Is there a difference between the Book of Life and the Lamb's Book of Life?

The book of life is accordingly "the book of life of the Lamb slain" (Rev. 13:8; 21:27) and the being written in this book is the only possible escape from the judgment of the second death (20:15).

The Lamb's book of life contains names written therein before the founding of the world, as Revelation 13:8 and 17:8 tell us: "written from (the) founding of (the) world in the book of life of the slain Lamb" (N.Tn). This is the book of the counsels and purposes of God, who knows the end from the beginning and wrote therein, before the course of human responsibility began, the names of all who were chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid (Eph.1:4). These are true, born-again believers in Christ, whom He calls, justifies, and glorifies (Romans 8:30 ), and works in their hearts by His Holy Spirit that has sealed and marked them off as His own forever. The Lamb's book of life is the record of reality and out of that book no name is blotted out.

It is to be remarked that in Scripture another book of life is mentioned. It is called “The Lamb’s Book of Life.” The Greek work for “the book of life,” we have been considering, is biblos, a book, a roll; whereas the word for “the Lamb’s Book of Life” is biblion, a little book, scroll or roll. This latter word is a diminutive, implying a small book, evidently containing fewer names. The former is the book of profession, from which all those, who profess Christianity, and are mere empty professors, will have their names blotted out. The latter is the book of reality, and no names are ever said to be blotted out of that book or threatened to be so treated. This is so for more reasons than one. We read of the blasphemous head of the Revived Roman Empire,

The second promise to the overcomer here is that his name would not be blotted out of the book of life. This raises the question as to what the book of life is and whether it is possible to have one's name blotted out of it. Careful study will show a distinction between the book of life mentioned here and the "book of life of the Lamb," or "the Lamb's book of life" which Revelation 13:8 and 21:7 speak of. These are two different books or records.

The book of life seems to be a general registry of profession, where a name may be enrolled, but upon investigation the title to such enrolment may prove false and it will have to be erased. Of old the thought of being blotted out of God's book has been expressed. Moses, in a wonderful moment of intercession for sinful Israel, said to God, "if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." To his plea Jehovah replied, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Ex. 32:32-33). In Psalm 69:28 David requests for the enemies of the Lord, "Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous" (N.Tn). Then in Revelation 22:19 the following warning is given that, "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," etc.

All these Scriptures indicate the possibility of the Lord's blotting one's name out of the book of life, which is a general book of profession of divine life. God always takes people up on their profession and holds them responsible accordingly. It is a book of life the Lord is speaking of, and if it becomes manifest that persons are not characterized by divine life, but are dead as the mass in Sardis were, their names may be blotted out as no longer entitled to remain on the register.

— “The book of life” here is not the same as that of Revelation 13:8. In Revelation 3:5 it is profession which may or may not be real. The end would show. Some names would stand, others be erased. But in that of chapter 13:8 every name recorded was that of a true believer, because the names were written from the foundation of the world, and hence before the course of human responsibility commenced. God knows the end from the beginning, and so in indelible letters wrote each name. In chapter 3:5 “the book of life” is the record of Christian profession; in chapter 13:8 “the book of life” is the record of reality. In the former the true and false are found; in the latter the true only.

But the book of life is next opened and carefully scanned,‎ with the result that not one name of the ungodly is found in its pages. Their names might have been written in that book, but mercy was despised, grace rejected, and now judgment and its execution must take their course. It is the book of life referred to in Rev. 13:8 and Rev. 17:8, but not that of Rev. 3:5. This latter is the book of Christian profession, true and false; the former is the record of all true believers.‎

When the empire reappears in its last and satanic form it will be an object of universal wonder, save to the redeemed. What a state of things we have arrived at! Satan brings out of the darkness of the pit a power which he fashions and controls, outwardly like the empire, yet diabolically featured. Men then will wonder and worship both Satan and his human instruments (Rev. 13:4, 12). The elect had their names written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Ah! these future times were all thought of and provided for in the foresight of God. This book is the same as that of Revelation 13:8, only there we are told that the book belongs to the slain Lamb. We read of another book of life in Revelation 3:5; there, however, it is the book of Christian profession, true and false, hence some names will be erased and others stand. But in our chapter the book, or register of life, is that of reality, hence no name can be blotted out. All within the wide domain of Christendom shall be carried away in wonder at the reappearance of this marvellous phenomena — all save the elect. To such the true character of the Beast will be apparent.

The book of life, in which the names of saints are enrolled for eternal life in glory, is designated the book of life of the Lamb and of the Lamb slain. The book is His, as having been slain, for it is His title according to the eternal counsels as having died thus to distinguish those that are His own and to secure their eternal interests. Thus eternal life and redemption are again connected, and the right of Christ as the Lamb or Redeemer to give this life is recognized.

(2) Names are written in it from the foundation of the world.

The book of the Lamb slain means that only those whose sins have been cleansed away by the precious blood of Christ will have their names inscribed in that book; and secondly, being inscribed from the foundation of the world speaks of God’s unalterable eternal counsel, and we know that will stand for ever.

There is apparently a difference between the Lamb's book of life. There does not appear to be any thought in Scripture of names being blotted out of the Lamb's book of life. Names would be there on the basis of redemption, and nothing can touch that. But there are passages which suggest the possibility of names being erased from the book of life; if the name is still in the book of life, however, it shows that responsibilities in relation to God have been fulfilled. Thank God the inscribing of our names in the Lamb's book of life can never be altered.