Revelation 20:12; The Book of Life

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Revelation 20:12 (KJV)  And 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. 

The greater focus of this passage, however, is on the other book, “the book of life”, which apparently decides the ultimate issue (cf. Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 21:27). This is not contradictory to a judgment according to works, however, because a person’s works are an unmistakable mark of where his loyalties lie (Johnson). The other “book” are in a sense vouchers to support what is in “the book of life” (Alford). Salvation is by grace, but character in the end will be the test of the fruit of the tree (Matthew 7:16, 20; 10:32-33; 25:31-46; John 15:6; Romans 2:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 2:23; 22:12).

Matthew 7:16 (KJV)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Matthew 7:20 (KJV)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 10:32-33 (KJV)  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 25:31-46 (KJV)  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did itnot to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

John 15:6 (KJV)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Romans 2:9-10 (KJV)  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 

2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

Revelation 2:23 (KJV)  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Revelation 22:12 (KJV)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

The Book of Life is a divine register for every loyal believer (cf. Isaiah 4:3; Psalm 69:28; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20) (Kiddle). It originally contained the names of all for whom Christ died, i.e., the whole world, but at the judgment of the Great White Throne many blank spaces will signal the removal of many names who never believed in Christ for salvation (Walvoord).

Isaiah 4:3 (KJV)  And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 

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

Daniel 12:1 (KJV)  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 

Luke 10:20 (KJV)  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Judgment according to works – the dead were judged…according to their works – is explicit on this decisive occasion. This is a point of emphasis at the end of v13 also.

Revelation 20:13 (KJV)  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. 

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 431-432]