Revelation 20:15 declares, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” The Book of Life is the set of names of those who will live with God forever in heaven. It is the roll of those who are saved. This Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 20:12; and Philippians 4:3. The same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27).
:clapping::clapping::angelfly::angelfly:
During the Millennium reign of Christ Jesus (Rev 20:6) in the near future, there is "going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous."(Acts 24:15) Revelation 20:11 says that at that time, there will be a judging of resurrected mankind, with a "great white throne" or God's heavenly throne being seen by the apostle John.
The book of Revelation is "presented in signs"(Rev 1:1), and therefore the "earth and the heaven (that) fled away, and no place was found for them"(Rev 20:11), is not the literal earth and heaven, but pictures all wicked human governments (the heavens) and wicked human society (the earth) that looks to these human governments for their protection, of which both the "heaven" and "earth" at Revelation 20:11 are under the manipulative control of Satan the Devil.(Luke 4:5, 6)
The apostle John said that "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one."(1 John 5:19) Thus, the vast majority of mankind, "the whole world" or "former earth"(Rev 21:1), and "the heaven", human governments, are all controlled like a puppet by Satan. These are done away by God, and are to be replaced by a "new heaven"(Rev 21:1; 2 Pet 3:13), God's heavenly kingdom (Dan 2:44, 45; Matt 13:11), and "a new earth", a righteous human society that submits fully to God's kingdom.(Rev 21:1; 2 Pet 3:13)
Revelation 20:12 says that "the dead, the great and the small (were) standing before the throne" of Jehovah God, and that "scrolls were opened", with "another scroll" being opened, "the scroll of life." From these scrolls, "the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds."
Jesus pointed to this judgment period of one thousand years, his millennium reign, saying: "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."(John 5:28, 29)
This is further emphasized at Revelation 20:13, which says that "the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."(
King James Bible) Thus, the oceans of water, those who died at "sea", and "death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them". All who qualify to be resurrected are given life again, including "hell", to be "judged every man according to their works" that they perform during Jesus millennial reign.
The word "hell", as rendered by the
King James Bible, is not a place of eternal torment, as taught by the churches, but is a rendition of the Greek word
hades.
Hades, with it's corresponding Hebrew word
sheol, means the common grave of mankind.(Job 14:13) After "death and hell" are completely emptied of all those there by means of a resurrection, then "death and hell (are then) cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."(Rev 20:14) Hence, at the end of Christ Jesus thousand year reign, "death and hell" are forever done away with.
But what is "the lake of fire" ? Realizing that fire destroys (Gen 19:24), then the "lake of fire" represents everlasting destruction, with no hope of a resurrection. Jesus used the Greek word
Gehenna to picture this.(Matt 5:22; 10:28) Thus, Revelation 20:15 says that "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."(
King James Bible)
All who do not measure up to God's holy standards of righteousness at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign, but who follow Satan's leadership (Rev 20:7-10), are "cast into the lake of fire", never to exist again. On the other hand, those who have proven their loyal submission to God's rulership at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign, after the release of Satan the Devil and his demons from the "abyss" and pass the test of loyalty(Rev 20:1-3, 7-10), are "found written in the book of life", that is life forever on a paradise earth.(Ps 37:11, 29; Matt 5:5)
The "book of life" at Revelation 20:15 is not necessarily referring to those chosen as "kings and priests", that make up God's kingdom of 144,001 (144,000 + Jesus Christ) loyal servants and that go to heaven.(Rev 14:1-5) Why ? Because these are granted immortality (Greek word
a·tha·na·si´a, meaning "deathlessness") after having proven
loyal to death (Rev 2:10; 1 Cor 15:53), in which their names are never wiped out of the "book of life" and of which all have died and received their heavenly reward by the
beginning of the thousand year reign of Christ Jesus.(Rev 20:4)
Revelation 20:6 says: "Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the
second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years." Thus, "the second death has no authority"(the first death is what we all received from Adam, Rom 5:12) over those who rule with Christ Jesus upon their death, meaning that they can no longer die, but are imperishable. Any who are chosen by God as "kings and priests" but who prove disloyal before their death, as Judas Iscariot did (John 17:12), have their names erased from the "book of life."
Several times “book” is used figuratively, as in the expressions “your [God’s] book” (Ex 32:32), “book of remembrance” (Mal 3:16), and “book of life” (Php 4:3; Rev 3:5; 20:15). It appears that these are all basically the same, that is, they are all God’s “book” of remembrance with a view to rewarding with eternal life (in heaven or on earth) the ones whose names are written in it. God’s “book” evidently receives names conditionally, since the Scriptures indicate that a person’s name can be ‘wiped out’ of it. (Ex 32:32, 33; Rev 3:5)
So only if a person continues faithful everlastingly is his name retained in the book. Those who serve in the official capacity of "kings and priests" are granted immortality upon their death, with Jehovah God knowing full-well that they will never disobey and leave him, like Satan and his demons.
Those who measure up to being "meek" ones that Jesus spoke of at Matthew 5:5, which he quoted from Psalms 37:11, have the privilege of living forever on a paradise earth, as long as they remain loyal to Jehovah God. However, their "names" can be erased from the "book of life", for these are not granted immortality as those who die faithful who are chosen as "kings and priests."(Rev 1:6)
