The Elect of God
A question exists in the Church world as to who the term of "The Elect" is referring to in the scriptures. Following are all of the scriptures in the Bible where the elect of God are mentioned, along with my comments, based upon reviewing these scriptures in context. In the whole of the Old Testament, only Isaiah uses the term of the elect. On one occasion Isaiah gives us a prophecy about Jesus Christ, and in three other scriptures, the elect are the people of the nation of Israel.
Isa 42:1-7 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus says God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; he that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I Jehovah have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Vindication is provided in Matthew 12:17-21.
Isa 45:4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my elect, I have even called you by your name: I have surnamed you, though you have not known me.
Isa 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and my elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Isa 65:18-22 (KJV) But be you glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
In all of the New Testament, the elect is mentioned in ten places. One could say that because God’s Word is consistent and never changes, since the elect people of God is the Israelites in the Old Testament, this will be also true in the New Testament. Even so, we will provide those New Testament scriptures, with contextual vindication where possible.
The first two scriptures must stand without specific vindication, except for the continuity of the proof, of all the other scriptures in the Bible.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mark 13:22 (KJV) For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, even the elect.
The next two scriptures which speak of the elect, describe events that occur after the opening of the sixth seal of Revelations 6:12-14. This is a description of certain events that occur when the Lord returns to the Earth to pronounce final judgment on its inhabitants. But before these judgments are carried out, God’s elect people out of the twelve tribes of Israel are gathered together and sealed.
Mat 24:29-31 (KJV) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send the angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mark 13:24-27 (KJV) But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send the angels, and shall gather together the elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
The following verse, speaking of God’s elect, ties in with a statement made during the opening of the fifth seal of Revelations 6:9-10. Here the avenging for past suffering of God’s people is spoken of, possibly the tribulations brought on by the Romans, the Roman Catholic Church in the dark ages, and Hitler during World War two.
In the following verses, Jesus is speaking of the elect, as being those Israelites who were in and around Jerusalem during its destruction in 70AD by the Roman Army. To put these verses in context, they must be included and studied with Matthew 24:15 thru 22, Mark 13:14 thru 20 and Luke 21:20 thru 24.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Mark 13:20 (KJV) And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he has chosen, he has shortened the days.
In chapters 8,9,10 & 11 of the book of Romans, Paul is talking about the Israelites when he speaks of the elect and election. Verification of this can be seen by reviewing the following verses: Rom 7:1, 8:15, 9:24,27, 10:1, 11:5,7-12,28.
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies.
Rom 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 calls;)
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Rom 11:7 What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election has obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
In Colossians 3:12, when Paul speaks of the elect, He is speaking to his brethren, the Israelites and not Gentiles, as can be evidenced by considering the following verses and their explanation. In Colossians 1:1, Paul is addressing his letter to his "brethren" (Jews), who are part of the body of Christ at Colosse. In Colossians 1:21, he speaks of those he is writing to, as having been reconciled to God. To be reconciled means to be given another chance. The Jews had their first chance as people of the nation of Israel, whom God chose as His people, now they have been given a second chance because of Christ. The only chance the Gentiles have, is through Christ. In Colossians 2:14 thru 16, indicates that they were previously under the law, which the Gentiles never were.
Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Paul here in Titus, speaks of the faith of God's elect without giving any indication of who that could be. But the elect here are probably those who were chosen by God out of the Israelites to believe in His Son, by faith, and the rest were blinded. Couple this with Romans 11:7.
Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
Rom 11:7 (KJV) What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election has obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Peter in these first verses of his letter is addressing believers who are scattered throughout several nations. He calls them strangers, but it could have just as well been interpreted as pilgrims. In the third verse, addressing these people, he speaks of God having begotten them the second time. This must be speaking of Israelites, as they were originally chosen of God to be His people, then were born again as a result of their belief in Christ.
1 Pet 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Verse three, speaks of them being begotten again, which the converted Jews can claim, but not the Gentiles.
1 Pet 1:3 (KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Then in verse 18 Peter speaks of the traditions that they received from their fathers and in verse 6 thru 9 of the 2nd chapter, Paul makes it clear that he is talking to the nation of the Israelites. The poor translation of verse 10 allows the reader to suppose that the Gentiles are the subject but verses 11 and 12 makes it clear that the people of Paul's nation are the subject. Verse 25 also makes it clear when it speaks of sheep going astray, then returning to God. The Gentiles never knew God and would not be returning.
1 Pet 1:18 (KJV) Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1 Pet 2:11-12 (KJV) Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Pet 2:25 (KJV) For you were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Also in verse 6 of the 3rd chapter, speaking to the women, Paul said they were the daughters of Abraham, making them Israelites.
1 Pet 3:6 (KJV) Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters you are, as long as you do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
The following verse in first Peter clearly indicates that the elect being spoken of is Christ.
1 Pet 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.
Paul begins this letter to Timothy saying that he was appointed to be a preacher, teacher and an apostle to the Gentiles (2 Tim 1:11), and he endures all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain salvation. The point to be made is that after saying he was sent to the Gentiles, he also was interested in the salvation of his own people the Israelites, the elect.
2 Tim 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Throughout the scriptures, the elect are constantly referred to as Christ or the Israelites. Some of the references may be just a little vague, but nowhere in the scriptures does it state that the elect are the Gentiles or a combination of the Jews and the Gentiles.
The elect are the chosen ones, or the chosen nation that God originally selected to be His people. Romans chapter 11 probably makes the most pointed distinction when it talks about the elect being one group and those that were blinded being the remainder of the Jews.
God’s Election
This verse in Exodus, and chapter nine of Romans is speaking of how God deals with the Jews. Romans chapter 9, verses 3 and 4 make this clear.
Rom 9:3-4 (KJV) For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Exo 9:16 (KJV) And in very deed for this cause have I raised you up, for to show in you my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:11-16 (KJV) (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 calls;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.
Rom 9:17-18 (KJV) For the scripture said unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore has he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens.
Rom 9:20-23 (KJV) Nay but, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
All of the scriptures reviewed in the Bible clearly prove that the Elect of God are Jesus and/or the Israelites. Nowhere in the Bible does it state that any gentile or Gentile Nations are God’s Elect.
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