I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19, NIV 1984).
My Musings – As the visions in Revelation conclude, a warning is directed against anyone perverting it. The warning, while not specifically directed at the rest of the New Testament or the Bible as a whole, may be equally true there also. “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2, NIV 1984). The words of a divinely instituted covenant or inspired book are not to be trifled with or altered. They often include curses against those who break them.
Such claims of completeness or inspiration of books were often made in later times to uphold their authority or to secure them against later editors inserting their own ideas—a practice common in books that were not treated as sacred Scripture or otherwise inspired writings. In John’s Day, books were copied by hand, and the copyist might have been tempted to edit (add or subtract) or alter the material.
Even today, people add their theories, traditions and heresies to God’s Word or strike from it whatever does not fit into their scheme of theology. Satan loves for men to add to the Word or take from the Word. But to do so is to invite judgment. Eve added to the Word of God (Genesis 3:3), which opened the door for the serpent to take away from what the Lord had said (Genesis 3:4). Ultimately this led to the fall and a curse. The bookend effect of Revelation looking back to Genesis infers that this curse for altering Scripture should be viewed as the last Biblical word about tampering with God’s Word, as many are now doing.
My Advice – It should come as no surprise that men and women are tampering more and more as the concluding bookend draws closer and closer. We’ve in told as much in various places in the Scriptures. This places the eternal destiny of many in peril. That’s why among the final warnings of God’s final words to mankind were so important. We cannot add more people to the Kingdom by subtracting from the Word the things we don’t like. Nor can we subtract from the number those destined to hell by adding more “user-friendly” requirement from avoiding it. “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18, NIV 1984).
Resources:
Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Re 22:18). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Re 22:18–19). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 858). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J. P., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 1918). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
The Brew Is A Musing 