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The City of Zion Part 9
The Book Of Life
Introduction
This booklet is a teaching lesson done in January of 2006. It is part nine of a fourteen part series on the subject called; "The City of Zion". These teaching lessons can also be obtained on CDs or audio cassettes. This booklet will address a very interesting subject found in the Bible called the "Book of Life", which all believers should be familiar with. That exact phrase; "book of life" is only found in the New Testament; once in Philippians 4:3, and seven times in the book of Revelation. Spiritual common sense should tell us that the book of life is not a literal book with literal pages, but is highly symbolic of a very real LITERAL truth that affects all of our lives. But from God’s point of view the book of life is a very real "book", and all the names of God’s children were at one time written in it. But the book of Revelation implies that most names will be "blotted out" to be cast into the "lake of fire", and the point is; names cannot be blotted out if they were never written sometime in the past. The original words of scripture explain what the "book of life" truly is, and what it is NOT. I am only interested in showing the meanings of Hebrew and Greek words, and then we all must choose to believe the meanings of the original words or choose to continuing believing what was told us all our lives about the "book of life". I want to be as accurate as possible by simply quoting the meanings of words according to Strong‘s Concordance, and then it becomes your choice on what to believe in the context of scripture. But I will at times offer what I personally believe, but it is never my intention to imply that my beliefs are "set in concrete" or cannot be changed. But I want to say; I do believe the correct understanding of the "book of life" goes a long way in explaining the overall plan and will of God that will eventually be a reality for all His children. The priory of all truth-seekers should be that they truly seek and believe the meanings of the original words of God. Please read this lesson very carefully…..
This lesson will be on my continuing series on the study of the city of Zion, and today will be part nine, and I want to talk about what is called the book of life. First of all, I want to ask some questions. What does the Bible mean to all of you? I am sure most of you regard the Bible as the Word of God; but what I am asking is when you read the Bible what impression do the words have on you? Are you allowing the words that you read to actually teach you, and if you truly want to be taught, do you realize you might have to change you beliefs? But maybe some of you are content in what you already believe.
The point I want to make is that the words of the Bible are not just ordinary words as you might read in a newspaper or from a library book or whatever. They are the words that supposedly are inspired from the mind of an all powerful, all knowing creator God that is in total control of everything on planet earth and controls everything of this universe. This God is much too awesome to even compare with any power, force, or authority we could even comprehend. It should humble us very much when we realize that the actual words that this awesome God inspired the prophets, Jesus Christ and the apostles are preserved for us today. Those inspired original words can be traced by the translated words of our Bibles; namely the KJV and those original words are the words of God.
The terms "word of God" or "words of God" are found about fifty four times in our Bibles, and believe me; that term was NOT talking about the KJV or any other version or translation we have today. The point I want to make is that the words we read in our Bibles are translated words; they are not the original inspired words. That is a point that most of us all our lives have taken for granted and we simply do not realize the flaws and mistakes that translated words tend to have. But I sincerely believe that God gave us the translated words nevertheless, and those translated words can cause repentance, and they do have convicting power over our spiritual lives.
Proverbs 30:5 KJV Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Luke4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Every word of God means the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts; they are not the translated words we read in our Bibles. To "live by" means to "by live" or we are to believe every original word of God. It does not mean to live by every translated word, because the translated words in various languages were not around in the days of Jesus Christ. These are the facts we must understand if we are serious about studying the words of God; but the translated words are also much needed.
I remember years ago when I began to take the Bible very serious there were times when I read certain scriptures that they seemed to became alive, or it just seemed like the scriptures were personally speaking to me. I’m sure all of you have also had sobering thoughts when reading and studying the Bible. But I have to make the point that the meanings of the original words are the words that must be highly respected, believed, and lived by with all our hearts and minds, and those original words are behind the translated words. Christ said we are to love God with all our might.
