Again None of Us on the Lambs Book of Life

ten Things You Need to Know About the "Lamb's Book of Life"

• Pastor, Author
• 2018 xvi Apr

On several occasions in Scripture nosotros come up across reference to something chosen "the book of life" or "the Lamb's book of life." What is information technology and why is it important that nosotros know?

1. At that place was an Onetime Testament "book of life."

In the OT the "book of life" (or its equivalents) was a register of the citizens of the theocratic community of Israel. To have ane's name written in the book of life implied the privilege of participation in the temporal blessings of the theocracy, while to exist erased or blotted out of this book meant exclusion from those blessings. In other words, this volume had reference to the rights of citizenship for the Jewish people (cf. Ex. 32:32; Ps. 69:28; Isa. 4:3).

"So Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They accept made for themselves gods of gold. Merely now, if you volition forgive their sin – only if not, please blot me out of your book that yous have written.' Simply the Lord said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book'" ( Exod. 32:31-33 ; cf. Ps. 69:28 ; Isa. 4:three ).

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2. Not all of God's "books" are the Lamb's book of life.

The concept of a "book" was as well used to portray God'southward all-inclusive decree; i.e., the very days of ane's life are ordained and written in God's "book" before one of them occurs:

"Your optics saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" ( Ps. 139:16 ).

But this does not appear to be the same as the Lamb's book of life.

In that location is also the notion of "books" of judgment in which are recorded men's deeds. They serve equally that by which or from which one shall be judged:

"And I saw the dead, great and minor, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then some other volume was opened, which is the volume of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done" ( Rev. xx:12 ; cf. Dan. 7:10 ).

Once more, however, this is non the aforementioned thing as believers having their names inscribed in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world.

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3. The Lamb's book of life lists those who have been (and are to be) saved.

On almost occasions where the Lamb'southward book of life is mentioned it refers to the register of those who have been called for conservancy from eternity by. It is not temporal or earthly blessings that are in view, but participation in the eternal kingdom of God as recipients of eternal life. For example:

"But yous accept come up to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect" ( Heb. 12:22-23 ).

"But nothing unclean will ever enter it [the New Jerusalem on the New Earth], nor anyone who does what is insufferable or false, but merely those who are written in the Lamb's volume of life" ( Rev. 21:27 ).

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4. Only the elect are written in this volume.

Information technology would appear from several texts that not all  are written in this book, but only the elect. In Revelation, the terminology of "globe dwellers" or "those that dwell on the world" is a standard designation for non-believers. These are the ones who "worship" the Beast (Rev. xiii:8a). They are the ones "whose proper name has not  been written before the foundation of the globe in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain" (Rev. 13:8b). Thus it would announced that to be one whose name has  been written downwards before the foundation of the world is simply another way of saying that he/she is elect (see Eph. 1:4).

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5. Paul makes an important reference to this book in Philippians.

The Apostle Paul spoke of his co-workers as those "whose names are in the book of life" (Phil. 4:3):

"I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche, to hold in the Lord. Yep, I ask you as well, true companion, aid these women, who have labored side past side with me in the gospel together with Cloudless and the rest of my boyfriend workers, whose names are in the volume of life" ( Phil. 4:2-3 ).

This appears to be the grounds on which he makes his appeal that they all learn to go along in love and unity, especially the two women in Philippi who were in some sort of disharmonize (Euodia and Syntyche). Those who are the objects of divine election, who, in spite of their well-deserved damnation nevertheless have been sovereignly and graciously called by God to inherit eternal life, should reply to such an immeasurable blessing by doing everything they tin can to get along and to piece of work in harmony for the sake of the gospel.

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6. All the names written in the book of life were inscribed in eternity past.

We see this in Revelation 13:8 and 17:viii. There are two ways of translating Revelation thirteen:8, both of which are grammatically possible:

(i) "whose proper noun has not been written before the foundation of the world in the volume of life of the Lamb who was slain" (ESV); or,

(ii) "whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain from the foundation of the world."

The parallel statement in Revelation 17:8 clearly indicates that (i) is correct. At that place we read:

"The beast that you lot saw was, and is non, and is nearly to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on world whose names have not been written in the volume of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the best, because information technology was and is not and is to come" ( Rev. 17:eight ).

