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It is sad, tragic even, when someone raised in a Christian household decides to delve into a world that is passing away soon. It is true, there are many stumbling blocks, but that is no excuse for turning one's back on God. I pity the people who were born in places where Christianity and the Bible are suppressed. There is little opportunity for them to know the truth. We are talking about billions of Hindus, Muslims, and those living in Oriental cultures under communist regimes. People in the realm of Christendom have been blessed to live during a time of peace when it is relatively easy to be a Christian. All that is going to change.
As far as God feeling hurt at heart, God knows since the fall people are evilly inclined. Even those who try to do what is right find it impossible to be truly righteous. Still, Jehovah is disappointed when we sin against him and grieve the holy spirit.
Some weeks ago, someone on this forum made the claim that God knew beforehand that Satan would become an opposer and that Adam and Eve would follow him and rebel too. Supposedly, that is what Jesus meant when he used the expression "before the founding of the world." There are multiple meanings of the word "world." It can mean the system, which is what John was referring to when he said do not be loving the world or the things in the world. Or, It can refer to mankind. That is the world that God loved so much he gave his only begotten Son.
So, which world was Jesus referring to when he used the expression "before the founding of the world"? Jesus was referencing the beginning of the world of mankind birthed from the fallen parents, Adam and Eve outside Eden. How do we know? Because it is evident from what Jesus stated at Luke 11:49-51: "That is why the wisdom of God also said: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, and they will kill and persecute some of them, so that the blood of all the prophets spilled from the founding of the world may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation."
Obviously, there was no blood spilled before Adam and Eve were created. Neither was there any bloodshed in the paradise of Eden. But the very first man born, whose name was Cain, became a murderer. He murdered his own brother, Able, who was the second man born to Adam and Eve. Thus, those two humans constituted the founding of the world.
Some say that because God knows everything he knew Satan would destroy his work and plunge the world into sin and death. But take the case of Cain. Did God know that Cain was going to murder his brother? No. God only foresaw the possibility and the evil inclination that Cain was nurturing. That is why Jehovah personally warned Cain, saying to him: “Why are you so angry and dejected? If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and its craving is to dominate you; but will you get the mastery over it?” - Genesis 4:6-7
Had Jehovah known the outcome it would have been rather silly for him to intervene and try to correct Cain before he committed the terrible act.
When God created the angels they were all perfect. They had no evil inclination. They were like children in the company of a loving Father. Heaven was one big happy family. Jehovah trusted all of his sons and loved each and every one of them. Years later after the fall when Satan brought up the issue of Job's integrity, one of Job's accusers falsely said of God: "Look! He has no faith in his servants, and he finds fault with his angels. How much more so with those dwelling in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as easily as a moth!" - Job 4:18-19
Jehovah rebuked Eliphaz and his fellow false comforters for speaking what was untrue. Jehovah had no reason to suspect the covering cherub of Eden would slander his Father and concoct a scheme to subvert God's rulership. The Devil surely shocked and stunned the heavenly sphere. But had God tapped into the angel's private thoughts and discerned the plot he was scheming why would God allow it to go forward? Why didn't Jehovah forewarn the cherub the same way he forewarned Cain? That would have been the least God could have done. The answer is, again, Jehovah completely trusts his perfect heavenly sons. Perfect beings are different than imperfect ones, like us. It was said of Jesus that he would not entrust himself to any man because he knew what was in man.
God had no reason to use his foresight to foresee the heartache that was to come. For example, when the rebellion became full-blown with multitudes of angels coming down to have sex with women, Jehovah said that he regretted making mankind because they were only evil all the time. Had God chosen to foresee the outcome before he even created Adam and Eve why would God subject himself to such heartache and regret? He wouldn't. It is blasphemous to suggest otherwise.
When God gave Adam and Eve the mandate to fill the Earth and subdue it he did not need to have an emergency backup plan in case they failed. He trusted the two perfect humans to carry out his will. However, once the rebellion manifested itself, on the very day that they ate the forbidden fruit, Jehovah foretold the outcome. At that very moment, God determined to produce a heavenly offspring so as not to violate His own self-imposed sabbath as regards creating upon the earth, and to bring into existence a new creation composed of 144,000 bought from the earth. Hence, as a group, they were foreordained from before the founding of the world.
By the way, there is a new feature on e-watchman called Side Notes, where I intend to just post snippets of this and that, whatever I have on my mind at the time.
Will Christianity Survive the End of the World?
e-watchman.com
Psalms #15-Oh Jehovah, who may be a guest in your tent?
When David became king Jerusalem was occupied by the Jebusites—a tribe of Canaanites. David captured the city and eventually had the movable tent that served as God’s temple brought to Zion along with the ark of the covenant. David himself
e-watchman.com
Psalms #27 – Jehovah is my light and my salvation
“Jehovah is my light and my salvation. Whom should I fear? Jehovah is the stronghold of my life. Whom should I dread?” Mankind is enslaved by the fear of death and the
e-watchman.com
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