A Final Warning - 67

Well, I've got some mixed emotions about coming to the end of our expositional series in the Book of Revelation. In one sense, thankful that God has helped me as I have studied to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of truth.

Eternity will determine how well I've rightly divided the word, but I've rightly divided the word to the best of my understanding to this point. So there's a bit of relief that we're coming to the end and there's also a bit of, I don't know if sorrow is the right word, but similar to, you know how as a parent we'd like to go back and start over in our parenting with the knowledge that we have after our children have grown? Like we'd like to go over, start all over in marriage with the knowledge we have of our wife and the mistakes we've made so that we don't make the same mistakes. With a desire to go back and retrace and relive the Christian life with the knowledge and experience that we have now. But it doesn't work that way, does it?

We don't get do-overs. It's God's wisdom that gives us a wife when we really don't deserve one and we don't know how to deal with one and we don't know how to love them as Christ has loved the church and all the things that we have to learn as we work out that husband-wife relationship and the same with children. God entrusts precious children made in his image that are going to live somewhere forever to parents that are scratching their heads wondering, what am I going to do?

That's the way, in some respects, I was when God gave us our first child. So we come to the end, we're coming to the end, not to the end this evening, but coming to the end of the book of the Revelation. And as we approach the end of our study, we notice three matters that John takes up to bring the book to a conclusion. And I don't want to over-scrutinize these three things, but as I think about the totality of the book of Revelation, what was on the mind of God to give to John to communicate to the churches of his day and to the church of our day, those three matters are not inconsequential. Those three matters are very important because there's an awful lot of subjects that could be treated at this point, but there are only three.

And what are they? Let me set them before you and we will, Lord willing, only deal with the first this evening. But I see, number one, a warning in verses 18 and 19. I see a promise in verse 20, and I see a final benediction in verse 21. So for our purposes tonight, we are going to just deal with two verses, and that is verses 18 and 19, which contain a warning. And let me read those two verses again. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. I'd like to approach our study tonight, this sermon tonight, by asking a series of questions.

So let me set the questions before you, and then we'll go back and work our way through the questions. Question number one, who is issuing this warning? What is the identity of the person identified by the personal pronoun I in verse 18? For I testify to everyone who hears the words of this prophecy of this book, and then the warnings. So number one, who is issuing the warning? Number two, what is the warning in reference to?

What is the warning in reference to? Four times, beginning at verse 18 down through verse 20, these things are mentioned. Notice verse 8, now I, John, saw and heard these things. Verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches.

And then verse 18, for I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book if anyone adds to these things. So the question is, what is the warning in reference to? Question number three, is the warning that we find here unique to John and the book of Revelation, or is there some other place in the scriptures where we find similar language to help us understand the warning and what is being said here? I won't say more about that.

We'll get into that when we get to that question. Question number four, who is the warning directed to? Who is the warning directed to? Question number five, what is the nature of this warning? Question number six, what is the meaning of adding to or taking away which is at the heart of the warning?

How do we understand that? What is to be avoided? What is forbidden in this double warning of adding to and taking away? So question number one, who is issuing the warning? Scholars are divided. Some say it's John who's issuing the warning and others say it's the Lord Jesus himself.

How do we understand which is correct? Again, verse 18, for I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city and from the things which are written in this book.

Well, I think context helps us here. Notice there is no question who is speaking in verse 16. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. No question who's speaking in verse 16. No question who is speaking in verse 20. He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly.

And if we didn't need additional help, those words, Surely I am coming quickly, are red letter, at least in my Bible. So without question, the Lord Jesus is speaking in verse 16. The Lord Jesus is speaking in verse 20. And context seems to suggest to me that the Lord Jesus is also speaking in verse 18. He's the one issuing the warning for I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. It seems logical to believe that Jesus is issuing the warning.

Question number two. What is the warning in reference to? What is the warning in reference to?

And again, I've already made you aware. Three times we see the word, the phrase, these things in verse eight, in verse 16, and then in the warning itself. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plague, the plagues that are written in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the Book of Life, from the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book. What is the warning in reference to? Well, I believe that the warning is in reference to the entire vision that John received, that it is in reference to the entire book of Revelation.

You say, well, why do you say that? Well, again, context helps us. There are two aspects to this warning. There is the warning of, to those who add to, and then there is the warning of those who are guilty of taking away. But verse 19, that part of the warning that speaks of taking away, it says, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, that seems to suggest to me that this warning is in reference to the book of Revelation, the entire vision that John was given and he has been faithful to reveal to us.

