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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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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 Is. 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 (Question 14, Article 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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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