Revelation 13:8 – What was Predetermined from the Foundation of the World?

The 13th chapter of Revelation describes a 7-headed beast from the sea with 10 horns and 10 crowns empowered by the dragon, making war with God’s saints. The earth-dwellers are said to worship the beast, “whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb having been slain …” (v. 8).¹ Contextually the beast represents the tyrannical empire of Rome (cf. 11:7), the dragon symbolizes the devil (cf. 12:3, 9), and the earth-dwellers are worldly-minded people as opposed to God’s heavenly citizens whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s book of life (cf. 3:5; 17:8; 20:15).²

The interpretive challenge here is ascertaining what the phrase “from the foundation of the world” modifies. What was divinely predetermined: the unrecorded names (ASV, CEV, ESV, H/CSB, NASB, NET), or the slaying of the Lamb (ISV, JUB, NIV, N/KJV, NLT)? Does this passage confirm the philosophical notion of determinism or the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination, or does it simply describe the foreknowledge of God’s redemptive plan? The Greek syntax supports the latter: “And all the ones dwelling on the earth will worship [the beast], whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world.” 

God’s scheme of redemption was in place before he created the universe (Eph. 3:9, 11), including the sacrifice of the emblematic Lamb (Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:19-21; cf. Isa. 53:6, 10). With omniscient foresight he predetermined to collectively save all who are in Christ (Eph. 1:1-14; Rom. 8:28-30), with no redemption available for impenitent and unforgiven sinners estranged from Christ. In this sense certain ones are metaphorically left out of the Lamb’s book of life from the foundation of the world (Rev. 17:8),³ but the idea of determinism or Calvinistic predestination is discounted seeing that it is possible for names in the heavenly registry to be removed (Rev. 3:5).

It is not a matter of the Lord having preselected particular individuals to be saved and everyone else to be condemned. Rather, all who are “in Christ” have been collectively predestined and chosen; every person must therefore decide whether or not to respond to the universal gospel call to enter Christ and be counted among the called/chosen/elect (Mark 16:15-16; Gal. 3:22-28; etc.),⁴ i.e., the sanctified ones (saints) whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ² The heavenly registry “book” symbolizes God’s recognition and remembrance of all who belong to him, offering assurance to everyone submitting to his will on his terms, while issuing a warning for those who do not (Ex. 32:32; Psa. 69:28; 139:16; Isa. 4:3-4; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:22-23).

     ³ Some would argue that the wording of Rev. 17:8 is parallel to Rev. 13:8, but syntax and literary flexibility allow for the employment of a phrase in different ways. Moreover, any doctrine based on a highly symbolic text is suspect if it is not clearly taught elsewhere in scripture. 

     ⁴ On human free will, see Deut. 30:19-20; Josh. 24:15; Isa. 55:6-7; John 3:16-17; 7:17; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; Jas. 4:7; Rev. 3:20; 22:17.

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What About the Calvinistic Doctrine of “Perseverance of the Saints”?

The Doctrine Concisely Stated:¹

“You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Some of the verses for this position are John 10:27-28 where Jesus said His sheep will never perish; John 6:47 where salvation is described as everlasting life; Romans 8:1 where it is said we have passed out of judgment; 1 Cor. 10:13 where God promises to never let us be tempted beyond what we can handle; and Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to perfect us until the day of Jesus' return” (Matt Slick, “What is Calvinism?,” The Calvinist Corner [2012], <https://carm.org/calvinism>).

A Biblical Response:

     Jesus’ “sheep” are those who listen to him and follow him (John 10:3, 4, 16, 27) = obedience. As long as this condition is met, “they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (v. 28; cf. 8:12, 31, 51).² However, sheep can and do go astray (Matt. 18:12; 26:31; 1 Pet. 2:25), and when sheep stop listening to and following the Shepherd, they are vulnerable and lost (John 6:66, 70-71). See also 1 Thess. 3:5; Jas. 5:19-20. While the Lord provides adequate assistance (1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 1:6; 4:19; Heb. 4:16; et al.), maintaining salvation also requires endurance and continued faithfulness (Matt. 24:13, 42, 44-51; cf. 1 Cor. 9:27; Heb. 3:14; 4:11; 6:11; 10:23, 36; 12:1-7).

