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Index
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Index
Personal documentation
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened.
Another book was opened, which is the book of life.
The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books
Revelation 20:12 NIV
The penalty clause for breaking the Primary Contract is [Spiritual] Death.
If a person or group break the Primary Contract, then the details are recorded in the Books of Record. The Books of Record provide a history of individual or group wrongdoing. Since 'obedience' is the requirement, then disobedience to any contract or instruction will be recorded here: in other words, the Books of Record aggregate wrongdoing across all contracts. And here are also included the Prime Axioms: the unknown writer to the Hebrews violated the Prime Axioms when he said that the original Covenant was inadequate, outdated, and faulty†; Paul also violated the Prime Axioms when he said that God created a covenant which was lethal‡.
† 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. ... 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:6-7,13 ESV)
‡ 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant---not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV)
These books exist in the Heavenly Realm and contain the historical details of individual and group wrongdoing:
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. (Revelation 20:12-13 NIV)
They are updated in real-time. Deletions are disallowed; the only permitted operations are 'insert' and 'append'. A name once entered cannot be deleted.
Eventually these books will be destroyed; and individual sin will be remembered no more.
It has to be remembered that the Books of Record are legal documents which will be produced in court: they contain the evidence for the prosecution. Evidence for the defence is contained in the Book of Life. When court finally rises, the Books of Record will be destroyed†: the evidence will cease to exist and will not be recoverable.
† But such is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel after these days—declares the LORD: I will put My Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts. Then I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, “Heed the LORD"; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me—declares the LORD.
For I will forgive their iniquities,
And remember their sins no more. (Jeremiah 31:33-34 (Tanakh))
Jesus said that all manner of sins can be forgiven. But there are some sins for which forgiveness is impossible; these are associated with a 'Blacklist'.
The Books of Record contain the Blacklist. The Blacklist includes:
Jesus states categorically and unequivocally that those who dishonour the Lord Spirit will never be forgiven:
And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 NIV)
In the Book of Revelation is another reason for a person to be denied salvation. The names of those who worship the Beast or receive the mark of the Beast will be added to the Blacklist:
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name"(Revelation 14:9-11 NIV)
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4 NIV)
And then there are those whose evil is so great that the Lord is driven - on oath - to declare that they shall never enter His rest:
Forty years I was provoked by that generation;
I thought, “They are a senseless people;
they would not know My ways.”
11 Concerning them I swore in anger,
“They shall never come to My resting-place!" (Psalms 95:10-11 (Tanakh))
David's Fallen Tent will soon be rebuilt. The shamed Office of Levitical Priesthood has been reduced to that of Levitical Servitor. And those corrupt shepherds have been replaced by the Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek - the Two Olive Trees, God's Witnesses. Everyone who seeks to harm the Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek, will be placed on the Blacklist:
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.
They are 'the two olive trees' and the two lampstands, and 'they stand before the Lord of the earth.''
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ( Revelation 11:3-5 NIV)
When a name is added to the Blacklist, then any mention of that name in the Book of Life is automatically deleted.
Since deletions from the Blacklist are disallowed, once a person's name is entered, then forgiveness is no longer possible for that person. Death is inevitable.
Note that the Lord is not obliged to notify those whose names have been deleted from the Book of Life; neither is He obliged to notify those whose names have been entered in the Blacklist.
'Presumption of salvation' is a dangerous belief! In this life, there will always be a question mark against our status. The resulting uncertainty is not designed to undermine us; it is a safeguard which will help us maintain close contact and dialogue with the Lord, and which is intended to keep us from any nasty surprises on the Day of Judgement:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)
It is important to avoid confusing the uncertainty of our own salvation with the certainty of the legal aspects of redemption (ie, the operation of the Primary and Rescue Contracts).
Are our names in the Book of Life? There will always be a doubt, since the Lord God is not required to notify us of our status or any change to it.
Can Jesus' shed blood make expiation for sin? Without a shadow of doubt! For the Primary and Rescue Contracts are enshrined in contract law and are therefore binding on all parties.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. (Revelation 20:12 NIV)
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15 NIV)
The Book of Life predates Jesus' sacrifice:
May they [David's enemies] be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. (Psalm 69:28 NIV)
...going right back to the creation of the world:
Written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain (Revelation 13:8 NIV alternative translation)
Jesus promises to acknowledge those whose names are included in the Book of Life:
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:5 NIV)
The Scriptures state that only those sinners whose names are in the Book of Life will find forgiveness on the Day of Judgement; we should also note that the Book of Life is the property of the Lamb:
Nothing impure will ever enter it \[the New Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27 NIV)
Since the Rescue Contract is a component of the current version of the Covenant, there has to be commitment to the whole of that Covenant. The Blacklist is checked before a name is inserted into the Book of Life; if a person's name is found in the Blacklist, then it can never appear in the Book of Life.
The Book of Life is kept in Heaven. Insertion, update, and deletion are the permitted operations, and these are carried out in real-time.
