What if you could catch a glimpse of what your life might be like in six months, a year or five years from now?

That's the premise of the ABC hit FlashForward. Based loosely on Canadian science-fiction novelist Robert J. Sawyer's 1999 novel of the same title, the series tackles an intriguing scenario where everyone on the planet blacks out for exactly two minutes and 17 seconds. During this time, people around the world are able to see six months into their personal futures.

In the ensuing chaos and confusion—jets falling from the sky, mass terror on the freeways, surgeries gone horribly wrong—an estimated 20 million people die worldwide. But the bigger questions are, How did this happen? and Will it happen again?

At the forefront of those pressing issues is a team of FBI field agents led by Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes), who uses his flash forward (in which he was investigating the blackout) to collect clues. He is joined by Agent Demetri Noh (John Cho), one of the few people who didn't have a flash forward. The reason? A mysterious stranger confirms he will be murdered in five months.

The show also introduces Mark's wife, Dr. Olivia Benford (Sonya Walger), whose future suggests infidelity and estrangement from her husband, and Dr. Bryce Varley (Zachary Knighton), who, suffering from terminal cancer, was on the verge of committing suicide just before the blackout but has a change of heart after his flash forward reveals the prospect of romance with a beautiful Japanese girl.

Dreams Do Come True
Science fiction aside, the Bible gives plenty of examples where God's people were shown glimpses of their future. God revealed each of the 10 plagues to Moses, including the final plague that claimed the lives of every firstborn Egyptian. This allowed the Israelites an opportunity to protect their children by marking their doorposts with blood (see Exodus 12).

Many Old Testament prophets received stark warnings from God through visions and dreams. The people were then given the choice to change their ways or suffer the consequences.

Among those prophets, Isaiah was blessed with an amazing look into the unknown when God shared with him the first coming of the Messiah through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Isaiah 7:14; 35:4-6; 50:6; 53:1-6).

But Joseph provides the most compelling example of God showing someone the future in order to give them an opportunity to change things for the good. Joseph was the youngest son of Jacob, and also his favourite. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph eventually found himself in the good graces of the Pharaoh. He was able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and see the famine that was on the horizon (see Genesis 41). Joseph's foresight not only saved Egypt but also allowed him to reconcile with his family and spare them from starvation, too.

What the Future Holds
Like these great men of faith, today's generation also has access to the future. We may not know the specifics like the characters in FlashForward, but there are numerous promises in the Bible that foretell what the believer's life will look like.

For instance, in Jeremiah 29:11 God says, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

While the characters in FlashForward have collectively seen a small part of their futures, we have been blessed with the opportunity to see two alternate futures: one with God and one without God. There is an existence beyond this life on earth and that eternal future is entirely up to the choice of each individual.

“I saw a glimpse of my future,” Dr. Varley explains to his boss, Dr. Benford, in the pilot episode, “and everything's changed for me now.”

Likewise, all of us have a chance to change the future—if we will put our faith in God and embrace the future He has meticulously crafted for us.