Luke 10:27 KJV And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
God cannot be separated from His original inspired words and that’s why you cannot love God unless you love the words of God. But I would say 99 percent of the translated words are sufficient to teach us the basics of what God wants us to understand. It’s the other 1 percent that can cause problems in understanding true doctrine, and the more we study the more we become aware of the mistakes with certain words that do not match the meaning of the original words. Millions of Christians proclaim they love the Bible, but what is it that they proclaim to love? We know of course what they mean; they mean they love the words of God; which they are under the impression are contained in their Bibles.
John 17:14-17 KJV I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Jesus Christ gave the apostles God’s word; He did not give the apostles the KJ Bible or any other translation. Christ said God’s word is truth and He was not referring to any Bible or any translation as being the truth. But do not misunderstand me; I want to make it clear that translations can lead to the truth of God’s words, but only if we choose to study. Why don’t people that proclaim to love God’s words don’t seem to consider that the Bibles they read were not even printed when Christ spoke those words to the apostles? That’s why it’s best to not necessarily trust in the meaning of the words of the translators.
The words of God in the days of the apostles were the original manuscripts of the Old Testament, and the words that Christ spoke and the words of the apostles were written by the apostles themselves. The apostles did not write the KJ Bible or any other Bible or translation or version. The original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts were preserved and are also available for us today as they were for the apostles, and the meanings of all the original words are also preserved for us today. These manuscripts supposedly were interpreted into all the translations and various languages we have today.
Psalm 116 has the phrase "thy word" thirty seven times, and refers of course to God’s word. "Thy word" does not refer to the KJ Bible or any other translation or version. It becomes very obvious why millions of Christians today believe in different ways, which explains all the many different beliefs that divides all the many Churches. This is because people in general are not aware of the meanings of the original words. I honestly believe the problems people have with scripture, and why they cannot agree on doctrine is that they love the translated words instead of the words they really should love, live by, by live and believe and put their trust in.
The point I want to make is that if we choose to study the words of God we have to uncover and believe the meanings of the original words, and these words can be traced behind the translated words in our KJ Bibles. Like I said, God gave us the translated words but understand they are not inspired, but what if there is no desire for anyone to study? Well, as we know, God told Timothy to study as a workman to be approved of God (2Timothy 2:15). To study the words of God is good works. So if anyone chooses not to study keep in mind there are other good works of charity that God will also approve to those that refuse to study. It’s just that if we don’t study we only have ourselves to blame if we don’t understand the truth of God’s words. As Christ explained in John 17:17 as we read; "Thy word is truth".
What I am doing in these teaching lessons on the subject of Zion is I want to show the meaning of certain words behind the translated words, and I want to try and explain the scriptures according to the meaning of the original words. So if anyone does not understand what I am trying to explain or if you cannot believe or accept some statements I make; all I ask please do not doubt the meaning of words. You can doubt me and my statements all you want, and I am asking you please do not believe me, but I AM asking you please believe the meaning of words. My last lesson on "babes in Christ" if you recall, I quoted the scripture that had the statement "but ye are come unto mount Zion". Let’s look at Hebrews 12:18-23:
KJV For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
This is comparing the time when Israel was at mount Sinai as we read; "for ye are NOT (notice the word "not") ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched". Then in verse 22 it says; "But ye ARE (notice the word "are") ye are come unto mount Sion". That mount where Moses was given the laws of the old covenant including all the sacrificial laws was obviously not mount Zion; but at the same time Mount Sinai represented and pointed to heavenly mount Zion.
As I tried to explain in my last lesson; the phrase "ye are come unto mount Zion" truly means you are there in the same sense that Israel was actually there physically at Mount Sinai. That is the point the writer of the book of Hebrews wanted to make. But of course during the new covenant as explained in Hebrews we are only come unto mount Zion in a spiritual sense to where we are not physically aware of actually being there. But my point is this, it is a profound reality that believers are truly come unto heavenly mount Zion where they are symbolically WRITTEN which is also a profound reality.
These facts are just as real, if not more, as ancient Israel physically experienced and saw the actual Mount Sinai. They physically could touch that mount and they saw the fire, the storm, the darkness, and actually heard the words of God. Mount Sinai suddenly because a very holy mount and even Moses was terrified and shook with fear. That mount became so holy that even if an animal touched that mount it was to be killed instantly.
