Daniel 12:1-4, 10, 13 There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. … Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. … As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.
Revelation 20:12-13, 15 The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. … Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 22:7, 10-13 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” … “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
I am a devotional writer and not a theologian. Yet for anyone who reads the Bible with a fair amount of consistency, one can begin to understand some of the more difficult passages. This is true not only because of one’s persistence, but more importantly because our Heavenly Father has promised to help us in our understanding; He will provide the wisdom we need (cf. James 1:5). In reading scripture, patterns begin to emerge because although the Bible is a collection of writings from many authors spanning a great stretch of time—it is a single message of who God is; the outline of God’s plan for his creation (including the plan to rescue them from their errant ways) and revealing God’s plan for a glorious future yet to come.
In looking at the two passages above we notice right away they come from books of prophecy and we notice similarities and differences. Because I am not a theologian, I cannot tell you if the “book” or “scroll” mentioned in each is a literal object or figurative one, but I can tell you that it is—and that it is not your book, my book, nor anyone else’s book, but that it is a book that belongs to the LORD God Almighty. Whether figurative or literal, it is the means whereby we are always remembered by our Heavenly Father and never are we forgotten. The downside is that it is also the same means whereby those who refuse to acknowledge God will be removed from participating in any glorious future yet to come.
Both passages acknowledge that the wicked will continue in their wickedness and those who do right will continue to do right. Not for one instant should we view this as a lack of hope for the wicked, for there is always hope for anyone to accept the free gift of salvation offered through the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. What we see clearly is that it is a matter of individual choice. I cannot choose for you, nor can you choose for anyone else. Each one must make their own choice. What we also see clearly is the consequence of our choice. Those who choose to follow God’s plan will have their names written (figuratively or literally matters not) in the record of life God is keeping. They will receive eternal life in His Kingdom yet to come. Those who do not choose to follow God’s plan will not have their names written in God’s record of life. They will receive final destruction—not ongoing destruction—but FINAL destruction, the consequences of which will be eternal and unchangeable.
Mary A. Kidder (1820-1905) has captured the main point in a familiar hymn:
Is My Name Written There?
Lord, I care not for riches, Neither silver nor gold; I would make sure of glory, I would enter the fold. In the book of thy kingdom, With its pages so fair, Tell me, Jesus, my Savior, Is my name written there?
Lord, my sins they are many, Like the sands of the sea, But thy blood, O my Savior, Is sufficient for me; For thy promise is written, In bright letters that glow, “Tho’ your sins be as scarlet, I will make them like snow.”
Is my name written there, On the page white and fair: In the book of thy kingdom, Is my name written there?
Oh! that beautiful city, With its mansions of light, With its glorified beings, In pure garments of white; Where no evil thing cometh To despoil what is fair; Where the angels are watching, Yes, my name’s written there.
Yes, my name’s written there, On the page white and fair! In the book of thy kingdom, Yes, my name’s written there!
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing a choice for each of us—to choose eternal life in your soon-coming Kingdom—to choose to have our name written in your record of life. Thank you for the assurance that we will never be forgotten. May we be found faithful in spreading the message of hope to a lost and dying world. May we lead many to righteousness for your honor and glory.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.
The devotional The Book appeared first on Write From My Heart at writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
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