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I'm going to preach a sermon called The Lamb's Book of Life. Now I preached the sermon on the Book of Life, it's not quite two years ago, but there's different things, or I guess some harder passages as far as this goes. So I just kind of want to hit on some other things when it comes to this as far as explaining what the Book of Life is. There's two different major views as far as how to look at the Book of Life, and when I say two major views, I'm talking about saved people's major views, okay? So obviously you have unsaved people that are going to say different things about the Book of Life, but as far as a saved person, how to answer the Book of Life passages, what is it talking about, and all that. So first of all, what I want to do is I just want to look at all the places that the Book of Life is mentioned in the Bible. So don't get uneasy, it's not that many places that that phrase, the Book of Life, is mentioned. And then I'm going to talk about the two views that people have, and then I'm going to talk about what my view is. Now, my view hasn't changed, so it's not like I came to another view on this, or I switched to the other side on this, although the view that I don't hold to, that's what I originally thought. That's just the first thing that ever was explained to me, and so I just took that, and then I changed a while back on this. Now, in Revelation 20 here, we see this is really where the rubber meets the road, okay, when it comes to the Book of Life, and the fact that if your name's not written there, you're going to be cast to the Lake of Fire. Okay, so this is very important to know that, hey, our name is in the Book of Life, okay. So in Revelation 20, just to read that again, Revelation 20 verse 11, it says, and I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. 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 those things which were written in the books according to their works. 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. And death and hell were cast in the Lake of Fire. This is the second death, and whose heart was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire. Okay, so what do we see here? Well, we see the great white throne judgment, and in this great white throne judgment, you see the dead. Okay, so all these people are unseen, okay? It's the dead, the dead, small and great, stood before God. And so this is different than the rest of the dead shall not live again until those thousand years are expired because they're alive, okay? But here we're dealing with the dead. So we're talking about everybody that was in hell, everybody that died without Christ is standing before this judgment. And it mentions that these books were opened, okay? And then it talks about the Book of Life. So we're talking about two different things here. You're talking about the books were opened, and that's what they're judged by, okay? They're not judged by the Book of Life, right, as far as like their deeds by the Book of Life. It says that they were judged in verse 12 there, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, plural, okay? So the books were opened, and they were judged according to their works from the books, okay? And then basically they would check the Book of Life to see if their name's written in there, right? If they were not found written in the Book of Life, they were cast into the Lake of Fire. That's what it's stating, okay? So that's really where the road meets the road as far as why this is an important issue, okay? So it's important because if your name's not in there, you're going to be cast into the Lake of Fire. Now let's look at the other mentions. Most of them are in Revelation, okay? Actually most all of them except for one is in the Book of Revelation. Go to Revelation 21, Revelation 21, and verse 27. Revelation 21 and verse 27, it says, And there shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, okay? So now we see it's called the Lamb's Book of Life, not just the Book of Life, okay? So the Lamb's Book of Life. Go to Revelation 3 and verse 5. Revelation 3 and verse 5. And I'm going to get into, I'm going to go into these. I'm just going to try to go quickly through these so you see where it's mentioned, and then I'm going to park it on some of these to really explain them, okay? So Revelation 3 and verse 5, and the thing is with Revelation 20 and 21, is there really anything to really see there besides the fact that you're not going to go to heaven if your name's not written in the Book of Life? So I think that's pretty clear there. Revelation 3 and 5, it says, 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, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Go to Revelation 13, verse 8. Revelation 13, verse 8. Revelation 13, verse 8. It 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. Revelation 17, verse 8. Revelation 17, verse 8. Revelation 17 and verse 8, it says, the beast that thou sawest was and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was and is not, and yet is. And then go to Revelation 22, Revelation 22 and verse 19. Revelation 22 and verse 19. Revelation 22 and verse 19, and it says, 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 and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this Book. And so those are all the ones in Revelation, and then go to Philippians chapter 4, Philippians chapter 4, Philippians chapter 4. This is going to be more like a Bible study, if you will, this afternoon as far as going into this. You never know. I can get rip-roaring about something, you know, but this is probably going to be more like a Bible study. So just kind of understanding what the Book of Life is, and then understanding what's being said in these verses that we're reading here. Philippians 4 and verse 2, it says, I beseech you, Odious, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord, and I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Now there's going to be another mention in Psalms, and I'm going to get to that right after I explain these two views, okay? So the phrase Book of Life, that's all the places it's mentioned, okay? And so now there's two major views, like I said. And the first one, and this is what I was taught, and this is the thing that I heard first of all, is that, well, there's the Book of Life, like the Lamb's Book of Life, and then there's the Book of the Living, and I'm going to get to that because that's in Psalm 69. That's where we're going to go next, okay? And so basically there's two books, okay? There's the Lamb's Book of Life, and then there's the Book of the Living. The Book of the Living, everybody's written into that book, and basically if you die without Christ, you're blotted out, okay? And if you're saved, you can't be blotted out because you have eternal life, so you can't die. So basically, in the end, only saved people will be in that Book of the Living. And then the Book of Life, the Lamb's Book of Life, only those that believe in Christ are written into that book, okay? So there's two books, there's the Book of the Living, where everybody's written in there, so people are being blotted out and all that, but then there's the Lamb's Book of Life, and basically only saved people are written in there, okay? So that's that view. Now the view I believe is that it's all one book, okay? The Book of the Living, the Book of Life, it's all one book, and that everybody's written in there, and