Isaiah 46:10, commentary and pictures

God alone declares the end from the beginning and the things not yet done, for past, present, and future are fully open to Him as the Infinite One whose knowledge, wisdom, and power no finite mind can fully comprehend. His counsel shall stand and He will do all His pleasure, for His understanding is infinite, He cannot err or be perplexed, and His spoken word is sure and can never fail even in the smallest part. He sees the outcome from the start while human wisdom is limited and mortals cannot see the end or know their own future, so they are to be guided by His word rather than trusting their own judgment, ambitions, or plans. Because He understands every heart, foresees dangers ahead, and knows what is best, He gives timely warnings, cautions, and instruction to keep people from ruin, and only those who heed them with right heart and life walk safely in His way. Those who have given themselves to His service need not be anxious about tomorrow, for Jesus knows the end from the beginning and has a way of relief prepared in every difficulty, using even discipline and trial for their present happiness and future good.

Infinite God Knows All

God alone declares the end from the beginning and the things not yet done, and His knowledge and works belong to the Infinite One whose character and purposes finite minds cannot fully comprehend and who understands matters better than erring human beings. His purposes reach beyond human understanding, so that even those He honors and guides to carry out His work do not fully grasp His plan of redemption or all He intends through them. Human servants, including prophets, may receive revelations and a measure of light suited to their work and time without fully understanding His plan or the full meaning of the messages they deliver, and the meaning of prophetic revelation unfolds as His people need its instruction.

Past, present, and future are fully open to Him, for He sees the end from the beginning and knows past and future completely, regarding the outcome of His work as already accomplished. Beyond the suffering, darkness, and ruin caused by sin He sees the fulfillment of His purposes of love and blessing, which will finally be understood by all, both loyal and disloyal. That purpose includes raising the dead, from Adam to the last saint who dies, to immortal life, where He will be their God and they will be His people in a close and tender relationship, a future reality He beholds as already existing. His counsel is too wise to err and too good to do harm, so the future of personal relationships and work should be kept before Him, viewed in His light, and moved in according to His counsel.

He sees the end from the beginning and understands every heart, including what is hidden from people about tomorrow. His providence does not mean He prevents every consequence of human choices, for although He had not ordained that Paul's work should end so soon, He did not miraculously undo the consequences of church leaders' envy and jealousy. When believers fail to value His grace and hinder a faithful worker, they may lose the blessing of that ministry, and sometimes only after the worker dies do people recognize what they had lost.

Infinite wisdom comprehends the end from the beginning while human wisdom is limited to a point, and mortals cannot see the end from the beginning and are not permitted to know their own future outcomes. They are therefore to be guided by His word and keep their minds fixed on Jesus, relying on prayer as they act, and when important decisions must be made and the way is not perfectly clear, His servants are to advance as His providence leads, venture in His fear, and trust the result to Him rather than avoid responsibility. Knowledge and power belong to God, who has His plans all arranged and knows about every case and how to deal with each, and while His people are burdened and distressed but waiting in patient submission He works unseen through His invisible Helper and brings to pass in His providence events that will either work reformation or separate half-hearted, world-loving members from believers. Therefore none are to fail or be discouraged, and the ignorantly guilty must learn their condition, for the whole term of probation is very brief, a short work will be done in the earth, and His own sharp and decisive tests and proving will come, so every soul must humble himself before God and prepare for what is awaiting.

Counsel That Always Stands

His counsel shall stand and He will do all His pleasure and carry out His purposes, for His understanding is infinite concerning way and means and men, He cannot err and cannot be perplexed, He will not alter the word He has spoken, His goodness and truth are eternal, and His power is absolute. Even His servants, including prophets, may receive revelation and a measure of light suited to their work and time without fully understanding His plan or the full meaning of the messages they deliver, and the meaning of those revelations unfolds as His people need their instruction. Nations and individuals make choices that shape their destiny while He overrules events to accomplish His purposes, and prophecy links events from the distant past to the distant future to show where people stand in the course of time and reveal what is coming, so that what has been foretold up to the present having been fulfilled in history, what remains will also be fulfilled in its appointed order. His providence does not mean He prevents every consequence of human choices, for although He had not ordained that Paul's work should end so soon, He did not miraculously undo the consequences of the church leaders' envy and jealousy. When believers fail to value His grace and hinder a faithful worker they may lose the blessing of that worker's ministry, and sometimes only after the worker is gone, even by death, do people recognize what they had lost.

