199. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. That this signifies that they will be in heaven because they are fitted for it is evident from the signification of name, as denoting the quality of the state of man's life (see above, n. 148) and from the signification of the book of life, as denoting heaven, concerning which we shall speak presently. Hence, not to blot their name out of the book of life signifies that they will be in heaven because their state as to love and faith is heavenly, thus because they are fitted for heaven. The reason why heaven is signified by the book of life is, that a man who is in love and faith to the Lord is a heaven in its least form, and this heaven 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 a correspondence, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 51-58, 73-77, 87-102; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 230-236.) Hence it is, that the book of life is that in man which corresponds to the heaven in which he is; and because the former remains with him to eternity, if he becomes spiritual by the knowledges of truth and good applied to life in the world, therefore, it is here said, "I will not blot out his name from the book of life. In the world, indeed, it may be blotted out, if a man does not remain spiritual even unto the end of his life; but if he does remain spiritual it cannot be blotted out, because he is conjoined to the Lord by love and faith; and conjunction with the Lord, such as took place in the world, remains with man after death.

From these considerations it is evident, that by the book of life is meant that from the Lord which is inscribed on a man's spirit, that is, which is inscribed on his heart and soul, or, what is the same, on his love and faith; and that which is inscribed by the Lord on man, is heaven.

[2] It is therefore evident what is meant by the book of life in the following passages; in Daniel:

"The Ancient of days did sit, and the books were opened" (7:9, 10).

Again:

"The people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (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 thee, out of the book which thou hast written. And Jehovah said, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Exodus 32:32, 33).

In the Apocalypse:

"All shall worship the beast, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb" (13:8; 17:8).

In another place:

"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. And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire" (Apoc. 20:12, 13, 15).

Again:

"And there shall not enter into the New Jerusalem any but those that are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Apoc. 21:27).

In David:

"My bone was not hid from thee when I was made in secret. Upon thy book all my days were written in which they were formed: not one of them is wanting" (Psalms 139:15, 16).

By all the days being written, are meant all the states of man's life. (That all the separate things which he has thought, willed, spoken and done, yea, which he has seen and heard, are with man in his spirit as if inscribed therein, so that nothing whatever is wanting, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 462, 463, and in Arcana Coelestia, 2469-2494, 7398; and that this is the book of man's life, 2474, 9386, 9841, 10505; and likewise, n. 5212, 8067, 9334, 9723, 9841.)

10505. 'And if not, blot me out, I beg You, from Your book which You have written' means that the internal side of the Word, the Church, and worship will not be destroyed. This is clear from the representation of Moses, who says these words, as the internal side of the Word, the Church, and worship, dealt with in 10468; from the meaning of 'book which You have written' as what exists there from the Lord, for 'book' means that which is present in the internal, while 'writing' - when attributed to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord - means what exists there from the Lord; and from the meaning of 'blotting out of it' as being destroyed. But at this point not being destroyed is meant because the reply which follows - 'him who has sinned against Me I will blot out of My book' - means that the internal side of the Word, the Church, and worship will not be destroyed but those who turn themselves away from the Divine, thus those whose interest lies in external things and not in what is internal.

[2] The reason why the book written by Jehovah, which in the next verse is called 'My book' or Jehovah's book, and elsewhere 'the book of life', means what is internal is that a person's internal resides in heaven, thus where the Lord is. Consequently the things within his internal are derived from heaven and exist from the Lord, and all are Divine and celestial or spiritual. They are able to be received by the person's internal, but not by his external separated from his internal. This is because his external resides in the world and has been fashioned to receive natural things existing in the world, which without influx through the internal things possess no heavenly life and are therefore said to be dead.

[3] All this helps to show what should be understood in the Word by 'the book of life' and who exactly should be understood by those written in that book, namely those who lead a life of truth and good, thus who in love and faith obey Divine commandments. A life in keeping with those commandments opens and fashions the internal man; and what has been inscribed there has been inscribed by the Lord and remains forever. They are the ones who should be understood by 'those written in the book of life' in the following places: In Daniel,

At that time Your people will be rescued, every one who is found written in the book. Daniel 12:1.

In John,

He who conquers will be clad in white garments; I will not blot his name out of the book of life. Revelation 3:5.

In the same book,

None will enter ¹ the new Jerusalem except those who have been written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27.

In the same book,

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

In the same book,

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

There are other places in addition to these.

[4] It should be remembered that everything inscribed on a person's internal has been inscribed by the Lord; that what is inscribed there constitutes the person's actual spiritual and celestial life; and also that every single thing inscribed there has been inscribed on his love. See also 2474, 8620, 9386.

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