The document discusses the concept of the "book of life" from the Bible. It covers: 1) The different mentions of the "book of life" in scripture and related concepts in the Old Testament. 2) Key themes around the book of life - the importance of keeping records, the book of life and other books, God's just judgement, names being blotted out or confessed, and its connection to access to the tree of life. 3) Final exhortations around God desiring obedience over blotting out names, the fair process of individual judgement according to works, and the hope of salvation for those found written in the book of life.

1. The Book of Life
Laindon Bible Study, 6th January 2016

2. What we plan to cover this evening (Gw)
• The occurrence of the phrase “book of life” in scripture
• Other related passages that bear on this subject
• Five fundamental themes that build upon our study topic:
• The importance of a written record
• The “book of life” and other “books”
• The just judgement
• Not being “blotted out”
• The “book of life” and the “tree of life”
• Final words of exhortation for us all

3. The “book of life”
• This phrase appears eight times in scripture, all in New Testament:
• Once in Philippians
• Seven times in Revelation
• It is used in both the positive and negative sense:
Is it any coincidence that half are encouragements and half are warnings?

4. Only two possible outcomes
• Either an individual is in the book of life or they are not in
• The example of Israel, before entry into the Promised Land under Joshua:
Deuteronomy 30 v 15-20
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 In that I command thee this day to love
the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that
thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and
serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days
upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day
against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou
and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that
thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land
which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Throughout scripture we’re reminded that there are only two ways / masters / types of wisdom etc.

5. Just a New Testament concept?
DEFINITELY NOT!
• Depending on strictness of comparison, there are seven or more directly
related Old Testament passages, but which use slightly different terminology:
• “thy book which thou hast written... my book” (Exodus 32 v 32-33)
• “Thou tellest my wanderings... are they not in thy book?” (Psalm 56 v 8)
• “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living...” (Psalm 69 v 28)
• “...every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 4 v 3)
• “...neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel...” (Ezekiel 13 v 9)
• “...thy people shall be delivered, every one... found written in the book.” (Daniel 12 v 1)
• “...a book of remembrance was written... for them that feared the Lord...” (Malachi 3 v 16)
Different phrases fundamentally speaking about the same thing, God’s record of the chosen

6. 1. The importance of a written record
• In God’s dealings with Israel, the importance of names, family records,
pedigrees, genealogies etc. often emphasised:
• In ancient cities (e.g. Persia) registers were kept of citizens, with the names of
the dead erased...
Ezra 2 v 61-62
61 And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the
children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the
daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:
62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by
genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted,
put from the priesthood.
Nehemiah 7 v 5
5 And my God put into mine heart to gather
together the nobles, and the rulers, and the
people, that they might be reckoned by
genealogy. And I found a register of the
genealogy of them which came up at the first,
and found written therein,
Revelation 3 v 1, 5
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven
stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead... 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be
clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my
Father, and before his angels.

7. 2. The “book of life” and other “books”
• A passage that has been interpreted in different ways:
Revelation 20 v 11-15 (cp. Daniel 7 v 10 “...the judgement was set, and the books were opened.”)
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was
found no place for them. 12 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. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Option 1: books (plural) are God’s
laws upon which judgement is
based (John 12 v 48)
Option 2: books (plural) record
the works of “the [spiritually]
dead” only, i.e. those rejected
Option 3: books (plural) are the
day records that sum up to the
final ledger a/c, i.e. the book of life
Esther 6 v 1-3 (cp. Psalm 56 v 8 “...wanderings... tears... in they book”)
1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were
read before the king. 2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's
chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, What honour and
dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done
for him.

8. 3. The just judgement
• A part of God’s justice is the physical record, a book that brings together God’s
infallible memory of those that have lived worthily:
Malachi 3 v 16-18
16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book
of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And
they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked,
between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Nehemiah 13 v 14, 22, 30-31
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God,
and for the offices thereof. [...] 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should
come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me
according to the greatness of thy mercy. [...] 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the
priests and the Levites, every one in his business; 31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good.

9. 4. Not being “blotted out”
• Our names are written* in the Lamb’s book of life, based upon our covenant
relationship with God through His Son...
...unless they are blotted out:
• God’s desire is that we manifest His name (to the best of our ability) and
therefore the thing that is blotted out for the faithful is sin / transgression:
Revelation 3 v 5
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed
in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name
out of the book of life, but I will confess his
name before my Father, and before his angels.
Exodus 32 v 33
33 And the Lord said unto
Moses, Whosoever hath
sinned against me, him will I
blot out of my book.
Psalm 69 v 28
28 Let them be blotted out
of the book of the living,
and not be written with the
righteous.
Acts 3 v 19
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, when the
times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord;
Isaiah 43 v 25
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth
out thy transgressions for
mine own sake, and will not
remember thy sins.
* from foundation
of world!

10. 5. The “book of life” and the “tree of life”
• The two are intimately connected, in fact in Revelation 22 v 19 some ancient
manuscripts swap “tree of life” for “book of life”
• The book of life permits access to the tree of life, the way of which has been
preserved from the beginning...
Genesis 3 v 24
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword
which turned every way, to keep [Heb. shamar – to watch, protect, preserve] the way of the tree of life.
Revelation 22 v 14
14 Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and
may enter in through the gates into
the city.
Revelation 21 v 25-27
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no
night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations
into it. 27 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.

11. Final exhortations
•A somewhat overwhelming / humbling subject to consider
•God desires our obedience not our blotting out
•An utterly fair & equitable process according to individual
works (nothing being secret or hidden – see Ecc. 12 v 14)
The future public confession of names being read out!

12. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall
be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the
book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12 v 1-3)
The time we each long for...