Book of Life
The Book of Life (Hebrew: סֵפֶר חִיִּים Sefer Chajim) is mentioned several times in the biblical tradition of the Old and New Testaments. This heavenly book contains the names of all the righteous who will not be thrown into the lake of fire on the Judgement Day and will not suffer the second death. The Apocalypse of John also mentions other, unspecified books that will be opened on the Judgement Day. From an anthroposophical point of view, this refers to the entries in the world memory, the Akasha Chronicle.
„11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.“
The idea of a world memorial is an integral part of the Christian tradition, for example in the celebration of the Mass for the deceased (Missa pro defunctis) from the Missale curiale (1472) or also the Missale Romanum (1570) of the Roman Catholic Church. The Dies irae of the Missa pro defunctis reads:
Liber scriptus proferetur |
A written book will be brought forward, |
See also
- Book of Life - Article in the German Wikipedia
- Sefer ha-Chajim, the eponymous Book of Life of Jewish Kabbalah (13th century)
