When Jesus spoke to His disciples, He said that they should rejoice that there names were written in heaven.

…rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20

When we examine the original Greek language in which this verse was written, the verb that is used for “written,” carries with it the idea that these names were written in heaven from eternity. In other words, because God knows all things, He has always been aware of every person who would choose to follow Jesus and rely upon Him for their Salvation. These individuals have always been known to God and there names would remain in the book of life—forever.

There is also an indication that the “Book of Life,” contains the names of every person who will be born upon the earth. Their names will remain in this book, until the last day of their life. Upon their death, if they have rejected the command of God to believe upon Jesus for their Salvation, then and only then, will their name be blotted out of The Book of Life.”

The fact that God loves every person, exactly the same, and desires that we are all saved, is observed by His command to place everyone in the Book of Life, before anything else existed. We are the only persons who have to power to deny ourselves the right to live in heaven, forever. We must stubbornly refuse to receive Jesus for our entire life, in order to be lost. All that anyone must do to be saved, is to believe upon Jesus for their salvation, and they will be saved.

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

At the end of the seven year Tribulation Period when Jesus has returned to earth with His church and has begun His thousand year righteous kingdom here on earth; the Book of Revelation, chapter 20, describes a “Great White Throne Judgement” before God, for all those who have rejected Jesus as their Savior.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

When the “Book of Life” is opened, there name will no longer be recorded upon these pages. After their death, when there was no more opportunity to be saved, their names were finally blotted out of the Book. Only those who are saved by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus for their sins, have their names remaining in this book. At this time, the Book of Life, becomes “The Lamb’s Book of Life.” The names which remain upon these pages, were written there before the universe existed, and will remain there for all of eternity.

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 21:27

It is for this reason—today—that your name is written in heaven.

In the Book of Exodus, chapter 32, Moses has just returned from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments of God. Although the Lord has delivered the people from 400 years of terrible slavery in Egypt; preserved them from attack by Pharaoh’s army; after only 40 days of Moses absence, the people have already built a calf of Gold and began to worship before it.

Moses tells the people that they have committed a great sin against God. He will go before the Lord and see if He can make Atonement for their sins and save them from God’s judgment.

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” And the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.” Exodus 32:30-34

Moses is acting as the Redeemer of Israel—approaching God, interceding on their behalf; to make atonement for their sins. This is precisely what Jesus will accomplish much later, as He comes into the world to make atonement for our sins, by His death on the Cross. In this way, we see how the one sacrifice of Jesus was illustrated in so many places throughout the Old Testament. People in the Old Testament were saved in precisely the same way that people are saved today. Either by looking ahead to the coming of the Savior, or by looking back to the arrival of the Savior, anyone can be saved. God always intended that all human beings would only be saved by His Son. This is why Jesus is called “The Lamb Slain From the Foundation of the World.”

As Moses intercedes, he asks God to forgive their sins, and if He will not; Moses requests that God would blot his name out of the Book of Life, instead of theirs. Here we see that this Book, with the names of all people, was known—even during the time of Moses.

The Lord declares that on the day of Judgement, if they have not obeyed God’s command for every person to repent of their sins and receive Jesus as their Savior, “on that day, when He visits those who did not obey, He will bring punishment upon them for their sins.”

 It is not the desire of God that any person would be lost. He has taken great and extraordinary steps to ensure that all of us make it to heaven. God allowed His Son to come to earth and become one of us; live a perfect life, and then make His life an offering for our sin. Jesus suffered unimaginable torture by evil men, even though He had done nothing wrong Himself. He was willing to do this because He loves us all so much.

The Lord…is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Before the universe existed, Jesus was known as “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

…the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8

Before He created anything, He knew you. Before the first star was formed, God already loved you. Long before the first man walked the earth, you were on the mind of God. Jesus offered His life for you and I, before the foundation of the world. Your name was written in His Book of Life and your name is written in heaven today.

See Also:

Essentials of Salvation–Atonement
Why Christianity Is Different From All Religions
What God Requires For Eternal Life
God’s Escape Clause
After Death, There is No Second Chance of Salvation
The Requirements For Heaven

Categories: Book of Life, Following Jesus, Rewards, Ruling with Jesus, Serving Jesus

Tags: Exodus 32:30-34, Lamb's Book of Life, Luke 10:20, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 21:27, The Book of Life