“Before the world was,” Christ was in glory with the Father, John 1:1, 2; 17:5, 24. A divine purpose was established within the Godhead, by which sin was permitted to be fully manifested in a world of men before being banished forever from the universe, Heb. 9:26. The Son of God agreed to become incarnate so that He could destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8, in whom iniquity had been found, Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:14, 15.
Before the foundation of the world, it was ordained that Christ should become the lamb of God and be slain for the ungodly, 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Heb. 10:5-10. The world was then created by Christ, Heb. 1:10, “to be inhabited,” Isa. 45:18. Man was placed upon it as a stage on which the drama of sin and salvation was to be enacted before the universe, 1 Cor. 4:9, Gr.
Believers were chosen in Christ before the world was founded, Eph. 1:4. A book was written containing the names of every person who would survive the destruction of the still uncreated world, Phil. 4:3; Rev. 17:8; 20:15. Nothing could disannul this “purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth,” Isa. 14:24-27; 46:10, 11. The Bible closes with its final fulfillment as the devil is destroyed, Rev. 20:10, and God brings many sons to glory, Heb. 2:10; Rev. 21:1-5,
William Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, (Chicago: Bible Institute Colportage Assoc., 1912), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 288-289.