The Investigative Judgment in the Writings of Ellen G. White

Chapter 5—The Heavenly Records

Ellen White finds ample Biblical evidence for books of record in heaven. She cites Revelation 20:12, Philippians 4:3, and other texts, for the book of life; Malachi 3:16 for the book of remembrance; and Ecclesiastes 12:14, Matthew 12:36, 37, and other references for the books which contain a record of the sins of men (The Great Controversy, 480, 481). She refers to the names of these heavenly books somewhat loosely. The book of life contains “the names of all who have ever entered the service of God” (The Great Controversy, 480), as well as “the good deeds of the saints” (Early Writings, 52). The book of remembrance also includes “the good deeds” of God’s children, with a record of wrong actions as well. The youth were warned: IJWEGW 6.3

“Men may forget, men may deny their wrong course of action, but a record of it is kept in the book of remembrance, and in the great day of judgment, unless men repent and walk humbly before God, they will meet this dread record just as it stands.”—The Youth’s Instructor, April 4, 1905.

The “evil deeds of the wicked” are recorded in the “book of death” (Early Writings, 52), while in the “book of records” every name is inscribed, and “the acts of all, their sins, and obedience, are faithfully written” (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:987). IJWEGW 7.1

God knows and has a record of everything. Ellen White asserted, “Every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling” is entered in the books of heaven with “terrible exactness” (The Great Controversy, 482). God has an exact catalog of “every unjust account and every unfair dealing.” We are held responsible not only for what we have done, but “for what we have left undone,” for “undeveloped characters,” and “unimproved opportunities” (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:987). IJWEGW 7.2

“As the features of the countenance are reproduced with marvelous exactness in the camera of the artist, so is the character faithfully delineated in the books above.”—The Spirit of Prophecy 4:311. IJWEGW 7.3

“Page after page the history of our life experience is written, with the motives that prompted us to action. All will appear as a real life picture, showing how much of our life was given to pleasing self, how much to blessing others, how much to honoring God, how much to answering the purpose of God in our creation.”—The Review and Herald, January 3, 1891, p. 17. IJWEGW 7.4

Especially comforting are Ellen White’s assurances that the good is recorded just as faithfully as the evil. She states: IJWEGW 7.5

“Every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake, is recorded.”—The Great Controversy, 481.

“God sees many temptations resisted of which the world, and even near friends, never know; temptations in the home, in the heart; He sees the soul’s humility in view of its own weakness, the sincere repentance over even a thought that is evil; He sees the whole heart’s devotion to the upbuilding of the cause of God, without one tinge of selfishness; He has noted those hours of hard battle with self, battles that won the victory—all this God and angels know.”—Letter 18, 1891.

Ellen White urged the youth in particular not to forget that their lives were being closely—even meticulously—observed, and that one day our life records must be faced. To her Youth’s Instructor audience she wrote: IJWEGW 7.6

“We are never alone. We have a Companion, whether we choose Him or not. Remember, young men and young women, that wherever you are, whatever you are doing, God is there. To your every word and action you have a witness—the holy, sin-hating God. Nothing that is said or done or thought can escape His infinite eye. Your words may not be heard by human ears, but they are heard by the Ruler of the universe. He reads the inward anger of the soul when the will is crossed. He hears the expression of profanity. In the deepest darkness and solitude He is there.

“Day by day the record of your words, your actions, and your influence, is being made in the books of heaven. This you must meet.”—The Youth’s Instructor, May 26, 1898. (See also The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 3:1153.)

It was quite evidently Ellen White’s purpose, not so much to delineate the contents of each heavenly book or to describe what they looked like, as to emphasize the fact that God’s records are complete, and to appeal to her readers to be prepared for the judgment. In the typical service “all were required to afflict their souls by repentance and humiliation before the Lord” on the Day of Atonement. So we today should afflict our souls by “sorrow for sin and true repentance.” We should put away the “light, frivolous spirit indulged by so many professed Christians,” and endeavor, through “earnest warfare,” to subdue the evil tendencies which strive for the mastery in our souls (The Great Controversy, 490). IJWEGW 8.1