Did Jesus pre-exist?

In Hebrew thought, things prophesied for the future can be considered as already existing or fulfilled before they become reality. This expresses divine predestination. Many such prophetic formulations can be found in the Bible. GOD knew David (Psalm 139,16) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1,4) before they existed. The believers were already chosen by GOD, and their names were written in the Book of Life before any of them existed (Matthew 25,34 / Ephesians 1,4-6 / 2nd Timothy 1,9 / Revelation 13,8). The works of the believers were also prepared for them before the creation of the world (Ephesians 2,10). Various prophecies in the Old Testament are also formulated as if they were already reality at that time, even though they were not to be fulfilled until later (Isaiah 9,5 f. / Psalm 110,1 / Isaiah 53 / Hosea 11,1). The same applies to GOD's promises regarding events whose fulfillment, from today's perspective, is still to come. It is said that all who believe in Jesus have eternal life (= life in the age to come), although they will actually only receive it in the resurrection (Mark 10,30). It further states that the saints are blessed with all heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1,3 / Ephesians 2,6), which also refers to life in the future age of the new earth that GOD has promised His children.

In GOD's plan, the Messiah was already chosen, sacrificed, and glorified before GOD created the world, even though Jesus was born (= flesh) at a later time (John 1,14) to fulfill the prophecy. In John 17,24, Jesus says that the Father loved him before the foundation of the world. The word loved (Old Greek: agapaō) can also be understood in the sense of "choose" (Romans 9,13). It does not mean that GOD "begot" Jesus before the foundation of the world. The idea of the existence of immortal souls comes from Hellenistic mythology. All the apostles and writers of the New Testament, who were all Jews, understood the pre-existence of the Messiah in the Hebrew, or ideal, sense, not in the Greek, or literal sense. John 1,1-18 is about God's plan to reconcile humanity to himself. The content of this plan is the Messiah, the man Jesus Christ. He already existed in GOD's mind before the creation of the world; however, not as a real person. In John 8,56-58, Jesus explains that he was already (prophetically) destined to be the Messiah before Abraham existed. In John 17,5, Jesus asks the Father to grant him the glory that GOD had already intended for the Messiah in His providence, even before Jesus existed. Abraham, King David, Daniel, the prophet Isaiah, and other prophets foresaw the glory of the Messiah in visions and dreams. They did not see a real, pre-existent Messiah.