# Demons Know the Future?



## nwink

Do demons and the devil know the future, in terms of specific events that will happen to people?


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## earl40

In of themseves they do not.


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## whirlingmerc

In themselves, I do not believe anyone but God knows the thoughts of man or the future


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## Andres

No, only God is omniscient.


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## One Little Nail

The Devil knows his time is short


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## earl40

Here is a thought I would enjoin people to explain.  How can we say demons cannot tell the future and still believe the below?

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:


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## SolaScriptura

I believe it would be grossly inaccurate (if not blasphemous) to say that the devil or his demons is omniscient. 
However, it is a _non sequiter_ to say that acknowledging these beings may (though this is debateable) possess some degree of insight into an individual's immediate future equates to saying they are omniscient. 

I think it is preferable to simply say that as supernatural beings who have been around for a long time and have "seen a lot," they can look at a situation and with great confidence predict how things are going to play out. I don't think this is beyond the scope of reasonability. Why? Because when one considers that even with our relatively meager cognitive and intuitive powers (especially when we add years of experience to the equation) we can become skilled at seeing how actions and attitudes will likely lead to certain outcomes. Since it is true for us, how much more true is it of a being whose perspective is so much greater than our own? Would not that appear to some to be "knowing the future," even if technically speaking it isn't?


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## earl40

SolaScriptura said:


> I believe it would be grossly inaccurate (if not blasphemous) to say that the devil or his demons is omniscient.
> However, it is a _non sequiter_ to say that acknowledging these beings may (though this is debateable) possess some degree of insight into an individual's immediate future equates to saying they are omniscient.
> 
> I think it is preferable to simply say that as supernatural beings who have been around for a long time and have "seen a lot," they can look at a situation and with great confidence predict how things are going to play out. I don't think this is beyond the scope of reasonability. Why? Because when one considers that even with our relatively meager cognitive and intuitive powers (especially when we add years of experience to the equation) we can become skilled at seeing how actions and attitudes will likely lead to certain outcomes. Since it is true for us, how much more true is it of a being whose perspective is so much greater than our own? Would not that appear to some to be "knowing the future," even if technically speaking it isn't?



Good post Rev.  Now let us take this a step further. Did the lady in acts get some of that foresight directly from a demon by paranormal means? I say no.


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## One Little Nail

Earl she had a spirit of divination, which is meant that a devil was in her & gave her these powers, whatever or however they worked is not the point, it was not her own human spirit, it was a fallen angel which is what devils are, they are devils in name & devils in nature, that gave her this ability, your post confirms what I was suspecting from the other thread http://www.puritanboard.com/f64/christian-response-ouija-boards-84031/ that you deny the existence of evil supernaturalism by calling it superstition, this is a form of Liberalism. 

OK, sure you've said that the Devil is real, but you seem to deny that he/she can or does exert spiritual power over mankind & seem to equate human sinfulness with being all that Satan's power consists of, human sinfulness is human sinfulness & evil satanic supernaturalism or spiritualism is just that a spiritual power or force which satan can exert, as God wills, over mankind, this is not superstition as you suppose.


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## Leslie

Knowing some things about the future is not the same as knowing all things about the future. Omniscience is the latter. Having a lot of information at one's disposal plus some logic can enable the former.


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## MichaelNZ

My friend and I have discussed this before. I told him that the demons may tell someone what they plan to do in the future, so that it seems like they have predicted the future when what they have planned to do comes to pass.

Ultimately only God knows the future.


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## earl40

MichaelNZ said:


> My friend and I have discussed this before. I told him that the demons may tell someone what they plan to do in the future, so that it seems like they have predicted the future when what they have planned to do comes to pass.
> 
> Ultimately only God knows the future.



For starters if a demon knows what he will be allowed to do in the future, as decreed and communicated by God to said demon is one thing, and the second thing is how exactly does a demon tell someone what he (the demon) is going to do? In other words, the second is the superstition, in that a direct communication from demon to human simply does not happen. Now many evil people (as influenced by satan or demons) do indeed tell people the evil they are planning to do and many times they are thwarted by Our Lord via normal means such as law enforcement, parents, or any circumstance that can prevent the evil plans they are "foretelling".


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## Tirian

earl40 said:


> a direct communication from demon to human simply does not happen.



What makes you certain of this?


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## earl40

Tirian said:


> earl40 said:
> 
> 
> 
> a direct communication from demon to human simply does not happen.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What makes you certain of this?
Click to expand...


What makes anybody certian that _even if_ a demons tells someone something they should believe him? Vicious circle it is that can be dismissed by knowing demons do not talk to people like we are here.


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## Tirian

earl40 said:


> What makes anybody certian that even if a demons tells someone something they should believe him? Vicious circle it is that can be dismissed by knowing demons do not talk to people like we are here.



I'm not asserting anything contrary to what you are saying, but whether what is said is a lie or not if it were spoken, how do you know demons do not speak to people? The fact that what is said couldn't be trusted is not grounds in and of itself for dismissing the possibility that communication can occur. You haven't yet explained what knowledge you have that specifically rules out demons talking to people. Could you please elaborate?


