These are not a gotcha questions. I genuinely want a different perspective and I value yours.
If election is predetermined, of what use or benefit is a covenant? Further, if God chooses to elect, why does He exclude some. Why the need for this earthly kabuki theater, wouldn't God's will be satisfied by willing some directly to heaven and some directly to hell?
If you were a potter, not Harry, but the other kind, and you made a whole bunch of pots. Some you decide to use in the garden to hold flowers, others you decide to use to hold garbage, and still some you want to sit on the mantle. Now, you made them, you decided where they go and what the do. Are you wrong in not putting all of them on the mantle?
Well Paul is just about as explicit as anyone in the WORD as to when the ‘electing’ took place. Ephesians 1 Paul repeatedly explains ‘election’ and when the act took place and what it was that made some in the ‘elect’.
A better question is when were the souls and their spirit intellect created? Because this flesh age is what will pass away after every willing soul/spirit has opportunity to be born from above into a flesh body. John 3.
According to Paul the ‘elect’ were chosen because of their perfect LOVE of and for Christ before the beginning of this flesh age. There is not one thing any of us walking in flesh bodies today that can go back and change that. BUT a/the covenant made and still holding to even these days were made so that the Plan of God be fulfilled and He already knew when He made the covenant/s who He could trust.
Hell has yet to be ‘formed/created’ as it is the kind of ‘fire’ that destroys the soul/spirit bodies and we in flesh have yet to return to that dimension.