“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19 ESV).
There’s an interesting nuance in these verses that may be easy to miss. Notice that Revelation 22:18 references “…the prophecy of this book” while the following verse speaks of “…the book of this prophecy.” Although theses references are similar, they are not identical. That should prompt us to dig a little deeper into these verses to see if there is any significance to those differences.
For instance, it seems that verse eighteen references the book of Revelation, while the following verse speaks of the Bible in its entirety. In other words, “the prophecy of this book” directs our attention to the book of Revelation itself. The following reference to “the book of this prophecy” encompasses the sixty-six books of the Biblical Scriptures.
While readers are free to draw their own conclusions, the fundamental message seems clear: do not add or subtract from God’s Word. Unfortunately, there is seemingly no end to those who have sought to augment or “correct” God’s Word throughout the ages. This offers an opportunity to reiterate three Biblical tenets mentioned earlier in our look at Revelation chapter eleven…
“Test everything. Hold on to the good…” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NIV).
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
”Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge In him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke-you and prove you a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6 NIV).
With this in mind, it’s important to remember that the Biblical book of Revelation has challenged students and commentators for centuries. Despite the wide variety of theories and opinions surrounding this book, every person who engages with this portion of Scripture shares a common obligation: we must avoid any attempt to negate it, supplement it, or modify it to suit our preferences. The same holds true for the rest of the Biblical Scriptures. Those who attempt to do so are subject to the terrible penalties described here in the closing verses of chapter twenty-two.
Image Attribution: Pepin von Roojen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons