How Are Names Blotted Out of the Book of Life?

(1a.) In this scenario, the Book of Life is seen from the perspective of everyone having their names written there from the beginning of creation. It is theorized that because the plan of God was for eternal life for all people, that when the wicked rebel in life, they ultimately have their names blotted out. If a person never calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, the theory is that this person's name will be blotted out of the Book of Life. This first scenario is probably the majority view.
(1b.) Another version of this scenario is that the "Lamb's Book of Life" differs from "The Book of Life."

(2.) In scenario number two, the Book of Life is revealed from the perspective of being a representation of God's Covenant church. That is to say, from the standpoint that it is a symbolic listing or register of the whole Covenant congregation. It is all inclusive, meaning all who are of the visible Covenant church are represented there. Just as all Old Covenant Israel were not all the true Israel of God (Romans 9:6-8), but were all called Israel. They were the visible representation of the Covenanted congregation. In truth, the visible or corporate Israel was merely a symbolic representation of the indivisible eternal Israel of God.

I hold to this second view of what is the Book of Life. The first inquiry we should answer is, "what is the nature of the Book of Life?" We believe that it is not an actual or physical book that one might sit at a desk and read or write from, but a spiritual representative picture of God's congregation. The book represents a figurative expression depicting the corporate church. In other words, a spiritual pictorial "representing" inclusion of all those professing to be God's children. Thus all those within the Covenant family are included in the book whether they are truly saved or not. This is not a novel idea as this is in the exact same way that the nation of Israel was the Covenanted (Genesis 17:13; Romans 9:3-4) children of God (corporately,) and yet they were not all true children of God in the redeemed sense that the remnant were. Likewise, in the external or visible New Covenant congregation today, not all in the congregation are true children of God. Nevertheless, they are all representing the house of God just as Israel were. God alone knew which ones were truly elect and were eternally sealed by His Spirit.

2nd Timothy 2:19-20

• "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
• But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour."

Numbers 9:13

• "Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him."

Genesis 17:14

• "And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my Covenant."

Many Christians erroneously believe that everyone who was ever written in the Book of Life is saved, thus the question "how are names blotted out of the Book of Life?" But this is not the case. Since from God's Word we know that names obviously can be blotted out of the Book of Life, and that some names were never in the Book of Life, it is clear that this represents the Covenant congregation. God's Word also clearly illustrates that salvation is eternal and cannot be lost, thus we are brought to the conclusion that the book cannot possibly be exclusive to God's elect. This being the case, the only other Biblical, rational and logical conclusion is that it is a list of all the congregation that represents the Kingdom of life. Which would follow since the Bible plainly teaches that every person that is brought into the Covenant Kingdom, is not truly saved.

1st Corinthians 3:11-13

• "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
• Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
• Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

I have discussed several view with many Christians, and some hold that it makes more sense that the names of all mankind were in the book from creation. In other words, that every man woman and child ever born into life was in the Book of Life. Then those who loved darkness more than light were blotted out where they do not become Christians. However, a careful study of this view reveals it doesn't actually sense at all. God's Word tells us very clearly that there are those that have never had their names written in the Book of Life. Therefore, all of mankind could not have had their names written there. e.g.:

Revelation 13:8

• "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."

Actually, I do not think that this principle should really be so difficult for some to understand because the truth that people can pervert God's Covenant relationship and be cut off from Him corporately, is well documented within the Bible, and also vividly illustrated in the Old Testament.

Exodus 32:32--33

• "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
• And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book."

Deuteronomy 9:12-14

• "And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
• Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked 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."

Revelation 17:8

• "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."

So there are really three groups. Those who are not called (the non-church), those called (the visible church), and those both called and chosen (the indivisible church). Only the latter has the promise of never being blotted out of God's Covenant registry. The fact that those who truly overcome in Christ cannot be blotted out, and were written in the Book from the foundation of the world, is in itself a testimony to perseverance of the saints and eternal security.

Revelation 3:5

• "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."

Revelation 22:19

• "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."

Exodus 19:5-6

• "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
• And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

• "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"

Ephesians 1:4-5

• "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
• Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"

1. There are Covenant children in the Book of Life, written there from the foundation of the world by God.
2. There are Covenant children who are written in the Book of Life, but not from the foundation of the world, and they have no eternal security because they can be blotted out.
3. There are people outside the Covenant who were never written in the Book of Life at all.

This all inclusive Covenant children motif goes hand in hand with Covenant Theology. Yet many Christians (even those claiming to understand Covenant Theology) do not really comprehend this principle of the visible or corporate congregation model. This is what is really at the heart of the controversy. If we don't really understand that there are Biblically two groups within any church (true believers and those merely professing belief), and yet that group still represents the Covenant of life, then we can't really understand how some within the group can be blotted out of it. The fact is, if we profess to be part of the body of Christ, we profess inclusion in His Book of Life. Nevertheless, if we are called and yet not truly regenerated in Spirit, we shall be blotted out of that Book as easily as many of Israel were.

Matthew 22:14

• "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Matthew 21:42-43

• "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
• Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

Romans 9:6-8

• "Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
• Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
• That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

2nd Timothy 2:20

• "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour."

• "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
• Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
• Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

Psalms 69:25-28

• "Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their 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."

Revelation 3:3-5

• "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
• Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
• 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."

