The Book Of The Living: Blotted Out or Left In ?

Common Sense Commentary: The Bible promises "Eternal Life", to believers in Jesus Christ, thirty three times. It also promises "Everlasting Life" eleven times. Question: Is Jesus' promise of "Everlasting Life" to believers, in Jn.3:16, "Everlasting" or not ? If it is, indeed, "Everlasting", as He said, then it means exactly what He said, "Everlasting". If you have it, you can't lose it. If you lost it, it wasn't "Everlasting". If you "lose it", you didn't have it in the first place.

In the Old Testament, they knew little or nothing of "The Lamb of God". They were looking for a Messiah King not a Messiah Sacrificial Lamb even though there were many verses which prophesied His atoning death. They also knew nothing of "The Lamb's Book of Life", but "The Book Of The Living" was commonly known.

Here is my understanding of the "Book Of The Living" and the "Lamb's Book Of Life". I came to this conclusion many years ago when trying to Harmonize or reconcile people being "blotted out of the book of life", with "Eternal Life" for all true believers. There had to be an explanation, or
else, our salvation and Jn.3:16 are in question. If any verse in the Bible (Textus Receptus) is in
error, you can't rest your faith in any of it. Since "Faith cometh by hearing ...the Word of God",
(Rom.10:17) I had to reconcile "Blotted out" with "Eternal Life", if I was to teach His Word.

"The Book of Life" vs. "The Lamb's Book of Life"

I. Everyone ever conceived, before the fact, was written into the "Book Of The Living". This includes aborted babies in whatever month. Moses called it "thy book" in Ex.32:32-33. "...Blot me ...out of thy book...." In Hebrew, Moses' word "sin", in v.32, refers to sin paid for. The Lord's word "sinned", in v.33, refers to sin not paid for. The Apostle Paul said a similar thing of the Jews in Rom.9:3, as Moses said.

.....1. King David called it, "the book of the living" in Psm.26:28 "Let them be BLOTTED OUT of the Book of the Living and not be written with the righteous".

.....2. Who wrote everyone's name in the "Book of the Living"? "In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God and the Word was God". Jn.1:1-14 will show clearly that the "Word" was none other than Jesus Christ, the Living Word. I therefore assume He did the writing. Read all these verses.

.....3. When were our names written in "the Book of the Living"? Rev.13:8 says Jesus was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". God not only "foreknew" that, but sent Jesus for that purpose. That being true, it stands to reason that, He not only knew all our names then, but wrote them in the "Book of the Living", also " from the foundation of the world"as well. After all, it was for us He was slain, in the foreknowledge of God, from the "foundation of the world". King David seems to confirm this, " Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, and in THY BOOK all my members were WRITTEN , which in CONTINUANCE were fashioned when as yet there was none of them." Psm.139:16. That being true, it includes every conception of human life. Heb. wd. for "Continuance" is plural periods of time.

II. Who will NOT be "blotted out of "the book of the living"? "He that OVERCOMETH ... I will
NOT BLOT HIS NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE". Rev.3:5. So what does "OVERCOMETH" mean? 1Jn.5:5 "Who is he that OVERCOMETH ... but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God ?" This would, of course, include all truly born again Christians.

.....1. All "believers in Jesus", including Christian Jews, Gentiles, Negroids or whosoever.... "And whosoever will...." Rev.22:17. These believers will be resurrected at the Rapture in the "First Resurrection" which extends from Jesus' resurrection (the first fruits) unto this resurrection at the Rapture of His bride, the church.

.....2. Also, the 144,000 Jews (Rev.7:4)who will accept Christ as Messiah, survive the Great Tribulation, and repopulate the earth, during the 1000 year Millennium, when there is no death. "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem .... And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED, AND THEY SHALL MOURN FOR HIM"Zec.12:8 & 10. Jesus said in Jn.19:37 that this prophecy was speaking of him, as the Jew's Messiah. Then, in Rev.1:7 "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him .... and they shall wail because of him. See also Psm.22:16 and Dan.12:1-4. Very important.

III. More Unbelievers who have already been"Blotted Out", after the Rapture of the church, during the Great Tribulation Period, are mentioned in Rev.13:8 "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the Beast), whose names are not written in the book of life...."

.....1.These will die under God's judgement during the Tribulation and remain unresurrected until the thousand year Millennial Kingdom is ended with their resurrection, in the second resurrection, and judgement at the Great White throne. "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Rev.20:5.

.....2. The "rest of the dead" will already have been "blotted out of the Book of Life" and are resurrected after the Millennial Kingdom to be judged at The Great White Throne of God. Their judgement will not include any grace, as was true previously with the Christians, but "according to their works". At that time, all the books of God are opened in Rev.20:12 & 15 "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. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." I think the "Book Of Life" will be opened to show them and the world that the name of each unbeliever is gone, not there, blotted out. Maybe even the space, where their name was, is still there .... blank ... erased ... gone forever.

.....3. Finally, God gives a last, final warning to those who pervert His Holy Word. "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away HIS PART out of the BOOK OF LIFE, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book". Rev.20:19. These "perverters" would be "false prophets", lost preachers, and other counterfeit Christians. A truly born again Christian will not knowingly add to or take from God's Word, but many "false prophets" have done exactly that and are still doing it.

Only after all those who lived and died unbelieving, lost, without Christ, and have been judged at this Great White Throne of God, will the "Book of the Living", "Book of Life" be changed to the "Lamb's Book Of Life". Only those who repented, believed and accepted Christ as their Saviour are in the "Lamb's Book Of Life" and there is no one left written in the Book of Life except true Believers only. From here on, the Book of Life or Book of the Living becomes "The Lamb's Book of Life". "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE." Rev.21:27 .

Into what and where will Believers "enter into it"?

"But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn which are WRITTEN IN HEAVEN, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant ...." Heb.12:22-24 PRAISE BE TO GOD !!!!

Pass It On. RB