What did the Godhead determine in the eternal counsel?
In eternity past, the Godhead determined in counsel that earth would be created to be inhabited, that man would be placed there with free will to respond to His love or reject it, and that Christ would be delivered to the crucifixion so all things would come together in Him to consummate that purpose.
Les explains that this counsel is spelled c-o-u-n-s-e-l, not c-o-n-c-i-l, meaning an agreement of ideas. It took place way back in eternity past, perhaps billions of years ago. The Godhead determined that one day earth would be created to be inhabited, that man would be put on it with a free will choice to respond to His love or reject it, and that in order to bring it to a consummation, He went to that. Acts chapter 2 records Peter declaring that Jesus was delivered up to the crucifixion by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. This was all in fulfillment of that predetermined counsel, and all these things come together in Christ to fulfill the purpose of Him who works everything.
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
More Questions
What did God's predeterminate counsel and foreknowledge include from eternity past?
God's predeterminate counsel and foreknowledge in eternity past included everything, so nothing in all of God's working was unknown to Him, and His foreknowledge extends from eternity past through consummation to the end of time.
When did the Trinity determine the plan of God?
Way back in eternity past the Triune God came into the Trinity and in a counsel determined the plan, not needing to debate it back and forth over an afternoon.