books for this very purpose. That the sins of men are thus written, is plainly
revealed in the Scriptures.
"For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine
iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God." Jer.2:22. And thus the Lord
speaks of the guilt of Israel: "Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up
among my treasures?" Deut.32:34. And Paul speaks in the same manner: "But
after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasureth up unto thyself wrath against
the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render
to every man according to his deeds." Rom.2:5,6. These statements of wrath
being treasured up can have reference only to the fact that God takes notice of
men's sins, and that every sin is marked before him. To this fact all the texts
which speak of the blotting out of sins must have
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reference. Thus David prays that God would blot out his transgressions. Ps.
51:1,9. And Nehemiah, and David, and Jeremiah, pray respecting certain
persons, that their sin may not be blotted out. Neh.4:5; Ps.109:14; Jer.18:23. And
Isaiah, in prophetic language, speaks of this blotting out as if it were a past event,
just as in the next verse he speaks of the new creation, and the final redemption.
Isa.44:22,23. And in the previous chapter he speaks in a similar manner of this
blotting out as necessary in order that the sins of the people of God may be no
more remembered. Isa.43:25. These texts plainly imply that the sins of men are
upon record, and that there is a time when these are blotted out of the record of
the righteous.
CHAPTER 2 - EXAMINATION OF THE BOOKS
The Book of Life - The Book of Remembrance - Blotting out of Sins - Blotting out
of Names - Judgment Precedes Resurrection - A Solemn Decree - Closing Work
of Our High Priest
THE existence of records, or books, in heaven and their use in the judgment,
is plainly revealed. Thus Daniel says, "The judgment was set, and the books
were opened." Dan.7:10. And John says: "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." Rev.20:12.
It is evident that the utmost importance is attached to the blotting out of the
sins of the righteous from these books. When they are blotted out they can never
rise up in the judgment against those who committed them; for men give account
to God only for those things contained in the books. It is therefore certain that no
individual can have his sins blotted out until the close of his probation. But when
this work is wrought there must be an examination of the books for this very
purpose.
The book of life is to be examined before the resur