Q145 : Adding To or Removing From God’s Word

Andy,

I really love your ministry and I have grown so much and continue to be encouraged by your ministry through Dr. Mal Couch’s Gathering Storm CD's.

I want to ask you two questions if I could:

1. I am teaching the book of Revelation (dispensationally in a Southern Baptist church, of all things!) and I have a question about Revelation 22:18-19 about the adding to and the taking away from the words of the prophecy. Is he speaking to both unsaved who might do this and the saved who would allegorize it, such as Hanegraaff, or my amillennial preacher, with results for the unsaved about the plagues, but the saved who might allegorize it having restrictions in eternity in getting fruit from the tree of life? I have read a few commentaries on it, but I have great respect for your research and insight and knowledge of God's Word that I would love to have your perspective on it as a dispensationalist. (Do you recommend any good Revelation commentaries? Do you have one yet?)

2. Why are Southern Baptist churches so big on amillennialism and really get bent out of shape when a person reads the Bible and takes it at face value? Our church is a very loving church and the majority of the people love my dispensational teaching, because so much more of scripture is explained to them, but whenever they get into committee activity it is almost like they hide back under the Law, choose the amillennial guys and get cowed by their forceful ways. This church started out under amillennial leadership which teaches grace, but also uses law to control people. I would like you perspective on this also.

I would like to know about any new books or teachings or series you will be doing.

A145 : by Andy Woods

Thanks for the encouragement.

The three major interpretations on Rev 22:18-19 are

1. Loss of salvation.
2. Loss of reward.
3. Evidence of an unsaved heart.

I favor the third option as do many of the other commentaries on Revelation.

The closest I have to a commentary on Revelation is my book argument or summary of Revelation that is posted on this site^a.

Commentaries by Robert Thomas (Rev. 1-7^b and Rev. 8-22^c), and John Walvoord^d on Revelation are among the best. Also, see Tony Garland's commentary^e available through this site.

People reject Dispensationalism for a host of reasons such as a dissatisfaction with the text's plain meaning, anti-Semitism, a prior commitment to a kingdom now social agenda, an attraction to liberal or postmodern scholarly trends, or an elevation of a Christian tradition over what the text says. The real issue is where authority should reside. As for me, I want God to speak rather than my own preconceptions. Thus, I seek to follow the literal method of interpretation wherever possible, including in Eschatology.

The best way to keep up with my teaching is through this site^f.

Also, check out Sugar Land Bible Church^g for recent sermons and Scofield Prophecy Studies^h for a recent conference I was involved with on social issues.

Thanks for your perseverance in teaching God's Word.