The 'Elect' in the Old Testament: The Messiah and the Promised Seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—Israel
In the Old Testament—particularly in Isaiah—the term elect often refers to the nation of Israel or a faithful portion within it, in the context of God's covenantal promises and future restoration.
- Isaiah 42:1 – Both traditional theological interpretation and the author’s premise correctly identify this servant as the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Messiah is indeed the Elect One (singular); then any subsequent corporate or individual selection of people (such as Israel or the Church) could logically be understood as being in relation to, through, or by virtue of union with this foundational Elect One.
- Isaiah 45:4; 65:9, 22 – Here, "Israel mine elect" refers to the nation of Israel as a collective entity (plural). These verses clearly establish a precedent for elect referring to a faithful remnant of Israel who will experience future blessings and inheritance. This, along with Romans 9:11–12 and Romans 11:28, clearly demonstrates God’s selection of Israel as a nation. The nation of Israel was established as the agency through whom God would fulfill His purpose on Earth.
The 'Elect' in the Gospel Accounts (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 18)
In these passages, the elect refers to the remnant of the nation of Israel that will survive the future time of great tribulation, supported by several contextual clues:
- The context of Matthew 24 (the Olivet Discourse) is strongly Jewish. Jesus is speaking to His Jewish disciples about events related to the destruction of the Jewish temple and the end times. While people from different nations might respond to the gospel during the Tribulation, the primary context points to a Jewish audience and a Jewish focus. The shortening of the days “for the elect’s sake” and divine protection against deception indicate a specific, divinely preserved group during this intense period—consistent with a faithful remnant of Israel enduring the Tribulation.
Cross-Referencing with Romans 9:11; 11:5–7, 28
Paul’s discussion in Romans 9–11 provides crucial insight into God’s ongoing plan for Israel and the concept of a remnant. These passages strongly support the idea of a preserved remnant within Israel by God’s election, aligning with the interpretation that the elect in the Gospels refers to this Jewish remnant during the Tribulation.
Distinct Gatherings: Matthew 24 vs. 1 Thessalonians 4
The different methods of gathering the elect in Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4 help distinguish the groups being referenced:
- Matthew 24:29–31 (and Mark 13:27) – This describes a gathering after the Tribulation, at Christ’s visible return. His angels gather the elect from various parts of the earth. This is associated with the Second Coming of Christ to establish His earthly kingdom.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 – This describes the Rapture: the Lord Himself descends from heaven, the dead in Christ rise first, and living believers are caught up (greek- harpazo / latin- rapiemur) together with them in the clouds. This event does not involve angels, nor is it explicitly after the Tribulation. This describes the future moment when Jesus Himself will momentarily descend from heaven into the heavens, but not complete His return to the physical earth. In that moment, He will bring with Him departed believers already present with Him in heaven, reunite their physical birth bodies from the earth with their souls, and then catch away any living Christian who remains on the earth.
This distinction is important. The Matthew 24 / Mark 13 gathering involves angels and occurs after the Tribulation—consistent with a Jewish remnant on earth at Christ’s Second Coming. The 1 Thessalonians 4 event is the Rapture of the Church, where the Lord gathers the body of Christ before the wrath to come. God’s plans for the Jewish nation and the Church are distinct; the Church has no reason to be present during the Tribulation.
The 'Elect' in the New Testament Epistles
- Individuals: The Messiah, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 42:1; Romans 8:33; Titus 1:1; Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 2:6)
- Group: Elect angels (1 Timothy 5:21); Israel (2 Timothy 2:10)
- Christians: Believers are elect only by being placed in Christ, the Elect One (1 Peter 1:2; 2 John 1, 13). This is affirmed in verses like Ephesians 1:4 ("chosen us in him") and Colossians 3:12, indicating corporate election in Christ.
A comprehensive review of elect and election in the King James Bible reveals consistent patterns. The term elect in the singular form, referring to a specific individual, is almost exclusively used of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 42:1; 1 Peter 2:6), underscoring His unique and preeminent status as God's chosen One.
The Process of Conversion unto Election
“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” — Ephesians 1:12–13 (KJB)
The gospel is presented to a sinner. That sinner may either believe or reject it. After believing, they are sealed by the Spirit unto their future destiny in Christ. The key word here is after, indicating a sequence of events. Faith precedes sealing; hearing precedes regeneration.
Jesus Christ: The Elect One
Jesus is the Elect One, and individuals become elect when they are placed in Him. Just as believers take on Christ’s righteousness, they also partake in His elect status. God has predetermined that anyone in Christ will become holy and blameless like Jesus. A person becomes elect when they place faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus after hearing the gospel. At that moment, they are translated into the body of the Elect One, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Therefore, sinners are not chosen to become part of Christ’s body; rather, by freely choosing to believe, they enter into that body and partake of Christ’s election.
Refuting Calvinism and Arminianism
After in-depth study and linguistic analysis in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, I reject both Calvinistic (Augustine with Greek pre-deterministic philosophy) unconditional individual election and Arminian conditional election. God’s eternal plan—communicated in eternity and progressively revealed throughout time—was given to His Son, then through His Spirit to the Church, via the apostles and prophets. Now, through the New Testament Scriptures, we have the full knowledge of God’s predetermined plan for those who come to Jesus for salvation:
- Adoption as sons (Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5), fulfilled in the future event of the redemption of the body (Romans 8:23), i.e., at the Rapture.
- Glorification when Jesus presents the Church blameless to the Father (Romans 8:30; Ephesians 5:27; Philippians 3:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:10)
- Inheritance of reward and the Kingdom promises given to the Word by the Father—the Kingdom of God (Acts 26:18; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 1:12; 3:24; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 21:7)
After carefully reviewing the passages of Scripture in their context, I have personally concluded that no Scripture teaches individuals were predestined to salvation before the creation of the world. That view arises from human commentary, not the Bible. Scripture clearly affirms that God grants men the free will to respond to His Son—either to receive or reject Him (John 3). For further questions or discussion, feel free to email me at any time. This is just a small excerpt of my recent studies on this topic, and my stance on it, as it relates to existing methodologies that preexisted my study (i.e., Greek determinism, Augustine, Calvin, Reformers). I have 40+ pages of notes with the historical texts in their original languages and cross-references for future research.
With love,
Brother Carlos
