What Is the Book of Life?

From Revelation 21:27 we know that only those who are written in “the book of life” have the right to enter New Jerusalem. It is striking that Scripture mentions several times the possibility of being blotted out from this book. Psalm 69:28 says:

Let them be blotted out from the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.
(see also Exodus 32:32,33)

And Revelation 3:5 says:

He who is conquering shall be clothed thus in white garments, and I shall under no circumstances be erasing his name from the book of life…

The idea is that man, at the beginning, is recorded in “the book of life.” But since the unrighteous (=unbelievers) are erased from this book, only the names of the righteous remain in this book.

It has been suggested that “the book of life” would be identical to “the book of the house of Israel” (Ezek. 13:9) and would contain Israelites exclusively. This explanation, however, is contradicted by the fact that in New Jerusalem the nations bring their glory there (Rev. 21:24,26), while at the same time only those who are written in “the book of life” enter (Rev. 21:27). Which is to say that the nations who enter there through their kings are written in “the book of life.” The fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars—their part is in the lake burning with fire and sulfur: this is the second death.

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