The obvious comparison that was made by these scriptures is that mount Sinai was used to point to and represent the holiness and the reality of heavenly Mount Zion; the city of the living God where we are WRITTEN. It said; "ye are NOT COME", and in verse 22 it says; "but ye ARE come", which means believers by faith are indeed come to heavenly Mount Zion in a real sense. How is this possible to come unto Mount Zion while still living in flesh bodies? This is possible for believers if they are living this physical life in a spiritual condition what we call is "eternal life" and if our names are written in what is called the "book of life" in heavenly Zion; as we read in verse 23. Now I want to start where we left off in the last lesson to continue in sequence where Zion is found.
Psalm 133:1-3 KJV A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 [It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.
It speaks of brethren dwelling together. I have over the years witnessed brethren that were not in unity, and that hostility was anything but good and pleasant; and the point is they were not even dwelling together. I can only imagine the disunity, dissension, hostility, and trouble they would have if they were to actually dwell together. Dwelling together truly means dwelling together as one unit. If brethren could dwell or live together in peace and unity as one unit it would be like (notice it is like) precious ointment poured over Aaron’s head and beard that ran down and covered all his garments down to the skirts.
Under the Old Covenant what did Aaron’s garments represent? There were several objects on that garment; but the breastplate on the garment was a breastplate of judgment directly worn over the heart of Aaron, and that breastplate represented all the names of the children of Israel (Exodus 28:29). Aaron was made a priest directly under Moses as a mediator in making reconciliation for the sins of Israel with all the names of Israel symbolically written on his heart.
Aaron’s garment was made holy by anointing of the olive oil poured over Aaron’s head that covered his whole body and his whole garment. Aaron and Aaron’s sons had to wear holy garments with the names of all Israel written on their hearts to enter the most holy place to make the atonement and reconciliation for the sins of Israel. This was highly symbolic of Jesus Christ also having all the names of Israel written on His heart, or should I say, written in the book of life when He also entered the most holy place as a sacrifice to make reconciliation NOT ONLY for the sins of His people; but also for the sins of the whole world.
1John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
Propitiation means atonement. Christ was the atonement not only for the sins of Israel but also for the sins of the whole cosmos world. Cosmos means the orderly arraignment and decoration including the inhabitants of the cosmos world. Now notice what 2Corinthians 5:18-19 says:
KJV And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
That word "to wit" means "even as" or "in that manner". God reconciled the cosmos world unto Himself, and He is not (I repeat IS NOT) imputing the world's sins back unto them; even as or in the same manner that He has reconciled us, the believers, unto Himself by Jesus Christ. "Not imputing" means God does not take into account, or does not count the world’s sins unto them. Reconciling the world is the same as reconciling us the believers, and it means to receive into the favor of. Reconciliation also means atonement.
What is the difference in God receiving the cosmos world into His favor and receiving us the believers into His favor? There is no difference. And I have to ask; are we going to live by, by live, and believe the truth that God has atoned, forgiven, and reconciled the cosmos world unto himself; even as and in the same manner that He, by Jesus Christ, has reconciled us, the believers? But there is a very obvious difference in those that are called of God and repented and are living for God in this time and age as compared to the rest of the cosmos world. The difference is those that are living for God now in this life and whose hearts are loving God with all their might and loving their neighbor as themselves is that these people are written in the book of life, which I will talk about soon. The work of restoring the orderly decoration and arraignment of the whole cosmos and making reconciliation for the inhabitants of the cosmos is through a royal priesthood of Israel directly under Jesus Christ.
Do we begin to see why brethren dwelling together in unity have to do with the anointing of oil on the physical Aaronic priesthood which pointed to the spiritual royal priesthood under Jesus Christ? If brethren truly understood that they are written on the heart of Jesus Christ, and were truly convicted that their sins really are atoned for and reconciled as one unit then nothing would offend them even when dwelling together.
