Adding To, and Taking From.
By James White
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Rev. xxii, 18, 19. 1. Jesus, and not John, is the Revelator. The last book in the Bible is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ." Chap. i, 1. Jesus sent his angel to signify it unto his servant John. 2. The "words of the prophecy of this book" do not mean the book of Genesis, the book of Job, or the book of the Acts; neither does it mean the entire Volume of inspiration; but "this book"—the book of the Revelation. Some understand this matter as though John had before him, while on the isle of Patmos, the entire Volume of inspiration as now compiled, and was writing this threatening in the last pages—A singular oversight! John "bare record of all things that he saw." Chap. i, 2. This record penned by John comprises "the prophecy of this book." 3. This solemn warning was evidently given to guard the book of Revelation, as it should pass down through different hands, from being corrupted. 4. To add to the book of Revelation would be to insert in that inspired book sentiments dictated by human reason over the signature of Jesus Christ, or as being a part of that Revelation of Jesus Christ. To take from that book, in the sense of the text, would be to reject, or leave out a part of that book in its publication, and present it thus diminished as the whole. 5. Jesus Christ is not forbidden to add to his own revelation; but the testimony is to every man, "If any man shall add," &c. Jesus Christ could add to the book of Revelation, or give a hundred new revelations written in as many books, for all this text forbids. 6. A new revelation, true or false, the genuine or counterfeit, would no more be an addition to the book of Revelation, than to the book of Daniel, or Ezekiel, or any other book of the Bible. 7. Any amount of spurious books, such as the Book of Mormon, the works of Swedenborg, Andrew Jackson Davis, and the whole host of Spiritualists, are not so many additions to the book of Revelation, as no one of them claims to be a part of that Revelation of Jesus Christ to John while on the isle of Patmos. 8. The text [Rev. xxii, 18, 19] is used to prove that all revelation from Jesus Christ to the human family ceased, A. D. 96. But it proves no such thing. It is a warning against corrupting the book of Revelation. This is all that can be made of the text. It has nothing to say whether Jesus Christ would, or would not, afterwards reveal himself to others of the children of men; but other scriptures do.
J. W.