     Paul pleads with the Romans, “Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died” (Rom. 14:15b). Contrary to the Calvinistic doctrines of limited atonement and perseverance of the saints, it is apparently possible for one "for whom Christ died" to suffer spiritual ruin (cf. 2:4-12).

     Among those “sanctified in Christ Jesus” at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2) was a wayward Christian needing to be disciplined by the church, “that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (5:1-5, 11). Paul’s admonitions were to be heeded lest “the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died” (1 Cor. 8:11; cf. 2 Cor. 2:15). These Christians were saved by the gospel conditionally: “if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor. 15:1-2; cf. 2 Cor. 6:1).

     The addressees of Paul’s letter to the Galatians are reminded: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27). Nevertheless, having been influenced by false teachers regarded as anathema [accursed of God], these “sons of God” were in the process of “turning away … from Him who called you in the grace of Christ” (1:6-9). In fact, the situation was so dire that if they continued on their current path, Paul contends: “you have become estranged [severed] from Christ … you have fallen from grace” (5:4). See also 1 Tim. 1:19; 4:1.

     Peter’s epistles are addressed to the “elect” of God (1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:1), wherein warnings are issued of “destructive heresies” leading to “destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1-3), involving those who “have forsaken the right way and gone astray” (v. 15). False teachers “allure … the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error” (v. 18). “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (vv. 20-21).

     Perhaps more than any other writing in the New Testament, Hebrews affirms and warns against the possibility of apostasy (2:1-3; 3:12-13; 4:1; 6:4-8; 10:26-38; 12:15, 25). These warnings are directed to those in the process of drifting away from Christ and heading toward complete separation from God. Conversely, for those sincerely striving to live in accordance with the Lord’s directives, perhaps more than any other New Testament document Hebrews offers great reassurance (3:6, 14; 4:16; 6:11, 17-20; 7:19; 10:19-22, 39; 11:1; 12:1-3; 13:5-6).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ True Calvinists prefer the descriptive expression “perseverance of the saints” rather than commonly misappropriated terminology like “eternal security” or “once saved always saved.” See Dewayne Bryant, “The Perseverance of the Saints,” in Gospel Advocate 151:6 (June 2009): 24-25. Wayne Grudem states the Calvinist perspective as follows: “all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and … only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again” (Systematic Theology 788).

     ² Scripture quotations are from the NKJV.

Related Posts: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace

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What About the Calvinistic Doctrine of "Irresistible Grace"?

The Doctrine Concisely Stated:

“When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call, and it cannot be resisted. This call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby they willingly and freely come to God. Some of the verses used in support of this teaching are Rom. 9:16 where it says that 'it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy'; Phil. 2:12-13 where God is said to be the one working salvation in the individual; John 6:28-29 where faith is declared to be the work of God; Acts 13:48 where God appoints people to eternal life; and John 1:12-13 where being born again is not by man's will but by God's” (Matt Slick, “What is Calvinism?,” The Calvinist Corner [2012], <https://carm.org/calvinism>).

A Biblical Response:

     In John 6:44 Jesus says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (NKJV). Does this teach unconditional election and irresistible grace? By reading the passage in its context, it is clear how a person is drawn to Christ by the Father. One comes to the Lord when he/she is taught and hears and learns divine instruction (v. 45) and then responds in faith (vv. 29, 35, 40, 47). When Jesus goes on to say in v. 65, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father,” this must be understood in light of the foregoing. The Father permits only those who listen and learn and respond in faith to come to Jesus, though not everyone is willing to listen and learn and respond in faith (vv. 36, 64, 66).

     In Acts 13:48 the Gentiles who favorably responded to the word of the Lord “had been appointed [tassō] to eternal life.” Contextually they are contrasted with the Jews who had just rejected the word of God, thereby judging themselves “unworthy of everlasting life” (v. 46). Note the dismissive temperament of the unreceptive Jews compared to the eager receptivity of these Gentiles. Accordingly, the word tassō does not necessarily imply that their free will was overridden but rather they were “disposed” or “inclined” to eternal life. In fact, the next time this word is employed in the Acts narrative, it refers to a willful decision: the Antioch brethren “determined [tassō] that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem …” (15:2). The same word is also used in 1 Cor. 16:15 with reference to the household of Stephanus who voluntarily “devoted [tassō] themselves to the ministry of the saints.”

