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35: PREDESTINATION 138 |
Answer.—The foreknowledge of a thing is not the cause
of its realization; for the essential knowledge of God surrounds,
in the same way, the realities of things, before as
well as after their existence, and it does not become the
cause of their existence. It is a perfection of God. But that
which was prophesied by the inspiration of God through
the tongues of the Prophets, concerning the appearance of
the Promised One of the Bible, was not the cause of the
manifestation of Christ.
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The hidden secrets of the future were revealed to the
Prophets, and They thus became acquainted with the future
events which They announced. This knowledge and
these prophecies were not the cause of the occurrences.
For example, tonight everyone knows that after seven
hours the sun will rise, but this general foreknowledge
does not cause the rising and appearance of the sun.
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In the same way, the record and the mention of a thing
in the Book does not become the cause of its existence. The
Prophets, through the divine inspiration, knew what
would come to pass. For instance, through the divine inspiration
139
They knew that Christ would be martyred, and
They announced it. Now, was Their knowledge and information
the cause of the martyrdom of Christ? No; this
knowledge is a perfection of the Prophets and did not
cause the martyrdom.
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