Having foreseen the attacks of satanic agencies He made provision for them beforehand and will fulfill His word to the faithful in every age. That word is sure and steadfast and can never fail, not even in the smallest part. To those who stay under His protection He is an impregnable fortress and His banner is over them, giving evidence that His word never fails, shining as a light in a dark place until the day dawns and arising as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His beams through the constant teaching, reminding, testifying, comforting, convicting, and guiding work of the Holy Spirit. He discerns every motive prompting action and knows in every devising its end from its beginning, and He will in righteousness vindicate His own cause. He will send light and knowledge to those who endeavor to follow His counsel and will hold men accountable to Him in character and work, so that no business may trample the rights of His heritage or work injustice to others, unjust treatment in His work need not be felt as personal injury, and to trample the rights of His workmen is to smite His hand.

The only obstacle that can hinder His work of grace in the soul is the perverse, sinful human heart that refuses to yield to His control. By determined carrying out of his own ideas against warnings and entreaties a man separates himself from the blessing longed to bestow upon him, yet this resistance does not defeat His counsel. He will honor those who walk humbly with Him.

Prophecy Fulfilled in History

His purposes govern the course of history, overruling events to accomplish them while nations and individuals still make choices that shape their destiny. Prophecy links events from the distant past to the distant future, showing where people stand in the course of time and revealing what is coming. What prophecy foretold up to the present has been fulfilled in history, so what remains will also be fulfilled in its appointed order. He inspires prophets and apostles to record the future history of churches and nations, and His foreknowledge enables Him to carry out His purposes in history, including raising up reformers to investigate Scripture and call people to test the foundation of their faith. He foresaw the believers' disappointment and had given them words of courage and hope, assuring them that the promised vision would come at its appointed time.

Before Jacob and Esau were born He knew what characters they would develop and what their future history would be, including that Esau would not obey Him. In answer to Rebekah's troubled prayer He revealed that she would have two sons who would become two nations, that one nation would be greater than the other, and that the elder would serve the younger.

He permitted Peter's weakness and failure to be exposed so Peter would recognize his own weakness and have no grounds for boasting or pride. The record was made to stand for later generations as evidence that Peter was fallible and held no authority above the other apostles. This also answers in advance those who would claim for Peter and his supposed successors prerogatives belonging only to God.

In His providence He knew Brother Miller's thoughts and that his heart was not right with Him and did not place him as manager of the Echo Office, permitting events to reveal what was in his heart. He gave A. T. Jones, Dr. Kellogg, and several others a message exactly fitted to the need while in a far country, providing Spirit-inspired arguments that fully meet objections to the testimonies and enlighten those newly come to the faith. He guided Sutherland and Magan and a few faithful associates through a severe experience at Berrien Springs to labor for the needy southern field, leading them when they went out not knowing where they were going to the beautiful four-hundred-acre place at Madison. He brought them safely through trying experiences when the way was hedged up and fellow believers opposed and discouraged them, encouraging them Himself and resting His blessing on their labors so the results prove His leading. He knew beforehand that the earthquake was coming and knew the work Brother and Sister Rice might do afterward at a time when minds were looking for a true explanation of these judgments.

