LBC and WCF chapter 5:

I am trying to wrap my mind around the ability of God to decree that some things fall out according to contingencies and how this relates to prophecy.

For example, Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 years, however, the Ninevites repented and the prophecy did not unfold exactly the way Jonah prophesied.

I am wondering how one determines whether a prophecy is subject to contingencies or not. What about prophecies concerning the Lord's return?

Can anyone point to some good Reformed works on the subject?

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The three terms "necessarily, freely, or contingently" are describing how events relate to one another. As relates to God, all events are exhaustively determined.

If some act necessarily follows, then the second-causation is defined by a strict deterministic relation--it MUST come.

If some act freely follows, then the second-causation is defined by a not-necessary relation, entirely relying on the WILL.

If some act contingently follows, then the second-causation is defined according to a dependent relation, but not without other independent variables affecting the result.

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Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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