The translators of the CSP have chosen the contemporary term book, (or also letter/deed) for h. sefer throughout the CSP (except Jr 36:2.Jr 36:4). A scroll was a long strip of leather or papyrus on which writing was done in columns. It was unrolled with one hand and wound with the other as it was read].
Ex 32:32: Well, if you take away their sin, it shall be well; if not, blot me out of your of the book you wrote. 33 And the Lord answered Moses: Whosoever hath sinned against me, him I'll erase it from my book.
- the first mention of the Lord writing some people in his books. The Lord has his Book
- it may be God's Book of Lifea list of people who will be saved. In that case, Moses offers God his salvation. He says: If they shouldn't be saved, I don't want to be either. Either together or not at all
- But it may also be a record of history - and Moses therefore says: If things don't go well with people, I don't wish my participation in this project to be reported anywhere
- In any case, Moses' approach is noble and self-sacrificing. To put one's own salvation on the line is almost unthinkable (Paul had a similar attitude in Rom. 9:3 I wish) that I myself had been (rejected by Christ) instead of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh)
- and even if it were "only" a renunciation of the record of his own participation in God's plan, even that is very noble, because Moses himself made no mistake and the record of him would always be only positive
- other important information is that from the books of God it is possible to be Deleted: so obviously God's primary plan is for the whole nation to enter. Unfortunately, some, by their disobedience and rebellion, fall out of God's plan and are gradually "wiped out"
- and in this case, the Most High did not accept a vicarious willingness to put his salvation on the line for another
Psalm 69:29: May they be blotted out from books of the living and are not counted among the righteous.
- So David reckons with the existence of the book of the living, that is, God's list of the saved or those who receive eternal life
- the penalty is not to be entered in the book (not as above to be removed from it)
Psalm 139:16: Your eyes have seen my seed, and all the days were written in your book - formed, neither of them were.
- we encounter another book of God - this one records human "days", i.e. it is a record of our lives
- there is no doubt that everything about our lives is recorded. Perhaps rather than being written down in books, everything is recorded in its entirety as an audio-video recording or something similar.
- perhaps surprising given the fact that God knows everything - so why "record" anything else? Perhaps so that everything can be played back to us if necessary.
- our memory is very problematic - it would have to be interesting to be able to see the record of our entire life unbiased. The question is, of course, "if there is anything to stand on". It would probably be better to be able to "bury" many things from our past in oblivion
- Another interesting question is whether God actually erases confessed sins from our "records", i.e., relegates them to non-existence, or merely ignores them after forgiveness. They will no longer be reminded of them, but they still exist in the record
Ez 13:9: My hand shall be against the prophets that see deceit, and that tell lies. They shall not be in the intimate fellowship6 of my people, nor shall they be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor come into the land of Israel.
- according to the CSP [here apparently a census rather than a "book of life"
- this record may have been established in David's census;
- However, it cannot be ruled out that false prophets exclude themselves from salvation itself
Da 7:10: He flows, and out of him comes a river of fire. Thousands upon thousands serve him, and myriads of myriads stand before him. The court sat and the books were opened.
- it takes place after the thrones have been spread out and the Age-old
- (in context, this is the prophecy of the "horns")
- it is a heavenly judgment - some of the heavenly books have been opened. Either the records of history or the book of the saved
- In any case, this is a major world-changing event. At the opening of the books, the final reckoning occurs and the final judgment of all men begins. The window of opportunity to change one's destiny is closing. What has been written has been written. Those who managed to save themselves will be saved, those who did not, will not.
- when the teacher starts selecting written work, the possibility of editing it is over
Mal 3:16: Then they that feared the LORD spake one to another, and the LORD hearkened and heard. And the book of remembrance was written before him (for those) who fear the LORD, and who reverence his name.
- differently named (Memorial), but it is apparently still the same book of life, the book of the living. Or the book of history, where all the godly deeds of all men are recorded.
- people who care about and respect God are enrolled in it
- or the deeds of these God-fearing
- nothing good will be forgotten, nothing will be forgotten
- nor the conversations of people who respect the Lord
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Rev.3:5: He that overcometh, in this manner shall put on white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but will confess it before my Father, and before his angels.
- var.: that
- r.: his name
- The context is a letter to the congregation in Sardis, who were alive but dead. He had to get up and repent or Jesus would come upon him. But a few persons have not been defiled and will walk with Jesus in white robes.
- I'm only gonna wear a white dress, who wins, that is, those Christians who live their Christian life victoriously
- It means that they will not give up their journey to God, they will not give up, they will not stop running. After falling, they get back up again, etc.
- I won't be erasure from the book of life: it's pretty scary information. There is no doubt that the letter is written to Christians. They are warned that they must not give up their quest for God, they must not give in to the world, they must not be polluted by the world, they must not be "spiritually dead." They must keep their garments clean.
- in the Book of Life are, as believers in "Christ", undoubtedly enrolled, but it may not be final!
- it is explicit information that it is possible to fall out of salvation. As we know from 1 Peter 4:18, we enter the kingdom of God "just like that"; it is not an easy mission.
- similar information is in the parable of the talents, where the one who buried the talents (though he was the servant of the Lord) is eventually cast out
- the opposite of deletion is here "but I confess them before my Father and before his angels." So we will need Jesus to come to us after his resurrection and claim us as his own. To take us around the shoulders and declare: This is mine, this is the one I know.
Rev 20:12: And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, which were written in the books.
- we are at the very end of the Bible (the book of Revelation has 22 chapters)
- the context is as follows: I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, that ancient serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit. And he locked and sealed it over him, that he should no more deceive the nations until the thousand years were over. Then he shall be loosed for a little season.
- And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was committed unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and they that bowed not down themselves to the beast, nor to his image, nor received his mark upon their foreheads, nor upon their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. And the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; over these the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.(Faithful Christians and martyrs are raised and reign in the millennial kingdom)
- When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations that are in all the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and to gather them together to battle; and they will be as the sand of the sea. They went out into the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
- The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.
- And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it: and before his face the earth and the heaven vanished away, and their place was no more. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, that is, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds written in those books. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them: and every man was judged according to his works.
- And Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. That's the second death: the lake of fire. And he who was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (The second death of those not written in the lake of fire)
- written deeds are meant to be records of everything that has happened in our lives. Judgment will be based on whether we have come to know and confess Christ during our lives.
- (not judging by works in the sense of: good works = acceptance, bad works = rejection)