In Christian scripture, a book containing the names of all
redeemed people, numbering 144,000, and their earthly works.
There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since
nations first came into existence. But at that time your people
shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.
- Daniel 12:1
All the inhabitants of the earth will worship [the beast],
everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation
of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.
- Revelation 13:8
The Book of Life is not necessarily the
Bible, but some references
are quite ambiguous (see
Exodus 32:32), and it would be easy to interpret
the Book of Life as a
proxy for the Bible -- an instance of
self-referentiality.
Such an interpretation would shed light on the Bible's frequent use of lists of people, most notably the
genealogies and fourth book,
Numbers. These sections become more than
historical footnotes; they enumerate the
finite population who will enter the
infinite paradise of the
kingdom of heaven.