Whom did God choose & When were their names written in the Book of Life?

[8thdaypriest]

I'm bowing out of this thread concerning just WHEN names were written into the Book of Life.  I think we've posted our views concerning this.

 

I have not changed my mind.  I DO NOT believe that the name of every human who would ever live, was written into the Book of Life before the creation of the world.

 

Blessings

Rachel Cory

Prophecy Viewpoint (Over 5000 visits this last month.)

[8thdaypriest]

I have prepared a study on this topic for my website. 

Here's a link for those interested:

 

http://www.prophecyviewpoint.com/htdocs/Book%20Chapters/1-BOOK%20OF%20LIFE%20-Challenge.pdf

 

Rachel Cory

Prophecy Viewpoint

[JoeMo]

...and a great study it is, Rachel.  Thanks for sharing.

[Samie]

I have prepared a study on this topic for my website. 

Here's a link for those interested:

 

http://www.prophecyviewpoint.com/htdocs/Book%20Chapters/1-BOOK%20OF%20LIFE%20-Challenge.pdf

 

Rachel Cory

Prophecy Viewpoint

 

The introductory part of the study says (highighting mine):

 

This addendum to “The Book of Life” chapter came about because of a challenge. I belong to a forum where theological issues are discussed - sometimes vigorously. A fellow at the forum presented his belief that the name of every human being who would ever exist was written into “the Book of Life” before the creation of this world. Names are “blotted out” only if individuals have failed to “overcome” during their lifetimes (Rev. 3:5). He based his belief on the ESV translation of Revelation 13:8.

Revelation  13:8 “and all  who  dwell  on  earth  will worship it, [the image of the Beast] everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world, in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” ESV

 

The NAS, ASV, & NRS translations are similar concerning just when the names were written down. The KJV, NKJV, and NIV all say that the Lamb was “slain from the foundation of the world” and that it is the Book of the Lamb, but do not say when the names were/are written into that book, or even when that book came into existence.

Revelation 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”NKJ

Because translations differ as to when names were written into the Book of Life, we must look for supporting Scripture, to see where the weight of the evidence leads us.

 

I don't think the fellow referred to did not just base his belief in one verse, Rev 13:8. The author seemed to have overlooked one of the other verses offered: Rev 17:8. Here is that verse in the versions referred to in the study: ASV, ESV, NAS, NRS, KJV, NKJV, & NIV:

 

ASV Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come.

ESV Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

KJV 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.

NAS Revelation 17:8 "The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.

NIV Revelation 17:8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

NKJ Revelation 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

NRS Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

[JoeMo]

Bubbling up topic for Samie and Stewaert(SDA)

[Scuba]

It appears that the CHOOSING was BEFORE the foundation of the world:

 

Ephesians 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 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:

 

We have to think bigger in God's economy of every being ever created.

 

What if the (us) is referring to human beings?

 

Hebrews 2:16-17 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

 

Hebrews 2:5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

 

God has chosen us, the human race, the world, all people, as opposed to the angels.

 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

 

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

[LifeHiscost]

We have to think bigger in God's economy of every being ever created.

 

What if the (us) is referring to human beings?

 

Hebrews 2:16-17 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

 

Hebrews 2:5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

 

God has chosen us, the human race, the world, all people, as opposed to the angels.

 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

 

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

…3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,…

1 Timothy 2

 

We still have free choice and not all choose to abide in Christ when they find conflict between their conduct and God's injunctions. Some do not believe they need a Mediator and some believe other than Christ is enough of a mediator.

 

…11"He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."....Acts 4  Emphasis theirs'  LHC

 

God is Love! Jesus saves! 

[8thdaypriest]

Sounds like Scuba believe in universalism - that ALL human beings will eventually be saved.

 

We could do a thread on that . 

[Scuba]

Sounds like Scuba believe in universalism - that ALL human beings will eventually be saved.

 

We could do a thread on that .

I believe Jesus died for the sins of the entire world so sin is not what stops people from entering the kingdom, unbelief does.

[Scuba]

…3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,…

1 Timothy 2

We still have free choice and not all choose to abide in Christ when they find conflict between their conduct and God's injunctions. Some do not believe they need a Mediator and some believe other than Christ is enough of a mediator.

…11"He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."....Acts 4 Emphasis theirs' LHC

God is Love! Jesus saves!

Amen! We all have freedom to remain in our sin or accept God's pervision and enter into God's salvation plan.

[8thdaypriest]

Scuba said,

"I believe Jesus died for the sins of the entire world so sin is not what stops people from entering the kingdom, unbelief does."

 

I agree.

 

Hebrews 3:19 "So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." (NRS)

[Samie]

Scuba said,

"I believe Jesus died for the sins of the entire world so sin is not what stops people from entering the kingdom, unbelief does."

 

I agree.

 

Hebrews 3:19 "So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." (NRS)

 

I likewise agree.

 

Yet there are babies who were incapable of believing at the time of their death, but were seen in vision by the prophet Isaiah at the holy mountain of God (Isa 11:6-9). These babies could not possibly be born in the holy mountain of God as product of procreation because the Savior tells us there will no longer be marriages among the people of God after resurrection (Luke 20:35).  This leads us to the inevitable conclusion that these babies were resurrected among the righteous at the Second Coming (John 5:28, 29), where all in the graves will be resurrected!

 

Since Scriptures explicitly say that only those whose names are in the book of life will be allowed entry into the heavenly kingdom (Rev 21:27), this to me, is a clear indication that names of babies are in the book of life, otherwise there would be no babies in the holy mountain of God. 

 

And we all pure descendants of Adam & Eve, had been babies, ergo, our names had been written in the book of life. Isn't this good news to all - Christians and non-Christians alike? Unless deleted from the book of life for not overcoming evil with good (Rom 12:21; Rev 3:5), we all are heaven-bound. This is grace-based salvation. Grace that had been given us in Christ BEFORE the foundation of the world!

 

KJV 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

 

Believe to be written? No. Believe we were written.

 

To be in the book of life is to be in Christ. Apart from Him, He said, we can do nothing (John 15:5). "Nothing" obviously includes the act of believing, a spiritual act. If we teach people "believe to be written", then, we are in fact telling people we can do something apart from Christ. Clearly, this is against what the Savior said.

 

But sadly enough, "believe to be written" characterizes the brand of gospel popularly being preached to the world today.