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...sefer hachayim (the Book of Life)
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The Salvation Series
The Book of Life
by haRold Smith
a citizen of the Commonwealth (Ephesians 2:19)
"Then those who feared YaHoVeH spoke with one another. YaHoVeH paid attention and heard them, and
a book of remembrance
was written before Him of those who feared YaHoVeH and esteemed His Name. 'They shall be mine, says the Elohim of hosts, in the day when I make up My treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares His son who serves Him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves YaHoVeH and one who does not serve Him'." Malachi 3:16-18
The Book of Life has been the subject of many misleading ideas. For example, evangelical preachers often link the book of life to an emotional appeal, urging people to "accept Jesus as their personal savior" so their names will be written in the book of life and they will "go to heaven when they die". Of course, there are several things wrong with this appeal. For one, the scriptures never tell people to accept "Jesus" as their personal savior so they can
"go to heaven" (click on highlighted words to view content).
Secondly, an afterlife, per se, is not mentioned in scripture.
In Matthew 5:34,
Yeshua reinforces that heaven IS YaHoVeH's throne, His residency, the place where Spirit dwells and abides (quoting directly from
Isaiah 66:1).
The Kingdom of YaHoVeH tells us whose it is and the Kingdom of heaven tells us where it is - but there is only one
Kingdom
referred to in scripture that belongs to Spirit. Yeshua also said the Kingdom of heaven is among us
right now
since YaHoVeH's throne, which now
abides within
the faithful who keep His Words, is seated in heaven. Neither do the scriptures say that if they espose "Jesus" as their savior, their names will then be written in the Book of Life. Most think they know what these words mean because they heard their interpretation from someone they knew and trusted - who was simply repeating what they had heard from someone they knew and trusted they had given the words the due diligence they deserve. But, how many of us have actually researched the words ourselves to find their true meaning? Words mean things and, if we are to build our faith upon a firm foundation we need to know for ourselves what these words say and mean - not what traditional religion tells us they mean. We are called to be like those early faithful followers in
Berea
and verify that whatever is being proclaimed is Truth - or not. The way they did that was to search the scriptures. The only scriptures they had access to that spoke of the Essence of Truth was
the Torah
and the Prophets - the Messianic scriptures had yet to be written. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone seeking Truth to open the whole of the scriptures, to call upon the Father (YaHoVeH -
Who is Truth)
for understanding and to find out for themselves if what is being taught is Truth - or not
(1John 2:27).
There are many voices calling for our attention in the spirit realm and the farther we get from the Source of Life Who Is Truth - those voices only intensify. Finding Life in Truth is what this quest is about. Many have been taught to rely solely on what they hear in spirit to guide them into the Light of Truth. However, that approach is problematic since different spirits will often present themselves as
angels of light.
Yeshua said His Father is looking for those who will seek Him in both
Spirit and in Truth
- not sacrificing one for the other but allowing each to validate the other. The Father has given us an instruction manual as a map to help us find our way through this spiritual maze to Him, the Source of Life, because the Truth of the Nature of Spirit is contained in YaHoVeH's Words - and He will never
deny Himself.
Life is not the instruction manual itself - the manual only speaks of that Life
(John 5:39).
Life is found in an intimate relationship with the One Who is Truth
manifested
in the Life of the Son. It is imperative that we use the manual to dig for Truth ourselves and not settle for anything less than the excellence of Truth as exampled by the Son just because it might be easier to do so
(Romans 3:4).
The sole purpose of these articles is to encourage you to simply look at the words written on the pages of scripture for the meaning they contain in the light of the original language, the context they were assembled in, and with an appreciation of the Hebrew culture and mindset they were written from. The refusal to look at scripture just for what it says without overlaying a pre-conceived theological template upon it is the definition of tradition Yeshua gave in
Mark 7:13.
The embrace of tradition is the ONLY attribute Yeshua ever pointed to that He said would bring to "none effect" the
Power of the Living Word
in our lives. To
Know Him
is to Know Him in Truth
(John 8:31-32).
The first mention of a "book" in which names were retained or blotted out, is found in
Exodus 32:33
- the first of six mentions in the Tanakh (OT). Whether these words refer to a physical book or scroll is not the point - it is what the words mean that we need to pay attention to. The Hebrew word translated "book" is
sepher,
the root of which is saphar
and that Hebrew word actually means "take account of, to reckon." There are several interesting points here to examine. First, it is not "Christ's" book (as most preacher's would have you believe), but YaHoVeH's reckoning. Second, there is no mention of when or how the names are added or subtracted, only that YaHoVeH has such an accounting and that he reserves the right to blot out the names of those who sin against him. We are told in
1John 3:4
that "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices LAWlessness; sin is lawLESSness"
(see what it means to be "Under the Law").
