WHAT IS THE BOOK OF LIFE?

In Rev. 20:15, we read a very sobering statement: “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” On Judgment Day, when everyone stands before God to be judged, those whose names are not in the book of life will be punished. It’s terrifying to think that your name might not be registered in that book! You can lose your spot on a government aid list—but not on the list of the book of life! But what exactly is the book of life? And how did people in biblical times understand it?

Book of Life in the Old Testament

First, we should note that during biblical times, books were actually scrolls. The codex—the book format we use today—came much later. So, technically speaking, the “book of life” is a “scroll of life.”

The Old Testament already presents ideas related to the book of life. In Exodus 32:32, when Moses pleaded for the Israelites, he said to God: “If you will not forgive their sin, then erase me from the book you have written.” God replied that only those who sinned would be removed from His book (v. 33), and He sent a plague as punishment (v. 35). This implies that being erased from this book originally meant physical death.

In Psalm 69:28, the psalmist asks God to blot out the names of the wicked from the book of life. If we read this through the lens of Revelation, we might think that even the wicked were already written in the book and the psalmist was asking for their removal. But in its original context, the psalmist was simply asking God to punish them by ending their lives (see vv. 22–25). At that time, people didn’t yet have a full concept of eternal life, salvation, or heaven as we understand it today as believers. To them, to be in the “book of life” meant: you’re alive.A similar image appears in Psalm 139:16, where David says that all the days of his life were recorded in God’s book even before he was born. In the prophecy of Daniel 12:1, those listed in the book will be rescued during a future time of distress. In Malachi 3:16, a “scroll of remembrance” is mentioned, listing those who feared the Lord—His treasured possession—whom He would later spare (v. 17). In both Daniel and Malachi, we see the book of life connected to the ideas of salvation and deliverance.

Book of Life in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the book of life becomes associated with eternal life. It builds on the Old Testament imagery, especially the idea that those whose names are in the book are truly alive—they are saved.

Jesus said that His disciples should rejoice not because demons submit to them, but because “your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Paul also referred to his co-workers as those “whose names are in the book of life” (Phil. 4:3). These verses imply that believers—because they are saved—are considered citizens of heaven, just like Hebrews 12:23 says: the church consists of those “whose names are written in heaven.”

Book of Life in Revelation

Revelation contains the most references to the book of life. It builds on both Jewish and Christian understandings of divine books, as well as ancient practices like citizen registers. In ancient Israel, genealogies and family records were very important. That’s why the Bible includes so many genealogical lists—those sections we often skip over! These records determined a person’s land inheritance and privileges as a member of the covenant community. In Nehemiah 7:61, 64, for instance, some Israelites couldn’t prove their lineage through the genealogies, so they weren’t accepted into the community right away. That’s how serious these records were!

In Asia Minor (where Revelation was written), it was also customary to erase a person’s name from the register before executing them, symbolizing their removal from the community. In the same way, the book of life is God’s heavenly register—a divine record of those who belong to His kingdom. Only those written in it are welcomed into His eternal home (Rev. 21:27). This book belongs to Christ, the Lamb (Rev. 13:8; 21:27). Only He has the authority to hold it—because He gave His life to save those written in it (Rev. 5:9; 13:8).

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Whether there is a literal book in heaven or whether “book of life” is just a symbolic expression doesn’t really matter. What’s more important is this: as believers, we can face Jesus—our Judge on Judgment Day—with confidence. Why? Because our names are already written in the book of life! God promised that the names of those who overcome will never be erased (Rev. 3:5). And no condemnation awaits those who are united with Christ (Rom. 8:1). For the Lamb who holds the book of life is the same Lamb who took our sins away (John 1:29). Stay Curious.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀:

Walton J. and, Craig K. (2016). “See footnotes for Rev 3:5”. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 (p.2226). Zondervan Publishing.
MacKenzie, J.L. (Gen Ed). (1965). “Book of Life” . 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. (p.103). MacMillan Publishing.