Revelation - Part 4

Our destiny depends on who we are. There are two books of records kept. They may be pages in actual books but more likely the Book of Life and "another book" are recorded in the Mind of Jesus Christ. As Jesus is "the Word", he may not only speak and have the Word of God written, but may record our "words" as well. 

Rev 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. 

Yes, there are two books. God keeps good records because He is fair. Since the Word judges, it makes sense that Jesus bears the records for he is the metric to which all our actions, thoughts, and emotions are compared; even our thoughtlessness is recorded in "another book". When one is "born-again", not to be confused with "saved",  our "safety" is when our sins are crossed out of the one book and added to the Book of Life. The latter book is our visa until we inherit the Kingdom of God, and become citizens thereof. For pragmatic reasons, let's call "another book", the Book of Death because as long as our unpardoned sins are in there, we are destined for eternal death. Whatever the case, Jesus is the keeper of the books as one is called the Lamb's Book of Life (21:27).

Revelation is all about either having one's sins remain in the Book of Death (not to be confused with the Egyptian Book of the Dead) or have one's name written in the Book of Life. Those two books are eschatology known to God and used either for us or against us! What we think, do, desire, and feel is known to God who even knows the "hairs of our head" (Luk 12:7). We are watched by none other than "the Ghost of Jesus" who not only Comforts us but watches over and guides. 

We should not be confused! Jesus did ascend to Heaven where he now resides. However, immediately after he ascended,  his Ghost descended (Acts 1 and 2), and is still with us! In fact, those "born-again" are imbued with the "Holy Ghost". Do not despair; the Holy Ghost is still the Holy Spirit, the big difference being one of experience. God's Holy Spirit experienced death. Only the King James translators used the Greek word pneuma in context:

John 7:39 But this spake he (Jesus) of the Spirit (pneuma), which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost (pneuma) was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.

What does this even matter? David had the Holy Spirit (1 Sam 16:13), and David knew Jesus (Mat 22:42-44). David was influenced by the same Holy Spirit who died on the cross as Jesus Christ. (I don't care for the term "filled with the Holy Ghost" because as sinners, we still have dirtiness within. Scripture uses the term pletho - meaning "imbued, influenced or supplied" from Strong's Dictionary.)

"God with us" - Emmanuel, is still with us. That is the "name" of the Holy Ghost, if we think about it. He is the One mentioned as "the faithful witness" in the following verse:

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ (God With Us), who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus, with his spiritual presence bears witness to our spiritual status. He is the One who knows whether or not we have truly been born-again. Likewise, if we're not, Jesus is the one who writes in the Book of Death our sins of which we have not repented.

It is important to know what sins are yet in the Book of Death.

Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God...

When we are born-again, although Jesus paid the price for all sins, when we repent, it is for past sins. I am of the impression that even the sins of the  righteous are recorded in the Book of Death, but are covered by also having one's name in the Book of Life. That's why Christians are "safe".

Those sins in the Book of Death, as I call it, are not damning but are disappointments to God. By repentance and further obedience, the sins within the book are blotted out (Acts 3:19) as they were blotted out a rebirth. Obedience rectifies past sins, and avoids future penalties. When Christians repent, that shows a willingness to obey, and repentance is our way of loving God (John 15:10). As such, the Book of Death may just be a "Book of Reminders" for Christians to work harder to please God.

There is one sin, however, which stays forever and is why it is the Book of Death:

Mat 12:21 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

The KJV interpreters wisely used "Holy Ghost" rather than "Holy Spirit" because Ghost signifies that God died on the cross. If we reject the notion that God Himself died for us, and shed His own blood in our place, that is blasphemy. "Ghost" works better because it accentuates God's death. For those who deny that Jesus died for them, they should not have a place in Heaven, and they don't!

Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are "safe" even if they have unconfessed sins remaining in the "Book of Reminders" Those not "safe" do not have their names written in the Book of Life. In my humble opinion, blasphemy is the intent of the "Second Commandment" (see my "Daily Thought" at http://kentuckyherrin.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-reverence-of-gods-name.html).

Sins don't accumulate until one has enough to be moved from the Book of Life to another! Apostasy is that one thought or attitude: God did not die for me, or not being serious about it; thus, vanity.

I submit all these words to exemplify that Jesus is "the faithful witness" in 1:5. He is the keeper of the books! We are in the Book of Life if we accept that it is "him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." That is the new birth and the qualifier for the Book of Life.

Eschatologically speaking, "and (Jesus) hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." (1:6). In God's Kingdom, if we are born-again, our heritage is royalty: to be kings and priests unto God. We shall obtain what Saul died for trying to be - both king and priest.

If the reader is indeed born-again, that revelation is exciting. Why dread the kingship and priesthood? Why only let God be with us when we can be with God? Poor choices in that matter has another revelation which we shall soon learn!