You are welcome my friend. There are probably other texts in the OT that relate to this, but I haven’t really studied them because it was never an issue. I can’t image that a believer would not feel that God know the beginning from the end.

Also, if God did know what was going to happen how could He give visions of future events to man, what we call prophesy?

I see that the following text is being interpreted to mean that those who will be saved was known to God from the foundation of the world. Apart from the fact that this is the essence of predestination, it makes the entrance of sin inevitable. It is more in line with God's character to interpret the phrase 'whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world' to refer to those whose names were not written into the book from the foundation of the world until now. The difference is important. The first says that all the names were written per predestination at the foundation of the world. The second says that as time has progressed from the foundation of the world, men have had their names written into the book of life. Interestingly, both interpretations support the view that once one is saved, name written, one is permanently saved.


“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” Rev 17:8

Darius

Thank you Lobo for contributing. That is a significant text that you brought forth. It certainly warranted investigation.

Truth is not truth until it is understood in truth.

The context of the names written in the book of life:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, 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, and before his angels.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Revelation 20:12 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 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

The context of understanding the names written in the book of life from the foundation of the world has its meaning in that all creation has been written in the book of life and purposed (predestined) in Christ to become sons of God.

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Not all will remain written in the book of life. There are those who did/will not heed the call of God that they may be saved. Those who loved darkness rather than light. They will be blotted out. That is why the Lord repeatedly says "if" - "then". Yet salvation is positive; that is, the Lord extends goodwill to all and calls every one. But not all respond.

Being written in the Book of life does not mean that one was foreknown to be saved, but it means that one was called to be saved. Sadly, there are many whose names are removed from the book of life. Those who overcome will remain in the book of life.

Shalom

[ May 06, 2003, 10:18 PM: Message edited by: John Boskovic ]

Mike,

I believe the above gives fundamental answers to the questions you asked also.

Shalom

GC 479-481

The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet Daniel: "The judgment was set, and the books were opened." The revelator, describing the same scene, adds: "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. {GC 480.2}

The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service of God. Jesus bade His disciples: "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20. Paul speaks of his faithful fellow workers, "whose names are in the book of life." Philippians 4:3. Daniel, looking down to "a time of trouble, such as never was," declares that God's people shall be delivered, "everyone that shall be found written in the book." And the revelator says that those only shall enter the city of God whose names "are written in the Lamb's book of life." Daniel 12:1; Revelation 21:27. {GC 480.3}

"A book of remembrance" is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of "them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name." Malachi 3:16. Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven. Nehemiah refers to this when he says: "Remember me, O my God, . . . and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God." Nehemiah 13:14. In the book of God's remembrance every deed of righteousness is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ's sake, is recorded. Says the psalmist: "Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?" Psalm 56:8. {GC 481.1}

There is a record also of the sins of men. "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Says the Saviour: "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36, 37. The secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register; for God "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." I Corinthians 4:5. "Behold, it is written before Me, . . . your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord." Isaiah 65:6, 7. {GC 481.2}

Apparently not everybody born of man is written in the Lamb's book of Life, but only those who have ever entered the service of God.

"The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service of God." GC 480.

"The names of all those who have once given themselves to God are written in the book of life...." 7BC 960.

"When we become children of God, our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, and they remain there until the time of the investigative judgment." 7BC 987. NOTE: this quote, and others, make it clear that our names are entered in the book of life when, but not before, we experience genuine conversion.

"Many who are without spiritual life have their names on the church records, but they are not written in the Lamb's book of life." 4BC 1166.

On the subject of foreknowledge Mike, it is evident that you agree now that the Rev 17:8 does not support it.

The significant question at the end of time is whether the name will be found written in the book of life.
The fault of one's name not being written in the book of life shall not lie with God for not having written it there. The fact that one's name is written there at one time does not foreclose that it may not be removed from the book of life. The answer will be clear that it was removed from the book of life by one's own hand. (Not literally but effectively) No foreknowledge indicated here.

The fact that one's name is there and they have yet to overcome, they have yet to be clothed in white raiment, means that God does not wait until one overcomes to enter their name in the book of life. Their name being written means they have been called.

Salvation is not exclusionary. All are called. God's purpose is that all should be saved. Sadly not all accept.

Regarding your EW quotes. This does not conflict. The concept of investigative judgement being in the future is erroneous. It is always in the present. But that is another topic.

Shalom

Yes, I admit that the biblical references to the book of life do not support foreknowledge. But the fact God is able to predict the future clearly implies divine foreknowledge - rather than inspired intellectual guess work.

RE: the criteria upon which God enters our names in the book of ife. Personally I do not believe God can enter our names in the book of life until we have experienced the miracle of genuine conversion and have been born again in Christ. We are born again without our former moral imperfections or defects of character. The following quote makes this point clear.

4BC 1166
The Spirit of God, with its vivifying power, must be in every human agent, that every spiritual muscle and sinew may be in exercise. Without the Holy Spirit, without the breath of God, there is torpidity of conscience, loss of spiritual life. Many who are without spiritual life have their names on the church records, but they are not written in the Lamb's book of life. They may be joined to the church, but they are not united to the Lord. They may be diligent in the performance of a certain set of duties, and may be regarded as living men; but many are among those who have "a name that thou livest, and art dead." {4BC 1166.1}

Unless there is genuine conversion of the soul to God; unless the vital breath of God quickens the soul to spiritual life; unless the professors of truth are actuated by heaven-born principle, they are not born of the incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth forever. Unless they trust in the righteousness of Christ as their only security; unless they copy His character, labor in His spirit, they are naked, they have not on the robe of His righteousness. The dead are often made to pass for the living; for those who are working out what they term salvation after their own ideas, have not God working in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. {4BC 1166.2}

RE: the investigative judgment. I agree that judgment is ongoing, but I believe the investigative aspect of judgment, 1) scrutinizing every word and deed, 2) blotting out the record and memory of specific sins or good deeds 3) removing or retaining names in the book of life, is all future. For the dead it happens sometime after they die, and for the living it happens sometime after the MOB crisis begins and it ends when probation closes.

This is a very interesting discussion. I have to agree with John that the book of life issue does not support foreknowledge in the sense that God wrote only those who would be saved down from the beginning.

However, this does not preclude the fact that God has to have foreknowledge to predict the future. For example, the prediction of Jesus coming to save the human race in Gen 3:15. There are countless other prophesies related to the first advent of Jesus that were fulfilled exactly as predicted by the OT prophet.

So if God has knowledge of future events, which are determined to some extent by man’s choices, then God knows the choices men will make. This means God also knows or has foreknowledge of our spiritual choices as well. Again, having this knowledge does not imply that God will change the outcome of our choices.