The Shepherd's Chapel teaches a doctrine distinguishing between the "elect" and the "very elect." Central to this is the concept of the "7000 very elect," claimed to be a literal group of 7,000 elite predestined individuals who stood most faithfully with God against Satan in a pre-existent "first earth age" before the current creation. These "very elect" (sometimes referred to as the "Zadok") are considered a superior subset of the broader "elect," inherently resistant to deception by the Antichrist and specifically destined to be "delivered up" to him for testimony during the end times. The doctrine primarily draws from 1 Kings 19:18 and Romans 11:4, where God reserves 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal, but Shepherd's Chapel expands this into a framework involving soul pre-existence and hierarchical election.
This interpretation is extra-biblical and distorts the doctrines of election and remnant theology. This article refutes the Shepherd's Chapel teaching on the "7000 very elect" by first clarifying the distinction they make between the "elect" and "very elect," then examining the biblical texts, their historical context, and theological implications, demonstrating that the doctrine lacks scriptural support and contradicts the gospel of grace.
Understanding the Shepherd's Chapel Teaching
Shepherd's Chapel asserts that before the Genesis creation (starting at Genesis 1:3), a "first earth age" existed where all human souls lived in spiritual bodies. During Satan's rebellion, souls chose sides: one-third followed Satan (becoming his followers), some remained neutral (free-will souls in this age), and a faithful remnant sided with God, becoming the "elect." The "elect" are those predestined due to their loyalty in that prior age, justified and sealed for salvation without needing free will in this life.
Within this "elect," Shepherd's Chapel identifies an elite subset: the "7000 very elect." These are the most steadfast from the first earth age, referenced in 1 Kings 19:18 and Romans 11:4 as those who did not bow to Baal. In end-times prophecy, the "very elect" are specifically the ones who will be "delivered up" before the Antichrist (drawing from Mark 13:9-11, Luke 21:12-15, and Revelation 2:10), where they will testify against him, empowered by the Holy Spirit, without being deceived. They are distinct from the larger "elect" (who may number more but are less central to this role) and from the 144,000 of Revelation 7 (seen as another sealed group). This creates a hierarchy: the very elect are the spiritual vanguard, inherently understanding deeper truths, while the broader elect are assured but not as pivotal, and non-elect must choose via free will and risk failure.
Biblical Refutation: The Context of 1 Kings 19:18 and Romans 11:4
The Shepherd's Chapel doctrine misinterprets the biblical passages it relies on, imposing a speculative narrative and hierarchy unsupported by the text.
Historical and Literary Context in 1 Kings
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah, fleeing from Queen Jezebel after the Mount Carmel victory, despairs, believing he is the last faithful Israelite (1 Kings 19:10, 14). God responds in verse 18: "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him" (NKJV). This is a historical statement, assuring Elijah that a remnant of faithful Israelites exists in his own time, despite widespread idolatry under Ahab and Jezebel. The number 7,000 likely represents a literal group preserved by God’s sovereignty, emphasizing His faithfulness in maintaining a remnant, not a prophecy about a future elite subset of elect souls destined for delivery to the Antichrist.
The text contains no reference to a pre-existent age, soul choices, or a distinction between levels of elect. There is no indication that these 7,000 are an "very elect" group set apart for end-times testimony. Interpreting this as such is eisegesis, reading into the text a meaning it does not support.
Paul's Use in Romans 11: A Remnant by Grace
In Romans 11:4, Paul quotes 1 Kings 19:18: "But what does the divine response say to him? 'I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal'" (NKJV). This appears in Romans 9–11, where Paul addresses whether God has abandoned Israel due to their rejection of Christ. Paul’s answer is clear: God has not rejected His people, as a remnant always remains by grace (Romans 11:1, 5–6).
The 7,000 in Romans 11:4 is an analogy, not a literal future group or an elite "very elect." Paul uses it to show that, just as God preserved a remnant in Elijah’s day, He preserves one in Paul’s time (including Paul himself, Romans 11:1) and throughout history. Romans 11:5–6 states: "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace" (NKJV). This directly contradicts Shepherd's Chapel’s claim that the 7,000 "very elect" (or any elect) earned their status through loyalty in a prior age, as Paul emphasizes grace, not merit. There is no biblical basis for subdividing the elect into "elect" and "very elect" tiers, with the latter specifically for Antichrist confrontation.
Furthermore, Romans 11 includes Gentiles grafted into Israel’s olive tree (Romans 11:17–24), showing that election is inclusive and dynamic, not limited to a static 7,000 elite. The chapter culminates in the hope of "all Israel" being saved (Romans 11:26), pointing to a broader restoration, not a hierarchical elite club destined for unique trials.
Theological Errors: Pre-Existence and Hierarchical Election
The Myth of the "First Earth Age"
The Shepherd's Chapel doctrine hinges on a "first earth age" where souls chose sides, with the "very elect" as the most loyal 7,000 earning their elite status. This relies on a speculative "gap theory" extreme, placing eons between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 for Satan’s fall and soul choices. They reinterpret "foundation of the world" (katabole in Greek) as "overthrow," tying it to this cataclysm. However, katabole consistently means "foundation" or "beginning" in the New Testament (e.g., Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3), referring to God’s eternal plan, not a destructive event.
Scripture does not support pre-existent souls earning salvation or hierarchical ranks. Humans are created in Genesis 1–2, with no prior spiritual age. Passages like Jeremiah 1:5 ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you") refer to God’s foreknowledge, not literal pre-existence. This teaching resembles reincarnation or Mormon-like pre-mortal existence, which is foreign to biblical anthropology, and it undermines grace by basing election levels on prior actions.
Dividing Christians: Elect vs. Very Elect vs. Free-Will
Shepherd's Chapel’s distinction between "elect" (predestined loyalists), "very elect" (elite 7,000 for Antichrist delivery), and free-will believers creates an unbiblical hierarchy. Romans 8:28–30 outlines predestination for all believers: "whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (NKJV). This applies to all Christians, without subdivisions or elite roles tied to pre-existence. All believers are elect (Ephesians 1:4–5), sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), and assured of inheritance (Romans 8:16–17). Assurance comes through faith and its fruit (2 Peter 1:3–11), not a predetermined tier from a prior age.
The idea that only the "very elect" will be "delivered up" to the Antichrist misapplies passages like Mark 13:9-11, which warn all disciples of potential persecution, not a select 7,000. This fosters elitism, suggesting most Christians (even elect) are inferior and less pivotal, contradicting the unity of all believers in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
Conclusion
The Shepherd's Chapel doctrine of the "7000 very elect" as an elite subset of the "elect," chosen in a first earth age and destined for delivery to the Antichrist, misinterprets 1 Kings 19:18 and Romans 11:4, imposing a speculative pre-existent age and merit-based hierarchy unsupported by Scripture. The 7,000 in 1 Kings is a historical remnant preserved by God’s grace in Elijah’s time, and in Romans 11, it serves as an analogy for God’s ongoing preservation of a faithful remnant through grace, not works or tiers. The Bible affirms that all believers are elect in Christ, chosen by God’s grace without subdivisions, elite roles, or prior merits. Christians should reject this teaching, adhering to sound exegesis that upholds the gospel’s simplicity and unity.