the beginning of His collecting of the disciples around Him, or the beginning of His Messianic ministry . . . , but from the first secret germs of unbelief [that produced the stumbling of some disciples]. So also He knew His betrayer from the beginning.”—Compare 1 John 3:8, 11, 12.

Foreordination of the Messiah

Jehovah God foreknew and foretold the Messiah’s sufferings, the death he would undergo and his subsequent resurrection. (Acts 2:22, 23, 30, 31; 3:18; 1 Pet. 1:10, 11) The realization of things determined by God’s exercise of such foreknowledge depended in part upon God’s own exercise of power and in part upon the actions of men. (Acts 4:27, 28) Such men, however, willingly allowed themselves to be overreached by God’s adversary, Satan the Devil. (John 8:42-44; Acts 7:51-54) Hence, even as Christians in Paul’s day were “not ignorant of [Satan’s] designs,” God foresaw the wicked desires and methods his adversary would devise against his Anointed One. (2 Cor. 2:11) Obviously, God’s power could also thwart or even block any attacks or attempts upon the Messiah that did not conform to the manner or time prophesied.—Compare Matthew 16:21; Luke 4:28-30; 9:51; John 7:1, 6-8; 8:59.

The apostle Peter’s statement that Christ, as the sacrificial Lamb of God, was “foreknown before the founding [form of Greek ka·ta·bo·leʹ] of the world [koʹsmou]” is construed by advocates of predestinarianism to mean that God exercised such foreknowledge before mankind’s creation. (1 Pet. 1:19, 20) The Greek word ka·ta·bo·leʹ, translated “founding,” literally means “a casting or laying down” and can refer to the ‘conceiving of seed,’ as at Hebrews 11:11. While there was the “founding” of a world of mankind when God created the first human pair, as is shown at Hebrews 4:3, 4, that pair thereafter forfeited their position as children of God. (Gen. 3:22-24; Rom. 5:12) Yet, by God’s undeserved kindness, they were allowed to conceive seed and produce offspring, one of whom is specifically shown in the Bible as having gained God’s favor and placed himself in position for redemption and salvation, namely, Abel. (Gen. 4:1, 2; Heb. 11:4) It is noteworthy that at Luke 11:49-51 Jesus refers to “the blood of all the prophets spilled from the founding of the world,” and parallels this with the words, “from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah.” Thus Abel is connected by Jesus with the “founding of the world.”

The Messiah or Christ was to be the promised Seed through whom all righteous persons of all the families of the earth would be blessed. (Gal. 3:8, 14) The first mention of such “seed” came after the rebellion in Eden had already been initiated, but prior to the birth of Abel. (Gen. 3:15) This was over four thousand years before the revelation was made of the “sacred secret” of the administration to come through the Messiah; hence, it was, indeed, “kept in silence for long-lasting times.”—Rom. 16:25-27; Eph. 1:8-10; 3:4-11.

In his due time Jehovah God assigned his own firstborn Son to fulfill the prophesied role of the “seed” and become the Messiah. There is nothing to show that that Son was “predestined” to such a role even before his creation or before rebellion broke out in Eden. God’s eventual selection of him as the one charged with fulfilling the prophecies likewise was not made without prior basis. The period of intimate association between God and his Son previous to the Son’s being sent to earth undoubtedly resulted in Jehovah’s ‘knowing’ his Son to an extent that He could be certain of his Son’s faithful fulfillment of the prophetic promises and pictures.—Compare Romans 15:5; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 11:27; John 10:14, 15; see JESUS CHRIST (Tested and Perfected).

Foreordination of the ‘called and chosen ones’

There remain those texts that deal with the Christian “called ones” or “chosen ones.” (Jude 1; Matt. 24:24) They are described as “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Pet. 1:1, 2), ‘chosen before the founding of the world,’ ‘foreordained to the adoption as sons of God’ (Eph. 1:3-5, 11), ‘selected from the beginning for salvation and called to this very destiny.’ (2 Thess. 2:13, 14) The understanding of these texts depends upon whether they refer to the foreordination of certain individual persons, or whether they describe the foreordination of a class of persons, namely, the Christian congregation, the “one body” (1 Cor. 10:17) of those who will be joint heirs with Christ Jesus in his heavenly kingdom.—Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:19-22; Heb. 3:1, 5, 6.