that basically if you die without Christ, or you die, or you're twice dead if you're a reperby, you're blotted out of that book, okay? And so I'm gonna go into these views, and those are both legitimate views, okay? Meaning that if a saved person believes that there's two books, you know, and that one's the Book of Living, one's the Book of Life, and then they're trying to reconcile verses with that viewpoint, and then the other person over here, which is where I'm at, believes there's one book, I believe they're both legitimate, saved people's views, okay? Now, a non-legitimate view is that people get saved, and then they're blotted out of the Book of Life, okay? That's not legitimate, okay? Which is where, you know, unsaved people come in and say, well, you know, you got saved, but you could be blotted out, okay? No, the Bible says we cannot be blotted out of the Book of Life, okay? So those are the two views, okay? And I want to explain to you why I believe that it's all one book, and that the Book of Life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, the Lamb's Book of Life, the Book of Life, the Book of the Living, it's all one book, okay? The big reason, okay, go to Romans chapter 7. One of the big reasons where I would have a problem with two books is what about children, babies, and those that are innocent? So the idea is that if you were to get into the Lamb's Book of Life, you have to believe on Christ, okay? You have to be written. Now nowhere will you find, like, where you weren't written, but now you're written, okay? Does that make sense? You won't find it. Actually, we just read all the verses. I'm not going to read to you Psalm 69, but that's just going to be some of them being blotted out, okay? But that being said, you don't see anywhere where they weren't written, but now they're written, okay? And that's the thinking, and, you know, we have the song, there's a new name written down in glory, you know, and you have that song that you're singing about being written in glory, and I'm not against the song, okay? But it's not in the Bible, okay, where it's like you're not written, now you're written, okay? But my problem is, well, how do children get written in there? How do people that can't believe, you know, how do people that don't have the knowledge of good and evil get written in there? And I go to Romans chapter 7, because what we believe, you know, what I believe about children and those that can't come to the understanding of good and evil, okay? So people can actually live, I believe people can live their whole life and just, they're not mentally capable of understanding good and evil, okay? And that means that they're unable to comprehend the gospel, therefore they're innocent, okay? And what this means is that they're not dead spiritually, okay? And so, I keep saying revelation, I do that all the time with the Romans, Romans, Romans chapter 7, verse 7, it says, What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taken occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concubicence, for without the law sin was dead. Notice in verse 9 here, this is very important. For I was alive once without, or without the, I'm sorry, I was alive without the law once. Now that's Paul saying that. Paul says I was alive once without the law, meaning that he's going to explain, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. That means that Paul had a time in his life where he was alive, but then he died, okay? And so I believe that there's, the people that basically, there's a point when children or, you know, and I preach the whole sermon on this as far as where children go when they die, in that I don't believe it's like age 5, you know, that's what happens with everybody, right? I think there's a spectrum as far as when a child can come to that knowledge and all that. But basically there is a time when you die spiritually, okay? That doesn't happen in the womb. And in verse 10 there's the continued reading, it says in the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death, for sin taken occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me, okay? So basically the law showed him, hey, I'm a sinner, and that's when he died spiritually, okay? Now you say, well how did children die in the womb and how did children die in general, you know, that are at a young age? Well their flesh is still sinful, okay? So the wages of sin is death. That's why, you know, the verses where it says they came forth from the womb speaking lies, that's true, okay? But spiritually speaking, in their soul, their soul is not sinful at that point, okay? It's their flesh doing it, but their soul is innocent, okay? So the difference is children are innocent, but adults that get saved, they're covered, you know, they've been cleansed and all that, okay? So my issue with having two books is how do you get the innocent into the book of life, okay? So if they're not in there to begin with, right, how do they get in there, okay? So that's a big issue I have with the two book theory. I go to Psalm 69, Psalm 69, because we're gonna see that I believe the book of life is actually brought up in the Old Testament. Now it doesn't use the terminology book of life or lamb's book of life, but I do believe that it is brought up, and in Psalm 69 we're gonna see the book of the living. I'm gonna show you that it's gonna be talking about people being blotted out of the book of the living, okay? Now if you think about it, if the Bible says in Revelation chapter 3 that he will not blot our name out of the book of life, that'd be weird if no one blotted out, right? I don't know how to really phrase it, but it'd be kind of like a superfluous thing to say, right? Why would you need to say that if no one's blotted out, right? But if people are being blotted out of the book of life, and then you're saved and he's saying, I won't blot your name out though, then that makes more sense, because he's basically stating that people are being blotted out of this thing, but since you're saved, you won't be blotted out, okay? So but in Psalm 69 here, it starts down in verse 21, it says, they gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink, so obviously a prophecy of Jesus. Let their table become a snare before them, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened that they see not, and make their loins continually to shake, pour out their indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Now this is quoted in Romans chapter nine, talking about Israel, by the way. The next portion I'm gonna read to you in verse 25 is talking about Judas, okay? So in verse 25, it says, let their habitation be desolate, and let none dwell under tents, for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. So to me, this makes a lot of sense that if you have this book where everybody's written, and these people, what we're gonna see is they're still alive, but they're being blotted out as they're alive. And he's basically stating here, blot their name out of the book of life, and let them not be written, or it says, and not be written with the righteous. So it'd be kind of like if you have them written there, and there's righteous people that are in there, he's basically saying take them out so they're not with the righteous in that book, okay? That's the way I'm seeing it. And it also says, you know, right before that, it says, let them not come into thy righteousness. So he's basically taking away their opportunity