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Echoes of Revelation
Revelation never quotes the Old Testament outright, yet no New Testament book refers to it more. See both texts side by side, why they don’t match, and what John does with them.
Revelation 13:8, the book of life
The Lamb's book of life draws on Daniel's book of those to be delivered and the psalm's book of the living, from which the wicked are blotted out.
Revelation 13:8, in every translation this tool compares.
A guest list decides who gets in, whatever the bouncer at the door says. Daniel 12:1 promises rescue for everyone found written in the book. Psalm 69 asks that the wicked be erased from the record of the living. John says the beast's worshipers are those missing from the Lamb's book of life. That book belongs to the Lamb who was slain.
A book in which God writes the names of his people. Psalm 69:28 links the book with life and keeps the wicked out of it; Daniel 12:1 ties it to rescue in the time of trouble.
John says the book belongs to the Lamb, a link to Christ none of the Old Testament texts make. He adds that the names were written, or left out, before the world was made. In Exodus 32 Moses asks to be blotted out for Israel's sake; John speaks of a book that keeps believers safe.
Those who are the Lamb's are kept from worshiping the beast. Beale says the book stands for the security of God's people, decided before history. The beast's worshipers show by their worship that their names are not there.
Not a list of good deeds. Beale sets the book of life against the books of deeds in 20:12. It records who belongs to the Lamb.
Beale says the context of Daniel 7 brings in the book of 7:10, which leads to the books of Daniel 12:1-2 in Theodotion and of Psalm 69:28 in the Greek, and that John's wording is closer to those two. Psalm 69 may predominate, since only it speaks of a book linked with life from which the wicked are excluded. He also cites Ezekiel 13:9 for false prophets left out of Israel's register. The ESV Study Bible lists Exodus 32:32-33 and Daniel 12:1; the CSB Study Bible cross-references Exodus 32:32-33 and Psalm 69:28; Keener cites Daniel 12:1. The grade is drawn here: the picture is shared, but John merges several texts.
Readers divide over what from the foundation of the world goes with. The ESV Study Bible and Beale lean to the names written before creation, from the parallel in 17:8; the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible to the Lamb slain from creation, God's original plan.
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- G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), comment on 13:8b
- ESV Study Bible, note on Revelation 13:8
- CSB Study Bible, cross-references at Revelation 13:8
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Revelation 13:8
- NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, note on Revelation 13:8
- Septuagint, Daniel 12:1 and Psalm 69:28, Interlinear Greek-English Septuagint
- SBL Greek New Testament (MorphGNT), Revelation 13:8
