Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!geneva.rutgers.edu!christian From: bnr-fos!bnr-public!davem@watmath.waterloo.edu (Dave Mielke) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Rev 22:18-19 Message-ID: Date: 6 Jul 89 06:39:44 GMT Sender: hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu writes: >(3) We should look at the whole of Chap 22. This is not the first >mention of "the prophecy of this scroll". Revelation 22:7 tells us "Behold, I come quickly: blessed {is} he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.". If we were to base our Bible study solely on the book of Revelation we would have an insufficient basis on which to be sure that we are recipients of God's blessings because it is not self-explanatory. The book of Revelation, as is true with any other book in the Bible, can only be adequately understood when studied in conjunction with the rest of the Bible. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.". This tells us that we can only be blessed if we live by the entire Word of God, i.e. the whole Bible. Since this is impossible for man as we wallow in our imperfections, we are greatful to learn from the Bible that "he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (the latter part of Hebrews 11:6). Since we can only expect God's blessings if we live by His entire Word, the phrase "the prophecy of this book" can only refer to exactly that, the entire Bible. There is absolutely no reason to assume, just because we might want to give ourselves the perception of our having obtained more liberty by lessening the effect of what God is saying, that that phrase as used in Revelation 22:18 means anything other than what it must mean in verse 7 of the same chapter. We must never forget that God has intentionally hidden His true meaning so that it can only be gleaned by those whom He has chosen to assist. Proverbs 25:2 tells us "{It is} the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings {is} to search out a matter.". Dave Mielke, 613-726-0014 856 Grenon Avenue Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2B 6G3