199. And I will not blot his name out of the book of life, signifies that they will be in heaven because they are fitted for it. This is evident from the signification of "name," as being the quality of man's state of life (See above, n. 148); and from the signification of "the book of life," as being heaven (of which presently); therefore, "not to blot his name out of the book of life" signifies that they will be in heaven because their state in respect to love and faith is such, thus because they are fitted for heaven. "The book of life" signifies heaven, because a man who is in the love to the Lord and faith in Him is a heaven in least form, and this heaven of man corresponds to heaven in the greatest form; therefore he who has heaven in himself also comes into heaven, for he is fitted for it. (That there is such correspondence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 51-58, 73-77, 87-102; and The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 230-236.) From this it is that "the book of life" is that with man that corresponds to the heaven with him. Because this remains with man to eternity, if he has become spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to life in the world, it is said, "I will not blot his name out of the book of life." In the world indeed it may be blotted out if man does not remain spiritual to the end of life; but if he does so remain it cannot be blotted out, because he is conjoined to the Lord by love and faith, and such conjunction with the Lord as there has been in the world remains with man after death.

[2] From this it can be seen that "the book of life" means that from the Lord which has been written on man's spirit, that is, on his heart and soul, or what is the same, on his love and faith; and what is written by the Lord in man is heaven. From this it is clear what is meant by "the book of life" in the following passages. In Daniel:

The Ancient of Days sat, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10).

In the same:

The people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12:1).

In David:

Let them be blotted out of the book of lives, and not be written with the righteous (Psalms 69:28).

In Moses:

Moses said, Blot me, I pray, out of the book which Thou hast written. And Jehovah said, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of the book (Exodus 32:32-33).

In Revelation:

All shall worship the beast whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 13:8; 17:8).

Again:

I saw that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And if any was not found written in the book of life he was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-13, 15).

Again:

There shall enter into the New Jerusalem only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:27).

In David:

My bone was not hidden from Thee when I was made in secret. Upon Thy book all the days were written in which they were formed, and not one of them is wanting (Psalms 139:15-16).

"All the days were written" means all states of life. (That each and all things that man has thought, willed, spoken, and done, even all that he has seen and heard, are with him in his spirit as if written therein, so that nothing whatever is wanting, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 462, 463; and Arcana Coelestia 2469-2494, 7398; and that this is man's "book of life," see n. 2474, 9386, 9841, 10505, n. 5212, 8067, 9334, 9723, 9841.

8067. 'And as a memorial between your eyes' means that it shall be constantly in their understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'memorial' too as constant recollection, the word 'memorial' being used because it has reference in the Word to the understanding, whereas 'sign' has reference to the will; and from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in 2701, 3820, 4403-4421, 4523-4534. This is why 'as a memorial between the eyes' means that it shall be constantly in their understanding, that is, their thinking.

Something brief will be said to show how one should understand the explanation that it shall be constantly in the understanding and constantly in the will. The things which have imprinted themselves on a person through faith and charity, that is, which he fully believes and loves, are constantly in his thought and will. He thinks them and wills them even when he contemplates and deals with other matters, and imagines that those things are not present in his mind at that time. For they are indeed there among other things which determine the character of his mind. The truth of this is plainly evident from the spiritual sphere surrounding a spirit or angel; for when the spirit or angel approaches, that sphere tells one immediately about his faith and about his charity, and about much more that he has at heart, even though he is not thinking about them at the time. Such are the things that constitute the life of every mind and remain constantly there. These considerations could be illustrated by very many details to be observed in a person, such as his reflections on different things, his affections, the ways to act that have been ingrained in him since early childhood, and the like, which are continually present and hold sway although he does not consciously think about them at all. It is similar with love to the neighbour, love to God, and a love of goodness and truth, and with faith. People with those kinds of love and with faith will and think them constantly; for such love and faith reside within these people, and when they do so they are said to be reigning throughout, see 6159, 6571, 7648.