Video Ministries

The Judgment Set--The Books Opened

A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands
served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court
sat in judgment, and the books were opened. Dan. 7:10, RSV.

The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are
registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet
Daniel: "The judgment was set, and the books were opened." The revelator,
describing the same scene, adds: "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."

The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service
of God. Jesus bade His disciples: "Rejoice, because your names are written
in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Paul speaks of his faithful fellow workers, "whose
names are in the book of life" (Phil. 4:3). Daniel, looking down to "a time
of trouble, such as never was," declares that God's people shall be
delivered, "every one that shall be found written in the book." And the
revelator says that those only shall enter the city of God whose names "are
written in the Lamb's book of life" (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 21:27).

"A book of remembrance" is written before God, in which are recorded the
good deeds of "them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name"
(Mal. 3:16). Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in
heaven. Nehemiah refers to this when he says: "Remember me, O my God, . . .
and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God"
(Neh. 13:14). In the book of God's remembrance every deed of righteousness
is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every
word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of
sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ's sake, is
recorded. Says the psalmist: "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears
into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" (Ps. 56:8). . . .

Every man's work passes in review before God and is registered for
faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of heaven is
entered with terrible exactness every wrong word, every selfish act, every
unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin. . . .

The deepest interest manifested among men in the decisions of earthly
tribunals but faintly represents the interest evinced in the heavenly courts
when the names entered in the book of life come up in review before the
Judge of all the earth. The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all
who have overcome through faith in His blood be forgiven their
transgressions, that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as
joint heirs with Himself to "the first dominion" (Micah 4:8) (The Great
Controversy, pp. 480- 484).

>From Lift Him Up - Page 328

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