Here again we pause.  The testing of the employment of 'white' in the

Apocalypse ranges with and supplements a great number of other features that

testify with one voice, that the Millennium is pre -eminently the sphere in

which the martyrs who suffer during the antichristian oppression will 'live

and reign with Christ a thousand years'.

All theories concerning the Millennium must line up with the positive

teaching of the Apocalypse, all theories that ignore or belittle such

testimony must be repudiated by all who love and honour the Scriptures as the

Word of Truth.  Revelation 20:1 -10 is the only sure starting point for

studying the meaning and character of the Millennial kingdom.  Many

prophecies, hitherto forced into that kingdom, may belong to the succeeding

Day of God (2 Pet. 3:12) which is scarcely touched upon in the Apocalypse.

What John said concerning the earthly ministry of the Son of God in His

gospel, namely:

'There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they

should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could

not contain the books that should be written' (John 21:25),

could be said of the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy.  The Apocalypse is

as much selected as were the eight signs of the gospel of John.  The purposes

of the Old Testament have a focus, a gathering point, and this is

sufficiently definite to ensure that the student who observes their limits

and the items that converge at the time of the end, will have a sufficient

guide and chart to the outworking of prophecy, until faith merges into sight

as the day dawns and shadows flee away.  (See article, The Converging Lines

of Prophetic Truth, page 55).

If the book of life contains the names of the 'elect', the 'redeemed'

and the 'saved', such passages as Romans 8:31 -39 and John 10:28,29 preclude

the idea that a believer can ever be 'lost'.  If the book of life refers to

the gift of eternal life, it is a gratuitous promise to tell the 'overcomer'

that 'he' will not have his name blotted out of that book; the possibility

does not arise.  In Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8, the book of life is

linked with the words, 'from the foundation of the world', and a reference to

Luke 11:50,51 will associate this period with martyrdom, thus:

'That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation

of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of

Abel ...'.

The book of life is the Lamb's 'Book of Martyrs'.  Paul speaks of the

book of life once, not in Romans or Ephesians, but in the epistle of the

'Prize', namely Philippians.  Epaphroditus had risked his life in service,

and with 'Clement' and other fellowlabourers (not simply fellowbelievers) had

their names in 'the book of life'.  The Lamb's book of life may be limited to

the calling that is in view in the Apocalypse, even as the Great White Throne

may be 'The Judgment seat of Christ' for believers of that calling too.  If

the Lord could promise the overcomer that He would Not blot his name out of

the book of life, for the Lord does not trifle with His people, it must mean

that those who failed to overcome did run that risk.  And inasmuch as the