The "book" spoken of in Exodus 32 is obviously an indication that there are different consequences awaiting those who are obedient to YaHoVeH's Words and those who are not. There will be something positive for those whose names are in the book, and something negative for those whose names are not in the book. There is nothing in the Messianic Writings (NT) to suggest that YaHoVeH's Book has been done away with, nullified or supplanted by some other "book". Some believe that only the names of the spiritual elites, i.e, the "giants of the faith" are written in the book. However, this raises a question of why names would be blotted out once they are found there if only these elites get their names in the book in the first place. Neither does this position seem consistent with
1Peter 1:17.
In other words, YaHoVeH does not play favorites, but gives everyone the same opportunity. Therefore, a better position seems to be that the names of all people are recorded in the Book from birth. Whether those names remain in the Book is dependent on the choices of action each of us are confronted with making in the ever-evolving cycle of life. The concern, then, is not how to get our names in the book, but how to prevent our names from being erased from the book.
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"Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
let them not be enrolled among the righteous." Psalm 69:27-28
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...the Kingdom of Life
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In this Psalm, while asking YaHoVeH to take care of his enemies, David adds a new element - he refers to the book as the book of the living, or the Book of Life. David was saying that those whose names were blotted out should not "come into Your righteousness," which was his way of saying they would not enter YaHoVeH's Kingdom. Those who would enter the Kingdom do so by the
washing of the water
of YaHoVeH's Words and becoming one in the Nature of Spirit with YaHoVeH
(John 3:5
- see what it means to be scripturally
Born Again).
Even as Yeshua is, are we to be,
right now, in this world - Just As
Yeshua was one with the Father so are we to be one with YaHoVeH. By Yeshua's own confession, His purpose was for the restoration of the Kingdom to YaHoVeH's family, Israel - this purpose is thoroughly chronicled in the
Kinsman Redeemer Series.
This passage in Psalm 69 is a good illustration of the positive and negative aspects associated with being in the book of the Source of Life. In other words, those whose names are in the book (those who are one with YaHoVeH) will gain entry to the Kingdom of YaHoVeH at His appearing. This is a powerful point. The whole thrust of the message preached by Yeshua and the apostles concerned the kingdom of YaHoVeH
(Luke 4:43).
Many years before that, however, David said that only the people whose names are in the book of life would gain the Kingdom. This is just another example where the "New Testament" is not
"new"
at all, but simply an expression of the Original Words of YaHoVeH in the light of the Resurrection of the Messiah of Israel and His fulfillment of the promised restoration of YaHoVeH's Kingdom to His Family of Israel
(Matthew 15:24).
Given this, a prime concern should be how our names remain in the book of life.
Daniel 12:1-3
mentions that entry into the kingdom is a blessing for those whose names are in the book - nothing is said about
heaven.
The actual phrase, book of life, was first used by the apostle, Sha'ul (Paul), in
Philippians 4:3.
Sha'ul evidently believed that the names of those laboring with him were still written in the book of life. It does not say how he knew this, but he knew the Original Writings and could certainly have discerned it from there. All the other scriptures pertaining to the book of life are in Revelation and, as just seen in the last paragraph; these verses in Revelation reinforce the message in the Original Writings, updated in the light of Yeshua's accomplishment.
In Revelation 3:5,
Yeshua said, "He that overcomes, 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..." The word translated "confess" comes from the Greek word,
exomologesomai,
which means to acknowledge that someone is in agreement with you, or with someone who serves your cause. Please note that Yeshua did not say He would add the names to the book of life. He simply affirmed that he would not blot them out. He also said that he will acknowledge their names before the Father. What a promise! The message here in Revelation is the same as the one delivered by David and Daniel: The overcomers will be the ones who actually enter the kingdom of YaHoVeH. The emphasis here is on the positive aspects for those who have bent their will to becoming obedient to the Words of Yeshua - and Yeshua said that His words
were not His
but those of His Father. On the other hand, this verse clearly implies that there is a definite possibility that names can be erased, or blotted out of the book through disobedience to YaHoVeH's Words. So, to keep our names in the Book of Life requires us to be an overcomer. The question then becomes - how do I become an overcomer? An overcomer of what? Revelation 21:27 says, "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." A more literal Greek rendering would be "the book
OF THE LIFE
of the lamb" that is now written on the hearts of those who embrace Yeshua's Life (hence, "Lambkin"). The Book belongs to YaHoVeH. Those entered into it have embraced the
testimony
of the Life of the Lamb. Those who embrace the testimony found in the Life and words of the Son are to live as He lived - overcoming the temptation of the world by
becoming pure
even as He is pure.
???Questions???
Please feel free to email me at harold@hethathasanear.com.
While not claiming to have all
the answers, it would be an honor to partake with you of what Spirit is uncovering.
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