[Permission is granted to duplicate this article in its entirety,
but only without additions, alterations or omissions of any kind,
including the author, ministry name and address at the end.
Nothing may be removed from this page including links to other pages.]
Strange but true, there is a book in heaven called the book of life. In it are the names of saved people (Psa. 69:28; Phil. 4:3). It is not the only book in heaven (Rev. 20:12), but certainly one in which we all need to have our names recorded in! Why? Because if you are not listed there, your eternal future will be in the lake of fire:
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:15)
Blotted From
The Book Of LifeNot only are names written in the book of life, they can also be blotted out of the book of life by committing idolatry:
So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.” (Exo 32:31-33)
Apparently, Moses knew that could happen thousands of years ago, but such is usually flatly denied in our day, even though the Lord Jesus referred to the same for those who finally overcome:
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Rev 3:4,5)
The overcomers will never have their names blotted from the book of life, but whoever has sinned against God will be (Ex. 32:33)!
God's Foreknowledge
The following Scripture about the book of life has unfortunately confused some but never should have:
The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. (Rev 17:8)
God’s foreknowledge is referred to there. God, who knows what man will do salvation-wise, had their names written in the book of life from the creation of the world. God’s foreknowledge is also referred to here:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (1 Pet 1:1,2)
New Jerusalem
The end of Revelation repeats the necessity of having one's name in the book of life. Those who are described there are mentioned in the negative:
Nothing impure will ever enter it [New Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev. 21:27)
Hence, those blessed people who can enter New Jerusalem (and escape the lake of fire), because their names are in the book of life, are described as:
● not being impure (but pure). See Mt. 5:8, Acts 15:9 and 1 Tim. 5:22b
● don’t do what is shameful or deceitful
Dear reader, are you described like that? Remember: one’s spiritual identity changes from lost to found at the point of repentance. Though one does shameful and deceitful things, if he sincerely repents of his sins and turns to the Lord Jesus to serve him, that wickedness is wiped clean and forgotten. He is purified spiritually. It is one’s spiritual condition at the point of death which determines where he will go (Heb. 3:14; Mt. 10:22; Rev. 2:10,11). GOD BLESS YOU. [Pass this teaching on to another.]
Point People To Jesus For Salvation
False Prophets and False Teachers
Contact Us Or Join Our Email List Evangelical Outreach
PO Box 265 Washington PA 15301
www.evangelicaloutreach.org