to get righteousness imputed unto them, okay? So these are people that are past hope of salvation. Now obviously, this could definitely be talking about someone that goes to hell, because they are past the hope of salvation, once they're in hell. Go to Psalm 109, Psalm 109. And I'm gonna read this to you, I was gonna read the whole passage to you in Acts chapter one about Judas. It says, for it is written in the book of Psalms, so this is talking about Judas, let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein. Well, we just read that in Psalm 69, right? And then it says, and his bishopprick let another take. And it says in Psalm 109, verse 8, let his days be few, and let another take his office. That's where this comes from. So bishopprick is another way of saying office, okay? So it's basically saying let another man take his office, let, it says his bishopprick let another take, okay? So these are passages, Psalm 69, and Psalm 109 is referring to Judas, okay? And it says in verse 8, let his days be few, and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his mother, or his wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg. Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath, and let the stranger spoil his labor. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him, neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off, and in the generation following, let their name be blotted out. So that's some strong language talking about Judas here, okay? But I believe that Judas, the Bible talks about how, you know, obviously he was the devil, he was the son of perdition, and in Acts chapter, go to Acts chapter 1 and verse 25, Acts chapter 1 and verse 25. So obviously Acts chapter 1 is talking about how Judas was the traitor, he, you know, he killed himself, and they're basically replacing Judas. So that's why this is being brought up in Acts chapter 1, is that someone has to replace Judas. But in Acts chapter 1 and verse 25, it says that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, talking about who's gonna take over, from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place. You remember in Revelation chapter 20, what it said about when the dead stood before the great white throne, it says, and there was no place found for them? So they were going to their own place, right? All the unsaved go to their own place, okay? And they're all blotted out, right? Because everybody that's cast in the lake of fire is blotted out, right? Because they're not there anymore. So that's the whole point, is that, here's the book of life, your name's not there, cast in the lake of fire. But the key with the book of life is understanding this, I believe everything was there at one point, meaning that everybody had a chance to go to heaven, you know? It's not the fact that we do not believe in Calvinism where basically God picks and chooses who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, okay? So basically in the fact that, hey, you know, they chose ultimately that route, okay? And go to Exodus chapter 32, Exodus chapter 32, because Moses actually talks about, you know, God basically blotting him out of his book. And I believe this is talking about the book of life, now it doesn't say the book of life, but I believe that's what it's talking about, okay? So and then once I talk about Moses and Paul here for a second about this, then I'm going to get into the passages where it talks about the book of life and kind of explaining them, okay? Because I'll just say it, Revelation 17 is the hardest one to answer when it comes to the view that there's one book, okay? And so I'm going to get into that in a little more detail. But Exodus 32 and verse 31, this is where obviously the Israelites, they make the golden calf, they've sinned, they rose up to play, and God's wanting to destroy them. You know, at one point Moses wants them to be destroyed, and then God's being, you know, like, no, and then God wants to destroy them, and then Moses is like, no, please don't do it, you know? So there's always this back and forth as far as who wants Israel to be annihilated. But in Exodus chapter 32 and verse 31, it says, and Moses returned unto the Lord and said, O this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold, yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, now this is an interesting, I forget the terminology that's used for this, okay, meaning that it's basically you're talking, but then you just stop in your tracks, okay? I forget what it's called, there's a terminology used for this, okay? But notice how it says, yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, and then it kind of just stops in his train of thought, and it says, and if not, right, because it's kind of not a complete thought, right, it's an if statement, right, where's the then part of that, right? And so, but anyway, it's just an interesting, it's a way of speech, you know, that's used where you kind of stop your train of thought, and then you're like, you know, how about you just do this, right? So he's trying to give God like an ultimatum, like, you know, if you'll forgive this, and he's like, just take me out, is what he's going to say here, okay? And so it says, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written. Now that's a strong statement right there. Moses is saying, forgive their sin, but if you don't, you know, just take me out instead, you know, let me take their place, okay? Now this is strong because this is really showing you what Jesus did, right? Jesus is the one that took our place, okay? And if you think about it, you know, God's basically saying, I'm going to destroy everybody, they're all going to go to hell, and Jesus is stepping in and saying, no, you know, let me take it, right? And Jesus, it says, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. And you know, the Bible says that his soul was not left in hell. And so he was three days, three nights in the heart of the earth. And it says, how am I straightened until I'm baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with? And just what he had to go through, but only Jesus could do that, okay? So Moses is offering it, right? But God's not, God's like, no, okay, because Moses is a sinner, he's not a sinless sacrifice, he's not God in the flesh, he can't actually do that. And but notice what it says here in verse 33, it says in the Lord said unto Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. So the idea is that people are being blotted out, okay? And he's basically saying, I'm going to blot out who sinned. And this shows you too that you can't take someone's place, okay? Salvation's a personal decision that each person has to make, and as much as if you wanted to do it, you can't take your child's place, you can't take your parent's place, you can't take your spouse's place, you can't take anybody's place, because it's a matter of who doesn't believe, right? Whoever has sinned is going to be the one that's going to be blotted out. And that's where Jesus said, if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins, okay? So if you don't believe that Jesus is the Christ, if you don't believe he's the son of God, then you're going to die in your sins, and those that sin are going to be the ones that are blotted out, okay? Now go to Deuteronomy chapter nine, Deuteronomy chapter nine. This is where you kind of get God's side of it, okay? So you had this conversation with Moses and the