1st John 4:4

• "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

Another good example to help us understand this principle of the Covenant people model is found right in the context of Matthew chapter 22. There we find a perfect example of the corporate Covenant people of God being cut off or removed from that status. It's the very same visible Covenant principle that we see symbolized by the Book. Here it illustrates Israel "represented" by original people who are invited guests of the King, yet they are ultimately removed because they were unworthy to be there. In other words, they were called but they were not chosen. They were corporately bidden or invited, but they never were predestinated to being the New Covenanted creation from above.

Matthew 22:2-14

• "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
• And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
• Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
• But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
• And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
• But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
• Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
• Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
• So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
• And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
• And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
• Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• For many are called, but few are chosen."

Romans 9:3-4

• "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
• Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;"

One might argue or protest, "but how can one be in the book signifying life and not be saved?" I would reply that it is in the very same way that the Word of God says one can be part of the Covenant, be Israel, be the Children of God, be the sons of God, etc., and yet never be saved at all. They were only sons or children of Israel corporately, but were not the family through a Christ relationship. They represented Christ, who is the true Israel of God, but they were no more true children than their animal sacrifices were true atonements. It was merely a outward representation of the true.

Exodus 32:32-33

• "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
• And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book."

There are some theologians who object to this view by charging that the "Book of Life," and the "Lamb's Book of Life" are two different books. However, there is no Biblical evidence to support such a distinction. Is the Lamb's Book of Life not the Book of Life? Adding the possessive word "Lamb" to the phrase "Book of Life" simply further identifies its owner, it doesn't change the Book. In fact, that a Book of God's people is of life itself implies the Lamb. For He is the Resurrection and the Life. In other words, who does the Lamb's Book of Life belong to and how does one remain written therein? The answer is that it belongs to the Lamb, symbolically illustrating that it is a book pertaining to the salvation of God's people. And there is salvation through none other. Likewise, who owns the Book of Life? It is owned by Christ also, and by the qualifier "of Life," it also represents the names of those to whom the Covenant of salvation pertains. There is no legitimate distinction to be made concerning the two. Blotting out of the Book of Life, or the Lamb's Book of Life simply represents those in a congregational Covenant relationship with God, being cut off from God. By contrast, those with their names written from the foundation of the world represent the truly saved of that Covenant registry. These are those saints under the eternal Covenant, which reaches from Abel to those who are saved today. In the Old Covenant side, they lived looking forward to the prophesied work of Christ. And in the New Covenant side, we live looking backward to the finished work of Christ. Even as illustrated in such passages as Acts 3.

Acts 3:24-26

• "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
• Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
• Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."

1st Peter 3:21

• "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:"

1st Corinthians 7:13-14

• "And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
• For the unbelieving husband is Sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."

Indeed, since the external Covenants with Israel always included both saved and unsaved, it stands to reason that all who are included in today's visible Covenant congregation would also be included in the Book. There are many examples in Scripture that illustrate this external Covenant congregation principle. We saw 1st Corinthians 7:14 of the Covenant sanctification of the unsaved, we read of Covenant baptism of children, whether saved or not, and it is also illustrated in Romans chapter 11 as God warns the Gentiles against pride. They too could be cut off of the Olive tree representing Covenanted Israel.

Romans 11:20-21

• "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
• For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee."

Romans 2:28-29

• "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
• But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

Of course, one might logically ask, "how can you agree that the Book of Life refers to the eternal decree of divine election, and yet believe some can be blotted out of it?" I do so because of the way the Holy Scriptures are written. They are written with a view to the true, but also with a view to the group representing the true. It always has been written that way. The Book of Life does represent to the eternal decree of divine election, but so does the title "Israel of God" or "Children of God." Yet there is a eternal Israel and an external Israel that represents it. That is why God declared, "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel - Romans 9:6." Did that mean that Israel does not refer to the people of eternal decree of divine election? Absolutely not. What it means is that from the Biblical perspective, there is a Covenanted body or congregation "representing" this true Israel. This doesn't negate that there is an eternal decree of divine election, which covers the true Israel of God. There is no contradiction there, it is in complete historical agreement. Just as there is one church, which is the true body of Christ, but there is also the visible or external Covenant church representing the body of Christ. It's all the very same principle. There are those written in the Book of Life from an eternal redemptive church relationship position, and those written in the Book of Life from a visible external Covenant church position. God's eternal decrees of election are immutable, so blotting out of the Book is not symbolizing a loss of life, but rather a removal of all those Christ never knew, who were there but unworthy to be representing Him.

So when the question is asked, "How can names be blotted out of the Book of Life?" We understand that it is because this Book represents the Covenanted children register. It is not a register of only those who are truly saved, nor a register of all mankind. As Old Covenant Israel could have those not truly saved within its ranks, so the Covenanted church today can have those in it who are not truly saved within its ranks. Even as God warned the messenger of the church in Sardis that it had a name that it lived, but was dead. Meaning they claimed registry in the book of life, but were dead. That name they claimed was Christ, and except they truly overcome in Him, they will be cut off from among God's people.

Revelation 3:5

• "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."

    May the gracious Lord, who is rich in compassion and mercy, grant us divine wisdom and spiritual understanding, that He guide us into truth through a circumspect study and exegesis of His most Holy Word.

Amen!