Question number three. Is this warning unique to John and the book of Revelation, or is there some other place where we find similar language that will help us to understand what is being said here? Well, until I studied for this sermon and I read that, it seemed unique to me. I thought, well, I don't, I can't remember any other place in the scriptures where there is similar language. But as I studied, I was made aware of Deuteronomy chapter four. So will you turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter four? Deuteronomy chapter four. And because the language that is used in Revelation 22 is so similar to the words here in Deuteronomy chapter four, my mind wonders whether that's because John was familiar with the warning passage in Deuteronomy chapter four or whether it is God himself who is tying these two covenant warnings together. Obviously, here in Deuteronomy chapter four, we're talking about the old covenant people of God, those who came out of the Exodus.

And when we read in Revelation chapter 22, it's in reference to the churches, the churches in John's day that are mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three, and the new covenant people of God, two different communities, a community of faith here in the church age and then the old covenant community. But listen to the words here of Deuteronomy chapter four and note with me how similar the language is. Now, oh, Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe that you may live and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor, for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor.

But you who hold fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you. I think you would agree with me that those two passages mirror one another. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take away from it. There's that double aspect of warning. But the question that I think helps us here as we're trying to understand what is being said there in Revelation chapter 22 is what is the other side of that?

There is the warning not to add to, not to take away from, but what is the positive side of that? What are they being exhorted to do? And they're being exhorted to keep the commandments of the Lord and to hold fast to God. And I think that's what is going on here in Revelation chapter 22. Our mind is drawn to the warning, to the negative aspect of it, not to add to the word of the prophecy, not to take away from it. But what's the other side of that? The other side of it is to keep the word of God, be faithful to the word of God, to persevere, to endure to the end. To hold fast our profession.

There's far more that could be said at this point, but I feel like I need to move on. Question number four, who is the warning directed to? And again, verse 19, For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book.

That's who it's directed to. To everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. The warning is directed not to pagans outside the church, but to all who are in the church community. As the warnings of Deuteronomy were addressed to all those who were of the old covenant community. This is not to those outside the church. This is a warning for the people of God, for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that that's consistent with the emphasis here in this entire passage. Verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches.

God is concerned about the ethical behavior and the commitment of those who profess to know him within the visible church. That's who this warning is directed to. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book.

Question number five. What is the nature of this warning? What is the nature of this warning? Well, the nature of this warning, I think we could say, is a very solemn warning. There are serious consequences being warned about for those who take away or add to this book of the Revelation. The nature of the warning is twofold. There's a warning for those who, in verse 18, add to these things.

And notice the language. For those who add to these things, God will add. And God's adding is not a positive.

It's a negation. God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. Wow. The plagues that are written in this book? That's not a minor consequence. That is a serious consequence for any who are guilty of violating the warning here of adding to these things. And then in verse 19, and if anyone takes away from the words of this book of this prophecy, notice again the same language. God shall take away. Anybody who takes away from the word, God will take away.

So there will be a subtraction. And what will God take away? God will take away his part from the Book of Life, from the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book. You say, okay, that sounds like it's possible to lose one's salvation. God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book.

No. Again, when we run into language that is a bit obscure and hard to understand, we must honor the hermeneutical principle of allowing scripture to interpret scripture. So what is the main thrust of the Word of God? Those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ repenting of their sins are secure. Jesus said, all who come unto me, I will in no wise cast out. I will not turn away. So if a person has come to Jesus and repent in faith, they are secure and they are eternally safe.

Okay, let's settle that matter. This refers not to the loss of salvation, but to the denial of it for those who have claimed outwardly to be Christians, but in actuality never have had true faith. That's the nature of this warning. Now let me make a number of points related to this warning. As I've studied, I find it interesting to find various things that have been said, and I've had to weigh them in trying to determine whether there's merit to it or whether the scriptures dismiss some of these observations. The first thing is that there are some scholars who suggest that John is talking to scribes, and these warnings are directed to them, that they need to be exact and careful to not add anything or take anything away from their scribal work.

The issue is the accuracy of the copies that are made by the scribes. Well, I can see the need for carefulness and accuracy, but again the question is, is that what the text of scripture is saying? You can't just say, well, I don't like that. That doesn't seem plausible to me. Well, if you don't like it and it doesn't seem plausible to you, what in the text of scripture causes you to dismiss that? Well, John is not directing this warning to scribes. Who is he directing this warning to? Verse 19, for I testify to everyone, not just scribes, but to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. That seems to be a whole lot broader than just confining it to scribes and the warning to them to avoid adding to or taking away from their work. You say, well, that was easy to dismiss.

Yes. Secondly, I've already touched on this, but I don't believe John is teaching here that true believers who have been saved can lose their salvation because of a sin they commit against the text of scripture, the book of Revelation. I think why this is important is I don't know in every case why people have an avoidance to the book of Revelation. I suspect that part of it is just the difficulty associated with rightly understanding it, some of the crazy thoughts and ideas and presentations that they've heard, and people say, I just, I can't get my mind around this. And if we're being faithfully reading through the scriptures, we're reading through the book of Revelation and we're encountering this symbolic language, and there's this hermeneutical principle in the back of our minds that says that we're to take it literally unless there's strong evidence not to take it literally. And we're thinking, literally?

