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OMNISCIENCE |
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In the Bible, we learn that God is not only omnipresent and omnipotent; He is also omniscient. He knows or is able to perceive what has happened, what is happening everywhere and what will eventually occur in the future. This is probably why and how He is able to guide our life by means of Divine Providence. This is also why the Bible or Word of God not only contains the history of humanity but its prophecy as well. But, if God knows what will happen in the future, how can there still be freewill in the universe? In order to understand how God knows and influences the future, we must understand how natural Light behaves because Spiritual Light or Love is God’s substance. And natural and spiritual Light are in correspondence. We know that natural Light behaves according to the Principle of Least Action. In the physical world, Light always moves to its destination in the least amount of time. But the only reason it can do this is because it is an omnipresent wave. Although to our physical eyes natural Light seems to be moving, in the realm or field of Light itself, it is already at its destination. This is the reason photons can be in two places at once. This is also why the speed of Light is absolute. In the realm of Light itself, there is no time. Similarly, Love in the universe seems to be moving towards a spiritual destination or Heaven. But, in the realm of Divine Love itself, it is already there. God knows that the future destiny of the universe is a Heaven of angels from the human race. And Divine Providence is always guiding the universe to this future spiritual destination. And, since Love is the substance that drives our intentions, thoughts and actions, it is always impelling us to reach our destination in the least amount of time. God knows what will happen at the end of time. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; Now, although God knows the future, we are still free to choose our intentions and actions. For example, we are free to throw a stone up in the air but this stone will necessarily move and fall according to the Principle of Least Action. Its motion will be governed by the law of gravitation. Similarly, although God knows what will happen in the end, we are still free to choose what we intend, think, say and do. But our intentions, thoughts, words and actions will produce reactions that are in accord with Divine Providence. If we obey conscience and our intentions are unselfish, we will continue to advance to the state of Heavenly Love in the least amount of time. But, what if our intentions and actions are selfish or evil? Divine Providence will reorganize the events in our life so that we arrive in Heaven in the least amount of time. When we intend and do evil, we generate obstacles and constraints and delay our arrival in Heaven. We have an analogy of this in human society. What happens when we commit a crime in society? We break a civil law and end up in a prison where we must waste many years of incarceration before we are again released into society. Similarly, when we break spiritual law, we are wasting time and delaying our arrival in Heaven. But, although God knows our spiritual destination, He cannot prevent us from exercising our freewill. And, if we consistently choose to behave according to self-love and love of the world, we can delay our arrival indefinitely. Due to the spiritual fall of mankind, many of us do not know the real purpose of the universe. Hence, many of us still believe that life on earth is an end in itself. And, as a consequence, we foolishly think that we will attain real joy and happiness by fulfilling our selfish desires. Fortunately, since He is omniscient, God does know that life on earth is simply a means to an end and that the end or purpose of the universe is a Heaven of angelic beings from the human race. Hence, His Divine Providence is perpetually restoring the events in our life so that we arrive in Heaven as soon as possible. For many of us who still choose to disobey spiritual Law, it means that we will ultimately experience negative circumstances. But these unpleasant events are designed to awaken us to Spiritual Reality and steer us in the right direction. GOD IS OMNISCIENT, THAT IS, HE PERCEIVES, SEES AND KNOWS DOWN TO THE TINIEST DETAIL EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ACCORDING TO ORDER; AND FROM THESE THINGS ALSO WHAT HAPPENS CONTRARY TO ORDER. The mind of man is continually in these three things, called end, cause, and effect. If one of these is wanting the human mind is not in its life. The affection of the will is the originating end (a quo); the thought of the understanding is the operative cause (per quam); and the action of the body, as the speech of the mouth, or external sensation, is the effect of the end by means of the thought. It is clear to anyone that the human mind is not in its life when it is in nothing beyond the affection of the will, and similarly when it is only in the effect. Therefore, the mind has no life from one of these separately, but only from the three conjointly. This activity of the mind would diminish and pass away if the event were foretold. Emanuel Swedenborg [TCR 59, AE 1217, DP 173] |
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