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"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
The Seriousness of Altering God’s Words
Raymond Blanton
"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." (Revelation 22:18-19)
1. God's Warnings - Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Mal. 4:4 at the closing of the Old Testament; Rev. 22:1819 at the closing of the New Testament. Thus covering the entire Bible.
2. Altering God's Words corrupts them (II Cor. 2:17) and is "handling the Word of God deceitfully". (II Cor. 4:2)
3. The unaltered Word is essential if we are going to obey God - "... that ye may keep my commandments" (Deut. 4:2). John 12:48 demands God's specific Words as does II Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, and a host of others.
4. The Jews greatly feared corrupting God's Words. The scribes were allowed zero tolerance.
5. Christians and the Word of God.
a. (John 8:47) - They hear God's Words.
b. (John 17:8) - They receive God's Words.
c. (John 17:6) - They keep God's Words.
d. (John 17:14) - They are hated because of God's Words.
e. (Prov. 30:5-6) - Liars add to His Words.
6. Corrupters of God's Words have their part taken away -
a. "out of the Book of Life"
b. "out of the Holy City"
c. "and from the things which are written in this book"
7. Notice it does not say their names will be taken out of the Book of Life, but their part. Their names were never there. (Matt. 7:21-23) "I never knew you."
There was sufficient room for all to be there. Those who would repent and believe the gospel would be saved. He knew each one who would refuse His salvation. Only the names of those who would be saved were written in the Book of Life. Since this was all determined before the foundation of the world that is predestination and election, which is, "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,..." (I Peter 1:2a).
8. Having their part taken away out of the Holy City is a parallel thing. The Holy City being some 1,500 miles long, wide, and high is of sufficient size for all who have lived on this earth to have a part.
Conclusion
1. Here we see how serious it is to tamper with the Word of God. Those who do (liars) will have their
part in the Lake of Fire. (Rev. 21:8)
2. Their part is taken away out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City. (Matt. 13:12)
3. Matthew Henry said -
"It is confirmed by a most solemn sanction, condemning and cursing all who should dare to corrupt or change the word of God, either by adding to it or taking from it, v. 18, 19. He that adds to the word of God draws down upon himself all the plagues written in this book: and he who takes any thing away from it cuts himself off from all the promises and privileges of it.
This sanction is like a flaming sword, to guard the canon of he scripture from profane hands. Such a fence as this God set about the law (Deut. iv. 2), and the whole Old Testament (Mal. iv. 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."