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Among the Jewish people, there are various greetings used during the Days Of Awe, the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
Good Yom Tov – good holiday.
Chag sameach – happy holiday.
And then there’s l’shana tova tickatayvu – may you be written for a good year. Written for a good year? What kind of greeting is that?
The idea behind that greeting is that, at the beginning of Rosh HaShana, God opens the Book of Life. He closes it at the end of Yom Kippur.
At the end of Yom Kippur, the names of those who are in a right relationship with God will remain the Book of Life. They will live. However, the names of those who are not right with the Lord will be erased from the Book of Life. They will die.
The idea of the names of people being written or erased from the Book of Life may seem strange to us. However, if we consider what the Word of God teaches us about the Book of Life, it will be less strange.
After the Jewish people left Egypt and came to Mount Sinai, while Moses was on the mountain, receiving divine revelation from God, the majority of the Jewish people were at the bottom of Sinai worshiping the golden calf. God was so angry He told Moses He wanted to destroy the entire nation.
Moses intervened on our behalf and asked the Lord to spare us, and if He wouldn’t, he asked to be erased from the Book of Life. The Lord’s answer to Moses: Whoever has sinned against Me, I will erase him out of My book.
King David knew about the Book of Life. Psalm 69 records his prayer that his enemies would be erased from the Book of Life – that they would die.
Isaiah informed us that a time is coming when the Branch of the Lord, which is a title for the Messiah, will be beautiful and glorious, and it will come about that the one who is left in Zion will be called holy – everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.
The names of those Messianic Jews who are alive when Messiah returns will be recorded in a book which entitles them to enjoy life in Jerusalem – a Jerusalem which will be ruled by King Yeshua for 1,000 years. What a joy to be recorded for life in Jerusalem during that time.
The last chapter of the book of Daniel informs us that in the end times, the world will experience greater trouble than the world has ever experienced. Many will die during that time.
However, every one of those Jewish people whose names are written in the book will be rescued. They will survive this period of unprecedented trouble and shine like the stars in the heavens.
Ah, but that’s the Old Testament. We don’t need to bother with it because it’s no longer relevant because it’s been replaced by the New Testament.
Really?
Luke recorded that Messiah chose seventy-two of His followers and sent them ahead to every city He was going to visit. They were to teach the people that the Kingdom of God was near. They would have authority to heal the sick and cast out demons.
When they returned, they joyfully reported to Him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”
Yeshua’s response to their interest in spiritual power was to redirect them to something else – the Book of Life. He said to them: don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names have been recorded in Heaven.
Rather than being attracted to spiritual power, which can corrupt us, Messiah wanted them to focus on the joy that comes from knowing that their names are recorded in Heaven – which means they would live forever with God the Father and Yeshua the Son, the good angels and the chosen remnant of Israel and the nations.
In his letter to Messiah’s Community in Philippi, Paul mentions his co-workers whose names are written in the Book of Life. The Rabbi was confident that the names of those who know the Lord and serve Him by telling others the Good News and building Messiah’s Community – are written in the Book of Life.
The final references to the Book of Life are found in the last book of the Bible. The book of Revelation has more references to the Book of Life than any other book. In it, Messiah promised: All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
The names of those who are victorious – who love the Son of God and serve Him to the end – will be written in the Book of Life. They will live forever and be honored by King Yeshua before His Father, the High King, and His great angelic servants. That’s what I want – more than anything. How about you?
Since Yeshua has the authority to erase names from the Book of Life – it would be wise to believe in Him and loyally follow Him. Yes?
John also informed us that in the last days, everyone on Earth will worship the final, evil, world ruler, the anti-Christ – everyone except those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will be protected from the deadly deception that will destroy the rest of the people of the world.
John also informed us that he saw a great white throne and the dead standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done … Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire.
God has books that record everything that everyone has done. From those meticulous records all will judged.
And then there is another book – the Book of Life. If your name is written in the Book of Life, you will live forever. If your name is not written in the Book of Life, you will die in Gehenna, Hell, the lake of fire.
The last mention of the Book of Life describes those who will live forever in God’s eternal capitol.
Nothing impure may enter the New Jerusalem, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies; the only ones who may enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Only those whose names have been written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Messiah who sacrificed Himself for us will enter and live forever in that glorious and blessed and eternal city.
And the only way to have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is by knowing Yeshua – that He is the Son of God, the sinless Messiah, who died to reconcile us to God, who rose from the dead, and who is alive now – full of grace and love and saving power – and then transferring your loyalties to Him.
If you haven’t done that already, how about doing that tonight – before the end of Yom Kippur? What could possibly be more important? What’s holding you back? Whatever it is, it’s not worth it.
And, if your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, won’t you make it your priority, your mission in life, to help everyone you can, get their names written in that Book – by boldly, courageously, unashamedly telling them the truth about the risen and eternal Lord and Savior – Yeshua?
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People write things that are important. Some write journals and diaries to help them remember the significant ideas, events, people that happen to them. People keep records of important financial information. The state of Michigan requires me to record all the marriages that I have performed in the state. I keep records of our annual meetings, baptisms and of membership.
Did you know that God has books that records important things?