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. Revelation 22:18
The Lord Jesus and His disciples were walking through grainfields one Sabbath day and the disciples were hungry. So they picked some of the grain from the stalks as they walked along, and enjoyed a bit of a snack (Matthew 12:1). That was a big no-no, according to the Pharisees, who tried everything they could to catch Jesus in some error or fault. Their problem was not in the taking of the grain, which was perfectly legal for hungry people to do in Israel. No, their objection was that this act was done on the Sabbath day. According to them, the plucking of the grain was the labour of reaping, and the rubbing of the husks from the grain was threshing. And both of those acts were prohibited, according to the law. Now, the law as delivered by Moses included no such prohibition, but the Jews had developed lengthy rules and explanations for the law that Moses wrote, and their rules and explanations had been elevated to the same level as what God had spoken to Moses. They might have been the first to add to Scripture, but they certainly weren’t the last.
Our text makes it plain that God will exact a severe punishment on all who add to the Word of God. That punishment will certainly be applied to the Pharisees. And it will be applied to those who came after the Pharisees. This applies to Rome, for example, which has declared that the traditions of that church hold as much authority as the Scriptures. For example, Rome accepts as Scripture the Apocryphal books, even though no Jewish scholar accepts them as inspired. Down through the centuries, Rome has issued many statements under the claim that the pope is infallible, statements that contradict and add to the Scriptures. There are plagues for that! When Mohammed emerged from his cave with what he claimed were revelations from an angel, he presented writings that contradicted much of Scripture and convinced gullible people that it was true. There are plagues for that! When Joseph Smith concocted his fairy-tale nonsense and presented it as divine revelations, he was adding his Mormon hogwash to the Word of God. There are plagues for that! Many modern day denominations that would label themselves Christians deny such critical truths as the virgin birth of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the need for the new birth. There are plagues for that! But would real Christians ever add to the Word of God?
I am told there are some Assemblies where men are not permitted to wear a suit that is not black. I am told that some Assemblies refuse to accept a woman whose hair is not arranged in a particular fashion. I am told that some Assemblies prohibit participation by any men unless they have received approval from the overseers. There are plagues for that! We need to be careful that we do not impose traditions or mortal ideas on the Lord’s people unless they are clearly supported by the Word of God.
God’s Word is holy. And only God’s Word is holy. -Jim MacIntosh