Revelation The Fall of Babylon
Foreknowledge (πρόγνωσις)
The English word “Prognosis” comes from this Greek word and still carries its basic meaning. A prediction of an outcome based upon prior knowledge. Typically used in the medical field, where the prior knowledge of the physician is called upon to determine the best course of action to heal a sickness, injury, or disease.
Paul uses prognosis in his defense before Agrippa, calling upon the Jews who all have a previous knowledge of Paul’s lifestyle as a Pharisee (Acts 26:5). After Peter discusses the new heavens and new earth, he encourages us to be on our guard because we have a prior knowledge that what is now will be totally destroyed (2 Peter 3:17).
When it comes to God and His prior knowledge, this same word is used. God marked off the bounds to be conformed to the image of His son, those He foreknew (Romans 8:29). The foreknowledge goes back to the plan God determined before the creation of the universe, in which He determined to set a specific group aside to be conformed to His Son. This foreknowledge is not looking at the individual, but the council that the Godhead determined to fulfill.
Speaking concerning Israel, Paul explains that God has not rejected the people that He foreknew. Israel was set aside to God as a nation and God will not cast them off but will fulfill His Word to them. Elijah learned this while thinking he was the only one left. No, God had seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal, even though it appeared that all others had. (Romans 11:2-4).
Prior to the foundations of the universe, God the Father determined that God the Son would be wrapped in flesh and serve as a precious lamb without blemish, through which the Church is purchased (1 Peter 1:20). This foreknowledge does not go back to Christ as a human, for prior to His incarnation, God the Son was not ever wrapped in flesh; rather, it is referring to Christ’s coming according to the foreknowledge of the council of the Godhead that determined it would happen.
We even see God’s foreknowledge in time concerning persecution and how those who are persecuted will be scattered. In Peter’s first letter, he addresses the elect strangers who were scattered according to the foreknowledge of God (1 Peter 1:1-2). There is a major translation issue with this verse that makes it appear Peter is stating that we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. However, this is only within the translations because a theologian moved the word “elect” out of its order to justify the false belief of predestination. It actually states – Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to the elect strangers of a scattering of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynian according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…. God’s foreknowledge has to do with their scattering, not election to salvation.
Foreknowledge is based upon a prior experience that provides the knowledge necessary to determine the course or path of an event or circumstance. The only time foreknowledge is used for an individual is with Paul while defending himself before Agrippa, where he called upon the Jews who had a foreknowledge of him. Within the decree of God, He determined certain things would happen, such as salvation coming through God the Son’s sacrifice and a specific group of those saved would be placed as sons in Christ so they could be conformed to the image of His Son. However, Scripture does not state that an individual is foreknown in the sense that God acts according to what He previously knew a person would do; rather, God acts according to the foreknowledge of what He determined to do.
Poor (πτωχός)
Poor is a word that means to lack something. It can be used of financial means, understanding, knowledge, or doctrine. If we are not careful with context it can be miss applied by implying it is addressing someone who is in financial need, but really is lacking in other areas.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to the poor in spirit as being happy ones (Matthew 5:3). He is referring to the Jews during the Tribulation period who will be lacking information concerning what the man of lawlessness is doing in the temple after Israel flees to the wilderness because he has set himself up as God. When Jesus said He came to preach good news to the poor, He was not referring to those who lacked financial means, but the truth. He healed the lame, cleansed the lepers, even raised the dead, while presenting the good news to those who were poor in understanding (Matthew 11:5).
We live in a time where wealth and numbers are more valuable to the assemblies than truth, because they are poor in doctrine (Revelation 3:14-22). Many claim to follow Jesus, but really are just mockers of the truth following after their own ungodly desires (Jude 17-19). They masquerade as messengers of light, just as Satan does, while walking in darkness not knowing where they go and leading others astray with them.
When it comes to the things of the world system and religion, they are described as weak and poor (Galatians 4:9-10). Touch not, taste not, observance of days, months, new moons. These have an appearance of wisdom but are just weak and poor self-made religions serving to indulge the flesh (Colossians 2:21-23).
