The Book of Life

By Tim LaHaye, Litt.D.
President, Tim LaHaye Ministries; Founder, Pre-Trib Research Center, El Cajon, California

The Book of Life is alluded to several times in the Old Testament. The psalmist speaks of the Book of the Living, (69.28), so we perceive it is a book containing the names of all souls. It is also referred to as God the Father's book in Exodus 32.32-33 and it records all those whom God the Creator has made. It is, then, the book of the living, much like modern census books, only much more important as Psalm 139.16 implies more than just our names are written in this book.

There are several ways an individual might have his or her name blotted out of the Book of Life. Exodus 32.33 says, "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book." It is possible, therefore, to have one's name erased from the Book of Life because of sin.

Revelation 3.5 promises, "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." An overcomer is one who is clothed in the white garments of Christ through His substitutionary atonement, guaranteeing his/her name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life.

There is another way in which a person can have his or her name removed from the Book of Life: Revelation 22.19 explains, "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." This severe warning is to false teachers who would seek to destroy the prophetic truth of the Word of God. Such will have their names removed from the Book of Life upon their deaths.

When we are born, our names are automatically written in the Book of Life and they remain there as long as we live. Upon our deaths if we have sinned and all have sinned, but have not been redeemed by the Lamb, and/or if we have detracted from the words of His prophecy, our names are blotted out of the Book of Life.

Revelation 13.8 tells us about a similar book, the Book of Life of the Lamb. The Lamb referred to is Jesus Christ, the "Lamb Who taketh away the sin of the world," John 1.29. The Lamb's Book of Life is the book of Jesus Christ into which is entered the names of those who have received eternal life, see Daniel 12.1.

Because a person's name can be blotted out of the Book of Life, I am convinced the Book of Life and the Lamb's Book of Life are not the same book. Psalm 69.28 says, "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous." The Book of Life is a book containing the names of everyone who has ever lived. If an individual has accepted Christ and His forgiveness of sins, this person's name is indelibly recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life, "written with the righteous," and entrance into the Holy City is guaranteed, Revelation 21.27.

If an individual never calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, this person's name will not be recorded in the Lamb's Book and will be blotted out of the Book of Life, see Revelation 20.15

From Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible - King James Version
Published by AMG Publishers, 2000. Used with permission.