The Elect
The Bible at times speaks about the “Elect”. Who are the elect? We will never understand what Jesus says to His disciples concerning the elect, without examining the scriptures closely.
Many of God’s people have not known or heard that each person has two bodies, a natural body as well as a spiritual body, 1st Corinthians 15:44. This article refers to Peter’s statment, the world that was ,2nd Peter 3:6. At that time all of God’s children, are called souls, Ezekiel 18:4. God owns all souls, (men), by right of creation and they were created with a spiritual body before this 2nd earth age. The Apostle Peter says that the world is willfully ignorant of not knowing or understanding what scriptures say concerning the 1st earth age, when we were all in spiritual bodies. That age, because of the rebellion of some, was destroyed. No children were destroyed, only the age. Today,we are all in a natural body, 2nd Peter 3:7, for judgment. We need to keep in mind this fact to understand this article. We need to come out of ignorance, 2nd Peter 3:5.
Mark 13:20, “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened those days.”
These who are called the elect are those He has chosen. Society at large has usually thought that all men, conciencely or unconsciencely, have decided for themselves to draw close to God. That is not always the case. We need to have a heart for God as well as to believe in what He says, John 3:16.
John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you”,
According to verse 16, it is the Lord Himself who initiated the calling. The elect then would be an unsuspecting individual who when touched by the Lord responds immediatly. Christ knew beforehand those who were to become His Apostles.
John 6:70, “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
Scriptures are showing us that there is a difference between those who initiate the purpose of God by His calling than when we initiate His purpose.
A Nation of People Not Knowing Who They Are!
Isaiah 65:1, “I am sought of them that did not ask for Me; I am found of them that sought Me not: I said, ‘Behold Me, Behold Me,’ unto a nation that was not called by My name.”
We read of a rebellious people from verse 2-7 who don’t know God or His health laws, but starting with verse 8 on, the Lord draws our attention to the cluster of grapes with the new wine.
Thus saith the Lord, ” As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for My servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. 9, And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My Mountains: and Mine elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there.”
Is this not the same new wine that Jesus’s mother referred to in the gospel of John 2:1, and the 1st miracle preformed by Jesus? How is it that this cluster for making wine mentioned in the Old Testament were a cluster attached to the vine, spoken by Jesus in John 15:1, even before His birth?
Chosen Before The Foundation of This World
Ephesians 1:4, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”
Not many teach that there was an earth age before this present earth age. The Apostle Peter refers to the world that was in 2nd Peter 3:6. Yes, Peter says that that age perished. That was a time when the only flesh which existed were those of prehistoric birds and dinosaurs types. At that time, the sons of God were not in flesh bodies, as we have today, but in a spiritual body as we find in the Book of Job, Job 1:6;2:1.
2nd Peter 3:6, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished.”
That earth age was a period in history where Satan rebelled and drew a third of God’s children through deception, so He had to destroy that age, Ezekiel 28:12-18; Revelation 12:4. Many were not taught that there was an earth age before this present evil age as the Apostle Peter states:
2nd Peter 3:7, “But of the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
This earth age is a testing period for all men to choose who will we follow, Satan or God. God will not force Himself on anyone. There are those who stood with God and fought against Satan in the world that was, and are in this present earth age called the elect and are predestinated as Ephesians 1:4 says.
The Bible has a great deal to say concerning that 1st age and those who were judged at that time because of serving God and are deserving to be called the elect.
The Hebrew word for elect is 972 in Strongs dictionary, whose root is 977 and means to try, or choose. The elect were tried and judged at that time, before the foundation of this world.
Jeremiah, Apostle Paul, and Esau
The scriptures tell us of a number of personalities who are defined in a way that it would be unreasonable to consider these any other than how the Bible defines them.
The 1st would be Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 1:4, Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. 5,” Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee”.
Ephesians 1:4-5 teach us that there were those who were predestinated even before the foundation of this world. Otherwise, how could God have known Jeremiah? Genesis 1:26 says that God made man on the sixth day of this present creation, Genesis 1:26. Jeremiah was know by God before he was in his mothers womb before he was born with a flesh body.
The Apostle Paul
The Apostle Paul describes himself as a Pharisee, Acts 23:6. Before his being struct down by God, he desired letters from the High Priest so that he could bound men and women, who were disciples of the Lord’s new and living way, Hebrews 10:20, to bring them to Jerusalem. Paul didn’t know who was dealing with him causing him to ask the question, “Who art thou Lord?”, Acts 9:5. Paul didn’t choose the Lord, his choice was to persecute the Church. What does God say to Ananias concerning Paul?
Acts 9:15, But the Lord said unto him, “Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”
Paul’s purpose was not to serve the Lord but to do harm to the Church Christ was raising up. How did God know that Paul, not knowing this new and living way was a vessel of His? Because he was tried and judged during that 1st earth age. Paul was now going to do during this 2nd earth age the same thing he did in the 1st earth age, war against Satan’s Army with truth.
Esau
We read of twin sons being born to Rebecca, Issac wife, Romans 9:10, and verse 11 reads:
Romans 9:11, “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth”.
Scriptures tell us that God is not a respecter of persons, Colossians 3:25. That being the case, why did God not appreciate Esau? It was what he had done in that age that was. Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul were on God’s side during that age and Esau was on the opposite side. Nevertheless, God had to destroy that earth age. Esau, as well as the other of God’s children were created for His pleasure, Revelation 4:11. God would never make such a statement if He didn’t have a good reason. Verse11 above speaks of election. Esau despised his heritage during that 1st earth age and God knew that he would not value his birthright during this 2nd earth age, Genesis 25:33.
A Brief History of the Age That Was
There are not many who can explain or for that matter understand the verses revealed by Jeremiah chapter 4.
Jeremiah 4:22, ” For My people is foolish, that they have not known Me; they are sottish (stupid) children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
When a reader compares Noah’s flood to what is written in Jeremiah 4:22-31, then he will know that God created the earth exactly how He wanted it, Genesis 1:1, and it was to be inhabited, Isaiah 45:18. These verses stated in the Book of Jeremiah tell us that there was no man and no birds, Jeremiah 4:25. Didn’t Noah and his sons build the Ark and weren’t there birds aboard the Ark?
Jeremiah gives us a vision of what had happened to the earth causing Peter to write that the earth being overflowing with water perished. That conflict, which led to the re-creation of this present earth age is for the habiation of all of God’s children and is a testing ground for men to make a choice who men will serve, God or Satan. The elect made their choice during the conflict in the world that was. And God already knows what they will do during this earth age. They will speak and teach the truth against the Army of those who have joined to overthrow God’s authority and throne. Our weapons are the same that Jesus used to defeat Satan, that is death, Hebrews 2:14. His 2 edged sword, Revelation 19:15, destroys lies and the intent of the heart and will reward God’s children with His righteous judgment.