Who are ‘those whom he foreknew’ in Romans 8:29–30?

This text is from a letter written by David Gooding in 1990.

Thank you for sending me this booklet. The main difference I have with the writer is his interpretation of Romans 8:29–30. His argument, that 'those whom he foreknew' refers to Jews who lived before our Lord's incarnation and crucifixion, obliges him to say that by Paul's time God had already glorified them. This he takes to refer to those who came out of their graves after our Lord's resurrection, as mentioned in Matthew 27.

Most Bible expositors, of whatever persuasion, have regarded this event as being similar to what happened to Lazarus, that is, he was raised from the dead but eventually died. I find it very difficult to think that Matthew 27 is describing a resurrection that gave to these believers glorified bodies; for, if that were so, one could no longer say, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:23, 'Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's at his coming'. One would have to alter that verse to read 'Christ and the Old Testament saints the firstfruits; then the New Testament saints at his coming'. You see, if 'them he also glorified' refers to all the Old Testament believers from Adam and Eve up to the time of our Lord's resurrection, it would in fact be very difficult to regard them even as the firstfruits of the harvest, for they would be a gigantic part of the harvest.

On the other hand, Matthew does not say that all the bodies of the saints which slept arose, but simply 'many bodies of the saints that slept arose'. If this then was a full resurrection with a glorified body, but only of a selected number of the Old Testament saints and not all of them, how could one theoretically understand and justify such a selection?

I think, therefore, that this is a very serious weakness in the writer's case, and tends to detract from the strength of the case that he presents in the rest of his otherwise helpful booklet.

Thank you nonetheless for letting me see this booklet, and so encouraging me in the belief that I am not alone in rejecting the extremes of Calvin's doctrines.

Ever yours in Christ,