Is there a difference between the Book of the Living (The Book Of Life) and the Lamb’s Book Of Life?
Some teach that they are the same book. But when you look at context closely, it appears they are NOT the same book at all. If you look at Psalm 139, we see the Biblical reason that our human existence is from our very conception – not our physical birth. God knows us, even in the womb! And in great detail, before our actual body parts were even formed in the womb!
“Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was NONE OF THEM.” (Psalm 139:16 KJV)
Notice it says that we were written in God’s Book of the Living, before we were formed in the womb. But does that mean that every person conceived will find themselves in Heaven? No. Does it mean every person is written in the Lambs Book Of Life from their conception? No. But God FOREKNEW EVERYTHING, you see?
God foreknew you before you were physically born. He gives us all FREE WILL to choose the gift of Salvation through Christ or to reject the gift. In John 3, Jesus is clear, that it is “WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM HAS ETERNAL LIFE”. The word ‘whosoever’ is clear yes? There is a choice to be made by our FREE WILL. God did not create a person to be damned before they were created. He created a person with a free will to choose.
God may already know the choice they will make, but the person makes that choice; not God. Jesus had Judas join the disciples. God foreknew what Judas would do. God foreknew that Judas rejected Christ as Messiah, as God in the Flesh. God knew that Judas would do this thousands of years earlier in Bible Prophecy. And Judas did what God foreknew that He would. God put what he would do in Old Testament Bible Prophecy regarding the coming Messiah to prove He is the true God. But that does not mean that God predestined Judas to hell before he was created!
Judas was lost, but it was his own choice. Peter denied Jesus three times right? Jesus told him he would. See, God knows everything a person will do before they do it! But Peter is seen earlier proclaiming Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh. By this belief he was saved eternally (John 3:18) that very moment.
And God FOREKNEW ALL that would accept and reject this great gift through Christ crucified and risen, before you we were even born. It is simply that God knows everything you will do in your life. EVERYTHING. NOTHING TAKES HIM BY SURPRISE FOLKS! There is fear and coomfort in that. Fear if you are unsaved and comfort if you are saved!
God already knows who will be saved and who will be lost. God exists outside of time, because He created time. He is the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. God sees all time as NOW. To God, believers are already with Him in Heaven. To us, we are inside of TIME and things are playing out. And in this thing called ‘time’ we live within, He gives everyone the choice and opportunity to choose Him in wisdom. But He also gives free will to choose.
So, the question is do the unsaved get blotted out of the Lambs Book of Life? Not according to Scripture. In fact, the Bible tells us that all who accept the gift of Salvation in Christ are the only one found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And Jesus says that He will NEVER blot a person out of the Lambs Book Of Life, as an encouraging promise in Revelation 3. Yet, we see people are blotted out of the Book of the Living (The Book of Life)
Therefore, it is easy to conclude that these are two separate books God keeps. Let’s have a closer look into this to see the truth about these two separate books.
.:: God’s Book Book of the Living
Some call this the Book Of The Living as well. This Book is clearly NOT the Lamb’s Book of Life because Rev 3:5 tells us that no one’s name will be blotted out of the Lamb’s Book Of Life. But we can see that people can and are blotted out of God’s Book Of Life.
All people born since Adam are added in The Book Of The Living (The Book Of Life). It lists all who are living on Earth physically. If a person has not accepted the free gift of Salvation as a means to give the required payment for their sins, their name is blotted out of this book at the unbeliever’s death.
We see God’s Book of the Living in the Exodus story. Moses knew about this Book kept by God. When coming back down from receiving the Ten Commandments, he found that they built a golden calf and were worshiping it. After all the miracles God performed for them, after freeing them from slavery in Egypt, after walking across the Red Sea on dry land, after God parted the sea. They did this wicked thing of idol worship and God said,
“Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” (Exodus 32:10 KJV)
And then we see that Moses asks God to forgive them. Remember that Moses was once a leader in Egypt, treated as a true son of Pharaoh. He had major guilt over using the Hebrew slaves, especially once he knew that he too was a Hebrew. Moses even killed a fellow Egyptian for mistreating a Hebrew. He truly cared for the people so much that Moses said to God in response,
“And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, BLOT ME, I pray thee, OUT OF THY BOOK which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I BLOT OUT OF MY BOOK.” (Exodus 32:31-33 KJV)
It is as if Moses said to God.. “I know they sinned wickedly – but take my physical life instead, in their place”. God surely understands that! He sent HIS only begotten Son, Jesus to do that for us! God also tested Abraham in the same way right?
We see that God, “…repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” The Lord CHANGED HIS MIND, the very Biblical definition of the English translated word ‘repent’.
