Whose name is blotted out of the book of life?
The best understanding of this that I have is that, as God works outside of time, the book of life had everyone's names listed in it and when they chose not to believe the pure gospel, they were blotted out. That it's possible everyone's name is written in the book of life until they die without believing the gospel, as we all have chances to believe in our lives and that will be the point when those chances definitely run out.
I believe our names are written in the book of life before we're born:
Here is one verse that I think causes people the most fear:
For Revelation 3:5, those who overcome will be clothed in white raiment and won't be blotted out of the book of life. So what is overcoming? Let's let the Bible define it:
So overcoming, at least in this context I believe, is having faith, believing that Jesus is the Son of God. And what does being clothed with white raiment mean?
Now I think we can better understand Revelation 3:5.
So what about it saying that you have to be without sin (as I understand it) to be written in the book of life, as in these examples?
There's also the fact that those who are saved will, in the future, receive glorified bodies that will be without the sin nature.
So what about the verses talking about adding to or taking away from His words causing you to be blotted out?
I believe these are essentially addressing false gospels. I can say I have faith that Jesus Christ paid the full price for my sins, and that would be the gospel (at least a very summarized version, but to make a point). I could then say I believe that, but I also have to ask forgiveness for my sins every day or I could lose my salvation (and I would be adding to His word). That would be adding to the gospel, as it would take glory away from God, that His sacrifice was sufficient. We would be trusting in our ability to ask forgiveness as well as what He did, instead of fully resting in what He did. I could preach that same false gospel and it would be taking away from His word, as I would be saying Jesus Christ didn't pay for it all, I also have to pay my small part by asking for forgiveness every day, going to church, or whatever else.
Those who don't believe the gospel will go to hell and/or the lake of fire, and those things and their plagues are certainly written about in the word of God, and in the book of Revelation. And when they hadn't believed the gospel by the time they passed from this world, they were then blotted out of the book of life.
I believe the antichrist (assuming that he is yet to come and Futurism holds true) will preach a false gospel that is works-based, in one way or another. Whatever the enemy can do to get you to trust in yourself instead of trusting in God, satan will attempt. And that's why they may worship the beast, because they may think he's God, because they've bought into his false gospel:
I believe our names are written in the book of life before we're born:
- Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them. (Psalm 139:16)
Here is one verse that I think causes people the most fear:
- 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 3:5)
For Revelation 3:5, those who overcome will be clothed in white raiment and won't be blotted out of the book of life. So what is overcoming? Let's let the Bible define it:
- ¶ 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. (1 John 4:4)
- For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5)
So overcoming, at least in this context I believe, is having faith, believing that Jesus is the Son of God. And what does being clothed with white raiment mean?
- And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Revelation 4:4)
- I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)
- ¶ For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)
Now I think we can better understand 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 3:5)
So what about it saying that you have to be without sin (as I understand it) to be written in the book of life, as in these examples?
- And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27)
- And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)
- For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, [Saying], Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:3-8)
There's also the fact that those who are saved will, in the future, receive glorified bodies that will be without the sin nature.
So what about the verses talking about adding to or taking away from His words causing you to be blotted out?
- For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: (Revelation 22:18)
- 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. (Revelation 22:19)
I believe these are essentially addressing false gospels. I can say I have faith that Jesus Christ paid the full price for my sins, and that would be the gospel (at least a very summarized version, but to make a point). I could then say I believe that, but I also have to ask forgiveness for my sins every day or I could lose my salvation (and I would be adding to His word). That would be adding to the gospel, as it would take glory away from God, that His sacrifice was sufficient. We would be trusting in our ability to ask forgiveness as well as what He did, instead of fully resting in what He did. I could preach that same false gospel and it would be taking away from His word, as I would be saying Jesus Christ didn't pay for it all, I also have to pay my small part by asking for forgiveness every day, going to church, or whatever else.
Those who don't believe the gospel will go to hell and/or the lake of fire, and those things and their plagues are certainly written about in the word of God, and in the book of Revelation. And when they hadn't believed the gospel by the time they passed from this world, they were then blotted out of the book of life.
I believe the antichrist (assuming that he is yet to come and Futurism holds true) will preach a false gospel that is works-based, in one way or another. Whatever the enemy can do to get you to trust in yourself instead of trusting in God, satan will attempt. And that's why they may worship the beast, because they may think he's God, because they've bought into his false gospel:
- 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. (Revelation 13:8)
- 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. (Revelation 17:8)
- And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
Ralph Yankee Arnold makes some additional points that I didn't hear about until recently. Like that the Book of the Living is a list of those who are currently alive in the flesh (and therefore everyone can be blotted out of it) and that the Book of Life is a book of the saints (those who are saved), which I believe can reconcile with my understanding of things.