Predestination
Version 3A1
By Mark Farquharson
There are two main views when it comes to a person’s salvation. There is the more common view, that is taught by most churches, that a person choices to be saved or not. The other view is that God has already decided who will be saved, and that there is no choice. This second view is called “Predestination.” There are numerous variations on these views, which I will not be getting into. Here in this article I mainly present this second view.
Predestination when apply to a person means that someone has been preselect to do something or be saved. That is it has been decided beforehand. This can mean that a person is chosen by God beforehand to do something. Noah building the ark, Moses leading the people of Israel. More commonly it is used to mean that someone has been chose to be saved by God. He has decided beforehand that they will be saved. They are predestine to be saved.
Most people who argue against this view, do not know what God, and Christ are really like. They do not know the truth, and therefore have an incorrect view of what God is really like. Furthermore they do not know the grand plan of the ages/eons. What they reason is that God would not decide beforehand, because if He did that would mean that He favours some people over and above other people. That He has preferences, that He has favourites, among the human race. Surely God does not have favourites, does He not love everybody equally? If He has favourites, then He does not love everybody? It can not be true that God does not love everybody, therefore predestination can not be true. That is their argument, but at the same time, their loving God would send people to a burning hell forever, a really unloving act.
However is there a way that God can love everybody equally, and there can still be predestination? Yes God can predestine some to be saved and still love everyone equally, but how? Surly if some are going to be saved and most not, then how can it work?
Some of you read this will know the answer, but for those who do not, then you need to change your mind set. It is not about being saved or not being saved, there is a grand plan, that is much greater than that. It is more a question of time, of when.
If you believe that most of the world are going to go to hell forever or be annihilated, then you would be wrong. For God is not an evil killer, or mass murder that will get rid of most of the human race because they do not love him, what Loving God would do that? There will be no mass annihilation, God will not get rid of anyone forever. Similarly God is not going to have those He loves, experience the evilest torturer ever, for all eternity in hell. If you think that, you need to lay all that aside, and open you mind to the real truth about God. For there is no Hell, this is a mistranslation, many bibles do not have that word. And the fire, in the Lake of Fire does not burn the body, for it is a purifying fire that burns up spiritual impurities.
God does love everybody equally, and that is why He sent his son, Christ, to die on the Cross. Christ did not die just for those who would believe in him, He die for everybody, that is everybody in the human race. No one is excluded, no one missed out, God and Christ love the world, everyone of us.
There are many passages in the bible, that reveal the true love that God has, for everybody. They also reveal the truth that has been hidden by the churches for centuries. Here are a few:
1 Timothy 4:9-11 Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome (for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching. {CLV}
That is especially of believers, not only of believers.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all {CLV}
1 John 4:14 And we have gazed upon Him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched the Son, the Saviour of the world. {CLV}
These passages along with many more reveal the truth that, all mankind, not just those who believe will be saved.
But how does it apply to All Saved, if everyone is going to be saved, then does it apply? In terms of all saved it would mean that some group of people are to be saved first. These people are predestine to be saved, while they are alive. The rest of mankind would be saved later if predestination is true.
Is Predestination True?
Romans 8:28-30 Now we are aware that God is working all together for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to the purpose that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren. Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also; now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also. {CLV}
This verse should be enough to show that predestination is true. Whom God foreknew, He is the one who God designates beforehand, or in other texts predestinate, designates, chooses beforehand, that person is predestine. The Son, Christ is Firstborn among many brethren, the ones chosen beforehand.
Ephesians 1:11-12 in Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory, who are pre-expectant in the Christ. {CLV}
The ones designated beforehand, predestine, pre-expected in Christ.
John 15:16 Not you choose Me, but I choose you, and I appoint you, that you may be going away and be bringing forth much fruit, and your fruit may be remaining, that anything whichsoever you should be requesting the Father in My name, He will be giving it to you." {CLV}
John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would be fond of its own. Now, seeing that you are not of the world, but I choose you out of the world, therefore the world is hating you." {CLV}
They had NOT chosen Christ, He had chose them, and appointed them.