Lord, right? And Moses is saying, don't blot them out, and he's saying, I'm going to blot out who sinned, and this is where the Lord's speaking here. It says in verse 13, so Deuteronomy nine, verse 13, furthermore, the Lord spake unto me saying, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven, and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they. And you can read these stories, obviously, what it's talking about there, but I believe that it's talking about blotting them out of the book of life. And you say, well, you know, the children of Israel, you're saying they weren't saved? Because obviously we don't believe that a saved person could be blotted out, but when you look at Hebrews chapter three and Hebrews chapter four, it's very clear that you're talking about these people that didn't enter in because of unbelief, right? The idea is that they did, you know, let us fear, lest the promise being left us of entering into this rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Front to us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. So who's he talking about? The people that died in the wilderness. And he's talking about the gospel. He's not just talking about, like, they didn't believe in the signs, and therefore they didn't go into the promise land physically. He's talking about these people weren't saved, and they weren't believers, by and large. And so, and even Romans one is talking about the children of Israel in the wilderness. If you look at back in Psalms where that's quoted from, it's basically talking about how they changed the glory of God into a lie, and unto a four-footed beast, they made a golden calf, right? And so that's what that's talking about. Now, go to Romans chapter nine. Romans chapter nine, because Paul is pretty much saying the same thing that Moses said about his people, okay? Romans chapter nine, verse one. Romans chapter nine, verse one, it says, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Now, that's strong language there. Can you imagine saying, listen, send me to hell so that my brethren will get saved? That, now that's compassion right there. And you know what? Maybe there might be someone in your life, you think about your children, right, that you could say that about, be like, you know what? If it were possible, take me instead of them so they get saved, so they would go to heaven and not go to hell, right? And so that's the compassion aspect there. But in all these cases, he just got done saying in Romans chapter eight that it's not possible to be separated from the love of Christ. So he's like, I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, but he just got done saying that, yeah, no, it's not gonna happen, right? You can't do that. And so the same thing with what was the reply of God to Moses? No, I'm not blotting your name out, I'm blotting their name out, okay? So you can request that all day long, but it's a matter of who's saved and who's lost, who's not a believer. Now, let's get into these different aspects when it comes to the book of life as far as these verses. Go to Revelation chapter three and verse five. So first, I want you to know that if you're a believer, if you put your faith in Christ, you cannot be blotted out of the book of life. Impossible. And just on the surface, that should make sense, right? Because you have eternal life, so how could you not be written with the living, right? So just on the surface, that should make logical sense that if you have eternal life, then you'll always be alive, therefore you can't be dead, okay? And the people that are being cast in the lake of fire are dead. So just on a logical level, that can't happen, but Jesus spells it out here and says that. And so in Revelation three and verse five, it says, 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, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. So there you have a promise that he's not going to blot you out of the book of life. Go back to Revelation chapter two and verse 11. Because we're in Revelation 20, what were we dealing with? We're dealing with the lake of fire, which is the second death, and we're dealing with the book of life. And so in Revelation two and verse 11, it says, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. So it's saying if you overcome, you're not going to be hurt of the second death, and if you overcome, you will not be blot out of the book of life. And the only way you can go to the second death is if you're blot out of the book of life. So you see, if you're not going to be hurt of the second death, so you see how it's like, he's basically saying, you know, six ways to Sunday in the Bible, he's saying, you're gonna live forever. You'll never die. You have everlasting life. You will not be blot out of the book of life. You will not be hurt of the second death. You will no wise be cast out. It's just like every way that God could say it, he's saying it in the fact that you're not going to hell. You will not go into condemnation. You are passed from death unto life, right? It's just over and over and over again. Any way that you can cut it, you know, he's stating that it's not possible. You say, well, him that overcometh, you know, that means you gotta overcome with all your works. Well, go to 1 John chapter five, because you should read 1 John before you get to Revelation. It does come before Revelation. And 1 John chapter five and verse four, so this clearly states what it means to overcome, or he that overcometh. So, you know, knowing what you're gonna see here, then you can look at all those passages in Revelation that says he that overcometh, guess what, that applies to you as a believer, okay? So in 1 John chapter five, verse four, it says, for whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world. Well, you can stop reading there, because that's who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Christ. But we're gonna keep reading there, okay? And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God. Point blank, put a nail in the coffin in the fact that he that overcometh is he that believes that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the son of God. Point blank, you're a believer, you have overcome. So when you look at those verses, when it says he that overcometh, it says he that believes that Jesus is the son of God will not be blotted out of the book of life, and will not be hurt of the second death. So it is impossible, and anybody that tries to say, the book of life, you could be blotted out, a believer could be blotted out, they're not saved. Someone that says that, they're not saved, because they're saying you could lose your salvation, and they're calling Jesus a liar, straight up. I mean, you don't get any closer to calling him a liar to when he said you will not be hurt of the second death and you will not be blotted out of the book of life. How could you say that when Jesus promises and says you won't? So that's pretty easy, and that just shows you off the surface here that when you're talking about the book of life, and someone being blotted out, guess what? Believers, impossible to be blotted out. So now you can move on and be like, all right, well, who's blotted out? How do you get blotted out, okay? Go to Revelation chapter 13 and verse eight, and I'm just gonna kinda roll through these as far as the different ones and just kinda explaining what it's saying, okay? Revelation 13 and verse eight. I don't know if I did Philippians