In November 2012, the United States elected its President for the next four years. As leader of the US, the President is one of the world’s most powerful leaders. Together with the leaders of China, Russia and the major countries of Europe, their policies and actions direct both their nations and the world toward an ever-changing, ever-challenging future.
The problems these leaders face are the same ones as before the U.S. Presidential election. The global economy is sputtering along, most nations have large financial debt, and the political, religious and social-economic conflicts within countries and between countries are growing. There seems to be no way out of man’s ever-increasing problems.
The politics of selfishness makes it impossible to make reasonable decisions for the overall benefit of everyone. Constraints on resources make it impossible to pay for what needs to be done. Unless something drastically changes, the troubles in the world will continue to grow until as Jesus prophesied, there would be “great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now.” Jesus added, “unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matt. 24:21-22 NASB).
The leader who will solve all of man’s problems will be selected, not by a vote of the people, but by the Creator of the universe, God. This new leadership, Christ and his church, or “the elect,” have been in preparation for this role since Jesus’ First Advent. They have been called by God and fashioned through God’s Spirit and leading in their lives into the character-likeness of the Father, himself. These qualities were described by Jesus in Matthew 5:3-9 as humility, gentleness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and being a peacemaker. Paul adds the qualities of love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control to this character description in Galatians 5:22-23. In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle adds moral excellence, knowledge, perseverance, godliness and brotherly kindness to the qualities of this leadership group.
These qualities are all needed for “the elect” to accomplish their assignment from God—bringing man back into harmony with him. This assignment includes (1) raising the dead, (2) healing man from the physical and spiritual effects of sin, (3) teaching the human family God’s principles of truth and righteousness and (4) solving all of man’s problems. As spiritual priests and kings in Christ’s earthly kingdom, they will rule over the human family for a 1,000 years, leading mankind up the way of holiness (Isa. 35:8-10; Acts 17:13; 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:6).
Their work will result in the willing and obedient of mankind receiving everything that our first parents lost through disobedience—perfection of heart, mind and body, everlasting life on a perfect earth and sonship with God. “The elect” is the seed of promise that God told Abraham would bless all the nations of the earth (Gen. 22:18).