Can you help us understand Revelation 17:8?

This text is from a transcript of talk given by David Gooding entitled ‘The Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God’ (1995).

They that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 17:8)

I think I would be wise to say that I don't know! Having said that, I could possibly add that other theologians seem to be in a comparable difficulty. I will not tell you all the reasons why. My solution for the time being is to look back to how the phrase is used in Scripture. It comes in the book of Exodus after the worship of the golden calf, where God threatens to destroy Israel. Moses pleads for Israel and asks God to forgive their sin—'and if not, blot me out of your book which you have written' (Exodus 32:32). What book? Well, the Book of Life. In other words, Moses is saying: 'If you physically destroy the nation, physically destroy me'. God says, 'No, whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book'. So the names are already in the book, for when they sinned God said, 'I will blot them out; I shan't blot you out'. Before he blots the name out he gives them opportunity to hear and to believe.

There comes a point that, when a man or woman refuse to believe and repent, in spite of God's pleadings, then God intervenes. In the words of Hebrews, there is nothing but expectation of fiery judgment (see Hebrews 10:27). Their name is blotted out of the book, and they have no further opportunity to repent. You may probably disagree with that. I merely put it into the pool of your thinking. I'm suggesting then that this phrase, 'whose names were not written in the Book', refers to names that have been blotted out.