THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY

BOOK OF LIFE Part I

I SAW THE DEAD,small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in books ( Revelation 20:12 NKJV ).

God keeps a records of all of our thoughts, words, and deeds, ready to be recalled on the final day of judgement. “For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret things, whether good or evil” ( Ecclesiastes 12:14 ). Many people have the mistaken idea that because they have escape the penalty for their sins in this world, those sins have some how gone unnoticed. This is far from true. No act, words, or thought, good or bad, in public or in secret, eludes the all seeing eyes of God— He has recorded each one.

Hebrews 9:27 states that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement.” Our status in Christ determines how we will be judged. Believers, in resurrected form, will stand before the judgement seat of Christ immediately following the rapture. There they will receive rewards for the good works they performed while on earth. Their salvation is never in question. On the other hand, unbelievers, also in resurrected form, will appear before the Great white throne judgement at the end of the millennium. Jesus Christ Himself will rule over the proceedings. He will judge their deeds according to the law because they choose not to accept Christ’s free gift of salvation while on earth. No believer in Jesus will be judged during the Great White Throne Judgement.

The New Testament refers to the Book of Life eight times ( Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 15; 21:27; 22:19 ). Two of these references are to the “Lamb’s Book of Life” ( 13:8; 21:27). The reference in 22:19 is disputed, thought by most scholars ( based on manuscript evidence )to refer to the “tree of Life” instead. Thus scholars hold two different views concerning how many “books of Life” exist.