With reference to the redeemed:

'Chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world' (Eph.

As an appendix to this question, we give a note or two on the pagan

distortion of Chaos, which makes it a creative term contrary to truth.

The whole question revolves around one feature, namely, whether we

accept the usage of the word in the LXX as of Divine superintendence, or

whether we set aside the LXX and favour a somewhat rare use made of kataballo

in its middle voice as found in classical Greek.  We, ourselves,

unhesitatingly accept the providential leading that supplied us with such an

aid as the Septuagint, and consequently we must and do completely set aside

the idea that Ephesians 1:4 refers to the 'founding' of the world.  We

believe it refers to a catastrophe or an 'overthrow'.

Why do the Scriptures, including the LXX, by-pass the words kataballo

and katabole as legitimate terms to indicate the laying of a foundation?

When the Lord said to Job, 'Where wast thou when I laid the foundations

of the earth?' (Job 38:4), the LXX uses the Greek verb themelioo, even as

Hebrews 1:10.  When Ezra 3:6,10 speaks of laying the foundation of the

temple, the word themelioo is employed.  So with Psalm 24:2, 'He founded it

upon the seas'; so with Psalm 48:8, 'Thou hast founded it for ever'; so with

Psalm 78:69, 'He built His sanctuaries ... He hath established (margin

"founded") for ever'; and Psalms 89:11; 102:25; 104:5,8; Haggai 2:19 and

Zechariah 4:9.  In all these passages 'to lay a foundation' is in the LXX

themelioo, whereas kataballo is used for the exact opposite in 2 Samuel

20:15, where it is used of a battering ram, to 'batter the wall' and to

'throw it down'.  This is Scriptural usage, and by that we abide.