     The directive in Phil. 2:12-13 is written to people who are already saved (1:1) and is descriptive of a cooperative endeavor with both divine and human contributions. In John 6:29 Jesus affirms faith as “the work of God” because faith is something required by God (v. 40), answering the question, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (v. 28). In John 1:12-13, while the “will of man” is not the innovator or instigator or standard in being born of God, neither is the human will totally discounted in the process (cf. v. 12; 3:3-5, 22-23; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:22-23). Rom. 9:16 has nothing to do with someone who might desire to be saved but is disallowed, or one who is incapable of seeking salvation; it is all about the unfolding of God’s purpose (v. 11). The divine scheme is not determined, improved, or thwarted by human ingenuity and fallibility.

     Seeing that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11), his grace is available to everyone (Titus 2:11) because he desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) and is not willing that any should perish (2 Pet. 3:9). At the same time, a voluntary, free-will response (obedient faith) to the Lord’s gracious offer is required (cf. Matt. 7:21; 23:37; Acts 7:51; Rom. 6:16-18; etc.).

--Kevin L. Moore

Related Posts: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Perseverance of the Saints

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Does Romans 9 Teach the Calvinistic Doctrine of Unconditional Election?

   The sovereignty of God is not disputed and is readily acknowledged and accepted on both sides of the debate.¹ Nonetheless, Romans 9 is about the overall “purpose of God” (v. 11) in implementing his redemptive scheme through Christ (v. 5) but is not addressing the Calvinistic notion of specific persons whom the Lord has allegedly elected to save or not save.² Contextually Paul is confronting the wayward attitudes and misconceptions of ethnocentric Jews who were discounting Gentiles from the Lord’s circle of acceptance (vv. 6-8, 24 ff.; cf. 2:1–15:33). Romans 9, a portion of this discussion, serves to vindicate God’s judgment against the obsolete system of exclusive Judaism.

     After expressing his remorse over the spiritual condition of fleshly Israel alienated from Christ, Paul acknowledges that Abraham’s biological descendants (through Isaac and Jacob) were selected by God to be instrumental in bringing the Messiah into the world (Rom. 9:1-5). But the divine purpose goes far beyond the physical.³ In fact, merely having a hereditary link with Abraham is not sufficient for being right with God, therefore Israel’s current spiritual condition cannot legitimately be blamed on God as though he were unjust (v. 14).

     Certain individuals (e.g. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Pharaoh) were divinely chosen – while others (e.g. Ishmael, Esau) were not – to play an important role in God’s plan based on his sovereign will. Calvinists claim that the focus of this chapter is on individual salvation and individual condemnation, but note that the passages quoted in vv. 12-13 (Gen. 25:23b; Mal. 1:2-3) are not about Jacob and Esau as individuals but are corporate views of their respective descendants: “Two nations … two peoples” (Gen. 25:23a); “Israel … Edom” (Mal. 1:1-4).⁴

     In stark contrast to human reasoning and preferences and innovations, the Lord’s purpose is rooted in his omniscience, foreknowledge, and infinite wisdom. In Rom. 9:15 Paul quotes the LORD’s statement in Exodus 33:19, in sparing a sinful nation (note chap. 32!):  “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy …” Yet the extending of divine mercy is not indiscriminate or arbitrary. Allowing the Bible to interpret itself, we read in Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (see also Exodus 20:6; Psalm 119:132; Luke 1:50).

     Then in Rom. 9:16 Paul observes, “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” This has nothing to do with someone who might desire to be saved but is disallowed, or one who is incapable of seeking salvation; it is all about the unfolding of God’s purpose (v. 11). Irrespective of Sarah’s ploy involving Hagar (Gen. 16:2), and Abraham’s initial choice of Ishmael (Gen. 17:18), and Isaac’s preference for Esau (Gen. 25:28), human ingenuity and fallibility neither determine nor improve nor thwart the divine scheme.

