1. What does God mean when He labels His elect, the “firstfruits“? Does not the allusion, “FIRSTfruits” imply there is more to come?
2. Who is told to “come out of Babylon” in the book of Revelation? Is it not the Church? Why is God throughout all Scripture calling out a chosen, an elect, a “kingdom of priests”? Who is He most often calling out of exile and for what purpose? Is it not to show the rest of the world what God is like?
3. What is the purpose and nature of a priest? Is it not to be a mediator between God and man? If the chosen are all priests, then who are they priests for? Just other would-be priests, or for the world?
4. Was not Jesus’ high priestly prayer for the Church …for the world? “…may they be one even as we are one that the world may believe that You have sent me” (John 17).
5. If we are the elect, what are we elected for? Is it different than Abraham’s call to be a blessing on account of his being blessed? Is it only to glory in our chosen-ness or election? Would that make sense of a chosen office in this life? Are not individuals elected unto some purpose? What are we, “the elect,” chosen for?
6. Are we not chosen to be the firstfruits of creation to be “set free” in order to set the rest of creation free in the midst of the plan of the ages mentioned in the Bible?
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Rom 8:19-21)