The Elect as replacements?
Then the Lord said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there…. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions…. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
- Genesis 15:13-16Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you.
- Deuteronomy 9:4God hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.
- Westminster Confession of Faith, 33.1
I have always understood God's promise to lead Abraham's descendants into the Promised Land as based solely on his grace toward, and election of, his Chosen People. That's the feel-good part of the story, and it is definitely deserving of the lion's share of our attention. However, Deuteronomy 9:4 gives us another wrinkle to consider when God tells us "it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you." In a sense, the Israelites were brought into the Promised Land as replacements who would displace the wicked who were indigenous to the land.
Knowing that most of the stories of the Old Testament have some sort of correlation to the New, I can't help but wonder if there's something worth noting here as well. If God's elect are passing into heaven/the New Earth, it might seem possible that someone else is being driven out, just as in the case of the Israelites entering Caanan.
The Bible speaks of the judgment that is awaiting "fallen angels" (Jude 1:6), and that they are being kept until the judgment (2 Peter 2:4). Do you suppose God's elect, those who will be crossing over into the Promised Land when the new Heaven and new Earth are established (Rev 21:1) are, at least in some way, "replacements" of the fallen angels? This could be categorical, or even a one-for-one replacement.
Suppose God's eternal "Order of Decrees" went something like this (leaving out a few important steps):
- Creation of angels
- Election of some angels unto life, some unto judgment
- Creation of mankind
- Election of some unto life, in order to replace the reprobate angels
- Election of others unto judgment, that they might join the reprobate angels in God's wrath
Again, I'm not sure what difference this election-unto-replacement would make. But, it seems plausible, at least on the surface.





very interesting thoughts. what are the implications of this (specifically #5) on God's intentions for man's creation? is the replacement of these reprobate angels an afterthought of our creation or the reason for it?
ps — i got an easy math problem this time. woo hoo!
oops.. i meant #4, not #5. sorry