“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 KJV).
“The Bible mentions three books, or sets of books, that are kept in the archives of the heavenly sanctuary and were opened when the Judgment began. One of these books is called ‘The Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Revelation 13:8). This book has to do only with those who have availed themselves of the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God and have identified themselves with ‘the house of God’ (1 Peter 4:17). It is different from the other books that ‘were opened,’ which Daniel and John mention (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12). John calls it ‘another book,’ and Moses called it ‘Thy book which Thou (God) hast written’ (Exodus 32:31, 32). It is God’s family record book. In it, God Himself has written the names of all who from the foundation of the world, beginning with Adam, have been adopted into His family and have entered His service (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 21:27; GC 480).
“Another book, or set of books, is called the Book of Remembrance. This book contains a record of the good deeds of ‘them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name,’ those who ‘spake often one to another’ (Malachi 3:16; GC 481). This book is so called because God delights to remember every good deed. These deeds never die, therefore the book in which they are recorded has sometimes been called the Book of Life, in contrast with the Book of Death (EW 52). Each one whose name has been registered in the Book of Life has a page or pages in this book written by his guardian angel.
“Another record book which our guardian angel has been compelled to write for each one, has fittingly been called the Book of Sins or the ‘Book of Death!’ In this book evil deeds are recorded. ‘Thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith the Lord God’ (Jeremiah 2:22). ‘Behold, it is written before Me: I . . . will recompense . . . your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord’ (Isaiah 65:6, 7). ‘The portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out according to their works, and it is recorded against their names in the Book of Death’ (GC 661) [GC 660.4]. Not only the wicked but the righteous have their evil deeds recorded in their Book of Death, for ‘all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23), the difference being that the righteous have repented. Their sins have gone before to judgment (1 Timothy 5:24), and forgiveness has been written after each one. It is in the holy of holies, the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, that these books are now open – opened for examination in the court room of the universe. When the judgment of the house of God closes, every evil deed of the righteous will be blotted out, and their Book of Death will doubtless be destroyed, their evil deeds never again to be ‘remembered, nor come into mind’ (Revelation 20:12; Isaiah 65:17).” PTG 144 online
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the great plan of redemption for all mankind. Please grant me full repentance that all my sins will be blotted out, never to be remembered. And please bless me to fully embrace a life of righteousness and freedom only found in Your Son Jesus, in whose name I pray and thank You. Amen.
NOTE: These devotionals began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed a few weeks ago (Feb 2023). Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who wants to receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. First, I pray and look for a Bible verse or passage and find a suitable commentary (or vice versa) and add a prayer. Some days, only a Scripture and prayer are ordered. I might even add a song. If you agree to receive them, then this way I not only honor God but the memory of a very dear friend whom I desperately miss. My personal prayer is that God will bless me to find ways to multiply this gift. So please feel free to forward to your loved ones or to anyone, as God leads you. I’m calling them Barb’s Devotionals.