four in my notes here, but in Philippians four, I'll just explain that one real quick. Philippians four, when it says help those women which labored in the gospel with Clementa also and other fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life, I believe what he's stating there is he's validating that these fellow laborers are not reprobate, okay? So I don't believe it's stating like, because the rationale with the book of living and the book of life is that if they're in the book of life that means they're saved, okay? But if you believe that everybody's in the book of life until they're blotted out, that means that right now there's unsaved people that would be in the book of life, right? So what would that even mean, right? Why would you even be saying that? You'd be like, well, everybody's in that technically except for reprobates, but that's what I believe it's stating there is that constantly Paul's being accused of being a false apostle, and he's happened to basically in 2 Corinthians, he's basically saying, you should know that I'm not a reprobate, right? He even says at the end of the book, he's like, we're not reprobates, though we be as reprobates. He's basically stating like, if you don't have Christ in you, then you're reprobate, but we're not reprobates, and so I believe what he's stating there is that these fellow workers, they are true fellow workers. They are true believers. They have not been blotted out. You can almost say if they're written, then they haven't been blotted out. Therefore, they're not false apostles or false brethren, and they are true brethren, okay? And so that's what I believe he's saying in Philippians chapter four. I don't know why I didn't put that one on my notes because that is kind of one where when you're looking at the two books, you're looking at the book of living and the book of life, well, only believers are in the book of life at all times then, yeah, that would make sense that you say, well, they're in the book of life, therefore, that equates saved. Okay, does that make sense? Now, in Revelation chapter 13 and verse eight, Revelation chapter 13 verse eight, it says, and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him. Now, this is talking about the antichrist. Now, this is a good verse to understand because not everybody's gonna worship the beast, right? Now, we know that it's impossible for the elect to be deceived. Okay, that's what Jesus said. Said if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect, which means it's not possible, right? So it's not possible to deceive the elect, so that means the elect aren't going to worship the beast but notice what it says. It 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. So I believe what this is stating is that at that time, you know, when the antichrist is setting up his kingdom and they're gonna set up this image, all reprobates will worship the beast. Does that make sense? Basically, all those that are living whose names are not in the book of life, meaning they've been blotted out, they will worship the beast, right? There will not be one reprobate that does not worship the beast, okay? That's what I believe that's stating, okay? So, you know, all the sodomites, they're gonna worship the beast. All those false teachers, false prophets, all those people that have been, you know, given over to a reprobate mind, they will worship the beast. And that means all that dwell upon the earth that are reprobate, that have been blotted out, will take the mark of the beast. And it also would state this too, meaning that if you take the mark of the beast, you've been blotted out, okay? So you can't, you know, anybody that has the mark of the beast is blotted out of the book of life, right? There's no hope of salvation if you have the mark of the beast, is basically what it's saying. Which also means that we can't take it, because we can't be blotted out, okay? So go to Revelation chapter 22, Revelation chapter 22, which goes into an aspect of how could you be blotted out of the book of life, okay? Now, I believe that there's, you know, the idea of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, right? I believe that those that blaspheme the Holy Ghost in Jesus' day, they were blotted out of the book of life. And all those that die without Christ, they're blotted out of the book of life. All those that will eventually be in the lake of fire have been blotted out of the book of life, okay? But there's different ways in which you could be blotted out, okay? Blaspheming the Holy Ghost, saying that Jesus has a devil, right? That's why they, it says that, because they said he had an unclean spirit, that's why he blasphemed the Holy Ghost. And you can say, well, can you do that today? I think you can, but it could have just been maybe something that was just in Jesus' day when he was walking on the earth, that that was possible to do. But I'll say this, is that people are still being blotted out of the book of life, I believe. So, in Revelation 22 and verse 19, this is showing a way that people can be blotted out. And I, it doesn't say blotted out here, but I do believe it's the same thing, okay? So, and I know people that hold a different view will say, well, this is a little different than being blotted out, but I believe it's tomato tomato, if you will. It's just another way of saying the same thing, okay? So, in Revelation 22 and verse 19, it says, 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 and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book, okay? So, obviously, who he's speaking to there is not a saved person, okay? Because we just got done hearing that Jesus said, I will not blot your name out of the book of life, okay? So, that is at the beginning of Revelation. When you get to this point, you should know that can't be talking about a believer, but an unbeliever that takes away from the word of God or corrupts the word of God, I believe that is giving them a ticket to be blotted out of the book of life. And if, would that surprise you when the Bible says that he elevates his word above his own name, that he would hold that strict kind of a rule on that? So, that means these people that made these false versions knowingly corrupting the word of God, changing it for their own doctrine, you know, you think of the New World translation for the Jehovah Witnesses, you have the different versions that are out there that take away the deity of Christ, that take away, say that he fell from heaven, all these different things that are out there, those people that did that, they were blotted out. Their part was taken away from the book of life and if they're still alive, they have no hope of salvation and if they're dead, they're in hell, okay? So, that's what it's stating here in Revelation 22. Now, go back to Revelation chapter 13, okay? Because I'm gonna answer, Revelation 17 is really where we're gonna get to here, okay? Because when it comes to this view that it's one book, that's really where the rubber meets the road, how do you answer this passage, okay? Because Philippians, I think that one's, you know, that can be hard, but at the same time, if you understand that they've been accused of being a false brother, they've been accused of being a reprobate, right? And he's having to constantly say, hey, I am an apostle, I am a true believer and then he's writing to the Philippians and basically saying, hey, these guys over here, their names are in the book of