Psalm 133 also said that brethren dwelling together in unity are as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion. Dew is the night mist that watered and covered the vegetation growth on the physical mountain called Hermon, and the meanings of Hermon when put together could be called a sanctuary in seclusion devoted for religious uses. The gentle night mist for the growth of the spiritual mountains of Zion used as a sanctuary for a holy use is like brethren dwelling together as one unit. Instead of mount Zion it says mountains of Zion, which means the nations (plural) of Zion.
Notice in verse three it says there; meaning the mountains of Zion is where Jehovah commanded the blessing; even life for ever more. Zion biblically at times is called Israel and the mountains of Zion therefore are all the nations of Israel. These are the nations where God commanded the blessing of even life for ever more. It is the life in Christ that is lived for God that a people of the nations of Israel are living now, and that life was also promised to Israel during the old covenant. As we know Israel could choose the curses of what God called death and Israel could also choose the blessings of what God called life. As we also know Israel as a nation chose the way of death, but only a few individual men of God chose the way of life. But the point is, all of Israel lived and died anyhow, but there were a few Godly men that were considered as written in what is called the "book of the living."
Psalm 69:28 KJV Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
David in the previous verses described the unrighteousness of his enemies and than prayed that God would blot them out of the book of the living, but they obviously still lived. What I want to do is look at the meaning of the book of life, and obviously it is not a literal book with names literally written on literal pages. This book is highly symbolic, but I want to tell you, this symbol of the "book of the living" pointed to and represented a very real literal truth.
First of all, we must look at the meaning of the word "living", and we must then live by, by live, and believe the meaning of that original word of God that was translated as "living". It is no. 2416 in Strong’s Con. and it simply means "alive". It means the life of any living thing. It means raw or fresh such as a raw fresh plant, or fresh water, or fresh year as in the springtime. This Hebrew word was translated most of the time simply as "life", and was translated 81 times as "beasts" or "living creatures." The very obvious truth is that this original word of God could NOT mean what we think is never-ending eternal life. Do raw fresh plants, beasts, and living creatures have what we would call eternal life?
But obviously men of God that are living (I repeat living) in Christ for God in this life now are in the favor of God and are atoned, forgiven, reconciled to God. And the men of God that lived (I repeat lived) during the old covenant were also in the favor of God and God looked forward in time to the sacrifice of Christ, and these men were as if they also were atoned for, forgiven, and reconciled to God.
The book of the living is not what we would call the book of never-ending eternal life, but of course if (there is that word if) if we are in favor with God now in this life that means we are written and destined to have never-ending eternal life; but only after we are resurrected with spiritual bodies. All the men of God, all the apostles, and all believers all have to die first. They do not have what we would call never-ending eternal life while living (I repeat while living) in flesh bodies.
But since the sins of this whole cosmos world is also atoned for, forgiven, reconciled why are the rest of the cosmos world not also written in the book of the living? Because most of this cosmos world are not called of God and are not living (I repeat not living) in Christ for God now in this life. Just a very few souls in this life have lived (I repeat have lived) a righteous life for God, and only a very few souls are living (I repeat are living) a righteous life for God, and it is these few souls that their names are not blotted out of the book of life. I am making a crucial point in emphasizing the words "living" or "lived" because it is called the "book of the living" now in this life.
Again I remind you that God does not impute the cosmos world’s sins unto them and that means He has reconciled Himself unto those NOT found in the book of life even as or in the same manner that He reconciled Himself to us now living in Christ. The vast majority of souls are condemned to what is called the second death.
Revelation 20:13-15 KJV And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Let’s believe exactly what this is saying. Again symbols only point to the real truth, and the lake of fire is only a symbol. It is not a literal lake and it is not a literal fire; but understand; the lake of fire points to and represents a very real literal truth. If you noticed, what was cast into the lake of fire is called the second death, and it is only reserved for the souls not found written in the book of life. These souls were condemned to be judged according to their works because their bad flesh works were not overcome in this life and they did not live for God in Christ in this life. Revelation 2:11 says; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Which means those that overcome in this life will escape the lake of fire and the second death.