Too, whereas information technology can certainly be said that the Lamb of God was "foreknown before the foundation of the world" (i Peter 1:xx) and that he was "delivered upwardly [to die] by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23), what can it perchance mean theologically to say that the Lamb of God was "slain from the foundation of the world"? The point of the text is that the people who worship the animal do so because their names have non been written in the book of life.' That is why they are deceived by the Beast.

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vii. You lot don't believe in Jesus in gild to have your name written, just because your name has been written.

People often ask: "What must one do  to have his/her name written downwardly in the Lamb'due south book of life? Can someone whose name is not now  written in the book practice something, such as believe in Jesus, so that his/her proper name will be  written in the book?" The respond to the beginning question is, aught. The answer to the second question is, No. Names are inscribed in the book of life earlier the foundation of the world. This is by God's sovereign and altogether gracious pick. You don't believe in Jesus in order that your name volition be written in the book. Yous believe in Jesus because  your proper name has already  been written down in the volume. To those who do not presently believe in Jesus, we say: "Repent and believe!" If they do, it is because their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the earth.

In other words, ane does not have his/her name inscribed at some point in human being history or every bit a result of annihilation he/she may exercise or believe. Conventionalities in Jesus is the fruit of having ane's name inscribed in the book of life, not its cause.

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8. God has not chosen to reveal to united states the names written in the Lamb'southward book of life.

It is none of our business organisation. We are not complimentary to speculate about it. What he has revealed is the responsibility of each individual to repent and believe the gospel. If a person does not believe the gospel, he has no one to blame simply himself. If he does believe the gospel, he has no one to praise but God.

None of united states of america deserves to take his/her proper name written downwardly in God'due south book. We all deserve eternal damnation. The only explanation for why a hell-deserving sinner has his/her name written downwards in the Lamb'south book of life before the foundation of the world is because God is gracious and merciful and wishes to provide his Son with a Helpmate that will enjoy his glorious presence and love for eternity. Had God chosen not to inscribe anyone'due south proper noun in his book, he would take done no one an injustice.

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9. In that location's some debate around names beingness removed from the volume of life.

Is information technology possible for someone whose name is written downwards to have it erased or removed? Some say yes based on Revelation 3:5 – "The one who conquers volition be clothed thus in white garments, and I volition never blot his name out of the volume of life."

Colin Hemer refers to i particular custom in ancient Athens co-ordinate to which the names of condemned criminals were erased from civic registers before their execution. The Greek give-and-take translated "to erase" (exaleiphein), "was the technical term for such degradation" (148). As insightful as this may be, it is more likely that we should await for a biblical background to this imagery.

On the one paw, Jesus may be maxim that it is possible for a sinning, unrepentant Christian (such as were many at Sardis) to fail to overcome or conquer and thereby to forfeit their identify in the book of life. Their names, already inscribed in the book, will exist erased, signifying the loss of their conservancy.

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Some propose having one'due south name "blotted out" is not about conservancy.

Others suggest that to take 1's proper noun blotted out refers to something other than salvation. In Revelation 3:1 Jesus referred to the people at Sardis every bit having a "proper noun" for being live, i.e., they had a reputation for spiritual vitality. The idea, then, is that such people are saved, simply will forfeit any promise of an honorable position in the coming kingdom of God. They are saved, merely will experience shame at the last solar day. It is not the loss of life, per se, simply the loss of a certain quality of life that otherwise could have been theirs. Thus, what one loses past having their name erased from the book of life is eternal rewards in the kingdom.

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Several factors lead me to conclude that John does not envision the possibility of a truthful Christian forfeiting salvation.

We should begin by noting that all of the other promises to the "conqueror/overcomer" are coined in positive terms with no threat (implied or explicit) of losing a salvation once gained (run into two:7,eleven,17,26-27; three:12,21). This isn't to propose that Christians can't backslide and sin badly. The rebukes in these seven letters signal otherwise. Nevertheless, the show of the reality of truthful saving faith is perseverance (i.e., "overcoming"; cf. 1 John 2:xix).

If it is asked why this promise is couched in negative terms, the answer is obvious: Jesus couldn't say "I will write his name in the book of life" because the names of the "overcomers" (i.due east., the elect) were already written in the book from eternity past (see Rev. 13:8; 17:8). There is no indication in Scripture, to the lowest degree of all in Revelation, of additional names being inscribed in the book as a reward for faithfulness or perseverance. Rather, faithfulness and perseverance are the show or fruit of having had one'south proper name written in the book. Those who worship the "beast" do then precisely considering their names were not written in the volume in eternity past (13:eight; 17:8).