Acts 13:48 Now on hearing this, the nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian. {CLV}
The ones who where already set for life eonian, those where the ones who believed. Life eonian, means for the ages to come, the ones who will experience life, and not be in the Lake of Fire , experiencing the second death. Not that they will be actually dead, but spiritual experiencing the death.
Ephesians 2:10 For His achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them. {CLV}
Not only are people predestine, but there works are also predestine.
2Timothy 1:9 ….God, Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian, {CLV}
God has called the chosen, not in accord with their acts, but in accord with His own purpose.
John 6:44 No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him. And I shall be raising him in the last day. {CLV}
You have to be drawn by the Father to come to Christ, you cannot do it yourself.
1Peter 2:7-10 To you, then, who are believing, is the honor, yet to the unbelieving: "A Stone which is rejected by the builders, this came to be for the head of the corner, and a stumbling stone and a snare rock; who are stumbling also at the word, being stubborn, to which they were appointed also." Yet you are a chosen race, a "royal priesthood, a "holy nation, a procured people, so that you should be recounting the virtues of Him Who calls you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were "not a people yet now are the people of God, who "have not enjoyed mercy, yet now are "being shown mercy." {CLV}
Not only are people chosen to be saved, but the stubborn were appointed to be stubborn, it is not their own fault that they are stubborn, that they are stumbling at the word, they where appoint to be stubborn. However this is for their good in the end, it is all part of God’s plan, which is cover more below.
Below I cover Ephesians 1:1-12, which clearly shows that predestination is true.
There are a number of other verses, which I will not be covering, you can look them up, here is a list of some of them:
Psalm 65:4
Matthew 20:23
Matthew 25:34
John 6:65
John 17:24
Acts 2:39
1 Corinthians 7:17
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
2 Timothy 2:10
These verses and many others prove that no one can chose to be saved or not be saved. All the teachers out there in the world that say there is a choice you have to make, are completely wrong. It is not to do with you making a choice, you can not decide you fate, it has already been decided. Either you are part of the few who are the chosen, or you are not part of this group. You can not chose to be part of this group, it has already been decide who is part of this group. But all are saved, so why is it that some are chosen to be saved first?
Also read the articles: Firstfruits, Secondfruits? & Freewill
Not all Christians are Predestine
While it is true that all believers, who believe in Christ are predestined, not all Christians are predestine. All Christians do not believe in Christ, they do not believe that Christ saved them. Most believe that they saved themselves by choosing Christ. Most Christians are not predestine, they have not been chosen by God beforehand, and there works are not predestine.
Why is there Predestination?
God has a plan, which involves the salvation of the whole human race. To accomplish his grand plan, He has select people to do certain tasks. Noah building the ark. Moses leading the people out of Egypt. There are many more one could point too, here is one:
Jeremiah 1:4-5 And there is a word of Yahweh unto me, saying, `Before I form you in the belly, I have known you; and before you come forth from the womb I have separated you, a prophet to nations I have made you.'" {CLV}
Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, was made a prophet by Yahweh, he did not do it on His own.
While His plan involves certain people doing certain tasks, it also involves saving a few, out of the whole human race before they die, and the rest later.
Why is God Saving A Few Before they Die?
Why is God only saving some before they die? God’s plan involves saving some people before they die.
The people saved now are first of all being used to herald the word as covered in the articles “Herald Salvation” and “I am An ambassador.”
2 Corinthians 5: 18 Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ, and is giving us the dispensation of the conciliation, {CLV}
God is going to use the people saved first, in the future ages. These people will be used by God to save the rest of mankind.
Revelation 21:
22 And a temple I did not perceive in it, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lambkin.
23 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon, that they should be appearing in it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lambkin.
24 And the nations shall be walking by means of its light, and the kings of the earth are carrying their glory into it.
25 And its portals should under no circumstances be locked by day; for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall be carrying the glory and the honor of the nations into it,
27 and under no circumstances may anything contaminating, or one who is making an abomination and a lie be entering into it, except those written in the Lambkin's scroll of life. {CLV}
The unsaved nations are outside, the city, the new Jerusalem. Inside the city are the saved people. This is after the White Throne Judgement by Christ of all the people of all time.
