there is a son in the family, who, instead of being admonished by his father's wickedness, takes license from it to indulge the same. God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is
So it is a Salvation issue to be sure. Verses 18, 19: Remind us that this book of Revelation must not be treated lightly. His promise "I am coming soon" is continually being fulfilled. Rather, it states that God will take away his part from the Book of Life. 1. fol. Closely allied with this is the picture so common in Scripture of the fountain of life; we have it in Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:6 in the Revelation. And this Jesus, as God, is the root of David, though, as man, his offspring--a person in whom all uncreated and created excellencies meet, too great and too good to deceive his churches and the world. And the city lieth foursquare, and its length is as much as the breadth." It is due to the exigency of a notion which fears and is irreconcilable with the truth in this place. God set it there for you. Attach a tilde (~) to the front of a word to omit results containing that word. Again, the affirmation of the truth of what God is declaring for your skeptical mind that finds it hard to believe that God should do such a thing for us. any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet
334.]. If any man shall take away If any man shall lessen this meaning, curtail the sense, explain away the spirit and design, of these prophecies, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, c. Thus Jesus Christ warns all those who consider this book to beware of indulging their own conjectures concerning it. 6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It will then be not the river which is in the midst of the street but the tree of life. He did this to comfort and caution his readers and to affirm the authority of this book. Can you be removed from the Book of Life? "You remember the one who received the five talents? could be translated to support what we THINK the passage means. of Life. This can have two meanings. How, quickly is He coming for you? Not that any of those judged (and the scene described is solely a resurrection of judgment) are said to be written there: we are shown rather that they were not found in that book. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), The Book of Lifecan your name be removed? The angel implies nothing of the sort. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away." But, further, we find that the saints who had suffered for Christ, during the time that the others were in heaven, are now reunited to their bodies and live, the Lord waiting for the last martyr that He might not leave out one of those who had died for His name. That pagan Rome, therefore, should set itself against Christianity was to be expected, and so the fact proved. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. In short, it is as we saw in Revelation 17:1-18, after Babylon had been brought before us in the course of the prophecy. First observation: This is a common way to stress the importance of obedience. Thus the name of Christ, not merely as the root and the offspring of David, but as the bright morning star, calls out responsively the heart of the church, and this too under the guiding activity of the Holy Ghost. But what are we to understand by the Spirit? It means that it is given to unbelieversnot believers. The "holy city" is the church that Jesus died to save Ephesians 5:23; Ephesians 5:27; John 3:29; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9; the things which are written in this book . The bride is in view. But here there is neither; and this again is an evidence of gain, not of loss. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 9. It is impossible to refer it to the past with any show even of reasonable probability, I will not say of reality or truth. Those that do rise at the same time rise, no doubt, in a moment; but that there are to be various acts of resurrection is not only not contrary to scripture, but required by its own descriptions. How this precisely fits in, let me say, with the state of feeling in these modern times; for "constitutionalism," as men call it, is the fruit of the Teutonic system supervening on that of the broken up Roman empire. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. well, we can better understand that he is encouraging us toward a strong Christian
identifier or distinguishing trait of those that are truly saved. THE TREE OF LIFE ( Revelation 22:1-2 continued). The consequence for adding to the words of the prophecy is suffering the plagues described in Revelation, thus that person goes through the Tribulation. It can govern and bless but not convert man. As far as the display of government goes, it is according to God morally, and for His glory, though I deny not for a moment that there are elements of evil which are never allowed, but kept under if not expelled. The three-fold promise of the last words of the Bible "I am coming soon" is fulfilled in part when individuals open their lives to receive Christ not only as Saviour but also as an abiding friend, guide and helper. Verse 18 notes that anyone who adds to His words would receive the "plagues described in this book." Verse 19 notes "God will take away his share in . Therefore says the angel, "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, that hath* the seven heads and the ten horns. We had Babylon with a spuriously ecclesiastical but a really murderous character, and at the same time guilty of corruption with the kings of the earth. This it is precisely which will bring out the indignant judgment of God upon the last phase of Babylon, so that the guilt of all the blood shed on the earth shall be imputed to her, and she may be judged accordingly. This chapter explains how it was that Babylon was so offensive to God, and wherefore He judged her thus sternly. All the energy to mislead men in the presence of the first beast was long in his hands, and now nothing more is spoken of. To take from the words of the book is more than rubbing out some words. Is not this reason enough for saying that not even the shadow of solid ground appears for the system? But the graphic account does not end until the Spirit of God shows us another view of Babylon altogether. Victorious power put forth to subdue is the meaning of the white horse. 