Bible Numbers Part 4: Hazardous Addition And Subtraction! 👇🏻

Adding and subtracting

Revelation 1:3;

“3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

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This verse at the beginning of the book of Revelation is a promise of blessing to those who read the words of the prophesies contained in it’s pages.  But that promise doesn’t only apply to Revelation:  It includes the other 65 books as well.

In the very last chapter of Revelation, however, there is an ominous warning we need to study.   It has often been misunderstood and misapplied to mean something that it doesn’t.  Let’s investigate.

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Revelation 22:18-19

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The Mazoretic text doesn’t say, “Book of Life;” It says “Tree of Life.”  That’s a very important distinction, reminiscent of Psalm 1 which says of the godly man:

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“He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.”

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The godly man’s “Leaf shall not wither.”  In other words, he will be strong, healthy, as well as prosperous.

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There is a “law of first-mention,” if you will, in the interpretation of scripture. It is the principle which states, “The first mention or occurrence of a subject in Scripture establishes an unchangeable pattern, with that subject remaining unchanged in the mind of God throughout Scripture.”

There is always something very important in the first mention of any word or subject that sheds light on its meaning throughout the scriptures.  The first mention of this Tree of Life is back in the Garden.  Adam and Eve, as you know, ate from the wrong tree bringing sin, sickness, and death into this world.  This gives us a clue as to the meaning of the passage we are now studying.

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Who is adding, what are they adding, and to what plagues is God referring?  I used to think it was referring to cult-like groups that add their own writings to those of the Bible, twisting the scriptures to fit their own peculiar theology.  While that certainly is included and does apply, that is not what God is primarily concerned with here.  He is concerned that if anyone adds anything….ANYTHING AT ALL…..to the finished work of Jesus, like say, our performance, and tell us,  “We have to do this or we have to do that” to be pleasing to God, they are ADDING TO THE WORK OF CHRIST.  

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You see, our salvation is Jesus…..PLUS NOTHING.  Such adding is a BIG FAT NO NO! 🤭

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AS IF! 😲

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But…..if you are foolish enough to think that any self righteous works of yours are needed to please God IN ANY WAY, 🤨 God promises that He will ADD TO YOU all the plagues that are written in this book.  Go on; read them in Deuteronomy 28 sometime.  I dare you. 😐 They are the stuff of nightmares: TERRIFYING! 😫

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On the other hand…..if anyone TAKES AWAY from what is written in his book, GOD WILL TAKE AWAY his part in the Tree of life.
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Here again is another reference to Psalm 1.  Does that mean that you can loose your salvation?  OF COURSE NOT!  The Tree of Life is Jesus!  To those who are saved, He gives health and prosperity. Remember what He did while He was here on earth?  He healed everyone everywhere He went.  He fed five thousand and then seven thousand in one shot.  He cast out all manner of demons.  No one can be in the presence of Jesus and be sick, in want, or possessed of a demon.  For that matter, if you want a successful funeral, don’t invite Him! 😁💖

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Here is what God means by taking away from His word:  There are those who will tell you that some of the gifts of the Spirit, like healing or tongues, are not for today.  In so saying, they are in fact “Taking away from the word of God” and robbing believers of things that were clearly given to us BY GOD to bless us.

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Then, there are others who tell you that you must confess your sins before you take communion so you don’t partake unworthily.  These are well-meaning Christians, but they are “Adding” to the word of God.  Listen, you are made FOREVER MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST from the first nano second of your new birth until you see Him face to face.  All your sins:  Past-Present-AND Future, are put away.

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You see, we think in terms of past, present, and future because we live inside time.  But God doesn’t live in our time zone.  He lives outside of time.  There is no past or future to him; only present.  It does not limit Him.

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Our lives are a composite whole to God.  He sees everything from the distant past to the end of time in one shot, as a composite whole.  Remember, it says of Him He is a very “PRESENT” help in trouble.  The reason the Bible tells us that He is the same “Yesterday, today, and forever,” is because we relate to time.  It is for our benefit to try and help us understand.  So, when He says, “ALL your sins are put away,” He means, “ALL.” They are one composite whole to Him.

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This is how you partake of communion in an unworthy manner:  If you do not make a clear distinction between the body of Jesus–that it was broken for your PHYSICAL HEALING–and the blood–which CLEANSES FROM ALL SIN–you are short-changing yourself of its full and intended benefit. 

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Church, you and I can take communion whenever we want, just like medicine. We don’t need to be ordained ministers.  We can partake daily, even several times a day if we are sick, at home on our own because you and I are kings and priests just like Jesus, after the order of Melchizedek. The church is not a building; it is all of us who are born again.

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What does God mean that He will take away your part in the book, or rather, the Tree of life?  It means that those who “TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS IN THIS BOOK,” meaning they don’t believe God helps us today, even though He is the same yesterday, today and forever…..that their health will be affected–TAKEN AWAY–and they may die of some disease or before their time.  “The Tree Of Life” will be of no effect to anyone who takes away from God’s word.  It means they will suffer physical “death” in one form or another.  

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(For more on that topic, you may follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2016/06/26/psalm-91-part-2-of-7-i-will-say-of-the-lord-2/)

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However, when you “eat” of the TREE OF LIFE, i.e. claim your health and healing in Jesus’ Name, your disease is no more!  Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  The word of a king has power!

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Tell me:  Why are we giving more weight and credit to sin, evil, the devil, and man’s efforts to try to please God?  It’s backwards!  Our loving, wonderful, compassionate, and generous Heavenly Father should get ALL the credit.  His grace and the Holy Spirit are far more powerful and effective in touching and changing people’s lives.

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Not believing that ALL the gifts are given to the church for our benefit is, in effect, not trusting God.  We seem to be more inclined to try and fix things ourselves or run to the doctor first.  Instead, bring your needs to God.  Otherwise, you are glorifying man’s efforts over God’s provision.  Nothing wrong with doctors, mind you.  But let’s go to our Great Physician first.

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So Church…..Trust God……Trust Grace…..Trust His provision.  He is a good God ALL THE TIME;  and let’s have no more Hazardous Addition and Subtaction.