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 Day of Judgement and will not suffer the second death. The Apocalypse of John also mentions other, unspecified books that will be opened on the Day of Judgement. From an anthroposophical point of view, this refers to the entries in the world memory, the Akashic Chronicle.
„11 Then I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it; from the sight of him earth and heaven fled away, and there was no more room for them. 12 I saw the dead standing before the throne, both great and small. And books were opened; the book of life also was opened. The dead were judged according to their works, according to what was written in the books. 13 And the sea gave out the dead that were in it; and death and the underworld gave out their dead that were in them. They were judged, each according to his works. 14 And death and the underworld were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death: the lake of fire. 15 Whoever was not written in the book of life 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)
