What is the Book of Life?
Answered from the commentary of C. E. Stuart, William Kelly, Samuel Ridout and 22 others
The Book of Life is God's register, kept in heaven, of those who truly have life. Being written there is the greatest cause for a believer's joy, greater than any power given for service, as the Lord told the seventy in Luke 10:20. The image is a roll of citizens, since a man's name is enrolled where he is domiciled, so to have one's name written in heaven means a heavenly citizenship. This is the roll of the church of the firstborn in Hebrews 12:23, beyond the reach of time.
In its fullest form it is "the book of life of the slain Lamb." There the names were written from the foundation of the world, as Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8 read rightly, and not, as is often supposed, that the Lamb was slain from then. It is the book of God's counsels and purposes, the register of the elect. It belongs to the Lamb because only those cleansed by His blood are written there, and it records God's unalterable counsel. For this reason no name in it is ever blotted out. Those written there are kept from worshipping the Beast. They alone enter the holy city of Revelation 21:27, and their entry is due to sovereign grace alone. At the great white throne the book is opened only to show that none of the judged dead are found in it. Whoever is not written there is cast into the lake of fire, and being written in it is the only escape from the second death. The faithful labourers of Philippians 4:3 are said to be in it, an honour far greater than any place in man's histories.
The authors differ over the blotting out promised in Revelation 3:5. The largest group makes it a different book. In their view that "book of life" is the register of Christian profession, true and false, in which some names stand and others are erased. The Lamb's book, by contrast, is the record of reality, holding the true only. A second group holds that it is one book, compared to a list of voters. A mere professor has, as it were, written his own name in it, and his name is struck off when it is shown to have no right there. A name God wrote, however, He never takes away. Both groups agree that this blotting out concerns lifeless professors like those in Sardis, never true believers. A few go their own way. One holds that every responsible person born into the world is in the book of life, as a book of responsibility, distinct from the Lamb's book, which rests on redemption. Another speaks of a book of the living, or of testimony, from which an unfaithful witness may be erased. One denies that any name is blotted out at all. Several also distinguish "God's book" in Exodus 32:32-33 and the "book of the living" in Psalm 69:28 from the book of life. They treat these as connected with law or with natural life. The book in Daniel 12:1 is taken as the roll of the elect remnant of Israel, who alone will be delivered. For the believer, the comfort of all this is that a name written by God in the Lamb's book from before time is beyond the reach of men or devils to erase.
Verses: Revelation 20:12, Revelation 20:15, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 17:8, Revelation 21:27, Philippians 4:3, Exodus 32:32, Exodus 32:33, Psalms 69:28, Daniel 12:1, Luke 10:20, Hebrews 12:23, Malachi 3:16, Psalms 139:16, Isaiah 4:3, Revelation 22:19, Psalms 87:6
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Registry of persons' names as living. One (also called simply God's book,) may be a book of those who only have a name to live, and consequently whose names may be blotted out. Ex. 32:32-33; Ps. 69:28; Rev. 3:5; Rev. 22:19. Another is a book of the saved, from which none will be erased. Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; Rev. 17:8; Rev. 20:12, 15; Rev. 21:27. A third (called simply 'the book,') contains the names of the remnant of Israel. Dan. 12:1.
— “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.
The force of the expression, "the book of life," is evidently that of a general registry of profession, taken from the custom of corporations of cities, where a name may be enrolled, the title to which may prove false, giving at the first blush a prima facie title to something, though on investigation it will have to be erased. Those who were written in this book had a profession, "a name to live." This was very different from "being written in the book of life before the foundation of the world"; because God, in that case, had written them there: it was thus the book of the counsels and purposes of God.
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 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.
The book of life is the record of the true and false confessors of Christ. Those who have only a false and lifeless profession will have their names blotted out of that book. Those in Sardis who overcome, by hearing the call to repentance and reality of life in Christ, are assured that their names will not be blotted out of God's book of life. How comforting and assuring is the promise to the overcomer.
Perhaps we should not leave this verse without a few words about 'The Book of Life.' You recall Moses asked the Lord to blot him out of His book, if only the Lord would spare Israel: but the Lord would not blot Moses out of His book, instead He found a way to spare His people. (Ex. 32:32).