Beasts with seven heads and ten horns? So rather than wrestle with what is being said here, people avoid studying the book. And a lot of the angst about approaching the book, I think, are dismissed when we understand that this is apocalyptic literature, and apocalyptic literature has a specific, it's a specific genre, and we must approach it not with a literal hermeneutic, but to understand that what's being communicated to us is symbolic, it's representative. And then we begin to go, okay. And we're grateful for the times where John has explained, well not explained, but given us a vision that he's either heard or saw, and then John says, this is that. And you say, thank you, John.

I would have never come up with that had you not told us exactly what it is that you heard and saw. But he doesn't do that all the time, right? And we say, John, where are you? How about giving us this is that here?

But he didn't. So we're left to wrestle with the text of scriptures that we might understand it correctly. I don't think we can move beyond this warning without acknowledging that there is the issue of genuine apostasy within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And John has addressed that in other places. You know as well as I know that he is the author of the Gospel of John, and he's also the author of 1 and 2 John, those three epistles. And John says in 1 John chapter 2 verse 19, this issue about apostasy, he says, 1 John 2 verse 18, Little children, it is the last hour.

And as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us. Who's he talking about? He's talking about people who were within the visible church, who were counted among the community of faith. But he's acknowledging they went out from us. And what explanation does John give for them going out from us? He says, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. Their departure, their apostasy revealed the true condition of their hearts.

They were never a part of the people of God. They had the appearance thereof, but they were not. We're talking about the nature of this warning. I do not believe that John is condemning well-meaning believers who made mistakes in teaching or interpreting revelation. You say, are you acknowledging that there are errors in teaching and interpreting the book of Revelation?

Yes, I am acknowledging that, because there are various schools of interpretation of this book, and they are very different in their interpretations. There are the pre-millennial, or they are the dispensational pre-millennialists, there are the historical pre-millennialists, there are the post-millennialists, there are the all-millennialists, there are those who hold to a partial preterism position, and all those positions are represented among Christendom. People that we would acknowledge and say, those positions are representative within the realm of orthodoxy. They're not heretical. But one thing is absolutely crystal clear, they can't all be right.

Right? I remember David Castle's saying one time when he was here, and he preached on the second coming of Christ, and he brought a wonderful exhortation about the second coming of Christ, and he said, we can all agree on this. We may not all agree about the when and the wherefore and the details around it, but we better agree upon this. And then he said, not everybody is right, and it's possible that everybody is wrong.

And I thought, well that's a new idea. You'd think with that many opinions somebody's got it right, and those who hold the various positions hold those positions very strongly because they believe that they are right, and others who hold different opinions are wrong, but we don't make it a test of fellowship. So John is not saying the warnings apply to those who have misunderstood the book of the Revelation, that God is going to take away, God is going to add judgment to them because they haven't rightly understood, because if that were the case, an awful lot of Christians would be in trouble, and I would be also in trouble, because I'm convinced that I haven't accurately understood everything about this book. I've understood a whole lot more than I understood before I began this journey, but as I've said, I'd like to go back and do it all over again, and I think if I did, what I understand now would be reflected in the earlier chapters.

I would see things a little bit differently. All of that is not to take away from the solemn responsibility to accurately and carefully teach the Word of God. Listen to a couple of quotations.

George Eldon Ladd says, John is not concerned about possible mechanical errors in transmission or mistakes of judgment in interpreting its message, but in deliberate distortions and perversions of it. And I think we can be helped by going back to that Old Covenant warning in Deuteronomy 4, where we not only learn about what is forbidden, but what is the positive side. What are we to be committed to?

What is God's expectation of his people? That is to keep the commandments of the Lord and to hold fast to the Lord. Those who will be judged in accordance with this warning are those who are not keeping God's Word and who are not holding fast to him.

That I'm confident I can say this warning is for the faithless and for the disobedient. In the time of Jesus, the best examples of those being described here were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees, what did they do? What were they guilty of? They were the ones who added hundreds of detailed prohibitions, which were not contained in God's revelation. How did Jesus respond to that? He condemned them for doing that, for adding to the traditions of men. He had strong words for these religious leaders who were guilty of adding to the Word of God. What about the Sadducees? Well, they were the liberals of Jesus's day. What were they guilty of? Well, they were guilty of the other half of this warning. They were guilty of subtracting from the Word the things that in their mind was unacceptable. And what was that?

