Previous Lesson -- Next Lesson
3. Death Will be Judged (Revelation 20:14-15)
The Book of Life: The Book of Revelation of John speaks six times of the “Book of Life” or the “book of life of the Lamb"' (Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12.15; 21:27). This book is an eternity-decisive factor in the salvation plan of God who foreknows in his omniscience those who will open themselves to the message of the Lamb of God, have their conscience cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and receive therewith the Holy Spirit, the eternal live. The Book of Live does not mean “a single or twofold predestination", but it is the list of God and his Lamb with all names of those who open themselves to the gospel and serve him voluntarily.
When the 72 disciples of Jesus returned enthusiastically from their outreach, where they had learnt that the spirits and demons had been submitted to them in the name of Jesus, then the Lord told them as a warning and an encouragement, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20).
Jesus explained them by this revelation that there is a list in heaven of messengers of Jesus and of the children of God who are sheltered in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and at the same time receive the authority to bear witness of this triune name of God.
Jesus warned and ordered the spiritual dead church leader in Sardis to wake up immediately and to strengthen what is about to die of his church and to overcome his laziness and self-satisfaction in Jesus' name so that he, the Lord Jesus, must not blot his name out of the book of life (Revelation 3:5)! The possibility to become blotted out of the book of life can not be ruled out!
In the days of Antichrist, who once was, now is not, and will come up, everybody who does not follow Jesus and whose name has not been written in the book of life, will wonder at the pretended resurrection of the son of the Evil One from the dead and worship the pretended immortal (Revelation 13:8; 17:8). But whoever has been justified by the blood of Christ and received the eternal live by grace, has also the gift of distinguishing between spirits. The first epistle of John explains to us very clearly who Antichrist is (1 John 2:18-27; 4:1-14). The book of life of the Lamb proofs to be like a magnetic needle in times of confusion and aberration. It gives to the believer comfort and a guarantee in times of persecutions of Christians and threatening martyrdom.
It is reported twice that during the Last Judgment in addition to the books of work-righteousness also the book of life will be opened (Revelation 20:12.15). The very fact of being written in this book will save a defendant, as nobody will become righteous through his own works (Romans 3:21-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Ephesians 2:8-10). Whoever rejects the blood and righteousness of Christ, or disregards or sneers at it, condemns himself, and whoever wants to save himself is already condemned. After God has reconciled the world to himself through the substituionary dead of Christ the only sin which remains for a man to commit is the rejection of this unique redemption and being not prepared to believe in Jesus (John 15:22.24; 16:9). Because of this sin he will be thrown into the fire sea.
Being written in the book of life of the Lamb will separate the living from the dead, those who are reconciled and those who have rejected the reconciliation, the redeemed and the condemned. The book of life itself does not condemn anybody, but it knows everybody who has received the live of Christ.
In a similar way a subsequent verse about the right of entering the heavenly Jerusalem has to be understood: whoever is not written in the book of life does not receive the civil rights of the divine city of the future (Revelation 21). Therefore, whoever reads these lines and is not sure whether his name is written in the book of life of the Lamb, may repent and confess to Jesus all sins which he is aware of, ask for forgiveness and believe in the atoning power of the blood of Jesus. In this way he will receive the eternal live for free, and his name will light up in the book of live of the Lamb as one of the saved sinners living through Christ in God and His love (Luke 11:13; John 5:24; Acts 2:38-40).
PRAYER: We worship You, heavenly Father, and we thank You from the bottom of our hearts because You justified us through our faith in the righteous Christ, and You gave life to us through Your comforting Spirit. You wrote our names in the Book of Life of the Lamb of God through Your virtuous grace. We ask for our relatives and friends and even our enemies that You grant them sincere repentance that they may freely receive everlasting life from the fullness of Your mercy. Amen.
QUESTIONS:
- Who will and who will not have their names written in the Book of Life?
- How can everlasting life be received by those who long for it indeed?