Revelation 22:18, commentary and pictures

This is the testimony of Jesus, the root and offspring of David and the bright and morning star, guarding the prophecy as it was written and warning that if anyone adds to these things God will add to him the plagues written in the book with increased dreadfulness of judgment and loss of place in the book of life and the holy city. The book whose prophecy must not be added to is Revelation as it came from John, not the Bible as a compiled volume. The warning does not close inspiration or bind God to silence, for later light that corroborates earlier prophecy without altering it does not break the warning, as John's visions shed further light on Daniel and visions may continue until Christ appears. Adding includes forcing human meanings onto Scripture through distorted and fanciful interpretations, altering its plain meaning for convenience or conformity to the world, lessening the force and solemn import of its words, and replacing what was written with one's own words and ideas. Adding also includes teaching for doctrine things not contained in God's Word such as human theories and traditions, and enlarging His Word with human rules for worship, so Revelation is meant to be studied reverently for guidance and comfort and obeyed just as it reads, especially that those who do His commandments have right to the tree of life.

Speaker Scope and Penalty

The words are the testimony of Jesus himself, the root and offspring of David and the bright and morning star, who has united humanity and divinity in himself and holds all power in heaven and in earth. He speaks them to demand that what was written be put in print, and whoever takes a line from the things written and puts his own words in its place will receive the punishment God declares for that act, for the Word of God stands firm and must not be altered. The warning guards the gospel invitation to take the water of life freely, which divine and human agencies are to unite in proclaiming until the work is finished, and no one is to alter the words of the prophecy in a way that engenders unbelief and causes His words to lose the practical application He fully and authoritatively gives them.

The book whose prophecy must not be added to is the separate book of Revelation as it came from John's hand, not the Bible as a compiled volume. Together with the next verse it warns against both adding to the words of the prophecy in Revelation and taking words away from them.

The warning does not close the canon of inspiration, does not promise that God will never communicate further through inspiration or prophecy, does not prove the abolition of spiritual gifts, and does not bind God to silence, for God is still free to speak. No prophet has any right to alter God's word, and no one has a right to add to or subtract from any book written by inspiration, but later light that corroborates earlier prophecy and sheds further light on its subjects without altering it does not break the warning, as John's visions do for the subjects of Daniel's prophecies. John's writing of his Gospel after Revelation did not add to Revelation, publishing a vision is not an attempt to add to or take away from the sure word of prophecy which will endure the test of humanity and the destruction of worlds, and visions may continue until Christ appears and are to be addressed separately from a new rule of faith and practice.

If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in the book, with increased dreadfulness of judgment falling on those who try to change these solemn words, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Such adding includes lessening the force, meaning, and solemn import of the words by turning Revelation into a spiritualistic mystery that robs it of its import, and includes altering the prophecy so as to engender unbelief and turn aside its practical application. To add to or alter the words is to hinder the practical working of heavenly angels combined with the imparting of the Spirit of grace, to hinder the Word Christ will have accomplished, and to lessen the efficiency of the messages He has ordained to come to all nations, tongues, and people, and God will visit such tampering with severest retribution and with signal marks of His displeasure. Those who add to or take away also lose their place in the book of life and the holy city.

What Counts as Adding

Adding to the words of the prophecy includes forcing human meanings upon Scripture through distorted, mystical, or fanciful interpretations that make it say what Christ did not put there. Treating even one word spoken by God as nonessential is adding, and it blunts the force of God's Word, distorts His instruction and warnings, points toward disobedience, and leads to death. Those who do this endanger both themselves and others, and receive the plagues written in the book and lose place in the book of life and the holy city.

Adding also includes altering Scripture's plain meaning for convenience or conformity to the world, elevating human opinions above revelation, and leading others to disregard God's law and treat it lightly. The warning guards against changing anything God has revealed or commanded, whether by altering Scripture to suit self or by changing it to conform to the world. God's written Word and His law measure every person's character and condemn those found wanting.

