²³ You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.

¹⁸ He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.^[a]

⁴⁰ For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

²⁰ But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

²² Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.

²⁵ Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

¹⁵ And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

⁴ They have kept themselves as pure as virgins,^[a] following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering^[b] to God and to the Lamb.

²⁷ And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,