When I created in secret, I was formed in the depths of the womb. Thy eyes have seen my embryo; in Thy book are written all the days appointed for me, when not one of them was yet (Psalm 138:15-16).

The prophet Ezekiel saw in a vision only a heavenly book, but it seems that this is not a mysterious book of names and destinies. He says thus: And I saw, and behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, in it was a scroll of a book. And He unfolded it before me, and behold, the scroll was written inside and out, and it was written on it: "Weeping, and groaning, and woe" (Ezekiel 2:9-10).

The Prophet Daniel in his vision saw the Dread Judgment of God, truly terrible, even in a vision from afar. I saw how the thrones were set and how the Elder sat on His throne, like a flame of fire, and his wheels like a kindled heat. A river flowed before the Elder, all of fire, and thousands of thousands of His servants stood around the Elder; the judges sat down, and the books were opened (Dan. 7:10).

The angel who revealed to Daniel the end times of human history began thus: "I will declare unto thee the things which are written in the true Scriptures" (Dan. 10:21). And having described all the misfortunes that will befall the people of the end times, the Angel of God concludes thus: "At this time all of thy people shall be saved, which are found written in the book" (Dan. 12:1).

The last Old Testament prophet, the angel-like Malachi, also speaks of this mysterious book: "The Lord heareth and heareth it, and before His face is written a book of remembrance concerning them that fear the Lord and honour His name" (Mal. 3:16).

This is what is written in the Old Testament about this invisible book.

This book is mentioned no less in the New Testament. Especially the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John the Theologian.

St. Paul writes to the Philippians about his co-workers, who struggled, he says, with me and with Clement and with the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life (cf. Phil. 4:3).

To be blotted out of this book is to be cut off from Christ and His kingdom. In this sense, Paul's words are also said about himself and about the people of Israel: "I myself would be excommunicated from Christ for my brethren, who are my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:3).

St. John, the seer of the mystery, in his visions, surpassing anything that mortal man could ever see and foresee from the creation of the world to the end of the world, heard from Christ these words as well: He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.805 Only he will enter the Kingdom and immortal life, whose name Christ will call. This is also evidenced by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.806 The Lord did not want to mention the worldly name of the unmerciful rich man, and the rich man went to hell. The name of the wretched beggar Lazarus is mentioned, and the soul of Lazarus departed into the Kingdom of life and light.

Vision of the book. And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.807 808 Only the Lamb of God was worthy to remove the seals from this mysterious book. And when He took them off, various things happened on earth. The book of historical destinies of peoples and people – isn't it that mysterious book?

Unwritten and written in the book of life. When, before the end of time, a beast with seven heads and ten horns809 appears, the holy Apostle John saw, then all those who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev. 13:8). This mysterious book, therefore, is the book of the Lamb, that is, the book of Christ.

And again He goes on to say: "And those who dwell on the earth shall be amazed, whose names are not inscribed in the book of life from the beginning of the world, seeing that the beast was, and is not, and shall appear" (Rev. 17:8).

The vision of the Last Judgment, as seen by St. John, agrees with the vision of the prophet Daniel: "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their works (Rev. 20:12)810, 811.