"…blotted out of the Book of Life…"
and the Doctrine of
Perseverance
Rev. James M. Harrison
Red Mills Baptist Church
Mahopac, NY
© James M. Harrison
The phrase "blotted out from the book of life," has often raised needless questions in
the minds of God's people. The phrase appears only once, in Ps. 69:28, and there are a
few interesting observations that need to be kept in mind as we attempt to understand
this strange phrase.
First, we must be careful in building theology from the Psalms. We must note that the
Psalms are written in the form of Hebrew poetry, and are not intended, as the epistles
are, for example, to serve an explicitly didactic purpose. They are expressions of the
heart of a worshipper rather than vehicles by which to convey concrete concepts.
Further, this particular verse is found in the midst of an imprecatory psalm. That is,
it is a psalm in which the writer is calling down curses upon his enemies. It is not at
all of the same character we find in Revelation where John sees the book of life in the
vision that Christ has given him. In Psalm 69, David is the one who is speaking, not
from a vision, not in a Thus Saith the Lord revelation from God, not in terms of
theological actuality, but rather from his own pain and sense of injustice, desiring
that those who have oppressed him be brought to justice and obtain their reward of
judgement. Lest I be misunderstood, let me clarify that this does not mean that David's
words are any less inspired than any other portion of Scripture. David's words are
exactly those words that God desired to give us through that great king of Israel.
But context, genre, and literary figures must always be taken into account as we
endeavor to rightly divide the Word of Truth.
Second, one cannot take the first clause of the verse in isolation from the second
clause. This is strong evidence for the assertion that what we have here is not
didactic teaching which tells us about the book of life, but rather the expression
of David's own state of mind and his desire to see justice done to those who are
oppressing him. He says two things in this verse that, if taken as statements of
actuality, contradict each other. He says first, "May they be blotted out from the
book of life," and then, immediately following this statement, adds, "And may they
not be recorded with the righteous." So which does David want? He says first to blot
them out, but then he turns right around and asks that they not even be recorded in the
first place.
Thirdly, we must allow Scripture to interpret Scripture. In doing so, we must be able
to reconcile all of the revealed information that we have been given concerning the book
of life. The phrase "book of life" occurs in seven other places in the Word of God.
It appears once in Philippians and six times in the book of Revelation. Considering
that both Philippians and Revelation are specifically didactic in purpose, what we
find there must control how we view this phrase as it is used elsewhere, specifically
in Ps. 69:28. Let's look at those passages:
Phi. 4:3 - Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared
my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my
fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
If, as some would assert, everyone's name is written in the book of life and then
blotted out upon their death and final rejection of Christ, what sense does it make
for Paul to say that Clement and the rest of his fellow worker's names are in the
book of life? Everybody's names are there. No. Rather, Paul assumes that not
everyone's name is in the book. The list of names in the book of life is reserved
for those who are believers.
Rev. 3:5 - "He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not
erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father
and before His angels."
Here we certainly have a statement of the perseverance of the saints, but not one
word is said about unbelievers. Those who overcome will NOT be erased, but the text
says nothing at all concerning any active erasing. If that idea is to be found there,
it must be read into the text, not gleaned from it.
Rev. 17:8 - "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the
abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN
WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, will wonder when they see
the beast, that he was and is not and will come."
Here we have a statement that tells us two very important things about the book of life.
First, we are told that not everyone's name is written there, and furthermore, that the
names that have been written in the book of life were written there from the foundation
of the world. Can one read this verse and not be put in mind of Eph. 1:4 "...He chose
us in Him BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD..."?
Rev. 20:12 - "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the
dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their
deeds."
There is not too much that is applicable to our question here, but we do see that the
judgment of the wicked is from a different set of books than the book of life. "books
(plural) were opened; and another book (singular) was opened, which is the book of life."
The dead are said to be judged not on whether or not they appear in the book of life,
but from the things that were written in the "books", according to their deeds.
Rev. 20:15 - And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was
thrown into the lake of fire."
Again, nothing here one way or the other about names having once been in the book of
life.
Rev. 21:27 - …and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it,
but only those whose names are (lit. "who have been") written in the Lamb's book of life.
Since it speaks of those "who have been written in the Lamb's book of life", and
provides no exceptions, such as "except those who have been blotted out or erased",
it must refer to everyone who has ever been written in the book. That being the case,
it can only mean what Rev. 17:8 has already said, that the names written there have
been written from the foundation of the world. Taken with the fact that 17:8 also
says they those who are being spoken of have NOT been written in the book from the
foundation of the world, what we see concerning the book of life is a book in which
only the names of the elect have been written, and that, from the foundation of the
world.
Following are some key commentators addressing Ps. 69:28...
"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living." Though in their conceit they
wrote themselves among the people of God, and induced others to regard them under
that character, they shall be unmasked and their names removed from the register.
Enrolled with honour, they shall be erased with shame. Death shall obliterate all
recollection of them; they shall be held no longer in esteem, even by those who
paid them homage. Judas first, and Pilate, and Herod, and Caiaphas, all in due time,
were speedily wiped out of existence; their names only remain as by-words, but among
the honoured men who live after their departure they are not recorded. "And not be
written with the righteous." This clause is parallel with the former, and shows that
the inner meaning of being blotted out from the book of life is to have it made evident
that the name was never written there at all (My emphasis, j.h.). Man in his imperfect
copy of God's book of life will have to make many emendations, both of insertion and
erasure; but, as before the Lord, the record is for ever fixed and unalterable. Beware,
O man, of despising Christ and his people, lest thy soul should never partake in the
righteousness of God, without which men are condemned already.
- A Treasury of David, Psalm the Sixty-Ninth, v. 28, Charles H. Spurgeon
27, 28 add iniquity unto their iniquity-either: (1) may they be charged with the crimes
they falsely accused the innocent sufferer of, or (2) may punishment be added to punishment
(40:12). blotted out of the book of the living-Those who are alive are in the book of the
living; to be blotted out is to die. Apparently there are two books, one for the righteous
and one for the wicked.
- New Commentary on the Whole Bible, Based on the classic commentary of Jamieson,
Fausset, and Brown
Inasmuch as god's purpose cannot be changed, the expression is merely adapted to
human notions. They who have once been written in that book cannot be really blotted out;
but because God's counsel is secret to us, those may be said to be "blotted out of His
book" whom he openly excludes from His Church. It is this open rejection therefore
which is here meant, and the expression is equivilent to saying: "Do not reckon them
in the number of Thy people, neither let them be gathered with Thy Church."
- Commentaries on the Psalms, John Calvin
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