1689 and Elect Angels

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

This may be kind of an obscure question-- but in my spare time I've been walking slowly again through the 1689 Confession, and I noticed something in chapter 3 that I was surprised by. In 3.3, the 1689 says that some men and angels are "predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ".

The surprising part of this to me is not that angels are said to be elect, but that they are said to be elect "through Jesus Christ". Interestingly both the Savoy and the WCF lack those bolded words in the parallel sections, so it is something which the framers of the 1689 added.

Does this mean the framers of the 1689 mean to intentionally teach angels who are elect are somehow saved or prevented from falling through Christ's saving work, or that they are somehow united to him as their federal head? Does anyone know of any elaborations on what is meant here?

Thanks!

 

[paranymph]

Yes, Ephesians 1:10. The Puritans call it the "recapitulation of all things." John Owen writes about it in The Glory of Christ

To answer all the ends of this new Head of God’s re-collected family, all power in heaven and earth, all fulness of grace and glory, is committed unto him. There is no communication from God, no act of rule towards this family, no supply of virtue, power, grace, or goodness unto angels or men, but what is immediately from this new head whereinto they are gathered. In him they all consist, on him do they depend, unto him are they subject; in their relation unto him doth their peace, union, and agreement among themselves consist. This is the recapitulation of all things intended by the apostle. . . .

It is true that he acts distinctly and variously towards the two parts of the re-collected family of angels and men, according as their different states and conditions do require. For, — 1. We had need of a reparation by redemption and grace, which the angels had not. 2. Angels were capable of immediate confirmation in glory, which we are not, until we come to heaven.

 

[No Other Name]

Also, Eph. 3:10

Would it not logically follow that the work of Christ in his church is part of the knowledge made known to these heavenly beings unto their praise and worship as elect?

 

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

Both of these replies are helpful. I suppose when I think of being elect in Christ I think of union with Christ in his saving work (life, death, resurrection)-- but this does make sense when thinking about the broader, cosmic scope of Christ's saving work.
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It is also interesting to see the emphasis in Owen on God's "family" consisting of heavenly and human creatures-- one of my Old Testament professors at RTS made precisely the same point quite strongly in understanding how the OT treats angelic beings, but I don't recall there ever being an explicit connection back to the puritans or anything like that.

 

[paranymph]

Both of these replies are helpful. I suppose when I think of being elect in Christ I think of union with Christ in his saving work (life, death, resurrection)-- but this does make sense when thinking about the broader, cosmic scope of Christ's saving work.
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It is also interesting to see the emphasis in Owen on God's "family" consisting of heavenly and human creatures-- one of my Old Testament professors at RTS made precisely the same point quite strongly in understanding how the OT treats angelic beings, but I don't recall there ever being an explicit connection back to the puritans or anything like that.

Yes, also Communion with God, Chapter 10 on Adoption:

There is another family whereinto they are to be translated, and whereunto of themselves they have neither right nor title. This is that family in heaven and earth which is called after the name of Christ, Eph. iii. 15, — the great family of God. God hath a house and family for his children; of whom some he maintains on the riches of his grace, and some he entertains with the fulness of his glory. This is that house whereof the Lord Christ is the great dispenser, it having pleased the Father to “gather together in one all things in him, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him,” Eph. i. 10. Herein live all the sons and daughters of God, spending largely on the riches of his grace. Unto this family of themselves they have no right nor title; they are wholly alienated from it, Eph. ii. 12, and can lay no claim to any thing in it. God driving fallen Adam out of the garden, and shutting up all ways of return with a flaming sword, ready to cut him off if he should attempt it, abundantly declares that he, and all in him, had lost all right of approaching unto God in any family relation. Corrupted, cursed nature is not vested with the least right to any thing of God.

They have an authoritative translation from one of these families to another. It is not done in a private, underhand way, but in the way of authority. John i. 12, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,” — power or authority. This investing them with the power, excellency, and right of the sons of God, is a forensical act, and hath a legal proceeding in it. It is called the “making us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” Col. i. 12; — a judicial exalting us into membership in that family, where God is the Father, Christ the elder brother, all saints and angels brethren and fellow-children, and the inheritance a crown immortal and incorruptible, that fades not away.
1.) An effectual proclamation and declaration of such a person’s immunity from all obligations to the former family, to which by nature he was related. And this declaration hath a threefold object:—

[1.] Angels. It is declared unto them; they are the sons of God. They are the sons of God, and so of the family whereinto the adopted person is to be admitted; and therefore it concerns them to know who are invested with the rights of that family, that they may discharge their duty towards them. Unto them, then, it is declared that believers are freed from the family of sin and hell, to become fellow-sons and servants with them. And this is done two ways:—

1st. Generally, by the doctrine of the gospel. Eph. iii. 10, “Unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places is made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”

By the church is this wisdom made known to the angels, either as the doctrine of the gospel is delivered unto it, or as it is gathered thereby. And what is this wisdom of God that is thus made known to principalities and powers? It is, that “the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body with us,” verse 6. The mystery of adopting sinners of the Gentiles, taking them from their slavery in the family of the world, that they might have a right of heirship, becoming sons in the family of God, is this wisdom, thus made known. And how was it primitively made known? It was “revealed by the Spirit unto the prophets and apostles,” verse 5.

2dly. In particular, by immediate revelation. When any particular soul is freed from the family of this world, it is revealed to the angels. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God” (that is, among the angels, and by them) “over one sinner that repenteth,” Luke xv. 10. Now, the angels cannot of themselves absolutely know the true repentance of a sinner in itself; it is a work wrought in that cabinet which none hath a key unto but Jesus Christ; by him it is revealed to the angels, when the peculiar care and charge of such a one is committed to them. These things have their transaction before the angels, Luke xii. 8, 9. Christ owns the names of his brethren before the angels, Rev. iii. 5. When he gives them admittance into the family where they are, Heb. xii. 22, he declares to them that they are sons, that they may discharge their duty towards them, Heb. i. 14.