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## earl40

Tirian said:


> earl40 said:
> 
> 
> 
> What makes anybody certian that even if a demons tells someone something they should believe him? Vicious circle it is that can be dismissed by knowing demons do not talk to people like we are here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not asserting anything contrary to what you are saying, but whether what is said is a lie or not if it were spoken, how do you know demons do not speak to people? Because what is said couldn't be trusted is not grounds for dismissing the possibility and you haven't yet explained what knowledge you have that specifically rules out demons talking to people. Could you please elaborate?
Click to expand...


For starters demons do not have vocal chords to speak or fingers to type. Also the idea of some kind of telepathy comes from Star Trek and not scripture so far as them communicating with people.


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## Tirian

earl40 said:


> For starters demons do not have vocal chords to speak or fingers to type. Also the idea of some kind of telepathy comes from Star Trek and not scripture so far as them communicating with people.



Also my iPhone doesn't have vocal chords either, nor fingers - by your logic so far, perhaps my iPhone is a demon?  I'm actually really very interested in your source of knowledge as I would find it really helpful for a number of reasons. But how do you know so much about what demons can and can't do? How are you so certain they can't communicate with us? What is the compelling basis for you making such adamant claims?


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## earl40

Tirian said:


> earl40 said:
> 
> 
> 
> For starters demons do not have vocal chords to speak or fingers to type. Also the idea of some kind of telepathy comes from Star Trek and not scripture so far as them communicating with people.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also my iPhone doesn't have vocal chords either, nor fingers - by your logic so far, perhaps my iPhone is a demon?  I'm actually really very interested in your source of knowledge as I would find it really helpful for a number of reasons. But how do you know so much about what demons can and can't do? How are you so certain they can't communicate with us? What is the compelling basis for you making such adamant claims?
Click to expand...


Your smartphone has speakers which relay information that was directly transferred from a physical source. I come to my conclusions from logical inference derived from scripture.


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## Tirian

earl40 said:


> Your smartphone has speakers which relay information that was directly transferred from a physical source. I come to my conclusions from logical inference derived from scripture.



Perhaps just give us the most compelling part of scripture in your mind that convinces you that demons cannot communicate with us.


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## whirlingmerc

Certainly they can attempt to persuade or opportunistic use a situation Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil a foothold. NIV

In the end, how exactly demons persuade people is not a concern of the Bible and the mechanics not elaborated on and that's probably good.


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## Jeri Tanner

I've thought about this a good bit because it's important to know whether some of our negative thoughts, emotions, etc. are the result of demonic influence. If demons cannot directly influence our thoughts and emotions, then it may change the way we need to think about and deal with our negative thoughts and emotions. I don't see any Scriptural basis for believing that demons can directly influence our thoughts and emotions, nor read our minds. (I know the OP is about demons predicting the future, but maybe it's all part of the same issue.) The only time in Scripture Satan is depicted as directly communicating with/attempting to influence humans was with Adam and Eve in the garden, and with the Lord Jesus. Those narratives don't teach us that we are to expect the same. Every place in the NT where we are warned be aware of Satan's strategies and not to give him a foothold, etc., are in relation to not sinning, or to being careful not to contribute to potential temptation (like husbands and wives not refraining too long from marital relations). I do believe the Bible is clear that Satan is always seeking to place temptations before us; he obviously is an expert on the human race and on each individual. Just my thinking so far.


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## earl40

Jeri Tanner said:


> I've thought about this a good bit because it's important to know whether some of our negative thoughts, emotions, etc. are the result of demonic influence. If demons cannot directly influence our thoughts and emotions, then it may change the way we need to think about and deal with our negative thoughts and emotions. I don't see any Scriptural basis for believing that demons can directly influence our thoughts and emotions, nor read our minds. (I know the OP is about demons predicting the future, but maybe it's all part of the same issue.) The only time in Scripture Satan is depicted as directly communicating with/attempting to influence humans was with Adam and Eve in the garden, and with the Lord Jesus. Those narratives don't teach us that we are to expect the same. Every place in the NT where we are warned be aware of Satan's strategies and not to give him a foothold, etc., are in relation to not sinning, or to being careful not to contribute to potential temptation (like husbands and wives not refraining too long from marital relations). I do believe the Bible is clear that Satan is always seeking to place temptations before us; he obviously is an expert on the human race and on each individual. Just my thinking so far.



The overall tenor of this post is quite good. The part of about how we are to place the guilt of the sin we commit rests %100 on us. This would not be so if we could blame the devil for any part of the moral culpability of any sin we commit. The amount of punishment in hell will be met out to the person who sins in exact proportion to the sin they commit. This all comes down to the biblical teaching of the reason anybody goes to hell which is because of the headship of Adam and his sin and the direct temptation on Eve. Now the amount of punishment in hell is determined by the amount of sin that is committed and we can trace this back to Eden and satan's work. I have no problem looking back and saying satan's work and the passing on of our sinful nature in Eden is still apparent and real, also I can say his work is still at work on the sons of disobedience.


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