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What Are the Books?
Open the
Bible Question Form to send your own question.
Q:
In the book of revelation
chapter 20 it speaks of the books. I know there is the book
of life. What are the books?
A : The
verses in question are:
- Revelation 20:12 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.
- Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire.
The book of life here is also called "the Lamb's
book of life"
(Revelation 21:27) or "the book of life of the Lamb" (Revelation
13:8).
This is the book of names of those who are saved and have a place in
heaven. Notice that in Revelation 20:15 (above) those who were cast into
hell received this judgment because their name was not in the book of
life.
The "books" mentioned in verse 12 are in addition to the book
of life.
They are the object of your question. Notice two things about them.
- What was written in the books told of their works. That is, the books
were the books keeping an account of the works of the people being
judged. They were a record of their works.
- These books were used to judge those who did not
have their name in
the book of life. They were not used to determine whether or not someone
was saved. Rather, they were used to determine the punishment they were
to receive. Christ taught in Luke 12:41-48 that the servant who knew
the Lord's will and did not do it would receive "many stripes" (v.47)
while
the man who knew not would receive "few stripes" (v.48). Certainly,
we do
not understand all the implications of this teaching, but it clearly
teaches that there will be levels of judgment for the lost. In this
parable, the unworthy servant is appointed his portion with the
unbelievers (v.46), so we can say that he is lost.
Till He comes,
Pastor David Reagan
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