The Book of Life is
the heavenly record in which are written
the names of those who belong to God
and have eternal life.
In the New Testament,
especially in the book of Revelation,
it is closely associated with the Lamb
and determines a person’s eternal destiny.
Those whose names are written in the Book of Life
enter the new heaven and new earth;
those whose names are not found there
are thrown into the lake of fire.
The concept of a divine book containing the names of God’s people appears in both the Old and New Testaments:
Old Testament
New Testament
The Book of Life represents:
Some passages speak of the possibility of names being blotted out, which has led to discussion about whether this refers to genuine believers or to those who were only professing. The overall teaching of Scripture affirms the security of those truly written in the Lamb’s book.
The Book of Life is a powerful reminder that salvation is personal and secure in Christ. The decisive issue at the final judgment will not be a record of good works, but whether a person’s name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. This truth should produce both deep gratitude in believers and urgency in sharing the gospel with those who do not yet know Christ.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.