If these words apply to specific individuals as foreordained to eternal salvation, then it follows that those individuals could never prove unfaithful or fail in their calling, for God’s foreknowledge of them could not prove inaccurate and his foreordination of them to a certain destiny could never miscarry or be thwarted. Yet the same apostles who were inspired to write the foregoing words showed that some who were “bought” and “sanctified” by the blood of Christ’s ransom sacrifice and who had “tasted the heavenly free gift” and “become partakers of holy spirit . . . and powers of the coming system of things” would fall away beyond repentance and bring destruction upon themselves. (2 Pet. 2:1, 2, 20-22; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-29) The apostles unitedly urged those to whom they wrote to “do your utmost to make the calling and choosing of you sure for yourselves; for if you keep on doing these things you will by no means ever fail”; also to “keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (2 Pet. 1:10, 11; Phil. 2:12-16) Paul, who was “called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:1), obviously did not consider himself individually predestinated to eternal salvation, since he speaks of his strenuous efforts in striving to attain “the goal for the prize of the upward call of God” (Phil. 3:8-15), and his concern lest he himself should “become disapproved somehow.”—1 Cor. 9:27.

Similarly, the “crown” of life offered such ones is granted subject to their faithfulness under trial until death. (Jas. 1:12; Rev. 2:10, 23) Their crown of kingship with God’s Son can be lost to another. (Rev. 3:11) The apostle Paul expressed confidence that the “crown of righteousness” was “reserved” for him, but only did so when he was certain that he was nearing the end of his course, having “run [it] to the finish.”—2 Tim. 4:6-8.

On the other hand, viewed as applying to a class, to the Christian congregation or “holy nation” of called ones as a whole (1 Pet. 2:9), the texts previously cited would mean that God foreknew and foreordained that such a class (but not the specific individuals forming it) would be produced. Also, these scriptures would mean that he prescribed or foreordained the ‘pattern’ to which all those in due time called to be members thereof would have to conform, all this according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-12; 2 Tim. 1:9, 10) He also foreordained the works such ones would be expected to carry out and their being tested due to the sufferings the world would bring upon them.—Eph. 2:10; 1 Thess. 3:3, 4.

As to those texts referring to ‘names being written in the book of life,’ see NAME.

FATALISM AND PREDESTINARIANISM

Among the pagan peoples of ancient times, including the Greeks and Romans, fate was often considered to be determined beforehand for all individuals by the gods, particularly the length of the individual’s life. Grecian mythology represented the control of men’s destiny by three goddesses: Clotho (spinner), who spun the thread of life; Lachesis (disposer of lots), who determined the length of life, and Atropos (inflexible), who cut life off when the time expired. A similar triad was found among the Roman deities.

According to Jewish historian Josephus (first century C.E.), the Pharisees endeavored to harmonize the idea of fate with their belief in God and with the free moral agency granted to man. (Wars of the Jews, Book II, chap. VIII, par. 14; Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, chap. I, par. 3) The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (Vol. IX, p. 192) says: “Previous to Augustine [of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E.] there was no serious development in Christianity of a theory of predestination.” Before Augustine, earlier so-called “Church Fathers” such as Justin, Origen and Irenaeus “know nothing of unconditional predestination; they teach free will.” In their refutation of Gnosticism, they are described as regularly expressing their belief in the free moral agency of man as “the distinguishing characteristic of human personality, the basis of moral responsibility, a divine gift whereby men might choose that which was well-pleasing to God” and as speaking of the “autonomy of man and the counsel of God who constraineth not.”—Hasting’s Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, Vol. X, p. 231; The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. IX, p. 193.

FORERUNNER

One who goes in advance to prepare for the coming of another. This might include scouting and spying, clearing the way, proclaiming and giving notice of another’s approach, or showing the way for others to follow. The forerunner is usually, but not always, of less importance than the person who follows.

It was the Oriental custom that runners go before the royal chariot to prepare and announce the king’s coming and to assist him generally. (1 Sam. 8:11) Absalom and Adonijah, in imitation of such regal dignity and to add prestige and seeming sanction to their respective rebellions, placed fifty runners before their personal chariots.—2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Ki. 1:5; see RUNNERS.

John the Baptist was in reality the forerunner of Christ, in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 and 4:5, 6: “Someone is calling out in the wilderness: ‘Clear up the way of Jehovah, . . . Make the highway . . . straight.’” “I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a way before me.” John’s advance proclamation, therefore, aroused people to expect, look for and wait for Jesus, that, in turn, they might listen to him, honor him and follow him. (Matt. 3:1-12; 11:7, 10, 14; Mark 9:11-13; Luke 1:13-17, 76; John 1:35-37; see “Let Your Name Be Sanctified,” chapters 13 and 16.) In a similar manner, messengers were sent out in advance of Jesus, and these went into a village of the Samaritans “to make preparation for him.”—Luke 9:52.