Fire consumes and burns up, and those that overcome do not need to have their bad useless works burned up. They chose to have their bad works consumed by the baptism of fire while living (again I repeat while living) in this life. God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), and the Spirit of God is the baptism of fire. It could be said that the lake of fire is also an immersion and baptism of fire for those not found in the book of life.
The word "lake" means nearness of shore; it means a pond, and this Greek word can be traced to also mean good harbor and a fair haven, and haven means a shelter and a place of safety. The term "fair havens" is used in Acts 27:8, and it is the same word taken from the lake of fire and it means "good harbor". I am just quoting the meaning of words, and it would be best that we choose to live by; by live, and believe the meaning of God’s words.
The second death is the death of death and hell. This means the souls cast in the lake of fire will experience their second death; which is the burning up of their bad useless works. The Greek word for hell is Hades and it simply means the unseen. Everyone dies and goes to the unseen state of death. The dead that are not found in the book of life will be delivered up out of the unseen state of death, as explained in Rev 20:13 and after they are judged according to their works the unseen state of death itself will be no more for the souls cast in the lake of fire. 1Cor 15:26 says: The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death. So we have to conclude that the lake of fire will destroy and is the death of death and hades; or the death of the unseen state of death for those not found in the book of life.
Revelation 13:8 KJV And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Have you ever thought about what the book of life really is? In Young’s translation Rev 13:8 says: "And bow before it shall all who are dwelling upon the land, whose names have not been written in the scroll of the life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Concordant Literal NT says the same thing. In the original Greek the word "the" is used and this is just another small example where we are to live by, by live, and believe every word of God.
The book of life IS THE life of the Lamb, and life of Jesus Christ is IN just a few souls that God chooses during this life of the ages, but of course the rest are blotted out during the ages. God planned for the Lamb to be slain from or WHEN the casting down or disruption occurred of the orderly arraignment and decoration of the cosmos world. That is what the term "foundation of the world" means. Names can be blotted out as other scriptures explain, and if names can be blotted out I believe that means they were already written before the foundation.
I do not believe names are added during time and the ages; because all are born is sin and cannot be written to be a part of the holiness of heavenly Zion. They can only be blotted out and those NOT blotted out are keeping the commandments; living a righteous life now for Jesus Christ and they are in Christ, or are included in the life of Christ which IS the book of life or book of the living. The term "in Christ" means exactly that. As we all know Jesus Christ promised eternal life repeatedly in the New Testament for those that live by, by live and believe and keep His words and keep His commandments, and those commandments are summed up as two basic commandments; to love God with all our might and to love our neighbor as yourself. It is NOT according to the letter and legality of the Ten Commandments.
The book of life is the Greek word no. 2222 and it literally or figuratively means lifetime, and it was translated as "lifetime" in Luke 16:25. It is the same word used many times with everlasting or eternal life. Lifetime is the life we live now in this time, which is why it is also called the "book of the living". Any life that is lived at this time is most certainly NOT what we would call everlasting or eternal life. Time and ages have nothing whatsoever to do with what we would call eternal or everlasting.
In several previous lessons I talked about eternal life; and I want to mention again eternal life does not mean what we have been told it means all our lives. The words eternal, everlasting, forever, or any English word that implies what we believe means eternity cannot be accurately translated from Hebrew or Greek manuscripts. The translators used the word eternal, but the original Greek word is aionios no. 166 in Strong’s Con. which is the adjective of aion no. 165. Noah Webster defines an adjective a word used with a noun, to express a quality of the thing named, or something attributed to it. Aion properly means an age and the Hebrew equivalent in the Old Testament is olam; which simply means an unknown or vanishing point of time.
The adjective of the noun aion or an age is aionios which means that aionos is either ages (plural) now or in the future, and it can also mean age abiding or during an age. If aion (the noun) means an age or a period of time then aionios (the adjective) must also have the same basic meaning attributed to the noun. We can only wonder why the translators used the words forever, everlasting, eternal, etc instead of age or similar English words that would match aion or aionios. Could it be that the translators had a religious agenda under King James? Could that also explain why they carelessly used the word "hell" in many Old and New Testament scriptures?
