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Halyna
Guest
I am actually afraid to discuss Rev and other Biblical prophesy with my family because of this verse. Am I condemned if I misinterpret something?
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juliamajor
Guest
In My reading verses 18-19 are pretty standard lines for a lot of apocalyptic writing which were pretty popular then. It kind of like saying “This is important-pay attention”, It’s just a literaty device used in that time period.
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Tomcmaj
Guest
You really have to take the Book of Revelations with a pillar of salt.
I’m not sure what real value one can get from that book, compared to so much richness in the rest of the Bible.
I’m not sure what real value one can get from that book, compared to so much richness in the rest of the Bible.
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stevekehl
Guest
This could mean one of two things, don’t change any thing written in this book, or this is the end of God’s revelations to man. Not that God doesn’t speak to us through the Holy Spirit, but His message is complete. However you interpret it, don’t mess with God’s Word. My favorite verse in Revelations is 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
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Church_Militant
Guest
I’m reading revelation right now and I’m finding terrific things in it.
Our Lord tells us that there is hope for us all even in the midst of great tribulation. That even if we suffer and are killed for our faith He will wipe away our every tear and there will be a great crowd of us that no man can number. That’s seriously encouraging to me.
Certainly there are parts that are not clear to me, but I suspect that if I were meant to understand it then the Holy Spirit would show me what I need to know. until then, I’m happy to keep following that Lamb Who was slain.
There’s also good theology in there. Like where the Lord tells us that he won’t blot out our names from the Book of Life…which means that that can happen and since our names have to be found there in order to have eternal life, that sort of shoots the n-C doctrine of OSAS/Eternal Security down in flames.
Revelation can be weird, but you have to remember that most all apocalyptic writings are, and this is mostly very intense visions of St. John. Hey…if it weirds us out…just imagine how it was for St. John!!!
Our Lord tells us that there is hope for us all even in the midst of great tribulation. That even if we suffer and are killed for our faith He will wipe away our every tear and there will be a great crowd of us that no man can number. That’s seriously encouraging to me.
Certainly there are parts that are not clear to me, but I suspect that if I were meant to understand it then the Holy Spirit would show me what I need to know. until then, I’m happy to keep following that Lamb Who was slain.
There’s also good theology in there. Like where the Lord tells us that he won’t blot out our names from the Book of Life…which means that that can happen and since our names have to be found there in order to have eternal life, that sort of shoots the n-C doctrine of OSAS/Eternal Security down in flames.
Revelation can be weird, but you have to remember that most all apocalyptic writings are, and this is mostly very intense visions of St. John. Hey…if it weirds us out…just imagine how it was for St. John!!!
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abucs
Guest
This link may help.
bible.cc/revelation/22-19.htm
bible.cc/revelation/22-19.htm
Deuteronomy 4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.
Deuteronomy 12:32 See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
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Tomcmaj
Guest
John wrote Revelations while exiled on the tiny island of Patmos.
I think the only food he could find there was psychedelic mushrooms.
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John7
Guest
you think you are a funny and clever guy don’t you?
well I’m afraid to tell you…I’ve heard responses like this
from 5-yr olds…are you a 5-yr old?
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ryanoneil
Guest
Be not afraid. The point is not to tamper with it.
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bmonk
Guest
The primary meaning is that we are not allowed to change the text as such: it was inspired and given by God, and recognized by the Church as inspired, and we do not have the authority to change it. However, we are given the right to discuss what it means and to apply it to our lives.
As a Catholic, we have the great advantage that we don’t have to judge on the proper interpretation of the Scriptures all by ourselves. We can make use of the struggles of prior ages, and study the tradition and the teachings of the Church, to understand difficult passages. And, even if we are in error, there are those with the authority (and the sacramental grace to go with it) to correct us if needed: the Magisterium. So do not fear–if anything, worry about those who lack all this support, which was given by Jesus himself, for just this sort of question.
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EricFilmer
Guest
As others have stated, the warning applies to tampering with the text, but the Catholic Church encourages Bible study, which seems to be what you desire. As a matter-of-fact, because Revelation uses heavily symbolic language and refers to the future of the Church, I think it certainly warrants discussion and further study (all in light of Catholic teaching).
Towards this end, I recommend Michael Barber’s Coming Soon: Unlocking Revelation and Applying its Lessons Today as a study guide. Moreover, it is recommended by Scott Hahn and Brant Pitre as well. This book is very “readable” (i.e., you don’t have to have a theology degree to comprehend it) and has study questions to help facilitate discussions.
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jcrichton
Guest
Hi, Halyna!
…this warning is found several times in Scriptures… it is placed there as a warning to those that have come and will come offering different meanings to Yahweh God’s Word… if you are Christ’s disciple you will read Scriptures with the aide of the Holy Spirit because you will mind His Warning and you will not seek to reinvent the wheel…
There are those who proclaim and teach anything and everything as personal revelations of the Holy Spirit (they were spoken of even as the text of the New Testament began to be hand-printed–you will find them in the Epistles of St. Jude, St. John and St. Peter); St. James issues forth a similar warning against those who desire to be “teachers.”
The Sacred Writings are not to be feared; what we must have is respect and humility; Christ instituted His Church and sent to her the Holy Spirit and promised that He would not leave her… so you see the Word of God is there for your benefit and mine… when we search the Scriptures we must do so in the Holy Spirit (humble obedience to God); it is the Holy Spirit that will guide us to God’s Wisdom and Knowledge (read the book of Wisdom 7:15 thru 8:1 and compare these passages with 1 Corinthians 2:1-16)… and since there’s only One Body, One Gospel, One Faith, One Spirit, there’s no way that you can interpret something contrary to what Jesus has Revealed to His Church through the Holy Spirit… when we come to a passage that we do not understand, our job is not to invent theories and present them as divine revelations… we simply accept that we do not know and we turn to Christ’s Church for meaning… nearly two thousand years of history has produced a multititude of Teachings as the Holy Spirit has moved Believers to define and redefine Doctrine in an effort to make God’s Word knwon to humanity.
…as a recent example of what not to do with Scriptures is the group that sold the world the idea that just a few months ago the world was scheduled to end… they ignored Christ’s Revelation that not even the Son of Man (Jesus as the Lamb of God) knew the date in question… yet, man’s ideosyncracies compel him to claim to know God’s Mysteries through personal revelation–a fallacy that St. Peter rejects as he explains that no prophecy originates from personal interpretation. It is this wanton disregard for God’s Authority that Scriptures warn against.
Maran atha!
Angel
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