Revelation 22:19; And If Any Man Take Away from the Words of the Book of This Prophecy

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Revelation 22:19 (KJV)  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. 

The other side of the warning is equal in severity to the first – 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. 

Reversal of positions of “prophecy” and “book” from what they have been (Revelation 22:7, 10, 8) and putting “of the book” first brings more attention to the almost completed scroll lying before John. Any sort of attempt to diminish the contents of this written piece will bring damage to the offender.

Revelation 22:7 (KJV)  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 22:10 (KJV)  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 

Revelation 22:8 (KJV)  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 

“His part” in the Tree of Life and the Holy City will be nonexistent. The taking away of his part from the Tree of Life (v12, 14) and out of the Holy City (Revelation 21:2, 10; 22:14) also.

Revelation 22:12 (KJV)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 22:14 (KJV)  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

Revelation 21:2 (KJV)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

Revelation 21:10 (KJV)  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 

Revelation 22:14 (KJV)  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

Only a lack of working faith would permit a person to violate this warning, so the victims of this pronouncement are those who were never solidly a part of the faithful. A child of God would never tamper with these Scriptures.

The act of adding to and taking away from this book, if deliberate, reflects a will that is out of harmony with the will of God. Such a rebellious one cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God now or will treat “the book of this prophecy” with utmost respect (Ladd).

The section from Revelation 21:9 through 22:5 describes the Tree of Life and the Holy City. The two inheritances summarises all the bliss promised to the saints by this book.

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody 1995, 518=519]