Yes — God's sovereign plan and human free will work together; He lets people and nations choose while still bringing history to His intended end.
Les Feldick teaches that God set the whole system of humanity in motion from eternity past and gave men and nations their free will. Because God is omniscient, He already knew every choice they would make, so nothing takes Him by surprise. The result, Les says, is that after nearly 6,000 years of human history the world is right on God's timetable.
Acts 2:23 — Peter says Christ was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, showing a predetermined plan alongside genuine human action.
Romans 11:2 — Paul says God has not cast away His people which He foreknew, showing that even Israel's rejection did not derail God's sovereign plan.
Acts 2:23 brings both truths together. Peter, preaching on the Day of Pentecost, tells Israel that Jesus was 'delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,' and yet the people themselves 'taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain' Him. The crucifixion was part of God's determined plan, while the men who carried it out acted freely. Romans 11:2 adds, 'God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.' Even though Israel rejected their Messiah, that rejection was known in advance and did not surprise God. Scripture presents God's plan as certain, even while human actors make real choices.
Les Feldick says this is one of the hardest truths to put together. In his words, God set the whole system of humanity in motion back in Genesis, gave men and nations their free will, and yet everything they do is according to His plan. He admits that he does not try to reconcile it anymore; he simply believes that God is sovereign, omniscient, and absolutely in control. Les explains that before anything was created, the triune God blueprinted the whole plan for the ages. God then turned the exercise of free will over to individuals and to nations. Governments make decisions, invade other nations, and build their military forces under that free will, but God's preplanning still brings everything to His intended end. He points to Israel's rejection of Christ as proof. Israel had absolute freedom to accept or reject the kingdom, but God already knew what they would do and had planned for it. Les also cites Acts 2:23 to show that the crucifixion happened under the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. After six thousand years of human history, he says the world is exactly where God intended it to be.
Les calls the relationship between God's sovereignty and human free will one of the hardest things to put together. He says he does not even try to reconcile it anymore. He simply accepts that God is sovereign, omniscient, and absolutely in control, and that He still left men and nations with free will. In his words, 'I can't explain it, but I believe it.'
No. Les says that way back in the Garden, God turned the exercise of free will over to human choice, and not only to individuals but to nations. Governments make decisions, invade other nations, and raise up their military forces 'supposedly under a free will.' God has never taken that free will away from mankind.
Les explains that before He ever created anything, the Godhead could look down through the eons of time and know exactly what every person and every nation would do. That is foreknowledge. Because God knew what would happen, He could plan for every contingency. He never took away the free will of mankind, and yet nothing takes Him by surprise.
Israel had absolute freedom to accept Jesus and have the kingdom, but they also had the free will to reject Him, which is exactly what they did. Les says this did not throw God a curve because He already knew what they would do. Everything was preordained, and the same pattern continues as end-time prophecies fall into place.
Biblical Timeline: Creation to Christ's Kingdom!
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Everything Is According to His Plan
Les teaches that God set humanity in motion in Genesis, gave men and nations free will, and yet everything they do carries out His plan and foreknowledge — hard to comprehend but true.
Right on Schedule After 6,000 Years
God turned free will over to individuals and nations, yet through wars, famines, and revolutions the world is still exactly where God intended it to be.
Free Will From the Beginning
From the very beginning God gave men and nations free will, so even governments that make decisions and build militaries are operating under that freedom while God's blueprinted plan moves forward.
Foreknowledge Sees Every Choice
The Godhead knew from eternity exactly what every person and nation would do, so God could plan for contingencies without taking away human free will; Israel could freely accept or reject the kingdom.
A Fine Line Between Sovereignty and Free Will
Les says there is a fine line between God's sovereignty and man's free will that is hard to define, yet God is absolutely sovereign and never caught by surprise.
Everything Falls Into Place as Predetermined
From beginning to end, everything falls into place exactly as God predetermined, even though men and nations do what they think they want to do; Acts 2:23 reveals this plan from eternity past.
I Can't Explain It, but I Believe It
A sovereign God preplanned everything and still left man with free will; Les admits he cannot explain how they meet at the end, but he believes it and sees it happening constantly.
Acts 2:23: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Peter uses this verse to show that the crucifixion happened by God's determined plan and foreknowledge while the men who did it acted freely.
Romans 11:2: God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
Paul's words show that God already knew Israel's response and had not cast them away, so their choices did not catch Him by surprise.
No. Les Feldick teaches that God has given individuals and nations the free exercise of their will and has never taken it away. People and governments make real decisions, yet God remains sovereign over the end result.
Because God is omniscient. Les says the Godhead looked down through the eons of time and knew exactly what every person and nation would do. That foreknowledge let God plan for every contingency without eliminating free will.
No. Israel had absolute freedom to accept or reject the kingdom, but God already knew what they would do. Their choice was included in His preordained plan and did not throw God a curve.
According to Les, yes. After nearly 6,000 years of human history, with all its wars, famines, insurrections, and revolutions, the world is still exactly where God intended it to be.
Watch the Teaching: Biblical Timeline: Creation to Christ's Kingdom!