Warnings Born of Foreknowledge

Because He knows the end from the beginning, the compassionate Redeemer understands human nature and needs, sees dangers and difficulties ahead, and gives timely warning and instruction about habits of life, including food and clothing.
In mercy He uses that foreknowledge to send warnings and cautions to keep people from mistakes that would lead them away from Him, not to discourage them.
He desires every person to know His will and sees that people are often not sufficient of themselves to decide what should be done, so He sends cautions to save those in danger of grave mistakes, and only those who heed with right heart and life can know of a certainty that they walk in His way and understand His purposes in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
When they intend a course that appears faultless to them but would bring trouble to their own souls and confusion and wrong conclusions to other minds, He mercifully sends messengers to warn them not to do what they think is best and reaches out a restraining hand to keep their influence clean and powerful for good, and if after He says not to advance they disregard the warning, the very evil results He wished to prevent will certainly follow.

He knows whether those prayed for could endure the trial and test of the coming time of trouble, and some will die before it arrives, which is reason to ask earnestly for healing while surrendering the outcome to His will and wisdom.
Because He knows the outcome of a course before it is taken, He gives promises and cautions in His Word and forbids choices that would bring His children ruin.
That counsel has for years warned to bind about wants and enter into no needless outlay of means, and to spend needlessly despite it lightly esteems His cautions, with human minds misinterpreting, turning aside from, and wresting His counsel to follow ambitious projects and thereby losing the very means by which He might have been glorified in extending truth.
He tests human enterprises by asking where the means and consecrated talent will come from to operate them and carry spiritual work so as to produce the best results, warning that work begun without such provision will draw in workers who lose spirituality, open the way for injustice and selfishness that provoke His wrath, and end in destruction of property and souls.

Because He foresees the enemy seeking to gain advantage and control, His people must watch unto prayer, guard speech carefully, bring no railing accusation against anyone, and give the enemy no advantage.
He foresees the outcome from the start and understands the relation each person should hold to God and to fellow men, seeing beforehand how connection with people of a certain disposition or character will injure those involved and where linking together certain elements will produce unfavorable results that cannot be reasoned out from cause to effect, while He purposes what will be of greatest spiritual benefit to a soul in the balances and ready to begin some new enterprise that means more than is anticipated.
Therefore a person cannot trust his own judgment, ambitions, or selfish purposes in marking out a course, and his only safety lies in putting preferences and plans aside and saying, Not my will but Thy will be done.
He knows the outcome of human plans, whether they will prosper, bring glory to Him, and build up His cause, or harm souls and damage His kingdom.
He judges human decisions by that complete foreknowledge, including decisions in general meetings such as placing management of the publishing house in new hands, which did not improve matters in His sight and without His speaking to present matters in a different light would have left everything in utmost confusion, and His knowledge of mission-field needs includes the facilities required to advance His work.

Trust Amid Trial and Sorrow

What is hidden from human beings about tomorrow lies fully open to the omnipotent God who declares the end from the beginning, so those who have given themselves to His service need not be anxious about the future. Unlike human worry, which cannot discern the future, Jesus knows the end from the beginning and has care for each family. He thought of His people before they thought of Him, and His divine compassion was fully manifested in giving His own life as a ransom for sinners because He so loved the lost race.

Jesus sees what lies ahead in every difficulty and has a way prepared to bring relief, so people can trust themselves to God and surrender without fear. Those who trust Him and make His service supreme can find perplexities vanish and a plain path open before them. The soul may rest on the Lord without worry, provoking one another by tender compassion and unselfish interest to love and to good works.

His purposes and ways exceed human understanding, so in bereavement His children can trust that He has not willingly afflicted them and that what He permits is in love. He may withhold a requested outcome when He knows it is not best, and accepting His will brings calm, patient trust. Because He sees what humans cannot, believers can draw near to Him as a living Saviour to sustain in every trial and difficulty, acting in confidence that He will not willingly grieve them.

He uses His foresight to subject His children to discipline for their present happiness and their future good. He never leads them in any way other than they themselves would choose if they could share His view of the end and discern the glory of the purpose they fulfill as workers together with Him, and that discipline is the greatest blessing they have. Though afflictions are not now understood, He knows what they need, cleansing from earthliness and perfection of Christian character so they may receive Christ's robe of righteousness.

