4.3.2. Lamb’s Book of Life a Unique Book

Another solution holds that the Lamb’s Book of Life differs from the Book of Life. The Book of Life contains the names of every person who ever lived. Those who believe have their names retained in the book (Rev. Rev. 3:5+). Those who are unsaved are blotted out of the book (Ps. Ps. 69:28). Another book, the Lamb’s Book of Life contains the name of every individual who is born again, and only those who are born again (Rev. Rev. 13:8+; Rev. 21:27+). Names are never blotted out of this book.¹ The difficulties with this view are:

1. Taking these as two different books when their titles are so similar.
2. Allowing names to be recorded and blotted out in one book but never recorded in the second book when God’s eternal election applies equally to both.
3. The beast worshipers are said to have never had their names written in the Book of Life (not the Lamb’s Book of Life ) in Revelation Rev. 17:8+.
4. Those who are not blotted out of the Book of Life are one and the same as those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life . What then is the purpose of having two books if election applies to all the saved listed in both books and their ultimate destiny is exactly the same—the New Jerusalem (Rev. Rev. 21:27+; Rev. 22:19+)? Similarly, the result of being omitted from either book, either by never having been written in or by being blotted out, is essentially the same—eternal damnation (Rev. Rev. 20:15+).

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Notes

¹ Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of Messiah, rev ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003), 523-524.