Tag: revelation

A Warning from the End of the Bible

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AMY TURNER

In the closing words of the Bible, we find one of the most serious cautions God gives to His people. Revelation 22:18–19 tells us that anyone who adds to the words of this book will face the plagues written in it. Some readers worry this may apply to moments when they have misunderstood the Bible.

Misunderstanding God’s Word is always harmful because it can lead us away from truth, but that is not what Revelation is addressing here. The warning is about deliberately adding new ideas or teachings to the Word of God. This command appears at the very end of the Bible to remind us that nothing should ever be placed alongside or beyond what God has spoken.

Even though people sincerely want to know the Bible, false teaching can still lead them astray. The responsibility of every believer is to stay close to God’s Word as it is written, without changing or adding to it. The judgment described in Revelation is for those who attempt to expand or alter what God has completed.

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.

1 Corinthians 4:6

The Spirit’s Role in Understanding Scripture

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FLOYD ROGERS

Revelation is a special kind of truth that comes directly from God. It is knowledge that people could not discover on their own. The Bible itself is this revelation — a message from God to humanity. However, there is also something called illumination. This happens when God, through His Holy Spirit, brings understanding to a person’s heart and mind as they read or hear His Word.

When a person hears or reads Scripture and suddenly feels a deep sense of clarity or joy, that is the Spirit of God at work. It’s as though a light turns on inside them, making the meaning of God’s message clear. This spiritual understanding is not something we create on our own; it is a gift from God.

For anyone to truly grasp and share God’s truth with others, it first needs to live within them. The Holy Spirit works through the truth that is already in a person’s heart. This is why it is important to fill our lives with God’s Word and be spiritually prepared.

our word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

A New Creation: The Promise of Heaven

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JEFF TURNER

The Bible gives a powerful assurance about the future: God will create a completely new Heaven and Earth. In Revelation 21:5, we read, “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also, he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” This promise is not just about fixing the broken world we know today. Instead, God will replace the old with something entirely fresh.

Many people imagine Heaven as a perfected version of life as we know it. However, Scripture makes it clear that the transformation will be far greater. The suffering and loss we experience now will no longer exist. The sea, often symbolic of chaos and separation in the Bible, will be removed. Pain and death will be erased forever.

Although we cannot fully grasp what this new creation will be like, we can trust in God’s wisdom and goodness. His power and love ensure that eternity will be both glorious and perfect—not only for His.

REF 21:1-5 NASB:
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”