Featured What about cain ?

Ordained of old to condemnation !

Jude 1:4

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Scriptures speak of those of old ordained unto condemnation. Now what does of old mean ? It certainly can mean before the world began, and that would speak of eternal reprobation. The word ordained means to write beforehand ! Well who wrote beforehand ? God wrote beforehand in His decree's of Eternity, as He wrote names in heaven before the foundation Lk 10:20

20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Phil 4:3

3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rev 17:8

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.So I believe those names not written of old in the book of life, were of old written in the book of those made for condemnation, the wicked for the day of evil Prov 16:4, the vessels of wrath Rom 9:22, those born to be taken and destroyed 2 Pet 2:12

I have biblical support for this conviction !

The Learned John Gill writes:

 

Born to be destroyed !



The Reprobates are those that were born to be taken and destroyed as brute beast !

2 Pet 2:12

12 But these [False Teachers], as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

The word made here is the greek word gennaō and it means:


of men who fathered children

a) to be born

b) to be begotten

1) of women giving birth to children

2) metaph.

a) to engender, cause to arise, excite

It means to be born in the NT at least 39 times, beget 49 times

In other words it was their purpose for being born, or for God causing them to rise up into existence.

Similar to what God says of Pharoah Rom 9:17

17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Interestingly, the word raised is the greek word egeirō and means:


to raise up i.e. cause to be born

Thats because Pharaoh and all the rest of the reprobates are vessels of wrath, made to be taken and destroyed, they had no possible chance of Salvation by the Grace and Mercy of God ! That would have been opposite to God's Purpose for them !

 

His Purpose is to destroy them !

Those whom God has purposed to destroy, He hardens their hearts against His Counsel making or causing them to fit themselves for destruction, that they make themselves blameworthy, this is seen here Joshua 11:19-20

There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.

20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Take notice as to who did the hardening of hearts, and why ! Because God had purposed their utter destruction ! If God so pleased He could have soften their hearts to be gracious to Israel, but God purposed to harden their hearts instead, to fit them to destruction. This Illustrates what it means to be vessels of wrath being fitted for destruction Rom 9:22