Preexistence According to Rabbis and the Bible

 Rabbinic writings

“Seven things were created before the world was made, and these are they: Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the throne of glory, and house of the sanctuary, and the name of the Messiah” (b. Pes. 54a; cf. b. Ned. 39b).

“[God] will reveal His Messiah whose name is spoken from the beginning” (Tg. Zech. 4:7).

“Abraham and Isaac were created before any work” (Pr. Jos. 1:2).

“But He did design and devise me, and He prepared me from the beginning of the world to be mediator of His covenant” (T. Mos. 1:14).

“The architect moreover does not build it out of his head, but employs plans and diagrams to know how to arrange the chambers and the wicket doors. Thus God consulted the Torah and created the world, while Torah declares, ‘In the beginning God created,’ ‘beginning’ referring to the Torah, as in the verse, ‘The Lord made me as the beginning of His way’” (Gen. Rab. 1.1).

“Six things preceded the creation of the world; some of them were actually created, while the creation of the others was already contemplated. The Torah and the throne of glory were created . . . . The creation of the Patriarchs was contemplated . . . . [The creation of] Israel was contemplated. . . . [The creation of] Israel was contemplated . . . . [The creation of] the temple was contemplated . . . . The name of Messiah was contemplated” (Gen. Rab. 1.4).

“Torah preceded the creation of the world by two thousand years” (Gen. Rab. 8.2).

Old Testament

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you . . .” (Jer 1:5).

New Testament

“this man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless people . . .” (Acts 2:23).

“. . . to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined . . . and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom 8:28–30).

“But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace . . .” (Gal 1:15).

“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world . . . . He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will . . . . In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, the summing up of all things in Christ” (Eph 1:4–5, 8–10).

“Peter . . . to those who reside as aliens . . . who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father . . .” (1 Pet 1:1–2).

“[Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20).

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God . . . for You created all things, and because of Your will they already existed, and were created” (Rev 4:11).

“. . . the Lamb who has been slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8).