What is the Book of Life?
Why does God have it?

What is the Book of Life?  Why does God have it?
Why write in a book if God already knows everything?

Q. What is the Book of Life?  Why does God have it?  Why does he write into a book when he already knows everything?

(Submitted by: Scott)

A. Many questions can be asked about God. Why does God do things in a certain way? We may wonder because we are mere human in our reasoning and understanding. Certain things we are not meant to understand at this present age. Hebrews 9:5 for example, " . . . Of these things we cannot now speak in detail". Apostle Paul had a wonderful vision from God ( 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 ), yet he could not tell much about it, as we find in verse 4," . . . it is not lawful for a man to utter". God is majestic and of great dignity.

He is not forbidding as humans may be inclined to think, but He has a time table. The Scriptures disclose that to us in Revelation 10:7,

" . . . but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets".

So, everything in the appointed time.

Now, to your question. I could ask another question such as if God knows our thoughts and our needs, why does He need us to ask Him specifically, in our prayers?.

" Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." ( Philippians 4:6)

He knows what's in our mind. Just because He is aware of it ( as He is of countless billions of plights of humans) does it mean that He will just take them away and automatically answer to every man's needs? Of course not. He requires us to ask "...by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving...". For another example: Exodus 7:19-20,

" Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams. . . ' " And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt...And Moses and Aaron did so, ....And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. "

Why didn't God just perform the miracle? After all it was entirely His doing; but He had Moses telling Aaron and Aaron to stretch his hand over the waters. In other words, God has a way, a system, a modus operandi ( in this particular case, a purpose: God is using human beings in His endeavor, since He is in the process of adding Sons to His family).

Why does God have a Book of Life? That's His way and prerogative. He certainly knows us all, He even knows far less important things ( Matthew 10:29-30 ). In Matthew 25:12 we find a seemingly strange statement from Jesus,

" But He answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you".

Not literally, and this has to do with the Book of Life. Another Scripture corroborates this: Galatians 4:9

"But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God . . ."

It is referring to those written in the Book of Life, being "known" by God as His elect. To differentiate them from the others, He writes them in the Book of Life. I believe that there is only one Book of Life. The "Book of the Lamb" of Revelation 21:27 is the same as the Book of Life of Revelation 3:5 ; 13:8, etc. Why the Lamb's Book of Life? Christ is the one who will judge His people:

"For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son". (John 5:22)