“Let us think of our human existence as a book. Most people regard this present life as the actual text, the main story, and they see the future life – if, indeed, they believe that there is any future life – as no more than an appendix. But the genuinely Christian attitude is the exact reverse of this. Our present life is in reality no more than the preface, the introduction, while it is the future life that constitutes the main story. The moment of death signifies not the conclusion of the book but the start of Chapter One.” (Metropolitan Kallistos Ware)
“Our lives are chapters in God’s book of life. The most wonderful, joyous and blessed news is that this life is but the preface, the beginning of our lives which will continue into eternity, but then in a place where God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). No matter how short or long our life on earth, the best is yet to come for this life is but a short preface to the narrative of eternal life.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” (C. S. Lewis)
“When we come to the end that is no end but a beginning of life everlasting, the Lord God of love will never forget us. Indeed, it may be that He will hold up before us the “white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it,” [Revelations 2:17] and if found worthy we shall learn what it was that the Lord Himself had intended for our sojourn on earth, and how near or far we had come to having achieved His plan for our lives. Beyond that, if found worthy, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.” [Revelation 3:5]” (Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky)
“Standing before God at His throne at the final judgment, the dead are confronted with their works. The books of judgment…contain a record of men's deeds; their own works will judge them…This judging of believers' works is a common New Testament theme…In contrast is the Book of Life. It contains the names of all saved by grace…not that they have no works, but that God's mercy is far greater in comparison.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Revelation 20:12)