life, okay? So, he's basically qualifying them saying they're not reprobate, they're not false brethren, they are true fellow work laborers, right? So, and so in Revelation chapter 13, I know we just looked at this one, but look at verse eight there. It 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, okay? So, this is where we get that term or that phrase, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, okay? So, let's think about this book of life. Is the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world? Now, was Jesus, did he die on the cross at the foundation of the world in time? No, right? Because that didn't happen until 2,000 years ago, okay? Go to Romans chapter four, Romans chapter four. Now, stick with me, this gets a little into the realm of deep, okay? So, this is getting into the realm of having to wrap your mind around God being from everlasting to everlasting outside of time, okay? And that is hard to wrap your mind around, right? That God didn't have a beginning, because in our mind, everything has a beginning, right? You can't imagine something that never had a beginning, but now imagine that there's this book that's outside of time that doesn't have a beginning or end, okay? And so, and I believe this is gonna help you understand this verse in Revelation 17. So, Romans four, verse 17, notice what it says. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations. Notice that it says, I have made thee, okay? When he said that to Abraham, this is before he had Isaac, okay? And notice that it's present tense. I have made thee a father of many nations, and so he obviously didn't even have Isaac, let alone nations that he fathered, okay? So, it's present tense. It says, before him whom he believed, even God who quickened it to the dead, and notice this, and calleth those things which be not as though they were, okay? So, he's talking to Abraham saying, I have made you a father of many nations, and that was before it ever even happened, okay? But it's saying, he calleth those things which be not as though they were, and when it says the lamb slammed from the foundation of the world, he calleth those things which be not as though they were, because the God is as if it had already happened, right? It's not a matter of whether it's going to happen. He knew it was gonna happen, and it's already established that it's gonna happen, but he's basically saying, you're slain. That's why this sensationalism, when it comes to salvation, is ridiculous, right? Because he's the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, so why wouldn't anybody go to heaven that believes on Christ in the Old Testament, okay? But go to First Peter chapter one, because I do believe this clarifies it, or helps understand what that means, okay? First Peter chapter one, verse 18. It says, for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. So notice that he was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest for these last times for you. So what did it say? The lamb slain from the foundation of the world. What does that mean? He was before ordained from the foundation of the world to be slain, okay? But he caused those things which be not as though they were, meaning that to God is as if he had already been slain. Does that make sense? So your understanding that God is outside of time, he could literally move anywhere in the timeframe that he wants to move, okay? He already knows what's gonna happen. That's why revelation is going to happen. To God, revelation has already happened. He's talking about it in the past tense and revelation a lot of times. So it's not a matter of if it's gonna happen, it's a matter of when it's gonna happen. And now go to 2 Timothy chapter one just to give you another verse to kind of talk about that when it comes to salvation, when it comes to Jesus dying on the cross. So notice before the foundation of the world, he was foreordained, but he was manifest in these last times for you. 2 Timothy chapter one and verse eight. And I want you to remember that foreordained by the way because that's really where I'm gonna really nail down Revelation 17 is dealing with this. And another way of saying that is predestinated, okay? Foreordained, predestinated. So in 2 Timothy chapter one and verse eight, it says, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, notice this, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and have brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, whereunto am I appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. I didn't mean this sermon to actually be against dispensationalism, like salvation, but good night. How could you read this and not see salvation from the foundation of the world, right? And the fact that, hey, it was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our savior Jesus Christ. So that's the same thing that's being said in 1 Peter chapter one. Does that make sense? He's foreordained. That was before the foundation of the world, before the foundation of the earth, right? We use this verse all the time, out of soul winning and hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began, okay? So when you're reading about this book of life of the lambs slain from the foundation of the world, that's basically another way of saying what we just read there. Does that make sense? It's basically stating that he was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifesting these last times for you, to God he called those things which be not as though they were. With Abraham, same thing. Abraham, he's saying, I have made thee a father of many nations, and at that time, he was not a father of many nations physically, okay? But to God, it already happened, okay? So let's go to Revelation 17, okay? This is why brother Dave thought we were gonna start reading Revelation 17, because this is really, if there is a hard verse when it comes to the theory of the book of life, the book of living's all one book, everybody's written in there at the very beginning, and then they're blotted out, people go to hell and all that stuff, this is the verse that is harder to understand. And I think if you understand the fact that, hey, this book is outside of time, if you will, then I think this is gonna make more sense, okay? Revelation 17, verse eight, it says, the beast that thou sawest was and is not, and shall ascend out of the bombless pit, and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. And when they behold the beast that was and is not, and yet is, and it goes on with the story there. So now we're talking about that these people that wonder and worship, now we know that, of course, all the reprobates that are not in the book of life are going to worship the beast, right? They're gonna take the mark. But here it's stating that they were not written from the foundation of the world, basically, right? In the book of life, from the foundation of the world. Now, the last time I explained this, the last time I did a sermon on this, I explained this in this manner, which I'm not against it, okay? But I'm gonna, I believe there's a better way of explaining it, okay? I explained it in the fact that, well, okay, the story that's being mentioned here, a lot of times this is in past tense, right? It's basically stating, I saw the beast and now it's explaining what he saw, okay? So when you're speaking in past tense, let's say this happened 1,000 years ago, okay, for sake of argument, and I said, okay, all those