When Did God Choose to Save Some Humans?

Is it a point after one’s birth?

While a person is in the womb?

Before a person is conceived?

Answer- Before the Foundation of the World

Ephesians 1:3–4 (LSB) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,

What does “before the foundation of the world mean?”

4 καθὼς ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦb ἐν ἀγάπῃ,

“before the foundation of the world” is used two other times in the New Testament.

John 17:24 (LSB) 24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Who is the subject?

What is the subject doing?

Who the object?

When was this taking place?

John 17:5 (LSB) 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

John 1:1 (LSB) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Conclusion: John’s use of “before the foundation of the world” means God the Father’s love for God the Son before the world was created.

Before the Foundation of the world means before God created the world.

The second place that “before the foundation of the world” is used is

1 Peter 1:17–21 (LSB) 17 And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourn, 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

What is the context?

Who was foreknown?

When was he foreknown?

Who appeared in these last times?

Conclusion: 1 Peter 1:20 teaches that God the Father knew (intimate loving relationship) God the Son before the creation of the world.

Therefore, when Paul says

Ephesians 1:3–4 (LSB) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,

When did God Choose to Save Some Humans?

Is it a point after one’s birth? No

While a person is in the womb? No

Before a person is conceived? No

Before the Creation of the World

What about other passages that use phrases like “before the foundation of the world?”

There are 7 passages that say “the foundation of the world” without the preposition “pro” (before) preceding it.

Matthew 13:34–35 (LSB) 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He was not speaking to them without a parable 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

Conclusion: It was prophesied that Jesus would teach in parables hidden things before the world was made.

Matthew 25:31–34 (LSB) 31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, which has been prepared for you from (apo) the foundation of the world.

Jesus when he sits on His glorious throne will separate the sheep from the goats.

Conclusion: The sheep will inherit the kingdom which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

Luke 11:47–51 (LSB) 47 “Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48 “So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 “For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’

This has to be understood differently.

It would not make sense in this context to understand that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world would be charged against this generation.

It is better to understand Luke here saying that it was since the foundation of the world- meaning since the beginning of the world not before the world began.

Important truth to remember: Context, Context, Context

Hebrews 4:1–7 (LSB) 1 Therefore, let us fear, lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have fallen short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news proclaimed to us, just as they also; but the word that was heard did not profit those who were not united with faith among those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken somewhere in this way concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news proclaimed to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again determines a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”

This highlights that God had finished his work of creation and is now resting.

He has been resting from or since the foundation of the world.

The focus here is not before the foundation of the world but since the completion of God’s world.

Revelation 13:1–8 (LSB) 1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain fatally, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled and followed after the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great boasts and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 And it was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

We need to look at verse 8 closely

8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

And all

who dwell

on the earth

will worship him

everyone

whose name has not been written

from the foundation of the world

in the book of life

of the Lamb

who has been slain.

Now there is a difficult translation issue in this passage.

Revelation 13:8 (NKJV) 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

In this way the Bible translator took it is that the Lamb that is Jesus is the one who was slain from the foundation of the world.

This would teach that the plan for Jesus to die and redeem sinners was planned from the foundation of the world.

That is true.

The question before us is what does from the foundation of the world modify?

Is it the names written?

Or Christ who was slain?

In the greek language it could modify either.

Now I am going to give reasons for understanding from the foundation of the world modifying the names written meaning believers not Christ slain before the foundation of the world.

Now everyone understands that I am not saying we get to add or subtract anything from God’s Word.

Are you we in agreement?

What we are trying to understand is what does this phrase modify grammatically.

This is why the NKJV and the NIV says what it says.

This is why the LSB, NASB, ESV, CSB, NET say what they say.

Reasons I believe the best way to translate this phrase “from the foundation of the world” modifies the names written not Jesus.

Theological: Though it is true that the plan of God’s redemption through Jesus Christ was planned in eternity past his death was not before the foundation of the world.

Context: the focus of the passage is on those who will worship the beast and those who will not worship the beast. This would be a strange time to insert that Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world. The context seems to fit better that the people who will not worship the beast are those people whose names have been written in the book of life before the foundation of the world.

Cross Reference: There is a text in Revelation that is not a challenge to translate that says that people’s names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 (LSB) 8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.

So what is our conclusion from God’s Word, when did God choose to save some humans?

God wrote down, chose, to save certain individuals before the creation of the world.

1 Corinthians 2:7 (LSB) 7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages to our glory,

1 Corinthians 2:7 (NKJV) 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

1 Corinthians 2:7 (NET 2nd ed.) 7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.

2 Timothy 1:8–10 (LSB) 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of either the witness about our Lord or me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been manifested by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Predestination: An Introduction Responding with a Prayer

Thank you, God, for choosing to save me before you created the world. It is humbling and encouraging that I am part of “the eternal purpose that [you have] realized in Christ Jesus our Lord” (