It is far greater of an issue to be poor in doctrine than to be in financial need. In Revelation, Christ councils us to seek after the things of value from Him, not wealth like a church that is lukewarm (Revelation 3:14-22). How? By seeking out the assembly that is guarding the Word and not denying His name (Revelation 3:8). This is an assembly that will teach how to live out the Christian life, not by law, but by grace. Today, these assemblies are small, but not weak. They are not the reformed, covenant, community, progressive, catholic, or denominational churches (Revelation 3:9), who are called out in Revelation for their heresy (Revelation 2:18-29; 3:1-6, 14-22). The focus in these assemblies will not be in worship services but teaching proper doctrine so the attendees come to a full experiential knowledge of Christ through understanding the Word of God and living it out. You won’t see them holding community events or other worldly focus ministries that only seek to make their followers feel good about themselves; rather, they will be the ones who care for each other and look after each other as a family. They are the ones that put the saints first in all things and love through actions not words (Galatians 6:10; John 13:34). They are the ones who are not poor in the areas that matter.
2 Corinthians The Ministry of Reconciliation
Marking Off the Bounds (προορίζω)
Often translated as “predestined”, it is a word that means boundaries or region (Matthew 4:13), with a preposition added to express something that is done beforehand. It does not inherently imply a destination, but a boundary or area; therefore, using “predestine” to define it adds a meaning that does not exist in the original word.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of theological baggage that has been added to this word. It is used to imply that God predetermined who would be saved and therefore who would not. However, when we keep it in context, we find that this is not true. The first thing we need to do is remove the erroneous definition of “predestined” and use the proper definition, “marking off the bounds beforehand”. Then we need to pay attention to context, especially with the difference in singular and plural subjects.
We see a good example of the proper use of this word when Peter was defending himself and John before the leaders of Israel for preaching the resurrected Christ because he uses “marked off beforehand” when discussing what they were permitted to do to the Messiah concerning the plans of the leaders.
… to do as much as your hand and your determinate will marked off beforehand to come to be – Acts 4:28.
They had already set boundaries concerning what they were planning on doing with Christ before they sent the guards to arrest Him on the night in which He was betrayed.
In Romans, God’s plan is laid out for us in how, according to His purpose, He calls because those who He foreknew He marked off their bounds. They are not predestined to salvation, but according to His purpose, those that will be saved will have boundaries placed around them. And these boundaries have already been predetermined by God’s plan.
And we intuitively know that for the ones loving God all things work together unto good, the ones according to purpose being called. Because those whom He foreknew, also He marked off the bounds to be together conformed to the image of His Son, for the purpose that He should be a first fruit among many brethren. – Romans 8:28-29
Within God’s plan, He is offering salvation for humans. And within the offering for salvation, He has decided to take a specific group and mark off their bounds for a particular purpose. We see this marking off further expanded upon in Ephesians 1:5 where it states that those who would be in Christ would be marked off to the placement of sons. Therefore, based upon this plan, all who are saved during the Dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 3:2) will have their bounds marked off to be sons. That is, they will never be children and therefore under law; rather, as sons they will be under grace.
As for foreknowledge in Romans, we cannot in the context take foreknowledge back to an individual. We are discussing God’s plan; therefore, the foreknowledge would be of those within His plan who He will save during the Dispensation of Grace, because those of the Church will be conformed to the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:13; 1 John 3:2). To change this to an individual, saying “you” He foreknew, violates the context and adds in a subject that is not present. As with Ephesians 1:5, the individual is not in focus, but the group. Therefore, we, individually, were not predestined, but all those who would be in Christ will have their bounds marked off to the placement of sons, just as they will be called based upon the foreknowledge that God would take this group and mark off their bounds.
Therefore, as Paul goes on in Romans, those who God marked off the bounds to be conformed to the placement of sons He called. Again, not looking at an individual, but a group. All of these are plural, not singular. Not you, but all who will be in Christ. Today, unlike in other dispensations where they were to seek God (Hebrews 11:6), those of the Church are called by God. God is the one seeking us (Romans 3:11); therefore, as those who will be marked off to the placement of sons, according to this plan, God calls.
Moreover, those whom He marked off the bounds, these also He called, and those whom He called, these also He justified, and those whom He justified, these also He glorified. – Romans 8:30.
Προορίζω means to “mark off the bounds beforehand”. Within God’s plan for the universe and creation He determined that of those saved He would take a group and mark them off specifically to be conformed to the image of His Son. No one is predestined to salvation; rather, God predetermined that those who will be in Christ are marked off for a specific purpose. God desires that all are saved and therefore offers salvation to all (1 Timothy 2:4). Scripture does not support predestination. This is a theological error imposed on Scripture to blind the mind. The reality is anyone can accept the message of salvation, for salvation is offered to all humans. However, it is only offered according to God’s plan, not based upon how a person runs or desires (Romans 9:16). Therefore, today, we must believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) to be saved. This is how God purposed to save us today. This is God’s call. And all who are saved during this time are placed into the Christ and have their bounds marked off as sons, just as God determined He would do before He began creating.