God's foreknowledge does not cancel human choice; it means God already knew every choice before it was made.
According to Les Feldick, before creation the Godhead could look down through time and know exactly what every person, nation, and empire would do. That foreknowledge allowed God to plan for every contingency and to bring about His purposes, while men and nations still exercised genuine free will. Israel's rejection of the King and the crucifixion of Christ were both foreknown and woven into God's predetermined plan, yet those actions remained wicked human choices.
Acts 2:23 — Shows that the crucifixion happened by God's determinate counsel and foreknowledge, even though the human participants acted with wicked hands.
Ephesians 1:4 — Shows that believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Romans 11:2 — Shows that God has not cast away the people whom He foreknew.
Psalm 2:1-2 — Shows that the rulers taking counsel against the Lord's Anointed was known beforehand.
Scripture presents God as the One who knows the end from the beginning and who chose believers in Christ before the world began. Acts 2:23 says Jesus was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,” even though the men of Israel took Him with wicked hands and crucified Him. Ephesians 1:4 says believers were “chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” Romans 11:2 says God has not cast away “his people which he foreknew,” and Psalm 2:1-2 describes the kings and rulers of the earth taking counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed. These passages show that God's knowledge and plan include human actions, but they do not erase the reality that the people involved made real choices.
Les Feldick teaches that God's foreknowledge means that before He ever created anything, the Godhead could look down through the eons of time and know exactly what every person in every nation would do. This did not take away the free will of mankind; rather, it meant God could plan for every contingency. Les applies this to Israel's rejection of the King and the Kingdom, the crucifixion of Christ, and individual salvation. He emphasizes that God knew Israel would reject the King, that the cross was within the predetermined counsel of God, and that believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world because God knew what each person would do with the offer of salvation. Les admits that the coexistence of God's sovereign plan and human free will is hard to comprehend, but he rests on God being sovereign, omniscient, and in absolute control.
No. Les Feldick says the Godhead could look down through the eons of time and know exactly what every person in every nation would do, and yet He never took away the free will of mankind. Israel had absolute freedom to accept or reject the King, and God planned around whatever they would do because He knew it in advance. Likewise, every individual still exercises genuine choice when faced with the gospel.
Yes. Les teaches that when Christ came the first time, Israel was given the opportunity to have the King and the Kingdom. But in the foreknowledge of God, He knew they would reject it, and it had to be that way to bring about the crucifixion. The crucifixion itself was in the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, so God was never surprised by Israel's rejection or by the way Jesus was killed.
Les teaches from Ephesians 1:4 that God's choosing is not arbitrary, as if God left some people without a chance or simply picked certain ones. Rather, God in His foreknowledge knew what every individual would do in the exercise of their own free will. On that basis, He could say believers were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.
Les says this is one of the hardest things to put together, and he admits he no longer tries to fully reconcile it. 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 and foreknowledge. Les resolves the tension by appealing to God's sovereignty, omniscience, and absolute control.
Predetermined Counsel of God
Les shows that the Godhead pre-planned creation and redemption before anything was made, and that Israel's rejection of the King was foreknown and necessary for the crucifixion.
Foreknowledge and Free Will Coexist
Les explains that before creation God knew exactly what every person would do, yet He never took away mankind's free will. Israel could accept or reject Jesus without surprising God.
God's Personal Foreknowledge
Les teaches that God knew before Adam was created what every individual would do with the gospel, showing an all-knowing God in complete control of history.
Foreknown People, Free-Will Actions
Les says God has not cast away Israel which He foreknew. Israel's free-will actions never surprised God, and although hard to comprehend, everything they did is according to His plan.
Foreknowledge and Salvation Choices
Les uses Rebekah's willingness to show that God's sovereign working and an individual's willingness are not opposed; God knew in advance who would be willing to respond.
Chosen in Him Before the Foundation
Les explains Ephesians 1:4 by teaching that believers were chosen before the foundation of the world, not because God arbitrarily picked some, but because He knew from eternity what each person would do with their free will.
Hidden Wisdom and Predetermined Truths
Les says the truths Paul revealed were hidden in the mind of God, just as Israel's crucifixion of the Messiah was predetermined and not a surprise to God.
Jesus Knew From Eternity Past
Les points out that Jew and Gentile together were involved in the crucifixion, that it was all in God's foreknowledge, and that Jesus told the disciples in advance what would happen.
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:
This verse directly connects God's foreknowledge with the crucifixion and shows that the human actors still acted wickedly.
Ephesians 1:4: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
This verse shows that God's choice of believers happened before the world began, which Les explains through foreknowledge of human choices.
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,
This verse shows that God's relationship with Israel is based on His foreknowledge of them.
Psalm 2:1-2: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
This passage describes the opposition to God's Anointed, which Les connects to the foreknown crucifixion of Christ.
Les Feldick says foreknowledge means God knew before the world was created what every person would do with the gospel. He never took away the free will of mankind. Knowing a choice in advance does not make the choice any less real.
Les teaches from Ephesians 1:4 that God's choice was not arbitrary. God in His foreknowledge saw what every individual would do in the exercise of their own free will, and on that basis believers could be described as chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.
No. Israel had absolute freedom to accept or reject the King, and they used their free will to reject Him. God foreknew it and had predetermined that the crucifixion would be part of His redemption plan, but the men who did it were still acting by 'wicked hands' according to Acts 2:23.
Watch the Teaching: What Shall We Do? Acts 2 & God's Foreknowledge Explained