Apocalyptic and Other Writings

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon.

When it comes to the book of life, it should be noted that Jewish apocalyptic writings conceive of God keeping at least two books: a book of life for the righteous, and a book of death for the wicked. To have one’s name blotted out of the book of life means complete condemnation (e.g., Jubilees 30:20-22; 1 Enoch 108:3). These writings further indicate that the archangel Michael is the keeper of these books. 

The overriding idea is that God, or an angel, keeps a record of people’s deeds, which are exposed to them on judgment day, resulting in salvation or condemnation. This is not strictly a Jewish concept. An ancient Babylonian New Year’s festival finds an assembly of gods determining the duration of people’s lives based on what’s written down in a “tablet of life.”

It’s possible this influenced Jewish thinking during the Babylonian captivity of the sixth century BC. Much later, Islam adopts the concept of two recording angels – one who notes a person’s good deeds; the other, his or her evil deeds. Both angels open their books on judgment day.

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God’s Registry of the Redeemed

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon.

Section I: What Is the Book of Life?

The phrase “book of life” appears in only eight passages of Scripture. Other references help tease out a biblically faithful understanding of this divine record. The Lord calls it “my book” (Exod. 32:33). David acknowledges God’s ownership of it, rejoicing that his own days were written in “your book” (Ps. 139.16). The prophet Malachi writes of a “book of remembrance” (Mal. 3:16), while the writer of Hebrews describes those whose names have been “written in heaven” (Heb. 12:23). 

But what, exactly, is the book of life? This section lays the groundwork for an exploration of Old and New Testament passages that seek to answer this vital question. We begin with an explanation that the book of life is the registry of the redeemed.

God’s Registry of the Redeemed

The book of life is God’s registry of the redeemed. It’s the official roster of citizens in the kingdom of God, the final checklist of those who inhabit the new heavens and new earth. One theological resource calls the book of life “the balance book of God.”

But it’s not quite that simple. Like other biblical realities, the book of life is revealed progressively across the pages of Scripture. That is, each reference to the book of life adds to the previous one until we come to a more complete understanding of God’s purpose in keeping such a record. 

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Satan’s Date with Destiny

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

The Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts is well into its third decade of operation and has yet to report a breakout. The center has earned its reputation as the most technologically advanced and secure prison in the world – even more secure than Russia’s notorious Black Dolphin Prison, or the ADX prison in Colorado, dubbed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.” 

Six hundred corrections officers guard Souza-Baranowski’s 1,500 prisoners. But just to be sure, the omniscient eye of a robotic watchman carefully monitors every inch of the facility. More than 40 graphic-interfaced computer terminals drive a keyless system that controls every aspect of the prison, from doors to the water supply. If that’s not enough, 370 high-definition cameras always record everything. Plus, a taut-wire fence and microwave detection system guard the perimeter. 

If you think you can simply snip a few wires or pull the plug on the entire system, think again. Souza-Baranowski is one of the only U.S. prisons designed to run entirely on solar and hydroelectric power. Oh, and for anyone trying the old-school method of digging out, the prison was built using the highest-strength concrete and tool-resistant steel available. Hollywood blockbuster Escape Plan to the contrary, not even Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone could bust out of this place.

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The Book of Life

This is the first in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon.

The Bible mentions dozens of books. For example, there’s the book of the law, a collection of commands and decrees from God, given through Moses to the children of Israel (Deut. 30:10; cf. Deut. 31:24). There’s the Book of the LORD’s Wars (Num. 21:14), the chronicles of David (1 Chron. 27:24), and an angel’s book (Rev. 10:2). The record book of King Ahasuerus indirectly helps save the Israelites in Persia (Esth. 2:23; 6:1). A book of remembrance is penned in the days of Malachi (Mal. 3:16). And a seven-sealed scroll is opened in the hands of Jesus, revealing future judgments (Rev. 5:1ff.).

But perhaps the most fascinating book revealed in Scripture is the one that may, or may not, feature your name: the book of life. 

Scripture tells us the book of life is God’s book. Under his sovereign authorship, names are written in the book, and many are subsequently erased from it. In some biblical references, the book of life simply appears to be a record of the living, while in other passages, it’s the roll of God’s faithful covenant people. 

But the Bible’s most dramatic revelation is that the book of life discloses the everlasting destiny of all people. It is, John writes, the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27), and those whose names are written there are shielded from the lake of fire and welcomed into New Jerusalem. 

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The Power and Limitations of Angels and Demons

This is the sixth in a brief series of posts on angels.

Who are demons? Where did they come from? What are they like? And what do they do? Scripture clearly affirms the reality of demons. In the New Testament alone, all of the writers except for the writer of Hebrews mention demons — for a total of more than 100 references. Jesus often casts out demons and authorizes His disciples to do the same. Never does the Lord correct anyone for his or her belief in demons.

References to demons are far less frequent in the Old Testament. The shedhim of Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37 are lord-idols whom the Hebrews regard as visible symbols of demons. The seirim of Lev. 17:7; 2 Chron. 11:15; Isa. 13:21 and 34:14 also are demonic conceptions, according to Charles Ryrie in Basic Theology.

Demons in Scripture exercise great power and knowledge; they clearly recognize Jesus as God and fear Him; they work actively against Jesus; and they promote false teachings known as “doctrines of demons.” 

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