10. Indeed the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of the hope we have: "who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." Disease, poverty, war, hunger are rampant. Or they may simply discard some of the prophecy as rubbish, because they, in their infinite wisdom, assume that a loving God would not act in such a manner. That is, the tabernacle of God is regarded as a separate object, no doubt associated with men, but not confounded with them. Does the warning in Revelation 22:18-19 apply to the entire Bible or just the Book of Revelation? And in the ages to come God is now revealing to us the exceeding richness of His love and mercy towards us in Christ, on out forever and ever with our Lord. Thats not the kind of God embraced by our modern holiness-deficient theology. Before we finish, I do want to issue a clarification and a word of caution. It may be the Spirit who is operative in all the prophets and who is always calling men back to God. "for God so loved the world" ). Verse Revelation 22:19. But a voice issues from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. Further, after this Jesus introduces Himself, as well as sends His angel. It kind of sounds like Revelation 22:19 is teaching that we can lose our salvation, doen't it? It would have been incongruous to bring in that long description before, because this must have interrupted the flow of the prophetic stream. It is called "the first resurrection." This was a bigoted position, and Paul is
question about Hebrews 6 being difficult to reconcile with a "once saved, always
It is the fault, however, of the bad Greek text of Erasmus, Stephens, etc. tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book." The story of redemption in the Bible stretches from the creation of the world to the making of a new heaven and a new earth. In this final section of the book John reported concluding information and instructions that God gave him. If your work is just for a big show to just be known among people, and they say, "Oh, man he's just a holy Joe." So who might this be? A mystery clearly points to something undiscoverable by the natural mind of man a secret that requires the distinct and fresh light of God to unravel, but which when revealed thus is plain enough. "The tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God. Some argue this warning only pertains to the Book of Revelation, but the words spoken, under instruction of the Holy Spirit, became part of one book the Holy Canon or Scripture of God the Bible. H. B. Swete says: "No one who has watched the dogs that prowl in the quarters of an eastern city will wonder at the contempt and disgust which the word suggests to the oriental mind." The consequence of taking from the words of prophecy is denied access to the Tree of Life, thus is cast into the Lake of Fire. After so long a tarrying how blessed! God uses them for this object,-the setting aside of her, the great religious corruptress, whose centre is found at Rome. "And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, that hath kingship over the kings of the earth." (ii) The ancient commentator, Andreas, says that the Risen Christ is saying: "Let each man do what pleases him; I will not force his choice." This is known so well, and on such decided grounds, that it would be unbecoming to withhold the fact. The Torah (Law) has a very similar ordinance, forbidding the addition to or subtraction from the law (Deuteronomy 4:2). For I testify unto every man that hears 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 ( Revelation 22:18-19 ). The first is one of the angels who have been the interpreters of the divine things to John. "And the angel said unto him, Wherefore didst thou wonder? International Standard Version If anyone takes away any words from the book of this prophecy, God will take away his portion of the tree of life and the holy city that are described in this book. It cannot be done till the moment comes. Support Come Reason's Apologetics Missions Trip. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. When its own season arrives, as it surely will, the divine hindrance is to be removed, and the devil then is allowed to do his worst. Does the Vastness of the Universe Argue Against Creation? fallen from the more perfect way of seeking God's will in his life to the more base
This interpretation is consistent with the rest of Scripture. Verse 6 commends these sayings afresh. Man converted will then not merely reach the natural term if I may so say of a thousand years, but pass that bound. There never has been a like experience. In our times of crises and need, Christ comes to guide, strengthen, encourage and help. The morning star is the herald of the day which chases away the darkness of the night; before Jesus the night of sin and death flees away. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Such a fence as this God set about the law (Deuteronomy 4:2), and the whole Old Testament (Malachi 4:4), and now in the most solemn manner about the whole Bible, assuring us that it is a book of the most sacred nature, divine authority, and of the last importance, and therefore the peculiar care of the great God. 3:5, 1 Cor 15:2, Col. 1:23, Heb. Nothing of the sort can be plainer. He fell asleep and heard a voice "Martin, look into the street tomorrow, I will come." It is thus that God is wont to deal as a rule in His judgments, not necessarily on the one that first introduces an evil, but on those that inherit the guilt, and perhaps aggravate it, instead of taking warning by it. Then, as we have seen, comes the final test of the nations of the earth after that kingdom has run its course, and the devil let loose once more deceives flesh and blood after the analogy of all other dispensations. Holy men of God prophesied of His first coming as hundreds of prophetic wordswere perfectly fulfilled. And when God does judge, it is not merely for the evil of those then judged, but of all from the first budding of it till that day. I really believe this will be the last time. If we believe in Christ we have found the answer to dark despair. So adding to Revelation logically includes adding to the whole Bible, since Revelation forms the last and final book of the Canon. Where is the promise? Then, when the Lamb and His purchase by blood are celebrated in heaven, the four living creatures join the elders, though each is distinct. The very reverse is the undeniable fact. carpet company violated its word. "Oh, he's a spiritual man." The gospel of John and the Revelation perfectly disclose both, whether in grace or in judgment. The analogy of being shipwrecked is very apt a shipwrecked sailor is useless he cannot possibly be working the good works of God (Ephesians 2:10), but he is still a sailor this is not taken away from him. But you cant do that with this book. All who have looked back on the history know, that when the ten kings appeared, there was no beast or imperial power. In Paul's mind there are two
God's eternal saving purpose is expressed in Jesus' own words, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10); that is, He desires to save all people. Your email address will not be published. that specific church or group of churches was struggling. It is a wholly unwarranted interpolation. The Alexandrian copy, with some others, and the Syriac version, leave out the copulative "and", and read "which are written", &c. connecting them with the book of life, and holy city, which are written, and spoken of, in this book. May I . And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. I am your fellow-servant, and the fellow-servant of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. This last word reminds us that whatever are the dangers or difficulties, afflictions and persecutions which are pictured in this book, there is strength and love and help in the Lord. This, however, is not necessarily an argument for losing
"This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.". Swete aptly calls this "the felicitation of the devout student." He then goes on to give, as it were, his credentials. Does the Roman Census Prove Luke is Wrong About Jesus' Birth? Again, we turn to the apostle John where 1 John 3:9-10 states, "Whosoever is born of
And if any one take from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. The race was now in the resurrection state either for good or for evil; and thus it must be for ever. Jews because God had chosen them for salvation. In Daniel's time it was not at hand. That is, there was first the literal Babylon, of course; but here it is symbolical. "Let your light so shine before men that when they see your good works they glorify your Father which is in heaven"( Matthew 5:16 ), because we will be rewarded according to those works that have right motivation. I think that if you purchased a carpet
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, beholding the beast that he was, and is not, and shall be present." Doesn't it seem
Are you coming or not?. "And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh." They are all to reign concurrently with the beast. "And when the thousand years are completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war." This passage insists that the coming of Christ is close at hand; it must be the Risen Christ who is speaking. We should not forget that the religious leaders of the Jews who considered that they knew all about the Old Testament promises of the first coming of Christ made such a terrible mistake that when He came as a babe to Bethlehem they rejected and crucified Him. It is altogether unfeasible, and it shows how carelessly we read the Bible that people are not stopped by such an expression. Is Eyewitness Testimony Reliable Evidence? THE GREAT INVITATION ( Revelation 22:17 ). Speaking in Tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Do the Gospels Mess Up the Genealogy of Jesus? This is accordingly traced in our chapter with considerable detail, and with the sorrow and vexation of all the different classes who on the fall of Babylon groaned over her destruction, and the loss of their wealth and enjoyment. The faithful will enjoy the blessings of life in the presence of God, but their opponents will be excluded for ever (12-15).Christ, the promised Son of David, is like the morning star, whose coming signifies the dawn of a new day. *It now appears that the Cod. R. H. Charles points out that this warning may not be part of the original book at all. More than that, this would recall the great Messianic prophecy: "A star shall come forth out of Jacob" ( Numbers 24:17). For less than $5/mo. The reason is manifest there is a hinderer "one that letteth." Instead, let's just accept them at face value, as the holy word of God. But I do believe that the time of the return of Jesus Christ is very, very near. And what shall we say of the wonderful wisdom of the Lord? Before God we have that which is found only by and in Christ, which is another and a higher character altogether as compared with the righteousnesses of the saints. It falls into three sections. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Keeping the sayings and words of this Prophecy surely does bless the believer. farther. Thus the divine testimony is not confined to the gospel or the church, but the prophetic Spirit which characterizes the Revelation as a whole, after the church is translated, is equally a testimony of Jesus.
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