     Accordingly, in Rom. 9:17 Paul quotes words spoken to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:16, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” What’s the point? “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” (Rom. 9:18). God has chosen to have mercy on those who humbly submit to his will (like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and hardens those who defiantly reject his will (like Pharaoh). God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17), not by subverting Pharaoh’s free will, but by simply making demands that Pharaoh did not like. At the same time Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 19, 32; 9:34-35; 10:3; 13:15) because of his own stubborn pride and rebellion. God’s actions and demands in Egypt softened the hearts of many (Exodus 4:30-31; 9:20; 10:7) but hardened the heart of Pharaoh because of the brazen opposition of Pharaoh’s obstinate will.⁵

     In Rom. 9:21 we read, “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (cp. Isa. 29:16; Jer. 18:6). This statement responds to someone who might be spiritually short-sighted and oblivious [i.e. the misguided Jew], having the audacity to question the Creator’s sovereign purpose and work (vv. 19-20). God’s thoughts and ways are much higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9). The Lord could have created each person as a pre-programed robot, unconditionally predestined for either honor or dishonor (the Calvinistic reading of the text). Or God could have designed each person as a free moral agent and predetermined that the submissive and obedient ones are destined for honor and the rebellious and disobedient ones are destined for dishonor (same “lump,” different results). The fact that God “endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath” (v. 22) indicates that sinful persons are afforded sufficient opportunity to repent and alter their destructive course [cf. 2:3-4; 2 Pet. 3:9]. God “prepared beforehand” condemnation for the defiant and glory for the compliant,⁶ regardless of Jew/Gentile ethnicity (vv. 22-33; cf. 2:1–15:33; Acts 10:34-35).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ See 1 Chron. 29:11-12; 2 Chron. 20:6; Isa. 46:9-10; Dan. 4:35; Psa. 115:3; 1 Tim. 6:15; etc. All scripture quotations are from the NKJV.

     ² John Calvin’s interpretation of Romans 9 can be briefly summarized as follows: “… that though the counsel of God is in fact incomprehensible, yet his unblamable justice shines forth no less in the perdition of the reprobate than in the salvation of the elect. He does not indeed give a reason for divine election, so as to assign a cause why this man is chosen and that man rejected; for it was not meet that the things contained in the secret counsel of God should be subjected to the judgment of men; and, besides, this mystery is inexplicable. He therefore keeps us from curiously examining those things which exceed human comprehension. He yet shows, that as far as God’s predestination manifests itself, it appears perfectly just” (Commentary on Romans 307, <Link>). In response, we maintain that from the foundation of the world God has chosen (elected) and predestined (predetermined) to save all who are in Christ (Eph. 1:1-14; cf. Rom. 8:29-30; 1 Pet. 1:2). Note the key phrase "in Christ" (and comparable expressions) in Eph. 1:1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 20. It is not a matter of the Lord having preselected particular individuals to be saved and everyone else to be condemned. Rather, all who are "in Christ" have been predestined and chosen; every person must therefore decide whether or not to respond to the universal gospel call with obedient faith in order to enter Christ and be counted among the called/chosen/elect (Mark 16:15-16; Gal. 3:22-28; etc.).

     ³ Abraham had many more biological descendants than just those through Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 25:1-6; 36:1-9; 1 Chron. 1:32-33). Up to this point in Romans Paul has been using the national/political designation “Jews” (1:16; 2:9, 10, 17, 28; 3:1, 9, 29), but here he switches to the theological term “Israelites” (9:4, 6, 31).

     ⁴ In v. 13 Paul quotes Mal. 1:2-3, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” Perhaps the English term “hate” seems a bit harsh, but the Greek miseō magnifies the sense of “esteem less” with respect to the absolute importance of one’s priorities (cf. Luke 14:26). Moreover, “love” and “hate” are not emotional expressions (as per modern westernized concepts) but are demonstrated actions (cf. Dan. 9:4; John 14:15; Rom. 5:8; etc.). In the 5th-century BC context of Malachi, “Jacob” represents the descendants of Jacob/Israel (1:1, 5) and “Esau” stands for Esau’s descendants, the people of Edom (1:4). The Israelites were being reminded of their special role in God’s scheme (“Jacob I have loved”), despite the persistent abuse of their privileged status, while the defiant Edomites were destined for destruction (“Esau I have hated”).

     ⁵ See Did God Harden Pharaoh's Heart? 

     ⁶ E. F. Harrison points out the ambiguity of the expression “prepared for destruction” (v. 22), which does not necessarily implicate God in the action (in contrast to v. 23). He comments: “The preparation for destruction is the work of man, who allows himself to deteriorate in spite of knowledge and conscience” (“Romans,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary [Ed. F. E. Gaebelein] 10:107).

Related Posts: Total Depravity, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints 

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