Books of the Living and Dead

Revelation 20:12 makes a powerful claim: "And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, [called] the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books."

Few people would keep a diary if they knew that, by a magical act of memory, the mind publishes every thought and feeling, every act and intuition, as a book to be read by everyone. Think how surprised we all will be when, at some point in the future, after crossing the border that separates mortal life from immortal life, we find ourselves in the courtroom of eternal justice. There, we will face some menacing moments. Everything we have ever done will be made public.

For those whose lives are written in the book of the living, your destiny is one of eternal life with the Christ you serve. For those whose lives are not recorded in that book, the riddle of your fate, which you may have tried to unwind while on earth, will be finally unwrapped. As Revelation 20:15 pointedly states, "Those who did not have their name written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire."

The living God, his angels and his human followers appeal to you to seek out the Christ who shines so brightly on those who know and accept him. He is the way to a perpetual life of happiness. On the day of judgment, remember this truth: Under the Son of facts all sin must melt.

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Copyright © 2005 by James Strong

To contact James Strong, please send an email to: linwood_jl@yahoo.com.