Adding includes lessening the force, meaning, and solemn import of the words of Revelation. Revising them as improvements that shift an idea or lessen its intended importance is forbidden, and diminishing the force of any statement in Scripture falls under the same solemn denunciation. Turning Revelation into a spiritualistic mystery that robs it of solemn import is adding, and those who try to change these solemn words bring upon themselves the plagues written in the book with increased dreadfulness of judgment.

Adding includes replacing a line of what was written with one's own words and changing the wording or ideas of the biblical writings to fit a human standard. People do this when weary of hearing repeated duties they do not desire to do, yet no person or company can change the Word of the Lord. That Word means just what it reads and stands firm and must not be altered, especially that the Sabbath is a perpetual covenant and a sign forever.

Adding includes teaching for doctrine things not contained in God's Word. Human suppositions, inventive theories, traditions, fables, and fanciful imaginary doctrines are not to be preached as truth, and nothing human is to be added to God's Word. Ministers must therefore search the Scriptures earnestly and preach the Word alone, because human ideas confuse minds and please Satan and make it impossible for people to know whether they are keeping God's Word or following the traditions of men. Those who teach their own suppositions place themselves under the judgment described in the last chapter of Revelation and face the plagues written in the book.

Adding includes enlarging God's Word with human rules for worship and human authority. God has set worship's regulations in His Word, and people may neither add to them nor take from them. Apostasy begins this way, as Rome first required what God had not forbidden and later forbade what He had commanded.

Adding includes altering the prophecy so as to engender unbelief and turn aside its practical application. It hinders the practical working of heavenly angels combined with the imparting of the Spirit of grace, and hinders the Word Christ will have accomplished. Nothing is to be said or done to lessen the efficiency of the messages ordained to come to all nations, tongues, and people, and tampering brings God's displeasure, severest retribution, signal marks of displeasure, and the plagues written in the book.

The warning therefore teaches the church to cherish every ray of light God sends and not to depart in the slightest from the teachings of the Word or conform them to any person's judgment or will. Even the most learned person who adds brings God's judgments on himself. The Bible and the Bible only is the foundation of faith, to be lifted up as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, taught to benefit students in the present term and carried through those learners to the nations of the world.

Study Obedience and Mission

The warning against adding to the prophecy shows that Revelation is to be studied reverently and not dismissed as a sealed book or as unworthy of attention. Its words are given for the guidance and comfort of the church throughout the Christian dispensation. It reveals past, present, and future events for the instruction of God's people both in John's day and in the last days.

The closing chapters to which the verse belongs bring the reader down to the last events of earth's history. They present the great and last warfare between those who keep the commandments of God and those who make void His law. They give solemn testimony about the third angel's message, which combines the first and the second messages and binds them up with the third. These communications are for all who live in these last days, calling minds to coming events and warning against confusion that would give Satan a victory.

The last chapters including this verse are to be read carefully so as to make an impression upon heart and life and character toward earnest prayer and untiring work. That reading urges every church, every school, and every sanitarium onto a much higher platform. It urges every soul to thorough repentance without delay or dallying, to purification of soul by heartfelt repentance, to asking God to forgive unfaithful discharge of duty, to tarry no longer in an unprepared state, and to open the door of the heart that Christ may enter.

That careful reading calls especially for those carrying responsibility in the printing establishment and in the church, and for every teacher and worker, to do a deep individual and thorough work long neglected but now urgent. It is a work of cleansing, refining, and transformation of the heart, thorough humbling of the soul before God with heart and mind and soul seeking the Lord, deep searching of heart and cleansing of the soul temple especially for those placed in charge of souls as watchmen in preparation for helping others, and diligent cultivation of the soil of the individual heart so that fruit appears in life in proportion to light given. This reading exposes partial understanding, dim spiritual discernment, a mistaken defective standard, self swelling to large proportions, feeling competent to judge others while needing softening subduing grace, danger of backsliding, and a wrong spirit permeating office and church, and awakens need of the pure eternal truth of the Word of God to change the present condition.

The closing chapter answers whether a person can be saved without keeping the Sabbath. It shows the promise that those who do His commandments have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. The Word just as it reads therefore directs obedience to what the Lord has commanded. Each inquirer is called to search the Scriptures and pray with an open mind willing to receive light even against past belief.