Jesus himself, however, is the one referred to in the only passage of Scripture using the word “forerunner.” (Heb. 6:19, 20) He was not a forerunner in the sense of being inferior to those who followed after him. Rather, he was the first to enter heavenly glory, opening and preparing the way for the heavenly congregation of his footstep followers. (John 14:2, 3) Hence, they have boldness to enter in through the way their Forerunner inaugurated.—Heb. 10:19-22.

FORESKIN

See CIRCUMCISION.

FOREST

At one time the land of Palestine had abundant forests with trees of many types. The Scriptural references to forests and woodlands and to the use of wood materials make it evident that trees were then much more common there than at present. (2 Chron. 27:4; Judg. 9:48, 49) This is also made certain from the description of wild animal life, showing that the forests were such as provided adequate cover and habitation for bears (2 Ki. 2:23, 24), lions (1 Sam. 17:34; 1 Chron. 11:22), and other forms of animal life.—Ezek. 34:25.

But deforestation of large areas has come about due to the devastation of war, the extensive use of timber with no accompanying effort to replenish the forests, and uncontrolled grazing, in which the young shoots of new trees have been eaten by goats and other animals. Denis Baly, in his book The Geography of the Bible (1957, p. 92), speaks of “a thousand years of neglect,” which has resulted in the disappearance of many woodlands and the severe erosion of soil, leaving much of the land rocky and barren.

Certain forests are specifically mentioned in the Bible. The forests of Lebanon, now reduced to a few small groves, were outstanding for their splendid tree growth (1 Ki. 5:2-10, 13-18; 2 Ki. 19:23), with great quantities of cedar, juniper, cypress and other trees. The “forest of Ephraim” (perhaps “forest of Mahanaim”), in which Absalom met disaster, may have been located E of the Jordan River near Mahanaim and appears to have been of considerable density. (2 Sam. 18:6, 8, 17, NW, 1955 ed., ftn.) The “forest of Hereth” was in Judah. (1 Sam. 22:5) Additionally, the region of Gilead was famous for its woodlands and balsam trees, while Bashan to the N was noted for its “massive trees,” apparently including the oak. (Isa. 2:13; Zech. 11:2) In the days of David and Solomon, sycamore trees grew in abundance in the Shephelah lowlands. (1 Ki. 10:27; 1 Chron. 27:28; 2 Chron. 1:15; 9:27) The Jordan valley had a thick growth of tamarisks and willows, where lions lurked.—Jer. 12:5; Zech. 11:3.

SYMBOLIC USE

Even as trees are used to symbolize individual persons and rulers, so the Bible uses forests symbolically for peoples or nations and their rulers. The wickedness of apostate Judah was like a flame to burn up her people (Isa. 9:18); their people would be cut down and thinned out like trees of a forest (Isa. 10:19, 34); Jehovah’s anger would burn up the southern kingdom (Judah) with an unextinguishable flame. (Ezek. 20:46-48) Similar prophecies are given against pagan nations, enemies of God’s people.—Ps. 83:14, 15; Jer. 46:22, 23.

FORETELLER OF EVENTS

A person claiming ability to forecast what will take place in the future, among whom the Bible names magic-practicing priests, spiritistic diviners, astrologers and others. Some of these possessed occult powers by virtue of contact with the demons, the wicked angelic enemies of God under Satan the Devil, the ruler of the demons. (Luke 11:14-20) In ancient times various methods were employed by these prognosticators in obtaining their messages of prediction: stargazing (Isa. 47:13); examination of the liver and other viscera of sacrificed animal victims (Ezek. 21:21); interpretation of omens (2 Ki. 21:6); consultation with the so-called “spirits” of the dead, and so forth.—Deut. 18:11.

The lives of the Egyptians, like the lives of the Babylonians, were regulated to a large extent by their fortune-tellers. (Isa. 19:3) On the other hand, God’s true servants never looked to such persons for information. When the Law was given to Israel shortly after their release from bondage in Egypt, they were strictly forbidden to consult “professional foretellers of events.” (Lev. 19:31) Having “immoral intercourse” with them would result in being cut off (in death) from among God’s people. And as to the one practicing the art, the law went on to say: “As for a man or woman in whom there proves to be a mediumistic spirit or spirit of prediction, they should be put to death without fail.” (Lev. 20:6, 27) Nearly forty years later, when poised to enter the Promised Land and to drive out its inhabitants, Israel was reminded: “You must not learn to do according to the detestable things of those nations. There should not be found in you . . . anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead.”—Deut. 18:9-11.

More than 350 years later, Israel’s first king, Saul, removed all the foretellers of events from the land, but before his death he had fallen so far away from Jehovah that he personally sought out a “mistress of spirit mediumship in En-dor” to foretell his future.