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Die Boek van die Lewe
Met
Jesus se wederkoms sal al die kinders van God wat ontslaap het uit die grafte
opstaan, en met die lewende heiliges sal hulle opgeneem word om Jesus in die
hemel te ontmoet (1 Thessalonisense 4:16-17). Die geheim om deel te wees van
die eerste opstanding is om alle sonde te oorwin deur bekering en
wedergeboorte, want slegs hulle wie die sonde oorwin het deur die krag van
die bloed van Jesus Christus, diesulkes se name verskyn in die Lam se
lewensboek, en net hulle wie se name opgeteken staan in die boek van die lewe
het 'n deel in die eerste opstanding. "Wie oorwin, sal beklee word met
wit klere, en Ek sal sy naam nooit uitwis uit die boek van die lewe nie, en
ek sal sy naam bely voor my Vader en voor sy engele." Openbaring 3:5. Almal
se name is nie in die boek van die lewe opgeteken nie. Net die name van God
se kinders is in die boek van die lewe opgeskryf. Die kinders van God is
hulle wat vrygekoop is deur die bloed van Jesus Christus, die Lam van God.
Die boek van die lewe is een van God se raadsbesluite of geheimenisse wat nie
met die verstand begryp kan word nie, maar net deur die gees. Dit het te doen
met die alwetendheid en almagtigheid van God. Ons lees in 1 Kor. 13:9-12 die
volgende: "Want ons ken ten dele en ons profeteer ten dele. Maar as die
volmaakte gekom het, dan sal wat ten dele is, tot niet gaan. Toe ek 'n kind
was, het ek gepraat soos 'n kind, gedink soos 'n kind, geredeneer soos 'n
kind; maar nou dat ek 'n man is, het ek die dinge van 'n kind afgelê. Want
nou sien ons deur 'n spieël in 'n raaisel, maar eendag van aangesig tot
aangesig. Nou ken ek ten dele, maar eendag sal ek ten volle ken, net soos ek
ten volle geken is." Daar is dus die geopenbaarde wil van God en die
verborge wil van God (Dan. 2:20-22; Hand. 1:7-8; Rom. 11:33-36 en Job 11:7-8;
Ef. 1:4-14; 3:8-12 in die Ou Afrikaanse Vertaling). Die
boek van die lewe is één van die boeke wat reeds aan die begin van die
skepping deur God geskryf is (Op. 13:8; Op. 17:8; Ps. 139:16; Ef. 1:4; Mat
25:34; Dan. 7:10; Op. 20:12 OAV). Ons lees ook in Jes. 46:9-10 die volgende:
"Dink aan die dinge wat tevore was, van ouds af, dat Ek God is, en daar
is geen ander nie; Ek is God, en daar is niemand soos Ek nie; wat van die
begin af verkondig die einde, en van die voortyd af wat nog nie gebeur het
nie; wat sê: My raad sal bestaan, en al wat my behaag, sal Ek doen;"
Daar is dus ander boeke ook (Dan. 7:10; Op. 5:1-5; Op. 6:1-17; Op. 20:12
OAV). In
Openbaring 13:8 sien ons die volgende: "almal wie se name nie van die
grondlegging van die wêreld af in die boek van die lewe van die Lam wat
geslag is, geskrywe is nie." Hierdie boek het ook betrekking op die
vooraf uitverkiesing van God se kinders tot die ewige lewe; God se uitverkore
kinders (sien Ef.1: 4; 2 Thes. 2:13 en 1 Pet 2:9; Mat 24:31 OAV). Die name
van God se kinders is van die skepping van die aarde af in die boek van die
lewe geskryf (Joh. 13:18; Rom. 8:29, 30; Ef.1: 11). Die boek van die lewe
staan ook bekend as die boek van die lewe van die Lam (Op. 21:27). Die Lam
van God was teenwoordig toe die boek opgeskryf was en Hy was ook daarmee
gemoeid (Gen. 1:26 "Laat Ons mense maak ..." -- "Ons" nl.
die Vader, Seun en Heilige Gees) (Sien ook Kol. 1:15-23; Op. 3:14 en 1 Pet.
1:19-21; Op. 1:8 OAV). Aanhaling
uit John Gill's Exposition of the Bible: whose
names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world; by which book is meant God's predestination of men
to eternal life, or his decree of election; why this is called the "book
of life"; see Gill on Rev_3:5; and their "names being written
therein from the foundation of the world", Rev_17:8, for such a
construction the words will bear, denotes that election is eternal, and is
not an act of time, nor dependent upon anything done in time; and that it is
of particular persons, and not of bodies of men, of nations and churches, and
still less of propositions, or of persons so and so qualified, or under such
conditions and circumstances; and that it is perfectly well known to God, and
is sure and certain in its effects, and is unchangeable and irrevocable; for
what is written in it, is written, and will always stand, not upon the foot
of works, but of the sovereign grace of God; and this is called the Lamb's
book; that is, Christ, who is compared to a Lamb for its harmlessness,
meekness, and patience, and was typified by the lambs in the legal
sacrifices; and this book is called his, because he was present at the making
of it, and was concerned in putting down the names in it, Joh_13:18, and he
himself stands first in it as the elect of God, and the head of all the
elect, who, as members, were chosen in him: the act of election was made in
him, and stands sure in him; and he is the author and giver of that life,
which men are chosen unto both here and hereafter: and he may be said to be "slain
from the foundation of the world"; in the decree and purpose of God, by
which he was set forth, or fore-appointed to be the propitiation for sin, and
was foreordained, before the foundation of the world, to redeem his people by
his blood, and in the promise of God immediately after the fall of man, that
the seed of the woman should have his heel bruised, and he himself should
bruise the serpent's head, which made it as sure as if it was then done; and
in the sacrifices, which were immediately upon this offered up, and were
types of the death and sacrifice of Christ; and in the faith of the saints,
which brings distant things near, and considers them as if present; and also
in his members, in Abel, and others, in whom he suffered, as he still does in
his people; to which may be added, that such is the efficacy of the bloodshed
and death of Christ, that it reached to all the saints from the beginning of
the world, for the justification of their persons, the atonement of their
sins, and cleansing from them; for the remission of sins, that are past, and
for the redemption of transgressions under the first testament; for Old
Testament saints from the beginning are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus,
as New Testament ones are. Something like this the Jews say (e) of the
Messiah upon Gen_49:11, (Sien ook in die Ou Vertaling: Dan. 12:1; Ex.
32:32 - 33; Luk. 10:20; Ps. 56:9; 69:28; 139:16; Filip. 4:3; Openb. 13:8;
17:8; Openb. 20:12 + 15; 21:27; 22:19; Heb. 12:23; Mal. 3:16) Sien ook: |