorrow at noon, then it is NOT now true that you will eat an orange tomorrow at noon.

Thus no one can know what a free-will agent will do in the future—not even God. That fact doesn't imply that God in not omniscient. For God DOES know everything there is to know. But to know in advance what a free-will agent will choose to do tomorrow? The only reason God doesn't know it, is that there is nothing to know. For the free-will agent had not yet made tomorrow's choice. Oh, he may now decide to do a particular thing tomorrow. But when the time comes for him to do it or not do it, he may hold with today's intention, but on the other hand, he may then choose otherwise.

So to say that God does not know what a free-will agent will choose in the future says NOTHING about God's knowledge. For there is nothing to know. It's a bit like saying that God doesn't know that the moon is made of green cheese. Of course, He doesn't know that the moon is made of green cheese. Since the moon isn't made of green cheese, there is nothing to know.
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by Ian » Wed Mar 16, 2016 2:22 pm

Thanks for the replies. Here`s where I`m coming from with the question:

I drive handicapped children to school in Switzerland. About four years ago the mother of one of the children brought her child to the bus one morning, very startled by a vivid dream that she had had the night before. So much so in fact that she had told her husband who the next day remarked separately to me about it. In the dream I was sat next to the bus on the roadside having handed in my notice and muttering something about a "business". But the mother had no idea that I had business aspirations (in photography in fact). She didn`t even know I owned a camera.
Anyway I kinda took heart from this because this is a change I have long wanted to make but been prevented by circumstances in the past. I took it tentatively as a leading in that direction.

A year later my wife discovered she had ovarian cancer and was given a life expectancy of less than two years.

Things have since progressed as well as we could have hoped (compared to that first prognosis) and although she is not cancer-free she is holding her ground pretty well. But as a result of her illness my positive reaction to the mother`s dream has changed to a negative one. It began to increase my already high levels of fear. Were Adriana to die, handing in my notice would be the very thing I would do - and that immediately. I have a host of exciting photo/film projects which have stalled these past two years while I looked after her. And there would be nothing, earthly speaking, to stop me trying to carry them through if she were no longer to be around.

I stopped believing that it could have been God that made her dream that. But if it was of devilish origin, could it have been an accurate prediction of the future, namely that Adie will die?

Of course I`ve no doubt the devil would love her to lose this battle. He would nuke the human race if he could. But if he, or whatever relayed the dream, knows the future, then well, you know, she`ll die. And my great fear will have come true.

Anyway this is why I asked. If the devil and his minions do not know the future, then I have more reason to be calm than to fear. God has been kind to us these past two years, but that`s another story.

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Paidion
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by Paidion » Wed Mar 16, 2016 5:49 pm

Dreams that seem to predict a possible future, need not be caused by either God or the Devil.
Watchman Nee, in his book "The Latent Power of the Soul" hypothesized that Adam and Eve had soulish powers that would amaze modern people, but that they lost these powers through the "fall". However, some people still retain some of them to some degree, he said.

I believe that my first wife, June, who died in 1997, had some of these powers—though she was unable to control them. Sometimes she would respond to what I had been thinking (I had to be pretty careful of my thoughts). Often when the phone rang, she would lift the receiver and say, "Good morning, ____" correctly addressing the person who had phoned by name (without our having a caller-id service). One time when we were travelling, she said to me, "I just had a vision of a miniature silo." I replied, "I have seen plenty of silos, but I've never heard of a miniature one." We travelled only about a mile down the road when, to my amazement, there was a miniature silo at the side of the road! The first and only one I have ever seen!
Paidion

Man judges a person by his past deeds, and administers penalties for his wrongdoing. God judges a person by his present character, and disciplines him that he may become righteous.

Avatar shows me at 75 years old. I am now 83.

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Ian
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by Ian » Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:31 am

Interesting Paidion.

I note you wrote "possible future" which keeps you consistent with what you wrote earlier about there not yet being a future.

dizerner

Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by dizerner » Thu Mar 17, 2016 5:36 am

Ian wrote:Thanks for the replies. Here`s where I`m coming from with the question:

I drive handicapped children to school in Switzerland. About four years ago the mother of one of the children brought her child to the bus one morning, very startled by a vivid dream that she had had the night before. So much so in fact that she had told her husband who the next day remarked separately to me about it. In the dream I was sat next to the bus on the roadside having handed in my notice and muttering something about a "business". But the mother had no idea that I had business aspirations (in photography in fact). She didn`t even know I owned a camera.
Anyway I kinda took heart from this because this is a change I have long wanted to make but been prevented by circumstances in the past. I took it tentatively as a leading in that direction.

A year later my wife discovered she had ovarian cancer and was given a life expectancy of less than two years.

Things have since progressed as well as we could have hoped (compared to that first prognosis) and although she is not cancer-free she is holding her ground pretty well. But as a result of her illness my positive reaction to the mother`s dream has changed to a negative one. It began to increase my already high levels of fear. Were Adriana to die, handing in my notice would be the very thing I would do - and that immediately. I have a host of exciting photo/film projects which have stalled these past two years while I looked after her. And there would be nothing, earthly speaking, to stop me trying to carry them through if she were no longer to be around.

I stopped believing that it could have been God that made her dream that. But if it was of devilish origin, could it have been an accurate prediction of the future, namely that Adie will die?

Of course I`ve no doubt the devil would love her to lose this battle. He would nuke the human race if he could. But if he, or whatever relayed the dream, knows the future, then well, you know, she`ll die. And my great fear will have come true.

Anyway this is why I asked. If the devil and his minions do not know the future, then I have more reason to be calm than to fear. God has been kind to us these past two years, but that`s another story.
Brother Ian, whatever the dream was from or meant, I'm quite sure God did not want it to make you afraid. Whether the devil knows the future or not (I suspect he might be able to make a limited guess about it at best), we know that God will be there in our future. And God's kindness will not depart from his dear children that trust in him and his Word, whatever befalls. I have said a prayer for you about this situation and this dream, and that you would receive peace and the will of the Lord.

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Ian
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Re: Can demons/the devil know the future?

Post by Ian » Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:23 am

Thank you Dizerner. I appreciate that.

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