ADDING TO by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 30, 1858

ADDING TO.

By Editor

A CORRESPONDENT asks of us an exposition of the last clause of Rev. xxii, 18. It reads as follows: ‐If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” The question is, What would be ‐adding to these things”?

To form a correct conclusion on this subject, we must consider the circumstances under which the book of Revelation was written. Let us go back to the year 96, and follow the beloved disciple in his lonely exile to the isle of Patmos. We are to consider moreover that at this time the New Testament was not compiled. The only Scripture then existing as a regular compilation, was the Old Testament, and, probably, even of this, he had no copy in his state of banishment. There he was on that lonely island, cut off from all his associates in faith; and there he had his revelation. There is no reference to, nor any mention of, any of the sacred books which now constitute the Bible; yet the revelation closes with a most solemn warning against any one who should presume to add unto these things. What things? The Bible as we have it compiled? There is no allusion made to it. What would John understand by the phrase, ‐these things,” at the close of his revelation? We ask the question; for whatever he would naturally understand by the expression, would unquestionably be what it was intended to convey. We ask therefore if he would not understand by these things, the very things concerning which a revelation had been given him; the things which he was to write in a book, and send to the seven churches in Asia? It would seem impossible for any one to answer this question otherwise than in the affirmative. Then the prohibition in Rev. xxii, 18, covers that book and nothing more. This is further evident from the language of verse 19: ‐If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy;” showing that it is ‐this prophecy,” or the book of Revelation, which is the subject of the Lord’s direction.

What then would be adding to it? We answer, that if any man, or any set of men, should add anything to that book, to favor any special designs of their own, or for any other purpose, and should endeavor to palm it off as a part of the Revelation of the apostle John, that would be adding to it. And if any person, or body of persons, as for instance the mother of harlots, [chap. xvii, 5.] feeling convicted or condemned by any portion of that book, should endeavor to suppress it, and give out the remainder as the complete revelation of John, this would be taking from it.

It would of course be wrong to add to any of the books of inspiration. The system of pious frauds, so rife near the commencement of the gospel age, finds no sanction either in the conscience or the text-book of the Christian. Yet we conceive that the 18th and 19th verses of Revelation xxii, have reference to that book only.

Having thus given, in brief, our view of the passage in question, we may add, as a concluding consideration, that the language contains no testimony against any subsequent revelation, provided God should see fit in any manner to give one; and such revelation would be no more an addition to the book of Revelation, in the sense of the text, than is the book of Revelation to the prophecy of Daniel. Only by claiming to be a part of the Revelation of the Apostle, could it come within the bounds of the prohibition, and render itself obnoxious to the threatening.