Bible Dictionary
BOOK OF LIFE
God's record of those under His care and, in the New Testament, the register of those who inherit eternal life. To be written in it signifies belonging to God's people; to be blotted out signifies exclusion from His favor.
Definition
The Book of Life is God’s record of those under His special care and, in the New Testament, the record of the righteous who inherit eternal life. Being written in it signifies inclusion, while being blotted out signifies exclusion from God’s favor.
Biblical Usage
Moses speaks of being blotted out of God’s book, and the Psalms use the image in relation to being cut off. The New Testament associates the book with the righteous, eternal life, and the final judgment.
Historical Background
The image arises from ancient practices of keeping genealogical records and enrolling citizens. Apocalyptic writings also describe books kept by God on which final judgment is based.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>(cepher chayyim; he biblos tes zoes, "book of life"): The phrase is derived from the custom of the ancients of keeping genealogical records (Ne 7:5,64; 12:22,23) and of enrolling citizens for various purposes (Jer 22:30; Eze 13:9). So, God is represented as having a record of all who are under His special care and guardianship. To be blotted out of the Book of Life is to be cut off from God's favor, to suffer an untimely death, as when Moses pleads that he be blotted out of God's book--that he might die, rather than that Israel should be destroyed (Ex 32:32; Ps 69:28). In the New Testament it is the record of the righteous who are to inherit eternal life (Php 4:3; Re 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 21:27). In the apocalyptic writings there is the conception of a book or of books, that are in God's keeping, and upon which the final judgment is to be based (Da 7:10; 12:1; Re 20:12,15; compare Book Jubilees 39:6; 19:9).</p><p>See APOCALYPSE; BLOT; BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE; JUDGMENT, LAST.</p><p>L. Kaiser</p>