So it seems that the Book of Life, or the Book of the Living, contains the names of every person God creates in physical birth, and when they die physically, their name is blotted out of this book because they have sinned.
And by the way, we all have sinned right (Romans 3:23)? So why are humans still here alive if they have sinned? Are they not blotted out of the Book of the Living by God? God decides the WHEN of this judgment. We see in Hebrews that
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV).
God has set a DAY and appointed a specific time, to the very second, for every single person’s physical death. Death exists because we have sin. If there were no sin, there would be no death you see? So, this blotting out of the Book of the Living is gonna happen for every person who rejects Salvation in Christ. As I will explain below in this article, those who have accepted the free gift of Salvation have already had their sins forgiven and paid in full.
Is it so hard to believe that God delays judgment? Not at all! We see it throughout the Bible. Even the unbeliever who dies, is ‘reserved for judgement’ (Job 21:30) and one day, after the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth, after Christ returns, the Great White Throne Judgment will be held and the unbelievers will be resurrected to face condemnation. That is a long delay between judgment and sentencing right? And even if you look at when Lucifer and those angels that sided with him against God rebelled and were kicked out of Heaven, are they already judged? Yes. But what about their sentencing? That has been delayed. They are still here affecting and ruling the Earth right? But a DAY IS APPOINTED for their sentence to take place and they will be cast into the Lake of Fire on that day.
If a person accepts the free gift of Salvation through Christ their name remains in this book after their death and there name is also added to the Lamb’s Book Of Life (see below). God’s view is that He wants ALL to come to Salvation through Christ. But ultimately, the choice to accept the free gift of Salvation is ours to make because to God free will is important. He does not want robots with Him in eternity; instead He wants real relationships.
.:: The Lamb’s Book of Life
The names of people in this book are all of the eternally saved who have believed on Christ’s atonement alone (without works required) to save them from the eternal punishment of their sins.
“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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 3:5 KJV)
This verse tells us clearly that NO ONE IN THIS BOOK will be blotted out of this book – they are eternally saved. I know that those that do not believe in the eternal Salvation of a believer will immediately go to the passage and point out that it says only “He that ‘overcometh'” that will be found in this book. To such, I ask you, can we overcome Satan on our own efforts? Can we overcome sin that so easily entangles us with our mind still corrupt by the old DEAD sin nature thoughts? Through our own self righteous efforts? If you answer honestly, the answer must be a resounding No!…We Cannot! What does this ‘overcometh’ mean then? As with everything in Scripture, let’s look to the Bible to answer itself! In 1 John 5:4-5 we see who it is that overcometh:
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 KJV)
Notice that Salvation is not by works but by faith and belief in the atonement for our sins provided by the ONLY begotten Son of God, Jesus The Christ, who paid the price for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Paid through Christ, the once for all sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10:10).
Ephesians makes it clear that justification positionally before God in Salvation is not something we work towards in our own self righteous efforts (doing so is called pride). Salvation is instead a FREE GRACE GIFT from God to be received!
“For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
.:: The Bema Seat Judgement Of Believers In Christ
All found in The Lamb’s Book Of Life will find themselves Raptured when Christ returns in the air. And each will attend the Bema Seat Judgement Of Believers By Christ. This is not a judgement of making it to Heaven or being condemned to Hell. All at this event are already in Heaven with new eternal resurrected bodies (with no more sin nature) with all their sins already forgiven and paid for by Christ on the cross. In fact, in Scriptures the word ‘sin’ is not even mentioned in the description of this judgement event. This judgement is about the service of believers for Christ AFTER Salvation. It is a judgement of rewards. It is a judgement of our works done for Christ AFTER Salvation. There will be rewards given and rewards lost. Some will weep because they lived carnally after their moment of accepting the free gift of Salvation through Christ and have no rewards. They will realize the lost opportunities they had. We all should think about this regarding our service to God. Are we working to bring people to the truth of the Gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us? Are we walking by the Flesh and not reading the Word of God to allow the Holy Spirit renew our mind by God’s truth?
We all should be to some extent, right? Work while their is daylight in the love of Christ because the Rapture event is coming very soon folks.. VERY SOON. The signs foretold in the Bible for the Great Tribulation period are starting to happen. The stage for the Psalm 83 war and Ezekiel 38-39 war in the Middle East is nearly set now. Israel became a nation again in 1948 as foretold thousands of years ago and is the number one big sign that we are now living in the last days. And if the Tribulation Period is almost upon us, the Rapture is even closer to being fulfilled!
.:: Individual Books God Keeps
God keeps perfect records of every moment and every thought we have had or will ever had. Although with our amazing brains we can forget what we have done or not done in the past, God’s memory is perfectly clear and God knows it all and remembers the sins of every person. Does that scare you? It should!
