THE LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE Key Verse: Revelation 21:27 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lambs book of life. I. Introduction A. In Revelation we have Christ’s description of the past, the present and the future. Revelation 1:19 provides this summary. The future events are described in chapters 4–22. These chapters are divided into three sections: 1. The tribulation in chapters 4–19 of which our Lord spoke in Matthew 24:21 and Mark 13:24 and which will be different from anything our universe has ever known. 2. The millennium in chapter 20. 3. The eternal state in 21:1 and 22:5. B. Revelation 21 deals with the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth. The word meaning “new” (v. 1) in Greek is kainós, which means qualitatively new. The new environment will be different from our present one and fit for our resurrected bodies (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17). C. Additionally, the New Jerusalem will be kainḗ (fem. of kainós), qualitatively new (v. 2). This is the Church that was already caught up by Jesus (1 Thess. 4:17) plus the saints of the tribulation period (Rev. 7:14). These tribulation saints are the ones who will refuse to bow down to the antichrist since their names were written in the book of life (Rev. 13:8). D. The New Jerusalem is identified as the bride, the Lamb’s wife (Rev. 21:2, 9), which is the Church of the redeemed. E. Revelation 21 ends with the followings words: “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (21:27). II. What is the Book of Life? A. The expression “the book of life” occurs a total of six times in the New Testament (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27). B. Of these, the most expressive passage as to its meaning is Revelation 20:12, 15 where the Book of Life is distinguished from certain other books: “and the books were opened, and another book was opened, and another book was opened which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works … and whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life, was cast into the lake of fire.” 1. There are books which record the believer’s works which will constitute the basis of the judgment for his rewards. 2. The Book of Life is the book in which God writes the names of the redeemed at all times, and it is only when one’s name is in that book that entrance into heaven is permitted. 3. Those whose names are not in the Book of Life are not admitted into heaven, being lost forever. III. When Are the Names of the Redeemed Written in the Book of Life? A. Observe that it is not we who register our names in this book, as we do on earth in entering this or the other place. B. In Philippians 4:3 we read: “whose names are in the book of life.” It does not say who wrote them. It implies, however, that their labors for the Lord resulted from their names being in the Book of Life. C. Revelation 3:5: “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.” 1. Here the negative statement does not imply the possibility that the Lord does blot out some names. 2. The Greek text has a double negative ou mḗ, suggesting impossibility, that is, no never. The Lord says that it is impossible for Him to erase from the Book of Life those names that He Himself wrote in it. 3. There are three things that are assured concerning the one who is a victor: a) He will be clothed in white clothes, so all will know of his victory; b) His name will not be erased from the Book of Life; c) Jesus will confess his name before His Father and His angels. 4. He who wrote the name in the book knew the person was genuinely saved and that he would be an overcomer. By parallelism, only He (Christ) who wrote it could also have the authority to erase it, if that were within the realm of possibility. However, the assurance is that He will not—no never. D. Revelation 13:8 concerns itself with the tribulation saints who will not bow before the anti-christ in contrast to those who bow and worship him (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7), that beast that rose up out of the sea (Rev. 13:1), the man of sin, the son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3). “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the antichrist], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” 1. The verb “written” in Greek is gégraptai, the perfect passive of gráphō, to write. This means that the names of those who worship the antichrist have not been written in the Book of Life. The perfect indicates that these names were not written in the Book of Life and they never were in it. 2. The phrase “from the foundation of the world” in the KJV is ascribed to the Lamb slain. There would be no theological difficulty to accept it as referring to the “slain lamb.” The Lamb of God was destined to be sacrificed for our sins before the foundation of the world. God in His omniscience knew, but did not determine man’s fall; however, knowing it, He provided for our redemption. We believe, however, that although grammatically the phrase “from the foundation of the world” might refer to the Lamb slain, in view of Revelation 17:8 which clearly states that it is the names which were not written from the foundation of the world, the translators ought to have attributed the phrase “before the foundation of the world” in Revelation 13:8 to the verb “have not been written.” In this case the verse should be translated: “And all who dwell upon the earth will worship him, those whose names have not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the slain lamb.” E. Revelation 17:8 states the truth of Revelation 13:8 positively. As those who did bow before the antichrist did not have their names written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, so the names of those written in the Book of Life, gégraptai, have been written apó katabolḗs kósmou, from the foundation of the world. They were written by the omniscient Christ. F. Now the question is: Can anyone cancel out Christ’s writing of these names? Impossible, because if so, Christ would be charged with faulty knowledge in writing their names in the first place. G. This writing of the believers’ names in the book of life is equivalent to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ sees the hypocrisy of a dead faith which is a mockery, He does not attach that person to His body, the Church. When He sees that the faith of an individual is genuine, He writes his name in the Book of Life and attaches that person to His body (1 Cor. 12:13). H. The writing of the names of true believers in the book of life is also equivalent to the believers being sealed with the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. This is the redemption of the body mentioned in Romans 8:23. See Ephesians 1:13 and 4:30. I. Revelation 21:27 provides the contrast between two groups of people, those who habitually live in sin and those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. “And there shall in no wise enter into it [this is the New Jerusalem with its eternal bliss] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” 1. That which is translated “anything that defileth” in Greek is koinón, an adjectival noun. It means anything that is common or not sacred, that is, wholly profane. The implication is that one cannot be totally unclean and have his name written in the Book of Life. 2. “Neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a life.” The verb “worketh” in Greek is the participial noun ho poiṓn, the one doing or working an abomination and a lie. This is a habitual performance of life. Again, such a person cannot have his or her name written in the Book of Life. 3. No one whose name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the eternal state of the blessed. Note that the verb “enter” eisélthē, in the aorist subjunctive, indicates a once and for all entrance. Bible Study Taken From Sermon Starters 52 New Testament Outlines Volumes 1–4 Spiros Zodhiates,: AMG Publishers.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 11:34:21 +0000
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