​H​i Mike,

I​n ​R​evelation it states that anyone whose name isn​’​t found written in the book of li​f​e is cast into the lake of fire. However,​ what about those whose names have been BLOTTED OUT? ​A​re the​y​ ca​s​t in​to​ the lake of fire with the name that was blotted out, or do they get new names?

Thanks, S____​

Hi S​____​,

Thank you for your question. You asked, “What about those whose names have been blotted out? Are they cast into the lake of fire with the name that was blotted out, or do they get new names?”

The short answer to your question is…yes, they are cast into the lake of fire with the name that was blotted out, because it is those whose names were not found in “the book of life” who are cast into the lake of fire:

Rev 20:12  And [at the white throne judgment, vs 11] 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.
Rev 20:13  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.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Notice “the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,” plural, because each of us is a book which the Lord wrote of us before we were born, “neither having done any good or evil”:

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

“The children”, Jacob and Esau, both did evil because that is the experience God has given all men to humble them by it, so there is much evil written in all of our books before we were ever born:

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. (CLV)

It is the evil written in each of our “books” that is being judged here at the great white throne:

The names of all who sin against the Lord will be blotted out of the book of life. A group know in scripture as the “few chosen… firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” who are given a part in the “blessed and holy… first resurrection”, are the only ones whose names are in the book of life. That blessed and holy first resurrection occurs at the beginning of the thousand year reign, and all who are blessed to have part is that “resurrection to life” (Joh 5:28-29), will have “overcome the wicked one” in this present time (1Jo 2:13-14). All who are raised up from the dead after the thousand year reign are cast into the lake of fire/second death, at the time of the great white throne judgment:

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.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and 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.

We know this is so because Paul calls Satan “the god of this world” (Greek: G165, ‘aion’, age) in:

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world [age] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

It is none less than Christ Himself who reveals to us that “the world”, this age, ends when Satan is dethroned and Christ and His Christ are placed upon the throne of “the kingdoms of this world”:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world [G2889: kosmos, world] are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

When the kingdoms of this ‘kosmos‘, this world, become the kingdoms of the Lord and His Christ, the god of this age is dethroned and a new age begins with “the Lord and His Christ” on the throne. We know this is the right order of events because Christ “will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth” (ITi 2:4), in the lake of fire/second death (Rev 20:14-15). We know this is the Truth because are told that “[Christ] is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world”.

And then He tells us:

Mat 12:32  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world [G165: aion, age], neither in the world to come. [Greek for ‘world’ here is again G165: ‘aion’, age]

Christ knew that any apostate who lives from this age over into the thousand year reign, ‘age’, would not be forgiven or even given to repent until the great white throne judgment after the thousand year reign.

Paul confirms Christ’s words of Matthew 12:32 with this statement in:

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

They will “neither be forgiven in this age, neither in the age to come”, but they will be made to repent, and they will be forgiven and will have their sins covered by the blood of the Lamb as part of the great multitude which no man can number, who will come up out of great tribulation and wash their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, via the work of the lake of fire/second death/white throne judgment.

Rev 7:9  After this [after the numbering of the 144,00 “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, Rev 7:4 and Rev 14:4] I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

I hope this helps you to see that being blotted out” has to do with the book of life, before the thousand-year reign of the Lord and His Christ, and not the books which are opened after the rebellion which follows the thousand-year reign.

YbiC, Mike