How many books of life are there? When was it written?

[dizerner]

Someone recently told me they believe there are two books of life based on Psalm 69:28. I had never looked at it that way, and I still think one makes better sense (the verse just seems like standard parallelism restating the same thing twice from different perspectives). But they also argued that names are written in over time (being an Open Theist) and the two books in Revelation say "from" the foundation of the world rather than "before" it. I had never noticed that before. Looking at a list of references to it (http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Book-of-life) I don't honestly see any verse that firmly proves the names are there ahead of time; they could be written in real time as people are born.

Thoughts?

[robbyyoung]

Hi Dizerner,

REV 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

This verse implies that these people's name NEVER, at any time, been written in the book of life.
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Exodus 32:31-33 Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. "But now, if You will, forgive their sin--and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!" The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

This verse implies these people who are in the book, have yet to sin against God, however, if these people do sin against God, God will remove them.
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Psalms 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

This verse implies "The Book" has information about the Psalmist written in it ahead of time.
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In conclusion, IMO there are unknowns concerning how many books are titled "Book of Life". However, we do know that at least one of them contains names, from the beginning, put there by God, and yet, HE can also remove names. These other Books (Dan 7:20 & Rev 20:12) are something different, such as; foreordained information (Ps 139:16), or a log of information (Mal 3:16). We can speculate but there's simply not enough information on the number of any titled book.

God Bless.

[jriccitelli]

Thanks for reminding me of Psalm 139 Robby, here is another book I remember God having:
'Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll -- are they not in your record? (Psalm 56:8)
Think what you may, but I do not think God needs, or has, literal books (two books or three etc.). God can keep all these things in His mind, so no books are necessary (My Mormon friends uses to try and show me there were literal books here to justify their belief in missing books of the bible, and or, a literal pre-existent life)

'Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them' (Psalms 139:16) This verse certainly influences my point that the future needn't be seen literally by God (the future has not yet happened 'as yet there was not one of them'). And yet this does not justify absolute determinism either, I understand that God has a plan for creation, limits for creation, and specific purposes within creation, and even specific purposes for some people or situations: yet He can work with freewill to bring about anything because He always is a step ahead of everything in wisdom. Ordained may also refer to the idea that God has determined certain limits and determined general orders of creation, such as human lifespans in general after Noah to be 120 years max, i.e.: 'A person's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed' (Job 14:5)

'May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous' (Psalm 69:28)
This is not a literal book or writing, but only to ease our understanding: I don't think there is any reason to think our names are written before we are born, God just knows who we are, and makes a Judgment, and notation in His mind. This is as good as writing it in a book:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (Jer 1:5) No preexistence necessary, it needs only to speak of God having a plan, and carrying it through.

God bless you too guys.

[robbyyoung]

Hi JR,

Well, we can't be emphatic about much of how God translates to human terms, people, places and things or whatever else that dwells in heaven. If books are literal, they certainly are not of the same sort fit for earth, but heavenly. I'm also reminded that there is a whole other creation in the spirit realm, and these spirits are actively employed by God, some on our behalf, and only God knows what else. For example, check out these verses:

Eph 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

and...

Daniel 4:17 This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men.

Who are these other Beings making decisions? Here "God" and "rulers" are both the Hebrew word elohim; this is speaking of the divine counsel, or the "watchers," as Daniel calls them, speaking of the judgment on Nebuchadnezzar.

Also, check out Exodus 23:20-23, it may or may not be Yeshua.

Nevertheless, to get back on topic, words have meaning and must carefully be considered in our final analysis concerning the books in question.

God Bless.

[jriccitelli]

Howdy. Just as God uses anthropomorphic terms to describe Himself (and His ability to remember), so God uses something like theo-pomorphic terms occasionally in speaking of some angelic beings, often sarcastically. We are told God is not a man, and there is Only one God, these are principles. All others, even the great angels, are false gods and nothing. They have no power other than what God gave them, like any other created being, all though they may fantasize themselves to be gods, they are all created beings.

[robbyyoung]

Howdy. Just as God uses anthropomorphic terms to describe Himself (and His ability to remember), so God uses something like theo-pomorphic terms occasionally in speaking of some angelic beings, often sarcastically. We are told God is not a man, and there is Only one God, these are principles. All others, even the great angels, are false gods and nothing. They have no power other than what God gave them, like any other created being, all though they may fantasize themselves to be gods, they are all created beings.

Oh no you don't... You're trying to draw me in, but I'm not going to bite

Blessings!

[dizerner]

Appreciate the feedback. Probably not the best thread to argue about elohim.