How does Psalm 69:28 relate to Revelation 3:5 about the "book of life"? The Book of Life in Both Testaments - Exodus 32:32-33 first names “the book” where God records His people. - Psalm 69:28 uses the fuller title “Book of Life,” anchoring the concept firmly in the Old Testament. - Revelation intensifies the theme, showing the same register opened at the final judgment (Revelation 20:12, 15; 21:27). Psalm 69:28 — A Sobering Warning “May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be listed with the righteous.” - David prays imprecatory judgment on persistent, unrepentant enemies (see Psalm 69:22-27). - Being “blotted out” pictures a literal removal from God’s roll of the living righteous. - The verse reveals two categories already present in God’s ledger: the righteous and the wicked. Revelation 3:5 — A Comforting Promise “The one who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” - Jesus speaks to believers in Sardis who are urged to “wake up” (Revelation 3:2-4). - “Overcomes” (Greek nikaō) points to persevering faith (1 John 5:4-5). - The promise “never blot out” gives iron-clad assurance to the faithful. - Public confession “before My Father” echoes Matthew 10:32. How the Two Passages Fit Together 1. Same imagery, different audiences • Psalm 69:28 targets hardened persecutors. • Revelation 3:5 addresses redeemed believers. 2. Same divine prerogative • God alone writes and removes names (Exodus 32:33). 3. Warning matched by assurance • Psalm warns the wicked of deletion. • Revelation secures the righteous against deletion. 4. Moral urgency • The possibility of being blotted out drives sinners to repentance (Acts 3:19). • The impossibility of being blotted out encourages saints to persevere (Hebrews 10:35-39). Practical Takeaways - Treat salvation seriously; God literally tracks every soul. - Persist in faith; overcomers receive white garments and eternal honor. - Rest in Christ’s promise; no external force can erase a true believer’s name (John 10:28-29). - Proclaim the gospel; those now opposed to God can still become listed “with the righteous” (Romans 10:13). Supporting Passages - Daniel 12:1 — names “found written in the book” are delivered. - Luke 10:20 — disciples told, “your names are written in heaven.” - Philippians 4:3 — coworkers’ names “are in the Book of Life.” - Revelation 13:8; 17:8 — the unsaved are absent from the book. The warning of Psalm 69:28 and the promise of Revelation 3:5 form two sides of one truth: God’s Book of Life is real, final, and perfectly kept—erasing the obstinate, preserving the overcomer forever. |
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