The Books of Life and Remembrance
Record keeping is an important tool to establish facts, draw conclusions, and document. Such records are also maintained in Heaven in order to decide man’s final fate viz., eternal life or eternal death (Malachi 3:18). The Bible mentions several books in which the experience and acts of human acts are recorded. Some of the important books mentioned in the Bible are given below:
1. The Book of Life
The book of Revelation states that names of those not found in the ‘Book of Life’ will perish. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15). “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Revelation 3:5). Psalms 69:28 states “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous”. Revelation 17:8 states that the names of the followers of the Beast will not be written in the Book of Life. This is further confirmed in Daniel 12:1, which states that only those whose names are written in the Book will be delivered. Thus, it is clear that the names of only the righteous will appear in the ‘Book of Life’, who will rightfully inherit the kingdom of God. Revelation 22:19 further testifies that “And 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, and from the things which are written in this book.” Mathew 25:46 points out “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
A careful reading of the above reveals that the names in the book of life can also be blotted out. Since the name of only the righteous will be in the book of life, it follows the unrighteous names shall not figure in the book. A man who is righteous today may not be so tomorrow. In such an event his name will be blotted out/ erased from the ‘Book of Life’. This also negates the popular Christian belief that ‘once saved always saved’.
2. Book of Remembrance
This book records the works/deeds of man. “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” Malachi 3:16. They contain the painful experiences of God’s servants (Psalms 56:8), the acts of love performed on behalf of others (Nehemiah 13:14), and the conversations of those who fear the Lord (Malachi 3:16).
If anyone thinks he, does it in secret and no one sees, he is sadly mistaken. “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). He sees what is behind and what is ahead, all the threats, all the dangers. “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). The books of good and evil deeds are opened particularly during the judgment. Daniel 7:9- 10 describes the divine tribunal in session and the use of books during the proceedings. A similar scene is described in Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” It is explicitly stated that the final and immutable verdict is based on what is recorded in the books.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
Elder Sreedhar Mellam