Once a name has been inserted into the Book of Life, a record is kept of the fruit which is produced. Note, however, that with the deletion of a name, then any associated fruit will also be deleted:
Moreover, if the wicked one repents of all the sins that he committed and keeps all My laws and does what is just and right, he shall live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions he committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness he has practiced, he shall live. 23 Is it my desire that a wicked person shall die?—says the Lord GOD. It is rather that he shall turn back from his ways and live.
24 So, too, if a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does wrong, practicing the very abominations that the wicked person practiced, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he did shall be remembered; because of the treachery he has practiced and the sins he has committed—because of these, he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:21-24 (Tanakh))
Note, too, that if there is no good fruit, then there will be no salvation:
[19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 7:19 NRSV)
The function of the Book of Life is to maintain a list of those sinners inscribed for salvation - something David10C understood well (Psalms 69:29 (Tanakh)). When a sinner hands their life over to the Lord, they cross over from Death to Life; Jesus explains:
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV)
[Assignment:John 5:24 applies just as much to those who preceded Jesus, as those who came after. Discuss.]
This is consistent across the timeline, since those living before Jesus was born in Bethlehem would have been looking ahead to the coming of the Messiah; whereas those born after Jesus' ascension now look back on the life and work of the Messiah. Although the historical perspective of Jesus has changed across the timeline, the Spiritual Perspective remains the same since everyone is looking to the Messiah for salvation, regardless of their position on the timeline. As for Jesus' existential declaration of forgiveness, this must await the Day of Judgement following the End of the Age.
What this means, with regard to the documentation, is that an entry is created in the Book of Life. However, that is not the end of the matter, for should that person subsequently break faith with the Lord, then their name will be deleted.
Lest anyone should doubt the dynamic updating of the Book of Life, it is clearly explained by the Lord God:
Moreover, if the wicked one repents of all the sins that he committed and keeps all My laws and does what is just and right, he shall live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions he committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness he has practiced, he shall live. 23 Is it my desire that a wicked person shall die?—says the Lord GOD. It is rather that he shall turn back from his ways and live.
24 So, too, if a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does wrong, practicing the very abominations that the wicked person practiced, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he did shall be remembered; because of the treachery he has practiced and the sins he has committed—because of these, he shall die.
(Ezekiel 18:21-24 (Tanakh))
David10C says of his enemies:
Add that to their guilt;
let them have no share of Your beneficence;
29 may they be erased from the book of life,
and not be inscribed with the righteous. (Psalms 69:28-29 (Tanakh))
Jesus says:
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:5 NIV)
And we learn from the Book of Revelation that the Book of Life dates right back to the creation of the world:
Written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain (Revelation 13:8 NIV alternative translation)
The beast that thou didst see: it was, and it is not; and it is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go away to destruction, and wonder shall those dwelling upon the earth, whose names have not been written upon the scroll of the life from the foundation of the world, beholding the beast that was, and is not, although it is. (Revelation 17:8 YLT)
Indeed the Books of Record and the Book of Life go right back to the creation of mankind:
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. (Revelation 20:12-13 NIV)
Since the Books of Record and the Book of Life go right back to the creation of mankind, then the Law must necessarily have been in operation, even before it was formalised in the Mosaic Contract.
The Book of Life contains details of the fruit that an individual bore:
So, too, if a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does wrong, practicing the very abominations that the wicked person practiced, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he did shall be remembered; because of the treachery he has practiced and the sins he has committed—because of these, he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:24 (Tanakh))
If a person's name is deleted from the Book of Life, then 'none of the righteous deeds he did shall be remembered': they will be deleted along with their name.
It is important to understand the distinction between 'doing the right thing' - ie, obedience to the Covenant† - and 'bearing fruit for the Lord'‡ .
† "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:7-10 NIV)
‡ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Matthew 9:35-38 NIV)
'Doing the right thing' entails fulfilling the promises which were made when committing to the Covenant. This is a matter of "keeping one's word". The other parties expect one to keep one's word, as one expects of them.
Notice the difference with Mat. 9:38. Asking the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers, requires the Lord to speak to the appointees and to tell them where to go and what they are to do.
Keeping one's word with regard to the commitment made to the Covenant, allows one to dwell safely with the Lord. However, in order to bear fruit it is necessary to enter into discussion with Him and ascertain what He wants. Note that it will be necessary to discover one's accountability as well! 'Commission' and 'accountability' go hand in hand!
The Register of Zion is a subset of the Book of Life which contains information about those who were born in Zion or those who made Zion their Spiritual Home:
And those who remain in Zion
And are left in Jerusalem—
All who are inscribed for life in Jerusalem—
Shall be called holy. (Isaiah 4:3 (Tanakh))
The Lord will write in the register of the peoples†: "This one was born in Zion." (Psalm 87:6 NIV)
[† That is to say the 'Book of Life'.]
Clearly, not everyone can be born and brought up in Zion! Yet for those of us who live far away on the other side of the Globe, Zion can still be our spiritual home, for Zion will be a city without walls (Zech. 2:3-5)†: at the Spiritual Level Zion will be - and is - a city without limits or boundaries. And as the world sinks into evil unimaginable, the flock - wherever they may be living, however great their distress - will be able to look to Zion and find inspiration and strength and hope and encouragement. Even though a person may be an exile in his own country, Zion will always be both existential home and refuge.
[† Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the Lord, 'and I will be its glory within.' (Zechariah 2:3-5 NIV)
This is clearly a reference to what will take place when David’s fallen Tent is rebuilt by the Lord God. Compare the above text with the walled-city, the New Jerusalem, which is described in Revelation, chapter 21.]
The Register of Zion is documented in Ps. 87:6 T:
Of the Korahites. A psalm. A song.
The LORD loves the gates of Zion, His foundation on the holy mountains, more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. 4 I mention Rahab‡ and Babylon among those who acknowledge Me; Philistia, and Tyre, and Cush--each was born there. 5 Indeed, it shall be said of Zion, "Every man was born there." He, the Most High, will preserve it. 6 The LORD will inscribe in the register of peoples that each was born there.Selah. 7 Singers and dancers alike will say: "All my roots are in You." (Psalms 87:1-7 (Tanakh))
[† A poetic name for Egypt (NIV, GNB).]
It speaks of the Lord's great love for Zion. In verse 6 we read of those born there and whose names are included in the Register. This is straightforward enough. But what is of particular interest is the inclusion of Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush: they acknowledge both God and Zion, and so are treated the same as those born in Zion - in the same way that aliens who attach themselves to the Lord and become integrated, are considered as part of His People:
Let not the foreigner say,
Who has attached himself to the LORD,
“The LORD will keep me apart from His people” (Isaiah 56:3a (Tanakh))
We find verification of this in Scripture; but note that it is dependent on attachment and obedience to the Covenant:
As for the foreigners
Who attach themselves to the LORD,
To minister to Him,
And to love the name of the LORD,
To be His servants—
All who keep the sabbath and do not profane it,
And who hold fast to My covenant—
7 I will bring them to My sacred mount
And let them rejoice in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
Shall be welcome on My altar;
For My House shall be called~
A house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:6-7 (Tanakh))
Not only individuals but towns and countries will attach themselves to Zion:
In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women, trembling and terrified because the LORD of Hosts will raise His hand against them. 17 And the land of Judah shall also be the dread of the Egyptians; they shall quake whenever anybody mentions it to them, because of what the LORD of Hosts is planning against them. 18 In that day, there shall be several towns in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing loyalty to the LORD of Hosts; one shall be called Town of Heres.
19 In that day, there shall be an altar to the LORD inside the land of Egypt and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 They shall serve as a symbol and reminder of the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt, so that when the Egyptians cry out to the LORD against oppressors, He will send them a savior and champion to deliver them. 21 For the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall acknowledge the LORD in that day, and they shall serve Him with sacrifice and oblation and shall make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. 22 The LORD will first afflict and then heal the Egyptians; when they turn back to the LORD, He will respond to their entreaties and heal them.
23 In that day, there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians shall join with the Egyptians and Egyptians with the Assyrians, and then the Egyptians together with the Assyrians shall serve the LORD.
24 In that day, Israel shall be a third partner with Egypt and Assyria as a blessing on earth; 25 for the LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, “Blessed be My people Egypt, My handiwork Assyria, and My very own Israel.” (Isaiah 19:16-25 (Tanakh))
For an example of integration, see Ruth12C, who became the great-grandmother of David10C:
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife (Matthew 1:5-6 NIV)
For those not born in Zion, but for whom Zion is their spiritual home, there is a direct link through 'identification' (q.v.). They identify themselves with Zion; and the Lord God identifies Zion with them. This is the thrust of Ps. 87:7 T, where we read, 'All my roots [literally sources] are in you.' So, those five cities in Egypt where Hebrew will one day be spoken:
In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction. (Isaiah 19:18 NIV)
And they will have their roots established in Zion and be recorded in the Register of Zion (Ps 87:4 T).
Those whose names are written in the Book of Life but who did not view Zion as their spiritual home, will not have their names written in the Register of Zion, for God will not falsify the records.
The Register of Zion will contain only the names of those who truly claim to have their roots there. The NIV translation brings this out a little more clearly:
He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; 2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah 4 "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me---Philistia too, and Tyre , along with Cush---and will say, 'This one was born in Zion. ' " 5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." 6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah 7 As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." (Psalm 87:1-7 NIV)
'This one and that one' suggests a selection process which picks out those individuals who've made Zion their spiritual home and whose names are entered in the Register of Peoples (ie, the Book of Life).
Since the Lord dwells in Zion, we too may dwell with Him there. And the New Jerusalem will then be a continuation of Zion.
Although one may think that one's name is in the Book of Life, if there is no fruit, then salvation is not possible. Scripture is quite clear:
[19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 7:19 NIV)
Mat. 7:19 is a stark statement of fact. Jesus explains why this is so:
[4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:4 NIV)
The failure to produce fruit resulted from a failure to remain in the 'vine'. Failure to remain in the vine indicates a loss of personal contact with Jesus. Loss of face-to-face contact causes a breakdown in communications, such that one no longer hears what the Lord wants one to do in His service. Understanding the Covenant is not sufficient in itself; it is also necessary to ask the Lord what He would like us to do at any point, and go on to discuss matters with Him.
Version: 2024-11-22