In Luke 10 the Seventy returned to our Lord with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy Name." But the Lord told them not to rejoice in this; "but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20). In Heb. 12:23 we read of the "church of the First-born, which are written in heaven." In Rev. 3:5 the Lord promises the overcomer in the church in Sardis, the church that had a name to live but was dead, — He promises the overcomer, "I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life." Some have had difficulty over this verse, thinking that it tells us that we can be saved, and afterwards lost: that our names can be written in the Book of Life, and then blotted out. I think if we remember that this church had a name to live, but were dead, that all is plain. They claimed they had Eternal Life, but they had not: they claimed their names were in the book of life; but they were not there rightfully. It has been compared to a voting register. A list of the names of all those who claim to have a right to vote is published: but when these claims are examined, it is proved that some had no such right, and their names are crossed out. There is not a suggestion that one who truly has eternal life, will ever have his name crossed out of the Book of Life.
In Revelation 22:14 we read "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life." But I have no doubt it should be read, "Blessed are they that wash their robes," etc. I believe the book of life is final, and all the devils cannot blot a name out of it. Where it speaks of blotting out, it is like a registry of votes. If it is proved that a certain name has no right there, it is blotted out. Every professor's name is in the book of life: but if God wrote it, it will never be blotted out. A mere professor writes his name himself, but he has no right to be there, unless God has written his name, and it will be blotted out. In Revelation 22:19 it should be "tree of life," not "book of life." God takes away no name that He has written. In chapter 13:8, it should be, I doubt not, "written from the foundation of the world," and not "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world"; and such a name will not be blotted out. I suppose the book of life (chap. 20) is after the names are blotted out, for verse 15 is "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Although they are there judged for their works, their names were not in the book. Blotting out is, because a man's name was there that had no right to be there. Moses had the same thought. He says, "blot me out."
Yet there are exceptions. A few names of those who had not defiled their garments by the pollutions of empty profession are given the attractive promise of walking with Him in white and are commended as “worthy” (v. 4). The overcomer would be clothed in white garments (v. 5), cleansed from all defilement of former contacts. His name would not be blotted out of the book of life. Though under law one may have been blotted out of God's book (Ex. 32:33), or sometimes because of faithfulness to God one may have his name blotted out of a church register, yet the book of life is a different matter. No name in this book will ever be blotted out, for only the elect are written there! Overcoming (by faith alone) would prove one to be elect of God. This promise is intended for the comfort and encouragement of faith. He adds that He will confess the name of the overcomer before His Father and before His angels. He is not ashamed to be identified with one who by faith honors Him. Again He makes a last appeal to a hearing ear.
The dead were judged, but not out of the book of life which has nothing to do with judgment. "The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works." Why then is the book of life mentioned? Not because any of their names were written therein, but in proof that they were not. The book of life will confirm what is gathered from the books. If the books proclaim the evil works of the dead that stand before the throne, the book of life offers no defence on the score of God's grace. Scripture records no name whatever as written there among those judged. There was the sad register of undeniable sins on the one side; there was no writing of the name on the other side. Thus, whether the books or the book be examined, all conspire to declare the justice, the solemn but most affecting righteousness, of God's final irrevocable sentence. They were judged, each one, according to their works. "And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire." Thus the only use that seems made of the book is negative and exclusive. Not that any of those judged (and the scene described is solely a resurrection of judgment) are said to be written there: we are shown rather that they were not found in that book.
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.
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.
I think that the name of every responsible being that has ever been born into this world is in the book of life.
Verses
- Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is [that] of life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books according to their works.
- Revelation 20:15And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
- Revelation 3:5He that overcomes, he shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
- Revelation 13:8and all that dwell on the earth shall do it homage, [every one] whose name had not been written from [the] founding of [the] world in the book of life of the slain Lamb.
- Revelation 17:8The beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into destruction and they who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written from the founding of the world in the book of life, shall wonder, seeing the beast, that it was, and is not, and shall be present.
- Revelation 21:27And nothing common, nor that maketh an abomination and a lie, shall at all enter into it; but those only who [are] written in the book of life of the Lamb.
- Philippians 4:3yea, I ask thee also, true yokefellow, assist them, who have contended along with me in the glad tidings, with Clement also, and my other fellow-labourers, whose names [are] in [the] book of life.
- Exodus 32:32–3332And now, if thou wilt forgive their sin ... but if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book that thou hast written. 33And Jehovah said to Moses, Whoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.