Anything that was supernatural. They denied the resurrection. In the apostolic age, where Paul was writing to the church at Galatia, what did he say? If anyone comes to you with another gospel, let him be anathema. That is, let him be judged, let him be condemned, let him be under the wrath of Almighty God. Adding to the gospel, taking away from the gospel, are violations that fit the warning here in Revelation chapter 22. In our day, we have those who are legalists, who add to the gospel, man-made requirements. And on the other hand, there are liberals who deny doctrines that are plainly taught as essential fundamentals of the faith.

They would be ones who would fall under this condemnation. This is a hallmark of the cults. One of the common features of the cult is that they have a prophetic figure who is an authority. And they add to and subtract from the Bible.

Some examples. Ellen G. White of the Seventh-day Adventists, she claimed to prophesy in ways that alter the message of the book of the Revelation, adding to what it says. Joseph Smith, the Mormon leader, also claimed to add to the book of the Revelation.

These would fall under the condemnation of this warning. Charles Russell, founder of the Jehovah Witnesses. What do the Jehovah Witnesses do? They take away from the person of Jesus Christ.

They deny his deity and they deny the physical bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ. They subtract from the prophecy of this book and, as a result, fall under the judgment and the condemnation here in this warning. The epilogue, and that's what we're in the middle of here in Revelation 22, it begins at verse 6 of chapter 22 and runs to the end of the chapter. It specifically has in mind the churches of John's day and the church of the present day. This warning in verses 18 and 19, I'm convinced is to be understood in the light of what Christ said to his churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. What do we find there? We find there the warning of the doctrine of Balaam, the warning of the doctrine of the Nicolations.

So turn with me as we bring the message to a conclusion here in about five minutes. Turn to Revelation, that section, chapters 2 and 3. The seven churches. I want you to notice with me something about each one of these churches. The church of Ephesus. Jesus said in verse 5, Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.

But this you have, you hate the deeds of the Nicolations which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and then this, to him who overcomes. To him who overcomes. The exhortation is to persevere to the end, to endure to the end, to do what?

Overcome. Continue on in the things of God. The next, the persecuted church, the church of Smyrna. He warned them you will have tribulation. Be faithful, verse 10, be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

A very precise and exclusive promise to those who overcome. The church at Pergamos, the doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of the Nicolations. He says in verse 16, repent or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He's talking to the church. Folks, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't want Christ fighting against it. He wants the Lord Jesus Christ fighting for the church.

But if we're tolerating sin, it's being characterized here, the doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of the Nicolations. Jesus says, I will fight against that church for its tolerance for, well, we just love everybody. And again, verse 17, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat and I will give him a white stone and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. Same pattern is seen throughout these messages to the seven churches, the church of Thyatira. Verse 25, hold fast. There's that emphasis that we saw in Deuteronomy 4 that's mirrored here in Revelation 19. Hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.

What about the church of Sardis? Again, verse 5, he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the book of life. The church of Philadelphia, beginning at verse 7. Verse 11, behold, I am coming quickly.

Hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. And then finally, the church at Laodicea. Verse 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne.

He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So in conclusion, let me set a portrait of an overcomer before you, because that seems to be the emphasis here as we bring this study of the warning to a conclusion. A portrait of an overcomer. Number one, the overcomer is one who holds fast the name of Christ and does not deny the faith of Christ in spite of fierce persecution from without and within. Number two, the overcomer is one who rejects the teaching and practice of selfish gain at the expense of the people of God.

That is the sin of Balaam, sold out the people of God for money. Number three, the overcomer is one who rejects the teaching and the practice of those who say that you can compromise your morality, engage in idolatry, and still be viewed as a Christian. Warning, judgment is pronounced upon those who hold to such a position. Number four, the overcomer is one who refuses to be a participant in such practices and who actively fights against such teachings. That is, doesn't fight against those teachings in the church, although that's a part of it, but fights inner corruption, sees it as sin.

I'm not going to give myself to immorality. That's the mark of an overcomer. Number five, the overcomer is one who does not give in to persecution from the educational, governmental, and religious systems that are without the church. There's a price to pay for standing with Christ.

And number six, the overcomer is one who does not give in to the false teaching and the immoral practices of professing Christians who are within the church. This idea that it doesn't matter how you live, you can live any way you want, we're all accepted in Jesus. No.

No. That can't be tolerated. So in short, faithful obedience and endurance to the end will result in eternal blessing. That's what's on the mind of God.

That is what's on the mind of the Apostle John as he comes to the end of this book and issues this warning. Let us pray. Father, thank you. Thank you for the inspired Word of God that is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Father, help us to be men and women committed to the scriptures, the teaching of the scriptures. Father, guard us, protect us, fortify us, strengthen us. Help us, Father, give us grace to be overcomers. Help us to hold fast to the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to have a resolve to live in obedience to the revealed will of God, knowing that there is a good fight of faith to fight for the cause of righteousness and for the good of our souls. Give us grace, I pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.