What is the book of life?
There is one popular verse of the bible about the book of life which has been used several times from ages in scary sermons, especially the ones that has to do with eschatology. You know it right?
Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
This has been leveraged upon by many unskilled teachers, teaching and preaching the damnation that is dependent on human works of righteousness which is not biblically logical. In other to understand what this verse mean, we must of course first come to full understanding of its subject – the book of life. If those who will be eternally damned are those whose names are not found in it, then this “book of life” must be the target of every man since it determines their destiny.
Now, I know that it is commonly taught and that the book of life here is literally spoken of, that is “a book or a scroll”. However, it is biblically unsound to reason that way. To think that the destiny of mankind is locked in some kind of notebook somewhere is absurd. A student of biblical hermeneutics will disagree apparently with this literal interpretation concerning the book of life. The book of life cannot be a form of our common notebooks or textbooks. It cannot be a paper work can it be written upon by ink. It is very funny to assume that the book of life is some sort of scroll too. That it is called “book” does not mean, it is actually a “book” in that sense.
In terms of biblical language, "the book of life" as used here and invariably other verses of the bible is in figurative sense. It is a symbol of an essential dimension of Christ that hosts the identification of certain persons. Like a bank whose entirety is full of life.
Although the Greek word rendered as "book" is “biblos” which is defined in Strong’s concordance as “properly the inner bark of the papyrus plant that is (by implication) a sheet or scroll of writing.” And in all cases (12 times) where it was used throughout the entire new testament, it was either referring to a sacred writing by the Old Testament Prophets or the Book of Life itself. It is the same root word for “bible”. Interestingly, on the other hand, the word "life" is “zoe” which is always attributed to the “life of God” or “eternal life” either literally or figuratively. It is the word used in
Matthew 7:13-14
[13]Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: [14]Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto LIFE and few there be that find it.”
It is also the same word used in Luke 18:18
[18]And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal LIFE?
And many other passages of the scriptures.
Now, if this book is “of” life, and this life is "of" God, then this book must belong to God. Therefore, it is more than a material book written upon with pen or ink. It is not a scroll. No material book/scroll can contain the life of God. And if names are written in it, then there is no material book that can contain the entire names of generations of mankind. Now, let’s do a little parallel interpretation of the scriptures…
In the new testament, Jesus Christ had depicted his very essence in many ways…in almost all of these ways, he used material things to represent his functionality and dimension in many areas. In some places, he used living things while in some , he used non living things.
For example, Jesus Christ is the “door”
John 10:9
[9]I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
In another place, Jesus Christ said he is the light
John 8:12
[12]Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
In the first instance, he used a material thing, “door”, to depict his function as the entrance into God’s kingdom. This was what he expatiated in the book of John by saying “no one comes to the Father by by me”. But in the second instance, he used a matter/particle, “light”.
If we continue to count on and on, there are many of these symbolic depiction of Jesus Christ. But John bore witness of him as the “Life”…and he himself said it in John 14:6 that “I am the Life”!
Therefore, it is important to note that, this same theme was used to communicate the “book of life”…. If he is the life, then the book must be related to him.
He said again in John 6:48
[48]I am that bread of life.
Very simple,
If Jesus is the light of life
If he is the salt of the world
If he is the door
If he is the living water
If he is the way, the truth and the LIFE, then Jesus Christ is also the book of life !
No strings attached! Parallel translation based on sound biblical interpretation. The book of life is simply Jesus Christ. It is his symbol, not a literal book somewhere in heaven.
Amen
To be continued!
© Philip Oklu
There is one popular verse of the bible about the book of life which has been used several times from ages in scary sermons, especially the ones that has to do with eschatology. You know it right?
Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
This has been leveraged upon by many unskilled teachers, teaching and preaching the damnation that is dependent on human works of righteousness which is not biblically logical. In other to understand what this verse mean, we must of course first come to full understanding of its subject – the book of life. If those who will be eternally damned are those whose names are not found in it, then this “book of life” must be the target of every man since it determines their destiny.
Now, I know that it is commonly taught and that the book of life here is literally spoken of, that is “a book or a scroll”. However, it is biblically unsound to reason that way. To think that the destiny of mankind is locked in some kind of notebook somewhere is absurd. A student of biblical hermeneutics will disagree apparently with this literal interpretation concerning the book of life. The book of life cannot be a form of our common notebooks or textbooks. It cannot be a paper work can it be written upon by ink. It is very funny to assume that the book of life is some sort of scroll too. That it is called “book” does not mean, it is actually a “book” in that sense.
In terms of biblical language, "the book of life" as used here and invariably other verses of the bible is in figurative sense. It is a symbol of an essential dimension of Christ that hosts the identification of certain persons. Like a bank whose entirety is full of life.
Although the Greek word rendered as "book" is “biblos” which is defined in Strong’s concordance as “properly the inner bark of the papyrus plant that is (by implication) a sheet or scroll of writing.” And in all cases (12 times) where it was used throughout the entire new testament, it was either referring to a sacred writing by the Old Testament Prophets or the Book of Life itself. It is the same root word for “bible”. Interestingly, on the other hand, the word "life" is “zoe” which is always attributed to the “life of God” or “eternal life” either literally or figuratively. It is the word used in
Matthew 7:13-14
[13]Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: [14]Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto LIFE and few there be that find it.”
It is also the same word used in Luke 18:18
[18]And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal LIFE?
And many other passages of the scriptures.
Now, if this book is “of” life, and this life is "of" God, then this book must belong to God. Therefore, it is more than a material book written upon with pen or ink. It is not a scroll. No material book/scroll can contain the life of God. And if names are written in it, then there is no material book that can contain the entire names of generations of mankind. Now, let’s do a little parallel interpretation of the scriptures…
In the new testament, Jesus Christ had depicted his very essence in many ways…in almost all of these ways, he used material things to represent his functionality and dimension in many areas. In some places, he used living things while in some , he used non living things.
For example, Jesus Christ is the “door”
John 10:9
[9]I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
In another place, Jesus Christ said he is the light
John 8:12
[12]Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
In the first instance, he used a material thing, “door”, to depict his function as the entrance into God’s kingdom. This was what he expatiated in the book of John by saying “no one comes to the Father by by me”. But in the second instance, he used a matter/particle, “light”.
If we continue to count on and on, there are many of these symbolic depiction of Jesus Christ. But John bore witness of him as the “Life”…and he himself said it in John 14:6 that “I am the Life”!
Therefore, it is important to note that, this same theme was used to communicate the “book of life”…. If he is the life, then the book must be related to him.
He said again in John 6:48
[48]I am that bread of life.
Very simple,
If Jesus is the light of life
If he is the salt of the world
If he is the door
If he is the living water
If he is the way, the truth and the LIFE, then Jesus Christ is also the book of life !
No strings attached! Parallel translation based on sound biblical interpretation. The book of life is simply Jesus Christ. It is his symbol, not a literal book somewhere in heaven.
Amen
To be continued!
© Philip Oklu
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