God's Library

"As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7: 9, 10 NIV)

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books...If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20: 12, 15 NIV)

"The books were opened." What books? Are they not the books, scrolls, annals, records, logs, journals, of God?

God has a library. He has his place where records and documents are kept. He has his royal "recorders" or heavenly scribes, or God the king's official historians and chroniclers.

In the Old Testament we have several of God's books mentioned. There is the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 24: 7 NIV), and the "Book of the Law of God." (Joshua 24: 26 NIV)

There is also mention of such books as the "Book of the annals of the kings" and the "Book of the annals of King David." (I Chronicles 27: 24 NIV) There is often reference to "genealogical records," and to the records of "vital statistics," a journal of who has been born and who has died, who is among the living, and who is among the dead.

Kings and governmental leaders had their "book of records of the chronicles" (Esther 6: 1 KJV) of their decrees and official acts.

Lord God, being King of kings, and Governor among the nations (Psalm 22: 28 KJV), keeps records and has many books. Some of these books were written before the creation of the world, and may be called "prophetic books" or his book of destiny, and the book of God's judgments, statutes, and decrees. Other books are still being written, for they are record books.

Why are they "opened"?

First, in order to record the proceedings of the trial and thus preserve them. Second, in order to produce the prosecutorial evidence against the criminally condemned. This latter evidence would consist in the statute or law books, together with the records of the witnesses, and other legal documents of the prosecution.

Certainly, by "the books" (plural) would include the book of God's purposes and decrees concerning the fate or destiny of the world, together with every creature in it. They certainly include, as we shall see, the "Lamb's book," or the "book of life," with several other important books in the divine library. Also, all the books of the bible are part of the library of God, at least the ones he has been pleased to share with us. (See Deuteronomy 29: 29)

"If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?" (Psalm 130: 3 NIV)

"The guilt of Ephraim is stored up, his sins are kept on record." (Hosea 13: 12 NIV)

Lord God has a record of every deed and every thought and choice of every man, good or bad. This record will be used in the Day of Judgment, when every man is on trial for his sins. When the books are opened, included will be these personal record books that have each man's personal history preserved.

For the acquitted or justisfied soul, to the believer in Jesus, the "record" has been "purged" and his crimes "expunged," as it were, from the divine record. A believer in Jesus is no longer "under the law." The law has already exacted its vengeance and penalty upon the believer in his substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the law can no longer condemn him, for this would be a case of "double jeopardy," and an injustice unworthy of the divine being.

"Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure." (Genesis 41: 49 NIV)

Joseph may have been unable to make such a vast record of things in the realm of his governorship, but not so with Lord God. All has been faithfully and accurately recorded so that everything the sinner has said and done "can and will be used against him in the court of law." Said Jesus:

"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12: 36 KJV)

That is a lot of divine record keeping! To record everything a person has said and done! The billions of people!

"To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 149: 9 KJV)

The Day of Judgment, the great day of trial for every condemned sinner of our fallen race, is the day when the Lord will finally "execute" the prior "judgment written." He will at that day "carry out" the "indictment" and judicial sentence of heaven's court.

"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139: 15, 16 NIV)

"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matthew 10: 30 KJV)

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" (Psalm 56: 8 NIV)

God's private records of every person includes the most minute of details. Besides even the "idle words" that a person speaks, so too with every idle thought, and with personal details like the number of hairs on the head and the record of all a person's "wanderings" or "goings." Every tear that is shed is known and recorded by God.

"Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high." (Job 16: 19 KJV)

Job knew that God was a faithful recorder and omniscient. He realized God had his "books," both public and private, and personal records on himself, declaring his destiny.

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name." (Malachi 3: 16 NIV)

Here is no doubt one of the favorite books of our Lord! Oh yes, he prizes that record and memorial of the godly tears of his people, but he also loves that book that records the conversations of his people, of the times of their fellowship together! Surely more Christians would meet more frequently together if they realize how precious these times together are to the Lord and how he is recording and memorializing them forever!

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21: 25 NIV)

But, it is all recorded in heaven! We believe all is recorded. Yet, we are not familiar with the entire record. He has given us a sufficient record book to bring us to a knowledge of God and faith in Christ Jesus and the way of salvation.

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (I John 5: 10, 11 KJV)

"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.' " (Hebrews 10: 7 KJV)

The bible we have is the book of God that reveals the person and career of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever believes this record that God has given of his Son is promised eternal life.

In the opening words of this study, depicting the Day of Judgment, when all the books are opened, there was mention of "another book," a different kind of book, a very special book, call the "book of life." Here are other scriptures that mention this "book of life" or the "Lamb's book of life."

"But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." (Exodus 32: 32-34 NIV)

"Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous." (Psalm 69: 27, 28 NIV)

"Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." (Philippians 4: 3 NIV)

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels." (Revelation 3: 5 NIV)

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." (Revelation 13: 8 NIV)

"The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come." (Revelation 17: 8 NIV)

"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21: 27 NIV)

Friend, you can be sure that your name is written in the Lamb's book, even though it was written before your were born. Every believer in Jesus, every "overcomer" in his name, is declared to have his name recorded in that precious book! Jesus said to his followers - "rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10: 20 KJV)