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Ii groups of people are shown in Revelation.

It is clear from Revelation thirteen:8 and 17:eight that in that location are two and merely 2 groups of people. On the one manus are those whose names have not  been written in the book of life from eternity past. They "worship" and "marvel" at the Animal. The 2d group consists of those whose names have been written  in the book of life, which constitutes the reason why they refuse to give their fidelity to the enemy of Christ. Nowhere does information technology suggest a tertiary group: people whose names had been written in the volume in eternity past but, because they worshiped the Beast, failed to overcome or conquer and thus accept their names blotted out.

In other words, as John Piper explains, "having our name in the book of life from the foundation of the world seems to mean that God will keep you from falling and grant y'all to persevere in allegiance to God. Being in the volume ways you will non apostatize" ("Can the Regenerate Exist Erased from the Volume of Life?" 12/22/06 at www.desiringgod.org.). Or again, beingness written in the volume ways that God is committed to guarding your heart so that you lot will "conquer" and "overcome" the Brute by not yielding to the temptation to worship his name or receive his marker.

Those who worship the Beast do and so because their names were not in the book. Having one's name written in the volume from eternity past is what guarantees a life that overcomes, a life that perseveres, a organized religion that conquers. Piper summarizes:

"This fits with Revelation 3:five , 'He who overcomes . . . I will not erase his name from the volume of life.' The triumph required in 3:v is guaranteed in 13:8 and 17:8. This is not a contradiction any more for Paul to say, 'Work out your salvation . . . for God is at work in you to will and to do his expert pleasance' ( Philippians 2:12-xiii ). It is not nonsense to land the condition: if you conquer, God volition not erase your proper name (3:five); and to state the assurance: if your name is written, you will conquer (13:8 and 17:8). God's 'written-downward-ones' really must conquer, and really volition conquer. I side highlights our responsibility; the other highlights God's sovereignty."

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His give-and-take is a hope of security to overcomers, non a threat of insecurity to those who lapse.

Therefore, this announcement of Jesus is a hope to the elect that nothing will ever, by whatever ways (he uses a double negative), foreclose them from possessing the eternal inheritance to which they have been ordained. In other words, we must take annotation of what Jesus does non say. He does not say that anyone will be erased from the volume of life. Rather, he says the overcomers will non  be erased. His word is a promise of security to overcomers, not a threat of insecurity to those who lapse.  And so once again, Jesus nowhere says he will erase names previously inscribed in the book of life.

What joy! What comfort! What incentive to love him and praise him and serve him. Jesus volition never absorb my proper name out of the book of life!

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ten. Compared with having your proper name written downward in sky... everything else is next to cypher.

In what do you take deepest delight? What is it that brings the greatest and most intense joy and happiness to your heart? I'm certain that many of us would point to our families, perhaps our children. Others might say that their greatest source of joy is their good health and expert friends and a robust bank account. Of grade, if Christians give much idea to the question they would eventually say something similar, "My greatest source of joy is in knowing Jesus and being assured that I will spend an eternity in intimate fellowship with him." Others might point to the truth of our adoption every bit God'due south children, or our beingness justified or declared righteous in God'southward sight through faith in Jesus, and the list of answers could become on almost without end.

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The disciples had misplaced joy:

In that location was an upshot in the lives of the first-century followers of Jesus that brought this question very much into play. It's found in Luke 10. There Jesus sent out 72 disciples, not apostles, only boilerplate followers like you lot and me. He told them to heal the sick and proclaim the presence of God's kingdom. When they returned to Jesus to give him a report of what happened, we read this:

"The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject area to us in your proper noun!' And he said to them, 'I saw Satan autumn like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you lot authorisation to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you'" ( Luke 10:17-19 ).

I can understand why the disciples of Jesus were so excited and filled with joy. To exercise the authority of Jesus himself in subduing demonic spirits is a wonderful thing. Simply so Jesus said this:

"Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject field to you, just rejoice that your names are written in heaven" ( Luke 10:xx ).

Jesus isn't proverb information technology is wrong to rejoice that we have authorization over demons. This is a standard way of speaking in biblical times. His point is that compared with having your name written down in heaven exercising potency over demons is next to nothing.

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This article originally appeared on SamStorms.com. Used with permission.

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