The Lamb’s Book of Life

Alright, brethren, I'm excited about this message from God's Word. I think you will find it very interesting, not because I'm saying it, but because God's Word is so interesting. And I want to dedicate this message to a gentleman who's with us here today, John Visser. He's probably the oldest person here, and yet he has such a young mind and such enthusiasm. He always has one or two questions. Every time I go and greet people, he'll say, Are you ready? And he'll have a couple of questions to ask every time, because he reads his Bible every week. And so he's always asking me about what's going to happen during that millennium when Christ establishes his kingdom. What's going to happen after the thousand-year period? And those people that are going to be resurrected after the thousand years is over. It seems like there are just always questions, even today, when I sat down. That was one of the questions that was brought up. And so one of the keys that I have found to understand that period of time when Christ comes, establishes his kingdom, and will rule a thousand years, has to do with a mysterious book in the Bible. It's a book that Jesus Christ has presently in heaven. Actually, though I should qualify or explain that when the Bible talks about a book, it's not actually a book like we have our Bibles. It's a scroll, because they had not invented textbooks or books that were bound at that time. And so the term biblios or biblion, interchangeable, it's dealing with a scroll. And so it's important when, let's see how it's going here, when the Bible talks about a book, it is really speaking of a scroll. For they didn't have bound books in those days. It was not opened, but unrolled to write on it or read it. So they would keep it bound or closed, and then when they were going to use it, they would unroll the scroll. Most of the time there, it was made of papyrus. That was the most common type of paper, but they could also use leather, which would be then a type of parchment, either lamb or they could use also the hide of a cow. Notice in Daniel chapter 2, this is from the common English Bible version, it says, I, Daniel, pondered the scrolls, specifically the number of years that it would take to complete Jerusalem's desolation according to the Lord's Word to the prophet Jeremiah. It was 70 years. It was the 70 years that they were in Babylon, in captivity. But notice, he said, I pondered the scrolls. He looked into the scrolls. Now, most of the Bibles will say books, but it's important to make that differentiation. Actually, bound books happened decades after the Bible was already written, and the New Testament was already written, mostly in papyrus. And why is this important? Because when you are not using it, the scroll is rolled up. And so if you have a scroll, it's not like a book that you just open a cover up. Now, you have to take it and physically unroll it. Notice that it's not only in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we have the example when Christ goes to the synagogue. In Luke chapter 4 verse 17, again from the common English Bible, it says, the synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled, which means he opened the scroll and found a place where it was written. So this mysterious book that we're going to study is actually a scroll. It's not a book with pages like we know it.

Do you know what the name of that most vital book is called?

It is so important, this book, because it will determine our eternal destiny. This is for young people as they are for old people. Doesn't matter. Young and old. We all have a part to play in this book. Either our names are going to be on it, and we're going to have eternal life, or our names are not going to be on it, and we will die eternally.

Here's another fact about this book. It is, from what we know, the first book, again, or scroll, ever planned. This was planned by God even before man existed. So in God's plan of salvation, he already had in mind to have this scroll up in heaven, which is going to be so important for human beings.

What is it called? It is called the Lamb's Book of Life. We already know it's actually a scroll. And here, the Lamb is referring to Jesus Christ himself. The book, or scroll of life, in Revelation 5.2, it talks about him, Jesus Christ receiving a scroll with seals on it that he has to open them. Well, this is the same type of a scroll, but it's a different scroll. It's called the scroll of life.

So the whole name of this book is the Lamb's Book of Life. It can be referred to as the book or scroll of life. And that's the abbreviated name for it. So it doesn't always include the Lamb's term on it, but it's the same book of life. Let's read about this scroll in Revelation 13. Revelation 13 verse 8. It's talking here about that beast power that's going to arise. And it says verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus Christ already was predetermined that he was going to die for man's sins. And this is a book that is Jesus Christ's possession. In chapter 21 verse 27, you'll find this book mentioned many times in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 21 verse 27 it says, talking about entering the New Jerusalem, it says, but there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. There's the same term again. Again, this isn't an earthly book. It's not here on earth. It's in heaven. And it's right now, it's open for certain people. Not for everybody, but this book of life is open now for a certain number of people. This book has to do with Jesus Christ in his role as our sacrificial Lamb for our sins. That's why it is mentioned as the Lamb's book of life. It's also Jesus Christ's book of life, but it mentions it because this book has to do with his sacrifice. In fact, if he had not died in this way, nobody would ever have their names written in this book of life. But thanks to his sacrifice, that is possible. Now, we do have in the Old Testament men that were called by God and who by faith believed, accepted, and based on that future sacrifice of Christ, they have their names in that book of life. But it was based on, conditionally, Jesus Christ carrying out his sacrifice. It was done in that way. They lived before that time, but they had the faith that that was going to happen. And that's why Abraham says that his sins were not imputed upon him. Same thing with others in the Old Testament. By faith, they walked. Okay, let's read a couple more scriptures about this book. Revelation 21, verse 27, and 22, 14, and 19. It says, Regarding the new Jerusalem, it says, there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. I read that previously, but it continues.

Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city. So again, it's a book that a person needs to have their names inscribed in it.

Notice the description of the people in Revelation that have their names inscribed. It's already mentioned here in the previous that blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life. In Revelation 12, 17, it says, Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So those are the two conditions that describe a converted person, a person who is a saint of God, who has been called, he's been converted, and they're going to keep the commandments of God. That's why the Sabbath is important, because it is one of the Ten Commandments. I don't see them saying, Here are they who kept some of the commandments of God. Like, okay, nine out of ten is good enough. No, no, it isn't. It's ten out of ten. Notice in Revelation 14, 12, it says, Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. So Jesus Christ gives them the testimony. They are following faithfully the commandments that I have given them. They're not following man's commandments. They're not keeping any of a prophet's type of addition to God's Word or whoever it is. No, they're keeping God's Word faithfully and purely. They're not adding to it, nor are they taking away from it. And they have that faith that's in them with Jesus working in them. So this refers to the faithful church members in the end times.

Therefore, all these verses show the Lamb's Book of Life has the names of those who are keeping God's commandments, who have had their sins forgiven, and who will be glorified. Who are some of these? Some people might think, oh, these must be supermen and superwomen of faith, spiritual giants. No, it's not that way at all. Notice Philippians 4, verse 3. These are church members, regular church members, widows, single people, older people, younger people. Philippians 4, 3, Paul says, and I urge you also, true companion, help these women. So these are women members at that time in the Philippian congregation, who labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. So it's not talking about special people. It's talking about converted people that are struggling with temptations and sins and overcoming, just like it was brought out in the first message, about having to overcome. We are being tested, and nobody is perfect, and we're all headed toward God's kingdom, but that doesn't mean that it's guaranteed. I use the analogy of the Israelites heading toward the promised land. They left Egypt, but what did they enter? They didn't enter paradise right away. The land of milk and honey? No, they went into this desert region to be tested, to see what they were made of, if they were going to walk by faith or not. And just like it happens in the church, you're always going to have people that are spiritually in front of you. They're going to be people spiritually behind you. They're going to be people off to the left of you that might just go off on this wrong path or to the right of you. But the important thing is you keep your eyes fixed on that path. The kingdom of God is there, and you do have to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Here's another scripture that we're going to see. The same truth. This reminds me of mathematical precision that God uses in His Word, where it doesn't contradict itself. It always adds to the same truth. It just added one thing after another. Notice what Jesus Christ told His disciples, that their names were inscribed in heaven. In Luke chapter 10 and verse 20, He said, Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. We talk about the same book of life that is open to those that God calls. He was calling those disciples, and they already had those names there. God had specially called them, but they had to overcome. There was one disciple named Judas Iscariot that wasn't there, or his name was blotted out. One of the two things, which we're going to get to, just because you have your name written in this book, doesn't mean it's permanently set there. It can be blotted out. Notice another part of Scripture that brings up the same truth. Hebrews 12, verse 22 and 23 basically says the same thing. Instead, you have come to the Mount of Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels, joyfully gathered together, and to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. See, they're not there, but their names are inscribed in the book of life. They're still dead. They're awaiting that resurrection, but their names are inscribed in that book.

So, what can we conclude so far from what the Scriptures we've studied? There are three points or things. Number one, the book of life belongs to Jesus, who lived in the flesh. He is the judge, the determiner of our ultimate fate and of those whose names are inscribed in that book. Acts 10 verse 42. Acts 10 verse 42 tells us who's going to be our judge. It's repeated many times in the Scriptures, but here's a good Scripture about it. Acts 10 42 This is Peter speaking. He says, and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he, talking about Christ, who was ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission or forgiveness of sins. So again, these are basic biblical truths, but they do have to do with this book of life. Acts 10 42 The second conclusion is only those called in this life to the truth, receive God's Spirit, become members, and remain faithful, who will have their names inscribed in the book of life. So again, you have to be called to an understanding of the truth. Then you have to repent, receive God's Spirit, become members, and remain faithful to have their names inscribed in the book of life. And then comes the third conclusion.

