This is just how the carnal mind operates. Everything is viewed from a literal stand point; the book of life is seen as a book filled with pages of paper with words written on them. Such a concept does not contain the life of God; the carnal mind envisions the father keeping a record of the deeds done by his children whether good or evil. Some believes that the book of life is the photographic mind of the father where all his children are stored or memorialized. In this study I want to address what the Word of God has to say about who and what the book of life is and what it means to the people of God.

Revelation 20:12 say, 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 the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The first thing I want you to see is that they were all dead. When Christ came the world was dead in sin and none was living. Paul said to be carnally minded is death. Paul goes on to tell us, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). One man (Adam) is sleeping and the whole world is asleep in him. So Paul said, Awake thou that sleeps and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14). Revelation 20:12 say, The dead stand before God. Have you ever seen a dead man standing? The bible is speaking spiritual things to a spiritual people.

The books that were opened were the living epistles. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 says, Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. For as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us. We are the pages in the book of life. Every life is a page and we are writing this book as we live out our experience. And what we write in our books (the life we live) is what men will read, and it is out of those things written that we are judged thereby. Jesus made a profound statement in the book of John, he said, The prince of this world cometh and has nothing in me. Jesus understood his purpose; he knew he came to give justice, mercy and peace. His life showed what manner of person he was, even those who came into contact with him was changed. They were judged by his book.

Now Revelation 13:1, 8-9 says, 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. The correct rendition of the words the book of life of the lamb according to the Emphatic Diaglott is the book of the life of the lamb. This book is a revelation of who he is and what he does, his nature, and character as it is being unveiled in his people. We are the very pages and our life is chapters in the book of the life of the lamb. Every life or chapter is a compilation of what the father is doing, saying and unveiling. When he puts the book together the story is complete and God is the all in all.

The white throne and what is to follow (the judgment) in Revelation 20:11-15 has caused so much fear among the people of God, that their concept of the love of God is distorted. Because of this an end time doctrine of fear and insecurity is preached and many because of fear turn to the father before it is too late. The carnal mind reads the word of God and all it sees is the judgment of God. The mind of man does not see the judgment of God as corrective and but punitive and because of this the character and workings of God in the life of man is maligned and misunderstood. David said, He shall judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 96:13). And Isaiah said, When thy judgments are in the earth, the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:8-9). Paul said, He has appointed a day where in he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained. Whereof he has given assurance to all men, in that he raised him from the dead (Acts 17:31).

Many believe when the judgment of God is in the earth many will get what they deserve. Christendom is so caught up with the issues of this life, what the world is doing, the aids epidemic, the Jews, antichrist, end time events etc. that they totally miss what the father is saying and doing in the earth. Many teach the Gods final judgment is yet to come, and many believe this to be so, yet the bible contains no such word as final. Jesus said, the father has committed all judgment to the son and goes on to say, I came not to judge the world but to save the world (John 5:22). Jesus in John said, Now is the judgment of this world and, now shall the prince of this world be cast out (John 12:31). So many believe what they have been taught as gospel without reading and seeing if these things be so. It is time the people of God become like the Bereans and begins to search the Word of God and see if these things be so. Truth sets us free to live and move and be. When we know truth, it brings life and we stop existing and start living.

The judgment of God is not external but begins at the house of God, whose house we are (1 Peter 4:17). It is our books that are open and we are being judged by the things written in them. The judgment of God is not future but is happening right now in the lives of men. Paul said, The laws of God are written on our hearts and minds and the conscience bears witness with the heart, either condemning us or setting us free. Jesus said, By thy words thou shall be condemned or justified. Our books will declare what manner of people we are. God is writing new things in our life daily but we need to see through the eyes of the spirit the wonderful works of God. It is in this hour that the father is calling the light out of darkness and everything that was once covered is being manifested in our lives so that the life of God can be declared in us.

Many times we are overcome with anger, jealousy, hatred, envy etc. and our families, friends and co-workers are forced to read what we have written and it causes our hearts to bleed and we are ashamed of what was revealed in us. It is in circumstances such as this so much of our self is seen and so very little of the father is revealed, yet he condemns us not, but loves us just as we are, warts and all. Paul said, If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts. The book of the life of the lamb is writing in our hearts, life and mind and its seals are broken by the father himself. When the seals are broken men are judged by those things that are written on the pages of our lives.

Let us write the pages of our life so that mankind will read our epistles and come to know him in the fullness of the God head bodily, Christ in us the hope of glory.

Namaste,

Winston & Sarah