Now logically and honestly we have to ask; what does eternal life that Jesus Christ promised really mean? The word is aionion, and Young’s consistently translated eternal life simply as "age-during," and those living in Christ now during their lifetime (no. 2222) are in the book of the living. They are in the life of Christ now, but they all die because true never-ending eternal life can not be experienced until all are resurrected with spiritual bodies. The life that Christ promised is to be lived now during the ages; but the point is a true righteousness life in Christ leads to never-ending eternal life, but only after death is destroyed. Aionion life is a life during the ages that will not perish (John 3:15). Perish means to destroy or to lose, and those not living aionion lives will perish and be lost during the ages.
Matthew 25:46 KJV And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
There are those that make the very valid argument that since the same word aionos no. 166 is used for both everlasting punishment and life eternal means that the punishment has to last for the same duration as life eternal. In all due respect, they do not know how right they truly are, and they do not realize just how valid their argument really is, and I want to explain why it is valid. The word "punishment" means penal infliction, and is taken from the word no. 2849 which means to curtail and chastise. Thayer’s says it means to prune; to chastise, and correct. Penal means a penal law or code. Rotherham’s Version properly translates Matt. 25:46 as follows: And these shall go away into age-abiding correction: but the righteous into age-abiding life.
The unrighteous lives that perished and were lost will be inflicted by penal law and chastised during age-abiding time to correct them. The righteous during age-abiding time are written in the book of life waiting their death; but they do not need to be inflicted, chastised, and corrected in the same way as the unrighteous. And the point is, after the unrighteous are pruned, chastised, and corrected during age-abiding time what further need is there to continue penal infliction? After they are pruned and corrected why can’t they then be resurrected with the righteous when death is destroyed at the end of the ages? Most of us have often wondered why Moses was willing to be blotted out of the book of life, and I have mentioned this in a previous lesson.
Exodus 32:30-33 KJV And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin --; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Now would Moses actually be willing to give up and sacrifice his eternal life so that God would spare the nation of Israel? I believe Moses knew fully well what he was asking God and it was NOT losing his eternal life. Moses was willing for God to consider him as NOT living for God in this life, and therefore Moses was willing to be on the same standing as the vast majority that have to suffer and be cleansed and purified in the lake of fire. Moses knew that God would still destroy death and hell or hades for him and save him after time and the ages have ended.
The book of life is never called the book of what we would call ETERNAL life, and my question has always been; why is it only a danger of your name being blotted out? It is not a question of making sure your name will be written since all names have already been written. All of Adam-kind was already written in heaven and a part of the life of God, but most have to be blotted out during this life which God had already planned from the foundation of the world. Most have to go through the school of "hard knocks" to learn the hard way so to speak, and will have to be inflicted by penal code, chastised, and corrected to know what the life of God is all about. Only a very few in this age God has called and chosen to not be condemned with the rest of the cosmos world, and these very few are caused by the Spirit of God to overcome the deceptions of the devil and the bad works of the flesh. The Spirit also causes these very few to live by, by live, and believe every word of God.
Luke 10:17-20 KJV And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
These seventy were chosen by Christ to display the power of the kingdom over devils and spirits; and to have power over certain people labeled as serpents and scorpions that are the enemies of Christ. Why did Christ tell them not to rejoice that they had that power, but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven? It is because God’s people cannot rejoice in that power because it is not given in this life; but they CAN rejoice they were all written in heaven where God dwells at mount Zion. The word "written" both in the Old Testament and New Testament means to grave, and figuratively it means to "describe". Christ told the seventy to rejoice because they were engraved and described in heaven as a part of the life of God.
All names originally were engraved in mount Zion, but most are blotted out during age-abiding time because they are not described as living a life in Christ. The book of life is the life of Jesus Christ which is truly never ending eternal life that can be lived in us, but we only have the no 2222 life and we will die. All were engraved in Mount Zion, and I believe that is why no name can be plotted out for eternity; only for the ages. After the ages have ended and death and hades will be no more; then all the names can again be restored in mount Zion and described as a part of the life of God the Father and Jesus Christ.
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