He is a wise, compassionate heavenly Father who loves His children and will not indulge them to their injury. At times He withholds what is greatly desired and seems good to possess, and does not always permit them to have their own way. If a desired thing is not obtained after faithful effort, when the way closes because for some reason He did not bring it to pass, it is not a great misfortune or reason for discouragement, for He sees what cannot possibly be seen. Because He foresees the outcome and will not leave His children in a hard place without aid, they can wait upon Him as the strong and mighty One, refrain from complaint when hopes are not realized, trust Him as their very best friend and not their enemy, and keep looking to Jesus when many things arise to try faith sorely.

This foreknowledge accompanies His loving care for the world and His purpose to bring about the happiness and well-being of those made in His image. It belongs to His love and goodness that delights in their well-doing and happiness. That love moved Him to give His only begotten Son as propitiation for the sins of a guilty world so that whoever believes should not perish but have everlasting life, an amazing manifestation of love that can never be computed.

He sees every stage of the spiritual conflict, and because of that knowledge He deals with each human heart individually at the right time. When a person sees his great need and seeks the Lord with contrition of soul, the Lord does for him what he cannot possibly do for himself. The One who knows the end from the beginning is the intercessory Advocate to whom all may entrust their cases, so that even one who opened the heart to Satan's suggestions and allowed evil-surmising to take possession of the mind may still make matters right by committing the case to Him.

He knows the outcome from the start and sees every sacrifice His servants make. He guards those willing to brave hardship and danger to reach precious souls in out-of-the-way places, regards their determination to put His cause first, and honors those willing to endure hardship as good soldiers. He will care for every servant who remains faithful and goes forward cheerfully in self-denial, even when leaving family and receiving little in return.

Guidance for Faithful Action

God knows the end from the beginning and is mighty in counsel, and because He knows all outcomes from the start His workers are to place less confidence in themselves and far greater confidence in Him. That confidence is exercised by counseling together in freedom and confidence rather than making one man the counsellor for all, with each one standing in his lot and place and doing his own appointed line of work for these last days. Each is to respect and honor the other as a brother chosen of God while carrying out appointed responsibilities.

Because He knows how things end from the start and knows what is coming, His people are to trust His guidance and stay under the command of Christ and not try to take control and steer themselves through the perils ahead. Only Christ, the Captain of salvation, can guide safely through, and holding to Thus saith the Lord is the watchword for reaching the longed-for port. Faith and close union with Christ are needed to have that guidance and to move in the direction He wants. Those undertaking His work should pray for Him to direct every step, move in His counsel, work under His directions, and obey His word, then leave the result and consequences with Him, trusting He will give grace when asked.

People cannot see the outcome of events from the beginning, while God can direct His work through providence. When the way is not perfectly clear, and when important decisions must be made, His servants must sometimes venture forward in faith, act according to their best judgment, advance as His providence leads, venture in His fear, and trust the result to Him rather than avoid responsibility for fear of mistakes.

Human planning is not always the Lord's way, and no one should lay plans and then expect the Lord to work to those plans. No one should in human judgment lay down fixed plans for the future or insist on his own terms and propositions, but all should trust themselves into God's hands, do the work He calls them to do, let His hand lead them, and accept His plans. He will work for each person's best good, and if He calls to a different work than what has been done, it is only because His will can be better accomplished in that other line, with His righteousness going before those who will be led.

Because men know little of what is before them while God turns and overturns what will take place, it is not His order or plan for men to sign writings binding themselves to do or refrain from doing certain things in business lines, or to assume more than He has given them. He understands what is in man's heart and the dangers facing men entrusted with great responsibilities. Men cannot control Providence and cannot shape or hinder circumstances, so to bind the future by agreement is to act blindly as if to protect business interests. Man is to walk humbly with God under His good hand rather than yield to ambition to carry out his own plans, being benevolent or selfish as he chooses, lest oppression and dishonor to God and His truth come in through human power exercised according to past agreements.

Weighty decisions affecting many people must not be made quickly as common business but with most careful consideration in reverence for Him and obedience to His instruction. They require prayer that His will be made so clear that no one is deceived, that no one moves blindly, and that God is not dishonored. Human plans must show wisdom, reason from cause to effect, advise with wise counsellors, accept correction from fellow workers, and first sit down to count the cost to see whether a building can be finished, and His people are not to go forward blindly in investing or spending means they do not have. No building for His work is to be put up by individual independent responsibility, which is not in His order, but only by the united judgment of the workers and the brethren sharing responsibility, studying the situation, agreeing upon every point, and becoming satisfied their plans are in harmony with the will of the Lord, waiting in patience until He prepares the way, with not a stone laid in new plans until there is complete understanding among the workers.

His foresight is the wisdom in which wise plans should be laid by wise workers. Handling large gifts of money by one man's finite judgment goes against His plan, because human judgment cannot see the end, while His counsel stands and does all His pleasure through broader counsel and wider distribution of means to strengthen new fields.

Men judging within the narrow compass of a three-years test have no right to pronounce judgment on possibilities and probabilities they only suppose and do not know. Applied to the Cooranbong enterprise of buying land, clearing, planting the orchard, and draining the swamp, He lays no censure upon Hare and White for a foolish outlay of means. No blame should attach to any soul for apparent mistakes until He Himself condemns.

Those made stewards in trust of the great missionary work must not feel free to unite in any business confederacy or transaction that He cannot justify and endorse as glorifying His holy name. They must consult Him about how to advance His work without weaving in one thread of selfishness. They can trust that He will work and furnish means to carry His work forward without entanglement and without letting it be bound about by men acting out perverse human nature instead of submitting to be molded after the divine likeness.

He knows the end from the beginning and can provide for the continuation of His work, though certainly not according to human impulses or worldly policies. His people are to depend on Him through faith, prayer, and devotion rather than rely on leaders who act from selfish feelings. He knows and anticipates what His work will require and provides for every need and emergency as His purposes unfold, and He can send many laborers into His vineyard when human leaders do not obstruct the way. He is with workers in their efforts for precious souls to make seeds sown wholly fruitful, as they toil in faith, educate those who embrace truth, teach them how to bear responsibilities, do their part, and believe He will work with their efforts and give the increase. He knows the outcome from the start and will exalt the true heroes of the faith, so a few earnest Christians working in harmony to advance the work may take assurance, for their united effort means much more than many suppose and He sees its end and will honor their faithfulness before the world.

Because He has this foreknowledge, there is no safety unless truth is enthroned in the heart, confidence is not put in man and flesh is not made an arm, life is molded and fashioned by the truths of the Bible, and daily communion is held with Him. Those who do not maintain this daily communion will be false and unreliable and will lead other souls into byways and forbidden paths, while those who maintain it become true and reliable. The entire being is to be under His control, and His philosophy plainly outlined in His Word is to be the rule of life, with the Bible, and the Bible only, as the guide, and life following and obeying heaven's life-giving principles rather than personal inclinations. His wisdom and power working upon the receptive heart brings mind and character into harmony with the laws and rules of heaven, and each person must have the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to communicate the great facts of truth and righteousness to the world with the mind opened heavenward.

He knows the end from the beginning and can open the way when He is pleased with a plan, even when His people are poor and cannot see how to pay the whole price at once. He guides those who wait and hope and pray for direction, and He can make impossible things become possible, including securing a needed place for healing work and arising at once to build. He sees the end from the beginning and knows what is best even when people can see only a little way ahead, and His complete knowledge and calm rule over earthly confusion mean He can direct events according to His providence. This gives reason to rely on Him and trust that He will guide His work and those who serve Him.

Israel's prosperity, both personal and national, depended on strict obedience to the commands of the God who knows the outcome of every course. Decisions must be judged by whether they agree with His will, not merely by whether harm is apparent.