1Eph 1:10, 22-23; Jn 10:16; 11:52

We have seen that the Scripture speaks of not only a visible church, but of an invisible church. We saw that the visible church comprises "all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children" (WLC 62). Here we see that the invisible church comprises of the whole number of the elect of Christ (see Eph 1:10, 22-23),-whether they are already in heaven (Heb 12:23), or they are believers here on earth (Heb 12:22), or they are yet to believe (cf. Jn 10:16; 11:52; Acts 18:9-10), or they are yet to be born (cf. Jn 17:20).

Unlike the visible church, the number of members in the invisible church is fixed from all eternity and remains fixed throughout the history of redemption unto all eternity.

This whole number, when it is finally gathered together under Christ in heaven at the Last Day shall be "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" (Rev 7:9-10).

Not only would this number come from all nations and races, it will come from times throughout redemptive history. It includes the saints of Old Testament days such as Abel, Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Samson, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Job, Ezra, etc, etc. And I am confident; it includes also many of our children yet unborn. What a glorious day it will be when the whole church, which is invisible, appears visibly before the throne of Christ as His sheep (Mt 25:31-34)!

But today, the church invisible is invisible because there is no way for anyone to be absolutely sure who the members in her are. Yes, since membership in the church invisible is ratified by regeneration or spirit-baptism (just as membership in the visible church is ratified by water-baptism), there are some marks, which indicate the probability that a person belongs to the church invisible. But no one can judge absolutely on these marks as God alone can see our hearts. Therefore, we must not regard a person as being a Christian or not a Christian by whether we think he or she is a member of the church invisible. Rather, we must regard all who bear the sign and seal of the covenant as Christians. A person's baptism is God's warrant for us to relate to him or her as a brother or sister in the covenant.

Now, of course, it is possible that a baptised member in the visible church may not be a member in the invisible church. Simon Magus was an example. And it is also possible, under some extraordinary circumstances, to be a member of the invisible church, but never a ratified (baptism) member of the visible church. The thief on the cross may be cited as an example though it is possible he might have been a circumcised member of the church under the Old Covenant. In any case, elect infants dying in infancy before they are baptised, would surely fall under this situation.

But despite this 'decoupling' of the visible church from the invisible church, there is a very important relationship between them, as ordinarily, members of the invisible church must past through membership in the visible church. The relationship between visible church and the invisible church may be graphically represented thus: