I disagree with Major here: "...Scriptures are silent on this issue, and many other Scriptures contradict its message..."
While I promote that Scripture is the source and arbiter of truth for the believer, this does not mean that truth need not make sense. (True, it need not make sense to any man, for it to be true, but it does in the end make sense.) Scripture tells us that God is the Creator of all things, and for that to make sense, there are many corollary facts (that Scripture also teaches), such as that he is self-existent, and that he is not subject to any fact or principle that he does not of his own will subject himself to, (unless it be subjection to himself and his word --since that is his very nature --the attribute we refer to as "faithfulness".)
One principle he is not subject to, unless he subjects himself to it, is time. God does not, as such, operate within time, but "invented" it. (Scripture also verifies this --teaches it). As such, then, it may be that for him to foresee, is the same as to "forecause", and to avoid drawing this out longer than necessary, I will just say there is a lot more Scripture and reasoning showing other supporting facts of his timelessness, including the reference to Christ being slain from the foundation of the earth.
I say all this to show that while it may be unsavory to us to claim he created with the plan in mind to condemn some and to have mercy on others undeserving, it cannot be denied. Logically, I say, it makes no sense to say that the Creator would create *for the purpose of* destruction, and so I don't say he did. But to deny that this goes against his plan is neither logical nor Scriptural. So, Scriptures are not silent on this issue.
Every case in Scripture that friends and others have brought up to contradict this point, so far, to me, have fallen flat when context and mere language use are brought to bear --but that is a subject for another post. I just mention it to show what I mean by saying I disagree "other Scriptures contradict" it. I will say, that generally, all the passages taken to contradict it fall into these several categories: 1. "all" doesn't usually mean absolutely everybody that ever existed, in common use of language. 2. Many passages contextually show "all" to be everybody within a logical set, most commonly, (as seen by context), a reference to the elect. 3. Several passages involving the word "all" refer to the fact that all humanity falls within the overriding principle that if there is salvation, (redemption etc), it is through Jesus Christ. 4. Others that don't come to mind right now (it is early morning), are usually simply taken out of context and taken for how they sound alone. 5. Scriptures not specifically mentioning predestination or salvation, but referring to God's love and goodwill toward man, do not, unless in our own mind, necessarily rule out his predestining some to destruction. God is not like us. If we don't like this doctrine, it may well be we simply don't understand his love. 6. For what it is worth, I find most scriptures brought to bear against this belief, when studied well, turn out to be very strong support for this belief.
"Predestination" is a term for our use --we who are bound by time, but from God's view, the whole story was told and completed from the beginning, however long within time it took for it to happen. To me, this gives a better definition for all the things we consider subject to time.
God's creation is not just what we see now as developing and becoming visible, but what is already done, in Heaven.
Granted, now, that what I say is like what anyone says. It is just me talking, trying to convey a thought, and it is subject to the correcting by Scripture just like what anyone else says. Likewise, like any of us, I too am bound by my limitations, and, if what I believe about this is true, it still falls way short of the Truth of the matter. But I pray it at least helps point us towards the Truth.