But isn’t God perfectly loving? Yes, God is perfectly loving which is why He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so that we could be redeemed and forgiven our sins. However God is perfect in every way and that includes perfectly just and Holy. God loves us but He must judge our sins because God is perfect in EVERY WAY, including perfect in justice. God never changes and he must meet His own perfect character in every way.
If a person rejects God’s free gift of Salvation through the atonement provided by Christ on the cross then that person has chosen God’s judgment for their sins. This is pure PRIDE, boasting in our goodness all the while we are sinning.
Sound familiar? It is the sin of pride that made Satan and his fallen angels turn against God. If you believe you are good enough to get to Heaven (a perfect place where no sin can enter) based on our own ability and goodness, you are VERY WRONG. Sure, you can compare yourself to other people and say to yourself, ‘I am not as bad as that person’ and ‘I feel like I am a fairly good person’. But your feelings have NOTHING to do with your justification before God. Your feelings would be deceiving you and you are deceiving yourself.
Do not compare your goodness to other people. The Bible tells us clearly that “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23 KJV). Instead, compare yourself to our perfectly Holy God. Look at just the Ten Commandments and see how miserably you have failed to keep them. That is the fair comparison and I can tell you, we all FAIL MISERABLY. Only the Son of God Himself kept the Ten Commandments perfectly. In fact, all the Law of Moses! As the Son of God, Jesus NEVER sinned in thought nor deed. He was the perfect sacrifice for OUR sins on that cross (Hebrews 10).
.:: The Great White Throne Judgement Of The Unredeemed
In Revelation 20, at the Great White Throne Judgement of the unredeemed, all the dead unredeemed are bodily resurrected and their souls reunited. The Individual Books Of each person’s earthly life that contain all their deeds are opened. The Lamb’s Book Of Life of the redeemed and saved is also checked and their name is not found in it (they never accepted the free gift of Salvation through Christ) and so they are judged by their own personal Individual Books full of their deeds and works in their lifetime. Even if they had many good works they do not erase the sinful works and deeds they committed in their lifetime. In fact, let’s be honest that the size of that list will pale in comparison with their sins not paid for. And remember that Heaven is a perfect place where sin cannot enter. Even ONE sin is enough to disqualify a person from Heaven because that sin must be paid for and the Bible tells us that the wages of sin is eternal death:
“For the wages of sin is death; BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)
Please pay attention to the word ‘BUT’ in that verse because what follows that word in this verse is the solution for us sinners! Accepting the free gift of Salvation through the atonement of Christ! And without having accepted Christ, they have chosen to stand on their own ‘self righteous goodness’ and will be very mistaken in that choice. They have sided with the devil and his fallen angels which hell was prepared for (Matthew 25:41). And by siding with Satan and his fallen angels in pride, they too will take part in their fate which is being thrown into the Lake of Fire.
How horrible for the unredeemed who reject Christ!
The thought of it makes me shiver. And at this judgement will also be those who claim they have done many works for Christ and even in His name but they relied on their good works to save them and not by receiving the free gift of Salvation. Those who believe in Christ but rely on their good works to save them (the false works based Salvation that is running rampant in church organization in these modern times!) are also still not saved because they rely on their works to save them in pride. They will hear the most fearful words of all when Christ tells them,
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23 KJV)
Are you saved? Are you found in the Lamb’s Book Of Life?
Do not choose wrong and end up in the same place as the devil and his fallen angels in torment when Jesus came to save you from that! God wants NO ONE to perish in this way but He gives us all the free will of choice.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all SHOULD come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV)
⇒ What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Only one thing which is not of your own self righteous efforts in any way; BELIEVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who paid your penalty for the sins you have committed. When a person believes this they are from that very moment saved eternally, even without saying a prayer (it is good to give Him thanks in belief, do not get me wrong!), the Holy Spirit of God indwells the person and they are SEALED and saved for all eternity!
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye BELIEVED, ye were SEALED with that holy Spirit of PROMISE, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-16 KJV)
And this Scripture below shows just how much God has saved such a person for all eternity. To be with God in Heaven we must be without sin debt. In belief of the atonement provided by Christ, the person actually becomes the very righteousness of God, in Christ. An amazing truth to be so thankful for, yet many believers have not grasped how powerful our Salvation is!
“For he hath made HIM to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be MADE the righteousness of God IN HIM.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)
Because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and has imputed the righteousness of God to us, in God’s eyes He sees us through the filter of Christ! To Him we are Holy, righteous and redeemed for all eternity. To God, all your sins (past/present/future) have all been fully paid for (1 John 2:2) and so there is now no condemnation for them that believe on Christ alone in faith and belief.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1 KJV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God sent NOT his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved. He that BELIEVETH on him is NOT condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned already, because he hath not BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 KJV)
