“He that overcomes, he will be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life” (Rev. 3:5).
This verse from the letter to Sardis does not address the whole assembly, but only the “overcomers”. The promise is made to them that their name will not be erased from the book of life. Is it correct to conclude from this that a child of God who does not overcome can be erased from the book of life and so be lost?
The “book of life” appears not only in this chapter of Revelation, but also in chapters 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15 and 21:27. There is no reason to see different books here. In all cases, it is the same divinely perfect ‘register’ in which there are no changes.1 In it are listed the elect of the Lord who believe in Him as the slain Lamb, whether now or in future epochs of salvation. Nowhere is there any mention of anyone actually being wiped out of this book. Therefore the conclusion drawn from the above verse, that someone could be blotted out, is wrong. Whoever is written once in this book always remains in it (cf. Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3). The promise of the Lord Jesus to those who overcome is an encouragement to all those who are His, who may be ‘written off’ by the world, but can never be erased from the book of life!
But there are people who are not recorded in the book of life. These are those who “dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10 twice; 13:8, 14 twice; 17:2, 8), and in Revelation this always means unbelievers who, in contrast to the faithful “have their tabernacle in the heaven” (Rev. 13:6), do not have a heavenly home, and are eternally lost (Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15).
The New Testament “book of life” must not be confused with the various books mentioned in the Old Testament, such as the book of God (Ex. 32:32–33; Ps. 139:16) and the book of life (Ps. 69:29). These books deal with Israel, the earthly people of God, and the thoughts associated with them cannot be transferred to the New Testament period (see also Isa. 4:3; Dan. 12:1). Apparently all members of God’s earthly people were recorded in this book or these books, but only those who really believed in the God of Israel remained in it. Here there was definitely a ‘blotting out’. But in the verse from Revelation 3:5 quoted above, the Lord Jesus says exactly the opposite: “I will not blot His name out of the book of life”, just as in John 10:28: “and they will never perish”.
The book of life (Rev. 3:5)
“He that overcomes, he will be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life” (Rev. 3:5).
This verse from the letter to Sardis does not address the whole assembly, but only the “overcomers”. The promise is made to them that their name will not be erased from the book of life. Is it correct to conclude from this that a child of God who does not overcome can be erased from the book of life and so be lost?
The “book of life” appears not only in this chapter of Revelation, but also in chapters 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15 and 21:27. There is no reason to see different books here. In all cases, it is the same divinely perfect ‘register’ in which there are no changes.1 In it are listed the elect of the Lord who believe in Him as the slain Lamb, whether now or in future epochs of salvation. Nowhere is there any mention of anyone actually being wiped out of this book. Therefore the conclusion drawn from the above verse, that someone could be blotted out, is wrong. Whoever is written once in this book always remains in it (cf. Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3). The promise of the Lord Jesus to those who overcome is an encouragement to all those who are His, who may be ‘written off’ by the world, but can never be erased from the book of life!
But there are people who are not recorded in the book of life. These are those who “dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10 twice; 13:8, 14 twice; 17:2, 8), and in Revelation this always means unbelievers who, in contrast to the faithful “have their tabernacle in the heaven” (Rev. 13:6), do not have a heavenly home, and are eternally lost (Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15).
The New Testament “book of life” must not be confused with the various books mentioned in the Old Testament, such as the book of God (Ex. 32:32–33; Ps. 139:16) and the book of life (Ps. 69:29). These books deal with Israel, the earthly people of God, and the thoughts associated with them cannot be transferred to the New Testament period (see also Isa. 4:3; Dan. 12:1). Apparently all members of God’s earthly people were recorded in this book or these books, but only those who really believed in the God of Israel remained in it. Here there was definitely a ‘blotting out’. But in the verse from Revelation 3:5 quoted above, the Lord Jesus says exactly the opposite: “I will not blot His name out of the book of life”, just as in John 10:28: “and they will never perish”.
Table of content: