The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

"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."--Ver. 18,19.
The writer, St. John, does not say who is referred to by the pronoun "I." Some think it
refers to the Lord Jesus, others think that it refers to the writer, St. John himself. The
meaning in any event is that the writer makes the solemn affirmation contained in the
words as a conclusion. The object of these threatening words is doubtless to guard the
book against being corrupted by any interpolations or changes. The threat would, of
course, have regard more especially to the manuscript as originally given by St. John to the
seven Churches to whom he was instructed to deliver them. In rewriting, interpolations
doubtless have crept into the different copies of the original, and possibly there have been
some omissions. The former has been proved by a comparison with the oldest manuscripts
now in existence, which were not used in the making up of the Common Version, the King
James translation. To guard against this danger the words were given. "If any man shall
add to it," would mean to add to it with a view to furnishing a more complete revelation
than that given to St. John; or with a claim that new truth had been communicated by
inspiration since St. John wrote it. The words of warning apply to the book of the
Revelation only, although the same principle may properly apply to all the original
Scriptures.
"If any one take away from the words of this prophecy," would mean, if he shall reject it
altogether, or in copying from the original he designedly leave out any part of it.
"It is conceivable that from the remarkable nature of the communications made in this
book, and the fact that they seemed to be unintelligible, John supposed there might be
those who would be inclined to omit some portions as improbable, or that he apprehended
that when the portions which describe Antichrist were [being] fulfilled in distant ages,
those to whom those portions applied would be disposed to strike them from the sacred
volume, or to corrupt [or misapply] them. . . . The whole book was to be received--with all
its fearful truths--as a revelation from God, and however obscure it might seem, in due
time, it would be made plain; however faithfully it might depict a fearful apostasy, it was
important both to show the truth of Divine inspiration, and so save the Church, that these
disclosures should be in their native purity in the possession of the people of God. 'God
shall take away his part out of the book of life.' Perhaps there is here an intimation that this
would be most likely to be done by those who professed to be Christians, and who
supposed that their names were in the book of life. In fact most of the corruptions of the
sacred Scriptures have been attempted by those who have professed some form of
Christianity. Infidels have but little interest in attempting such changes, and but little
influence to make them received by the Church. It is most convenient for them, as it is
most agreeable to their feelings, to reject the Bible altogether."