Although our names can be written in the book of life, they can also be erased. So it's not once saved, always saved. Notice in Revelation 3 verse 5 and 22 verse 19 Christ says, He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. So he said that if you overcome, your name will remain. It will not be blotted out. It's interesting that in those days, using these scrolls, basically for ink, they had a little base of water, the ingredients water, then crushed carbon or coal, and then maybe just a little bit of oil. But once they wrote things, there wasn't any glue, there wasn't any way of sticking the ink into that parchment or the papyrus. And so with a wet rag, you could just erase it. Wouldn't last very long. So here's the term blot out, which means basically remove the ink from that writing. And then he goes on to say in verse 22-19, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life. So again, your name can be removed from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book, all of the blessings and promises. So those who overcome will have their names remain in the book of life and will inherit eternal life in the first resurrection, the best of all of them. And so you find out that there's not just one resurrection for everybody. Notice in Hebrews 11 verse 35. Here it's talking about the heroes of the faith. Hebrews 11 verse 35 starts out with Abel, goes on Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Old Testament, saints, and then it goes on to talk about the New Testament. In verse 35, it says, women received their dead raised to life again. We see women in the Old Testament, also in the New, who received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, not denying the faith that they might obtain a better resurrection. They wanted to be in that first resurrection. They wanted to have their names remain in that book of life, and they were willing to die for their faith if it was necessary.

So those of the first resurrection will not have to be judged again. You just have one judgment after you are called by God. In this life, that means an opportunity to be part of that first resurrection and enter God's kingdom and be under Jesus Christ for a thousand years. He would be your mentor, your guide, your teacher, and your king.

They will not have to be judged again. There's a scripture in 1 Peter chapter 4 chapter 4 that it tells us in verse 17. 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 17, which says, For the time has come for judgment to begin where? At the house of God. In the church, he's talking about in those days. And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him and doing good as to a faithful creator. Yes, they're going to suffer, but it's well worth it if your name is written in that book of life. What a blessing! What a privilege! Continuing on, it says here in Revelation 20 verse 14 through 15, it says, Then death and Hades, which means the grave, were cast into the lake of fire. It means nobody else was going to die afterwards. This is the second death. And anyone not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So there are just two options. Either the person's name is going to be inscribed in the book of life, and if it's not, then there will be condemnation. But it's important to understand not everybody is being called today. Not everybody is being judged spiritually. Their eyes have not been opened to the truth. As it goes on to say, the scripture that I had here in Revelation 26, it says, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. This is literal. This isn't some poem or poetic language at all. This is real. This is going to happen. Whether you believe it or not, it is written with God's own writing. So it says here that blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power. So you're not going to be judged two times. If you're in the first resurrection, that's it. You don't have to worry about the second one. And so I brought up this point. Those of the first resurrection will not have to be judged again.

Let's go to the following scripture. It says, Now since the first resurrection means not being subject to the second death, and having your name in the book of life means the same thing, then all the rest of mankind is still with the possibility of dying a second time, which is the second death. One of the chief goals of the saints will be to help them avoid this fate. So God has a plan to prepare during the millennium all of these saints so that when all of these people that are ignorant, that have never come to the knowledge of the truth, we're going to help them so they do not reject this opportunity of salvation when it comes to them.

We thus have this equivalence here.

The first resurrection equals not being subject to the second death. So it's just you got God's Spirit now. Your name is written in the book of life. If you persevere, you're faithful, you get resurrected, you don't ever have to worry about dying a second time. You will live forever. Secondly, keeping your name in the book of life equals not being subject to the second death. As long as our book name is there, we're not going to be judged again.

And thirdly, the rest of mankind equals still being subject to the second death. See, they have not been called yet. They are not being spiritually judged. They live and die being deceived by Satan and his way of life and all of this. And so, they still need a resurrection to know the truth and to be judged if they apply that truth or not. So let's read about this second resurrection in Scripture. Revelation 20 verse 5, it says, But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. So here it talks about all of the people that are not part of the first resurrection, they die, they're not up in heaven, they don't have an immortal soul, they're not going to heaven or hell, they're in a state of unconsciousness.

It says here, they did not live again until the thousand years were finished. Revelation 20 verse 12, when it talks about after the thousand years is finished, and I saw the dead. It's the same group that verse 5 it talked about. Small and great. Some translations say the significant people of the earth, the important people, and the unimportant. In other words, everybody from the time of Adam and Eve to the time of the end of the millennium, they were standing before God.

So now they are alive, but they are not in a spiritual state because they haven't had the opportunity to accept the truth and to follow it. It says, and books, which is talking about scrolls here. The word is biblia in the Greek, and it's talking about the Bible. The Bible was open, the scrolls that had been hidden, that people didn't understand what the Bible was all about. At that time, it will be unrolled. They will understand the truth for the first time. And another book, which is a scroll, was open to them.

This is a book that had been closed, a closed scroll during this life. And so you have the Chinese, you have all of the people in ignorance. They never had a chance to understand the truth of God. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books, talking about the books of the Bible.

So all flesh will be judged by the Bible itself. That's the book that determines what sin is and what righteousness is. Notice Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4, verse 12. It says, For the word of God, talking about the Bible, is a living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. In James 1, it tells us it's a spiritual mirror that shows us our faults.

Verse 13, And there is no creature hidden from his sight. Now it's talking about Christ as the judge. So he's going to use the Bible to determine if a person is going to follow God's ways or not, and he's going to be judged. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

So here we have not only the judge, but we have the laws that are going to be used. Just like when you go before a judge, he can't just rule on his own whatever he thinks. He's got rules to follow. He's got laws that are respected or broken. And of course, it's a wonderful thing to have Jesus Christ as our judge who walked, who struggled, who knew what it was to be tempted in all things but without sin.

So the Lamb's Book of Life represents the opportunity for all to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved if they desire it and have not seared their consciences to reject it. Because you can get to the point where you will just reject God's way. It doesn't matter if you're giving the opportunity. It says in 1 Timothy 2.4, it says about God who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And then in chapter 4, verse 2, it says, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. There's no conscience that pricks them. There's no repentance.

So the Lamb's... Let me see here. Yeah, so I went one further. Let's go here. So the Lamb's Book of Life represents the opportunity for all could come to the knowledge of the truth. As I've mentioned, they will have a chance to have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. It's so wonderful because it is His book, and He is so merciful, loving and full of grace. He knows what overcoming is all about. It's very merciful. And here's just a brief sketch. I don't have time to elaborate on it, but how will people get their names in this book? It's kind of hard to see there, but these are the Old Testament, that column on the left, all the Old Testament from Abel and Enoch. So this is the timeline of the Book of Life as we best understand it. These are going to be part of the first resurrection. Then in the New Testament, of course, we have John the Baptist. Of course, Jesus Christ, of course, is the one who's heading everything up, the apostles and the church members. And then we come to Christ's coming and the millennium. During the millennium, people who are converted have their names written in the Book of Life. And then afterwards, after a brief period, Satan is loosed and then he's punished. And then afterwards, we read about the dead standing before God. And that's the Great White Throne Judgment period.

And now their names had not been written in the Book of Life, but now it is open for the first time. And then we have the last resurrection where no name of these people is written in the Book of Life. So here are 10 doctrinal truths derived from the understanding of the meaning of the Lamb's Book of Life. Number one, the Book of Life is not now open to everyone on earth. Thus, they are not being spiritually called or judged now, or this book would be open to them, and eternal life would be offered. Number two, there is no immortal soul to be judged immediately at death since the Book of Life is not presently open to everyone. And so their final destiny has not yet been determined. Number three, only those called in this life now have access to their names being written in the Book of Life. For the rest, it is still a closed book. That's why when I visit my mother and visit my brothers, they're not being called. It's not their time now to have an opportunity to have their names written in that book. Number four, only those whose names remain written in the Book of Life at Christ's coming will be resurrected in the first resurrection. Number five, those of the second resurrection do not have their names in this Book of Life, or they would have been raised in the previous resurrection, the first resurrection.

Number six, since these uncalled don't have their names written in this book, it must be their first opportunity they have to inscribe their names in it. That is why this scroll will be quote, open or unrolled and not closed to them as in the past. That's their opportunity to know the truth. Number seven, what happens to those whose names were blotted out? They don't resurrect in the second resurrection, but in the next one, where all the incorrigibly wicked will be judged. Number eight, in this resurrection of condemnation, as John 5 29 says, all the incorrigibly wicked will be judged, condemned, and thrown in the lake of fire, where they will be burned. It is called the second death. Finally, only those who have their names in the book of life will see the world transformed and readied for the new Jerusalem to arrive from the third heaven with God the Father. Number 10, all of them will live forever with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and all the God family, those whose names are written in this book of life. So let's have three takeaways here real quickly as we finish. Number one, it is clear we are to live a life of overcoming our selfish self and sins. We are to keep our names in the book of life by confessing our sins, and they will be forgiven. First John 1 9. We are to live our lives joyfully, for we have a wonderful God the Father and elder brother, Jesus Christ, who are both for us. So to finish and conclude, brethren, may we spiritually profit greatly from this coming wonderful feast that portrays God's kingdom and have our names indelibly written in the Lamb's book of life.