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Old 07-11-2009, 11:44 AM
Winman Winman is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
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Well, the word "blot" here means to wipe or wipe away, so obviously a person's name is in the book until it is wiped away or erased.

Also note that in these verses it speaks of future tense,

"him will I blot out of my book"

"and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life"

So, this blotting out had not occured at the time that the scripture was spoken. We do not know for a certainty when this takes place.

If you go to Revelations you see several books.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So, we see here "books" plural, and if I understand the scripture properly, the dead are judged out of these "books" according to their works. Notice these books are mentioned first.

Then we see the "book of life" which is called "another book" in vs 12.

So, I can't be dogmatic about this, but it seems that every person's name is written in the book of life to begin with, but somewhere along the way some names are blotted out of this book. I believe this might be dealing with the age of accountability. We believe that infants and young children who die without understanding sin go to heaven. And scripture supports this.

2 Sam 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

We see here the story of David and Bathsheba's son who died. And look what David said:

2 Sam 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

David was assured of his salvation, and David believed when he died he would go to the same place as the young child who died. So many believe from this verse that when an infant or young child dies before the age of accountability, then they go to heaven. If so, then their name would be written in the book of life.

As for the other books, there are also verses that speak of sin being blotted out.

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

So, it seems that in these other books mentioned in Revelations 20 are a man's works. And those that receive Christ have all their iniquities blotted out of these books.

But those who are aware of their sin and reached the age of accountability are judged by their works. Perhaps directly after this their names are blotted out of the book of life, or perhaps God knows the point at which a person will ultimately refuse to accept Christ and at that point blots their name out of the book of life. I can't say for certain.

But I do not believe it is speaking of losing salvation. I personally believe a believer is eternally secure.