When the latest version of ”The Titanic” came out, I saw a one frame cartoon that was not only humorous but also thought provoking. I would suspect most paid little attention to the thought provoking part but I have considered the cartoon many times over the years.

There was a line of people waiting at the box office where the “The Titanic” was playing. Some adults were talking among themselves and two kids. One kid said to the other, “Oh, great. They ruined the movie. Now we know how it ends.”

I know I will be insulting almost everyone’s intelligence, but please let me explain. Clearly, one of the adults was discussing the movie and thereby spoke of the sinking of the ill fated ship. The kids were apparently not aware of the tragic event.

So, according to the cartoon, the kids found out how the movie was to end. This got me to thinking, what if we could know how things are going to end.

There are those who call themselves fortune tellers who supposedly can tell the future. Sorry if I insult you if you believe that such people exist, they don’t. However, God has given us some ability to predict the future. We know the sun will rise each morning. In fact, nowadays, it can be predicted to the second. Hence, to some degree, we can tell what will happen from what has happened. Farmers know when to plant crops and the folks that drive the snow plows know when it is time to make sure the equipment is ready.

It is not due to some supernatural knowledge. It just is that we know it will happen because it has been going on throughout history. Some people tried to take advantage of this. They spoke of themselves as priest of gods because they knew when it would become hot or cold. In Egypt they predicted the times the Nile would overflow its banks and a few other things. Actually, the so-called priests simply learned to read the signs that God provided for us.

Now, we have weathermen and they predict the weather far more accurately, for about 5 hours. With all the modern equipment they predict when a tornado might hit and they watch as the hurricanes make their way ashore. Even then, they can do little more than guess at the trajectory of the storms for the next 24 hours. So, when the storm threatens, everyone boards up everything within a hundred miles of where the storm might hit. And then, if the storm decides, it takes a right turn and hits somewhere else…or goes out to sea.

God has provided science for us so that we know how things will behave. If you drop something, it will fall 32 feet per second per second until it reaches what is called terminal velocity (more or less). Water boils at 212 degrees at sea level…unless it is in a pressure cooker. It happens every time. You don’t have to be a soothsayer to know it will happen.

Also, God has provided prophets for us. Daniel predicted what is called the triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the day. It wasn’t because he could tell the future. An angel told him Daniel was what we call a prophet. Prophets have a very high degree of reliability and they have high requirements. If they are ever wrong, they are not prophets. They must be right 100% of the time or they are not a prophet, no exceptions.

The reason they are so accurate is that they receive their info from God. God is never wrong.

Let’s go back to the cartoon. The day that the Titanic set sail, He knew what the outcome would be. He knew who would survive and who would die. He knew what mistakes would be made and he knew exactly where that ice-burg would intercept that giant ship. Not one part of the whole thing surprised Him.

Actually, He knew all that would happen from the time they started the planning of the ship. Actually, he knew it from the time He started building the world.

It is, perhaps one of the biggest questions of the Bible. Just what all does he foreknow and what all does He causes. To be sure, he foreknows it all. I guess the real question is, what does He cause and what does He allow.

Going back to the Titanic. He could have intervened in dozens of different ways. He could have delayed the departure. He could have used a wind to slow the ship or move the ice-burg. And yet He allowed it, knowing all the death and suffering it would cause.

Here is the hard part. It is conceivable that he might have caused it. He might have prepared the ice-burg just for the ship. Now that is something I have a hard time wrapping my mind around. I would like to know about it but God does not answer to me. He doesn’t answer to any of us.

However, God has given us a little look into the future. He has given us the Bible. In the Bible is a book called Revelation. In that book, He reveals many things that are to come. He knows what is going to happen and He has revealed some of it to us.

However, despite all he has told us, most have not read the book. Most have not availed themselves of the future facts. I don’t know the reason. Maybe most are like the kids, they don’t want to know how it ends. Fear makes most turn their eyes. Pride makes some avoid the subject. However, whether they want to know or not, it will happen. It is as sure as the rising sun. We just don’t know when.

At that point, those who encouraged the killing of innocent babies, those who practiced deceit for the purpose of gaining power and all those who have killed more than humanly possible to count will be confronted with what they have done. It is not that I am a prophet. I don’t have to be. That’s what it says in the Bible. You might not want to believe the Bible now, but you will.