who were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, basically the book of life's from the foundation of the world but they were not written in that book at that time when the Antichrist was on the earth, they worshiped him, okay? And that's how I explained it, right? Which is basically, you know, it's just kind of looking back in time at when it happened, okay? Does that make sense? I'm not against that, okay? But I believe that when you look at the fact that, okay, well, it's the book of life of the land slain from the foundation of the world but it's also the book of life from the foundation of the world, okay? So both those are true. Go to Jude in verse four, Jude in verse four, because we're talking about people that are blotted out but basically in Revelation chapter 17, it's implying that they were blotted out at the foundation of the world, okay? So go with me on this journey here, okay? And know this, I'm not a Calvinist, okay? I believe that everybody has hope of salvation but what this is really gonna come down to is you can't blame God for knowing what's gonna happen in the future, okay? You can't blame God for his foreknowledge, okay? So I do not believe that God forces people to become reprobate as far as to reject him, forces people to, you know, believe on Christ, he doesn't force any of this stuff but he does know who's gonna believe, he does know who's going to reject him and he does know who he's gonna end up rejecting eventually anyway, okay? So God knows all of this, therefore, if he knows from the foundation of the world everything that's gonna happen, then, you know, you can't blame him for knowing that. So Jude in verse four, in this verse right here, I'm gonna just be honest with you, this is a verse that a lot of people struggle with when you're trying to defend Calvin, or defeat Calvinism, not defend it. When you're going against the Calvinists, they'll take you to this verse, okay? Actually, they've never taken me to this verse. It's funny, actually, sometimes how I could probably find a better verse for them when it comes to like defending their doctrine. Actually, I've never had a Calvinist bring me this verse but anyway, in verse four here, it says, for there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God in our Lord Jesus Christ, okay? So it's basically saying that these people were foreordained to this condemnation, okay? Now, of old ordained, foreordained, predestinated to this condemnation. Now, it doesn't say that they were predestined to reject Christ, does that make sense? Did it say anything about they were foreordained to reject Jesus, to reject the Lord? No, it says they were foreordained to this condemnation, okay, because God knew that they would reject, he knew what they'd become, and he ordained the condemnation. He foreordained from the foundation of the world, if you will, go to 2 Peter chapter two. And I'll also show you from 2 Peter chapter two that Jesus died for all those too. He died for that person that was of old ordained to this condemnation, okay? I'll prove that to you. So in 2 Peter chapter two and verse one, and I know this is deep, but just stay with me here on this. 2 Peter chapter two and verse one, it says, but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. Get that, denying the Lord that bought them. That means Jesus bought them, okay? You know, we're bought with a price, but guess what, he's the savior of all men, especially of those that believe. He'll have all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, okay? Meaning that he's a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. So this idea that people are in the world that didn't have a chance and that he foreordained to reject him and basically forced them to go to hell, that is a lie, okay? He died for these wicked people that are gonna be in hell in 2 Peter chapter two. So it says, and even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction, and many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, notice this, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. There's another way of saying that they of old ordained this condemnation, basically saying, you know, of a long time, right? It's been waiting for a long time, from the foundation of the world, I believe, that God has been ordaining the condemnation of these wicked people, okay? And again, what you gotta understand here is that you can't blame God for knowing, for foreknowing what was gonna happen. So what it's saying in Revelation 17, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, what you have to understand is that that book of life is not in the realm of time, okay? If it was, then how is the Lamb slain at the foundation of the world? Does that make sense? And so when you understand it, when you explain the fact that, well, he was ordained from the foundation of the world, but he was manifesting these last times, you could say the same thing with these people, right? They were ordained from the foundation of the world to be blotted out, right? But it was manifesting these last times to be blotted out, okay? That same thing would apply, okay? And the same thing with believers. Go to 2 Thessalonians chapter two, 2 Thessalonians chapter two. And you get into this predestination stuff. Again, I've preached whole sermons on this, but predestination, it depends on what you're talking about, right? What are you predestined for? What the Bible doesn't teach is predestination to believe. Okay, it doesn't teach that. And that's what Calvinists want you to think it says. But nowhere does it say, I predestinated them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. No, never says that. And so, notice what it says in 2 Thessalonians chapter two in verse 13. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that he had chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit. How did he choose salvation to be? Through the sanctification of the Spirit, from the beginning, okay? Salvation is to be by grace through faith from the foundation of the world, according to 2 Timothy chapter one, okay? Go to 1 Peter chapter one, 1 Peter chapter one. 1 Peter chapter one and verse two. 1 Peter chapter one and verse two, it says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit. Sound familiar? To 2 Thessalonians chapter two. He's chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and believes in the truth based off what? Based off his foreknowledge, okay? And it says, through sanctification of the truth, unto obedience, sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Go to Romans chapter eight, Romans chapter eight and verse 29. The reason I'm showing you this is that just as much as God foreknew that we believe to be saved, he also foreknew who would reject and become a reprobate, okay? So we can't blame God for being God and having foreknowledge. And in Romans chapter eight and verse 29 knows what it says. It says, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. Again, it didn't say believe, did it? No, he predestinated to us, but based off his foreknowledge, he can conform to his image, the image of his Son, right? And then it says that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. And go to Ephesians chapter one, Ephesians chapter one, and this isn't a whole sermon on predestination and foreknowledge, but I do believe that this helps you understand that terminology and the way it's phrased in Revelation chapter 17 and the fact that you're dealing