The nations are walking by means of its light, and the nations have glory and honor. The kings mentioned here are walking into the City, to walk into the city they must have been written on the Lambkin's scroll of life. For “the kings of the earth” to carry the “glory and the honor of the nations” in to the city, the nations must have glory and honor. However outside are those described in 22:15.
Revelation 22:14-15 Happy are those who are rinsing their robes, that it will be their license to the log of life, and they may be entering the portals into the city. Outside are curs, and enchanters, and paramours, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone fabricating and fondling falsehood. {CLV}
The nations are not in the city, they are outside, those outside are not written in the scroll, the nations are made up of curs, and enchanters, and paramours, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone fabricating and fondling falsehood.
However the nations somehow have glory and honor. Thus to have glory and honor the nations must have gain glory and honor, thus the people who make up the nations have gained glory and honor.
1Peter 1:7 that the testing of your faith, much more precious than gold which is perishing, yet, being tested by fire, may be found for applause and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ,
The saints being tested by fire while they are alive, may be found for applause and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. Thus the saints get glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ, after being tested by fire.
The people outside the city are in the Lake of Fire, they are being tested. Those people in the Lake, make up the nations. These people gain glory and honor after being tested. They however will not be tested for their faith, they will be test so that they can come to trust, to love, to have faith in God, and Jesus Christ.
The saints bring in the glory and honor, they bring in the ones who have gained glory and honor. Thus their names will have be added to the Lambkin's scroll of life.
Revelation 22:
1 And he shows me a river of water of life, resplendent as crystal, issuing out of the throne of God and the Lambkin.
2 In the center of its square, and on either side of the river, is the log of life, producing twelve fruits, rendering its fruit in accord with each month. And the leaves of the log are for the cure of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more any doom, and the throne of God and of the Lambkin shall be in it. And His slaves shall be offering divine service to Him.
4 And they shall be seeing His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
5 And night shall be no more, and they have no need of lamplight and sunlight, for the Lord God shall be illuminating them. And they shall be reigning for the eons of the eons.
6 And he said to me, "These sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, commissions His messenger to show to His slaves what must occur swiftly. {CLV}
The slaves here are the chosen of God, the ones who have been saved. They are to offer divine service. These shall be reigning for the eons, reigning over the unsaved nations, but not only reigning but also saving the people, the leaves of the log will cure the nations.
Thus one day we will all be one nation, one people, ALL SAVED!!!!
The verses below explain it all, read it carefully:
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to all the saints who are also believers in Christ Jesus:"
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ,
1:4 according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight,
1:5 in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will,
1:6 for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved:"
1:7 in Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace,
1:8 which He lavishes on us; in all wisdom and prudence
1:9 making known to us the secret of His will (in accord with His delight, which He purposed in Him)"
1:10 to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth"
1:11 in Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will,
1:12 that we should be for the laud of His glory, who are pre-expectant in the Christ." {CLV}
The Chosen in love are designated beforehand for the place of a son. That does not mean everyone else will not become a son, but the chosen first. Those who are chosen know the secret of God’s will. That is to have an “administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth." An administration that will complement the eras, that is it will last at least two eons/ages. This administration will at the end of it, have all that is in the heavens and on the earth, headed up in Christ. That is all that has been created that is in the heavens and on the earth will one day in the future be headed up in Christ. Remember Christ is the head of the body. One day this body will not just include the chosen, but will also include all the rest of mankind, who have not been chosen. All that is on the earth does, not just mean humans, it also means the animals, that right all animals will be saved. All in the heavens does not just mean, the angels that stayed loyal, but also includes the angels that followed Satan. These too will one day be headed up in Christ, they will be purified in the fires, of the Lake in the eras to come.
For more on the Plan refer to my articles: God's Plan of the Eons
Just as a side note: Not to get too sidetracked here: “disruption,” is translated as “foundation” in other bibles, but it is translated from a word meaning thrown down. What disruption, there was a disruption to the old world that was created first before the start of the creation week in Genesis 1. Many dispute that this ever happened, however that is not the focus of this study.
Copyright © M J Farquharson 2008 Updated Jan 2009 Edited April 4 2009 Updated 18 Feb 2010. Version 3: update on version 2 with new material, 5 June 2010. Version 3A1, update on version 3 with small correction, 6 August 2011.