Whether Angels Know the Future?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angels know future events. For
angels are mightier in knowledge than men. But some men know many
future events. Therefore much more do the angels.
Obj. 2: Further, the present and the future are differences of time.
But the angel's intellect is above time; because, as is said in _De
Causis,_ "an intelligence keeps pace with eternity," that is,
aeviternity. Therefore, to the angel's mind, past and future are not
different, but he knows each indifferently.
Obj. 3: Further, the angel does not understand by species derived
from things, but by innate universal species. But universal species
refer equally to present, past, and future. Therefore it appears
that the angels know indifferently things past, present, and future.
Obj. 4: Further, as a thing is spoken of as distant by reason of
time, so is it by reason of place. But angels know things which are
distant according to place. Therefore they likewise know things
distant according to future time.
_On the contrary,_ Whatever is the exclusive sign of the Divinity,
does not belong to the angels. But to know future events is the
exclusive sign of the Divinity, according to Isa. 41:23: "Show the
things that are to come hereafter, and we shall know that ye are
gods." Therefore the angels do not know future events.
_I answer that,_ The future can be known in two ways. First, it can be
known in its cause. And thus, future events which proceed necessarily
from their causes, are known with sure knowledge; as that the sun will
rise tomorrow. But events which proceed from their causes in the
majority of cases, are not known for certain, but conjecturally; thus
the doctor knows beforehand the health of the patient. This manner of
knowing future events exists in the angels, and by so much the more
than it does in us, as they understand the causes of things both more
universally and more perfectly; thus doctors who penetrate more deeply
into the causes of an ailment can pronounce a surer verdict on the
future issue thereof. But events which proceed from their causes in
the minority of cases are quite unknown; such as casual and chance
events.
In another way future events are known in themselves. To know the
future in this way belongs to God alone; and not merely to know those
events which happen of necessity, or in the majority of cases, but
even casual and chance events; for God sees all things in His
eternity, which, being simple, is present to all time, and embraces
all time. And therefore God's one glance is cast over all things
which happen in all time as present before Him; and He beholds all
things as they are in themselves, as was said before when dealing
with God's knowledge (Q. 14, A. 13). But the mind of an angel, and
every created intellect, fall far short of God's eternity; hence the
future as it is in itself cannot be known by any created intellect.
Reply Obj. 1: Men cannot know future things except in their causes,
or by God's revelation. The angels know the future in the same way,
but much more distinctly.
Reply Obj. 2: Although the angel's intellect is above that time
according to which corporeal movements are reckoned, yet there is a
time in his mind according to the succession of intelligible
concepts; of which Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. viii) that "God moves
the spiritual creature according to time." And thus, since there is
succession in the angel's intellect, not all things that happen
through all time, are present to the angelic mind.
Reply Obj. 3: Although the species in the intellect of an angel, in
so far as they are species, refer equally to things present, past,
and future; nevertheless the present, past, and future; nevertheless
the present, past, and future do not bear the same relations to the
species. Present things have a nature according to which they
resemble the species in the mind of an angel: and so they can be
known thereby. Things which are yet to come have not yet a nature
whereby they are likened to such species; consequently, they cannot
be known by those species.
Reply Obj. 4: Things distant according to place are already existing
in nature; and share in some species, whose image is in the angel;
whereas this is not true of future things, as has been stated.
Consequently there is no comparison.
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