Questioner
I believe the Bible teaches eternal security and predestination. I believe that all "difficult" verses should be compared to those which are easier to understand. However, I am still having a problem understanding Rev. 22:19. The KJV says "book" and other translations say "tree" of life, but even siding with the versions that say "tree", it still gives me problems. What does it mean when God says He will take away that person's "part" ? This seems to go against both predestination and eternal security. If the person referred to here is an unsaved person, then what is God "taking away"? Please help me reconcile this with the clear teaching of eternal security and predestination that is clearly presented in the rest of the Bible.
Answer
Because of the clear teachings of Eternal Security and Predestination, then
Rev 22:19 cannot be talking about true Christians, for they would never
knowingly add to or remove any of the precious Words of God's Bible as given to
men. The passage is referring to those in many false religions who add and
subtract from God's Word. The Catholics add their traditions to it and override
the Scriptures when there is a conflict. The Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus
remove the whole Bible. The Jews delete the entire New Testament, and the
Mormons add their Book of Mormon....and on and on it goes. Of course the Atheist
ignores the whole Bible. But the true child of God will never knowingly tamper
with the Word of God, so Rev 22:19 is consistent with Eternal Security and
Predestination.
Think of it in the same way as verse 21:8, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." A Christian can commit some of these sins, like King David who was an adulterer (sexual immoral) and a murderer (Killed Bathsheba's husband), and this as a believer, but it was not his pattern of life. It was sins that cost him dearly, but he confessed and was restored.
So a Christian can ignore part of Scripture for a time, or even add something (vision, or other concept), but this will soon be recognized as sin and confession will be made, but to continue, as a way of life to deny or add to God's Word, will bring eternal judgments and thus they will never have access to the Tree of Life, or be included in the Book of Life.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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