I love using analogies (smiles... I learnt that from Jesus) to explain scriptures and I will do that here.
Are you married? Do you have kids?
Well, before my member (My penis) was developed enough to start producing capable sperm cells that are capable of producing babies, I've always thought and wandered how my married life will be - Most especially my wife and most most most especially, the Kids.
From my thoughts, i always have it in mind to do the following
1. Bequeath all that I have to them after I pass away
2. Teach them many ways to make cool money
3. Teach them the right way of life
4. Help them in all that they do...
I don't know of you, but every upcoming father have something similar to these in mind. These kids do not exist yet, but their potential father has already laid down his promises, entitlements, rights and enjoyment for them.
Now, imagine after being celibate for years, I realized that I was impotent or I wasn't medically capable of producing babies, what does this mean to me? Woe! For there will be no one to inherit all that i have and no one to enjoy those things I have thought of. Luckily, I can decide to adopt babies, and the babies I adopted will then fit into the title of "MY Kids" and they will eventually inherit all that I have promised them (even before I was able to produce sperm).
Now, God himself calls us "Sons" and he calls himself "Father"... He is the father and we are the son.
Just like me, before God even started the creation stuff, he had already fantasized, written and laid down all of his promises for the unborn son.
I am repeating this again - " Your existence start in the womb! You were nowhere before your father's sperm met your mother's egg! There are no baby factories in heaven!"
Now, you will agree with me that;
I didn't foreknow my kids as Peter, Bola, Tope and Jamal (or any other means of personal fired identification, they were nonexisting as at then!) , I foreknow them as "MY KIDS", " MY UNBORN KIDS!"
God didn't foreknow you as Xmuslim, Blabbermouth, Aliu or Seun (you've not even started existing! ), He foreknew you as "SONS"... The promises were for " HIS BORN AND YET UNBORN SONS", the glory was for " BORN AND YET UNBORN SONS".
Hey! There are NO BABY FACTORIES IN HEAVEN!
Now, go reread those Scriptures and see what the writer actually meant...
If you still are not convinced, point the part out please.

Xmuslim:




I think these verses agree with the Islamic explanation of predestination. It's against your explanation of future doesn't exist in God's mind

Xmuslim, do you understand what I was trying to explain? If you do, then you will have realized that none of those verses claimed that you were predestined for anywhere! If you don't, I will like to hear your insight (according to your understanding) of those Scriptures Caveat Guy gave. I blame denominations found in this age of Christianity, an average believer reads the bible with a preconceived mindset of "God is omni-this, God is omni-that".
I'm curious, do you believe in the big bang and in evolution?