Growing up in the Synagogues, the Book of Life was a regular topic of conversation and a frequent sermon the Rabbis would give, but in Christianity it seems to be a rare subject. The other day I heard a TV Pastor say "You must get your name in the Book of Life!" Wrong! It's already there, we need to keep our names in it. Here is what Moses asked the LORD:
Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. Exodus 32:32
The Book of Life holds everyone's name who is alive today, and everyone's name who has ever lived. And yes, that is the book we need to keep our names in. When all is said and done with this flesh age, our names will remain in the Book of Life and we will be granted eternal life. In Daniel 12:1 we read this: And at that time thy People shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Well, that's comforting, everyone is going to get delivered! Not so fast. Everyone whose name is still in the book shall be delivered, but there will be many names, many of us, who will have their names blotted out of the book. Their destiny is the Lake of Fire where their souls shall perish. Is that really true? Yes, the Book of Revelation describes it best; please notice there are two sets of books mentioned here.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12
The books that were opened are the books which have recorded our lives while we sojourned here on earth for our 70 years. Depending upon what was written in those books, our names remained in the Book of Life, or they were blotted out. Are your books in balance? Allow me to add, our works are very important, and repentance for our known sins is one of those works which will keep our names in the Book of Life. We do not want to dwell on the alternative.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15
Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. Exodus 32:32
The Book of Life holds everyone's name who is alive today, and everyone's name who has ever lived. And yes, that is the book we need to keep our names in. When all is said and done with this flesh age, our names will remain in the Book of Life and we will be granted eternal life. In Daniel 12:1 we read this: And at that time thy People shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Well, that's comforting, everyone is going to get delivered! Not so fast. Everyone whose name is still in the book shall be delivered, but there will be many names, many of us, who will have their names blotted out of the book. Their destiny is the Lake of Fire where their souls shall perish. Is that really true? Yes, the Book of Revelation describes it best; please notice there are two sets of books mentioned here.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12
The books that were opened are the books which have recorded our lives while we sojourned here on earth for our 70 years. Depending upon what was written in those books, our names remained in the Book of Life, or they were blotted out. Are your books in balance? Allow me to add, our works are very important, and repentance for our known sins is one of those works which will keep our names in the Book of Life. We do not want to dwell on the alternative.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15