‘He who overcomes will thus be arrayed in white garments, and there is no way I will blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels.'
In Revelation 6:11 we are told of those who are given white robes. They were martyrs who had died for Christ's sake. What it means to be arrayed in white garments is illustrated in Revelation 7:9. This describes those who are before the throne, who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). Arrayed in these white garments they have entered the presence of God in Heaven. So to be arrayed in white garments is one more guarantee of eternal life for overcomers.
When Christ Himself was transfigured His garments became dazzling white (Matthew 17:2 and parallels). So the overcomer is to be made like Christ in His glory, and like the angels who faithfully serve God (Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:14). White robes are an indication of heavenly status reflecting purity.
‘There is no way I will blot his name out of the book of life.' The overcomer's name is in the book of life and he can be sure that nothing will remove it. This does not necessarily mean that other names will be blotted out from the book. It is merely guaranteeing his absolute security.
The Old Testament knows of at least two records maintained by God (we must of course recognise that the earthly description as ‘records' must not be too strictly applied. What they are saying is that in some way God has ‘recorded' knowledge of such things). The first is ‘the book of life' in which were recorded the names, probably of all Israel, - possibly of all men, who were still alive (Exodus 32:32-33; Psalms 69:28). That Moses was prepared to have his name blotted out shows that blotting out meant physical death.
It was commonplace for cities at various times to have a record of their inhabitants and to blot out the names of those who in some way disgraced the city or who had permanently left it (consider Isaiah 4:3), or had died. This would favour the idea that the book in Exodus was the record of the names of all Israel. Names could be, and were, blotted out of this book, and this would seem to signify either death or expulsion for sin of the most dreadful kind. It may be that such a book is in mind here.
The second is the book of remembrance containing the names of the righteous (Daniel 12:1; Malachi 3:16). In the New Testament Jesus tells the disciples to rejoice that their names are written in Heaven. This must surely refer to the book of remembrance, the book of those who are recorded as being righteous. Compare also Philippians 4:3 where the book of life is the roll of Christians.
But in Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8 we learn of a book in which the names of the redeemed have been entered from the foundation of the world. This book is also called the Book of Life. The usage in Revelation 13:8 must strongly support the idea that the book of life referred to in Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:12; Revelation 20:15 is the same book, in which case removal is impossible and being blotted out is merely a theoretical idea. This book may well be connected with the book of remembrance.
Once we accept the record mentioned in Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8, however, it renders controversy unnecessary. That book is the guarantee that the truly righteous are written in Heaven in a way that can never be changed. Any other book therefore does not really matter.
Thus this reference may be to the book of the living with a real possibility that men's names will be blotted out of it through irrevocable death, or the Book of Life from which no name can ever be blotted out because they have been written there from eternity.
There is incidentally also a book of the deeds of men (Revelation 20:12).
‘But I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels.'
Rather than their names being blotted out, the names of the overcomers will be announced and honoured before the Father and His angels. They will not be shamed but will receive honour from God (compare Matthew 10:32).