with God calling those things which be not as though they were. So from the foundation of the world, those reprobates that he knew that would be blotted out and all those that would be blotted out of the Book of Life, from the foundation of the world, he knew who they'd be, okay? And it was foreordained, meaning that the condemnation of hell, the condemnation of all that was foreordained from the foundation of the world, but it was manifest later on, okay? Just like Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world, and it can be said that way because he called those things which be not as though they were, okay? In Ephesians chapter one, dealing with predestination, in verse 11, it says, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. See, God foreknew who would first trust in Christ and he predestinated us at the foundation of the world. He predestined those who he knew would believe. That's what it's saying. And he predestined or of old ordained those men that would creep in, he ordained, preordained or predestined their condemnation, okay, based off his foreknowledge that they would reject, okay? And so the same applies, you know, you look at the believers' predestination, but you also look at the unbelievers, forenation, if you will, to condemnation, their damnation, linger if not, have a long time slumber if not, all that. And even that next verse there, it says, in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, a promise. And this idea of being sealed, you know, with the Holy Spirit is another aspect that you can look at it too, okay? And this is what I preached before, is as far as when you get saved, you're sealed. And that's true, you know, I mean, the idea, obviously, that you have eternal life, you can't be blotted out of, if you don't die, you can't be taken out of the book of life, right? Because, and that's where I think, you know, if you look at the book of life and the book of living, the book of living, you're living, right? Whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. You know, you'll live forever, the Bible says. So it's basically, there's so many ways you can look at it as far as like, well, of course I can't be blotted out. And obviously those that die and go through the second death, how could they be in the book of life, okay? Just on a logic level. But I know that's a rabbit trail to go down to answer Revelation chapter 17, but when you look at Revelation 17, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, okay? I believe what it's stating there is the same thing when it says, the lamb's slain from the foundation of the world. If you understand what that means, then you'll understand what it means that their names were not written from the foundation of the world, okay? And so, and you say, well, well, when were they blotted out? At the foundation of the world or later on? Well, here's the thing. When did Jesus die from the foundation of the world or when he died on the cross? Well, if you're looking at outside of time, you can't even put it in that realm, right? Does that make sense? There's no place to put it at that point. So to God, at the foundation of the world, all the names have been blotted out that had been blotted out, and all the names that were gonna be saved were already, you know, that are gonna be there. So to God, it's already happened, okay? So that's what I believe is stating with that. And I know that's a little complicated, but again, I think if you look at the fact that it's the book of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, that'll give you the key to understanding that passage. And again, if someone believes that there's two books, there's the book of the living and the book of life, everybody's in the book of the living, and they're living, you know, dying, and then they're blotted out, all that, and then you have the book of life where people get saved, and then they're getting put in there, that's fine, I'm not against you. But again, the problem I have with that is the innocent. How do they get put in, okay? I don't think there's an, I mean, maybe there's an answer that you could show me on how they'd get put in there, but to me, they never died, right? Because Paul said I was alive once, and then the law slew me. So if a child that's in the womb dies, then it's only their body that died. And so their soul was still alive. So to me, it makes sense that they were in the book of life. And here's another thing to think about, your name was in the book of life from the foundation of the world. God knew who you were, God knew, and here's the thing, I mean, if he predestinated you from the foundation of the world to be conformed to his image, he had to know who you were, okay? But he knew from the beginning, and that's a powerful thing to think about, that God knew who you were, knows who you are now, but even when he was creating the world, he knew who you were. He knew what your name would be, he knew exactly when you'd be born, he knew when you'd believe, and that shows you the mind of the Lord, right? And it's hard to wrap your mind around it, so if you're thinking, man, that's, I don't know, I'm kind of spinning around in circles on that, thinking about being outside of time will do that, okay? Because that's what, we're in the system, right? That's all we know. All we know is past, present, and future. To think that what was going on with God for eternity past, that's mind-blowing to try to think about. What was he doing? How many years past that? Well, you're asking the wrong question. There isn't years past that. It's eternity, right? You're outside of time, so you can't even wrap your mind around it, but again, I think that's how you answer that. That's my belief on that, and it's just a Bible study, honestly, as far as the Book of Life is concerned. We went through every passage naming the Book of Life. We can't be blotted out. It's impossible, but there are people that are blotted out, okay? So a safe person's view on that, safe people can't be blotted out, unsafe people can. Ultimately, in the very end, all those that are in the Lamb's Book of Life will be those that are in New Jerusalem, in heaven, and all those that aren't in the Lamb's Book of Life will be in the Lake of Fire, so in the end, it'll all be safe people, just safe people that are written in that book, and that means that everybody that dies in their sins, or everybody that becomes a reprobate and then dies in their sins, they will be blotted out, and they will not be written with the righteous. That's what I believe the Bible teaches on that. If you have any questions on that, or if you disagree with me on that, that's fine, so you can talk to me later on, but I just wanted to give that viewpoint on that, so let's end with the word of the Father. We thank you for today, and we just pray that you'd help us to understand these doctrines in the Bible, and Lord, ultimately, that we can understand how to answer some of these passages when people maybe would try to challenge us on it. You have unsafe people, but then just people having questions about what these passages are saying. We wanna know everything in the Bible. We wanna know all the doctrines, and Lord, just pray that you'd be with us throughout this week, and pray that you'd be with us with our jobs, and Lord, lead us to people that wanna get saved, and just help us be a good witness throughout this week, and Lord, we love you. Pray all this in Jesus Christ's name.