Plagues

Revelation 22:18- 21 For I testify unto every man that hears 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: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifies these things said, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

‘If any man shall add unto these things …’ the 15th and last prophecy in Revelation unfulfilled. A solemn warning that applies not only to the book of Revelation but to the entire Bible (Deut. 12:32). One cannot change God’s eternal Word and escape His judgment. One cannot add to it or take from it without having what is stated in Revelation 22:18-19 literally fulfilled in his case.

‘Plagues’ the plagues are those of eternal hell as well as many other kinds as referred to in Revelation 9:20; 15:1, 6, 8; 16:21; 21:9. In the Bible, nine Hebrew and Greek words are translated “plague,” meaning in general any calamity, sickness, disease, wound, scourge, stroke, or suffering. Famines, barrenness, boils, sicknesses, terror, failure in crops or business, oppression, destruction, poverty, wars, strives, and many other human sufferings are considered plagues. There are over 60 kinds of plagues listed in Leviticus 26:1-46 and Deuteronomy 28:1-68 alone.

Varies causes of plagues are listed in Scripture: Not listening to God (Ex. 15:26; Lev. 26:14; Deut. 28:15); failing to do the right (Ex. 15:26); breaking the commandments (Ex. 15:26; Lev. 26:14-15; Deut. 28:15); despising God’s statutes (Lev. 26:15); abhorring God’s judgments (Lev. 26:15); breaking God’s covenants (Lev. 26:15); walking contrary to God (Lev. 26:21-27); sinning against God (Deut. 28:20); forsaking God (Deut. 28:20); rebellion against God (Deut. 28:47); refusing to be thankful for all God’s blessings (Deut. 28:47); refusing to observe all God’s laws (Deut. 28:58-62); adding to God’s Word (Rev. 22:18); taking away from God’s Word (Rev. 22:19; Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Pro. 30:6). Please remember that the Law of Moses was abolished not the books wherein they were written, thus can we still see that what was sin in the Old Testament, is still sin in the New Testament. There are 126 plagues mentioned outside Revelation.

We see many plagues in Revelation: Removal of an entire congregation (2:5); being cast into prison (2:10); being fought by Christ (2:16); being cast into tribulation (2:22); being killed (2:23); having your name blotted out of the Book of Life (3:5; cp. Ex. 32:32-33); wars (6:3-4); famine (6:5-6); the loosing of death and hell (6:7-8); great earthquakes (8:5; 16:17-21; 18:1-24); hail, fire, and blood (8:8-9); one-third of the sea to changed into blood (8:8-9); drinking waters poisoned (8:10-11); the sun, moon and stars darkened (8:12); demonic locusts to torment people (9:1-12); demonic horsemen to slay people (9:13-21); many plagues by the two witnesses (11:3-12); great sores (16:2); the whole sea and rivers changed to blood (16:4); scorching heat from the sun (16:8-9); darkness (16:10-11).

There are many examples of plagues sent upon people for rebellion. God has made the law of sowing and reaping and regardless of fallacies teaching that God will not judge Christians who backslide, these examples demonstrate that saved people will also reap what they sow (Gal. 6:7-8).

‘Prophecy’ there is 1,423 prophetic verses in the 7,957 verses of the New Testament; 194 verses of Old Testament prophecy quoted or fulfilled in the New Testament; 1,229 verses of New Testament prophecy. Of these about 950 verses are given as unfulfilled prophecy; 162 verses as being fulfilled; and 324 verses as already fulfilled. This is 207 verses more than the total prophetic verses in the New Testament due to the fact that some prophecies require a double listing – under fulfilled and being fulfilled. ‘Surely I come quickly’ the last promise in Scripture and concerns the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. Being one of the most important doctrines of the Bible, this is referred to many hundreds of times in both testaments. There are 750 promises in the New Testament, but only 250 separate benefits due to the fact that many of the promises are repeated in different books. Some are not in the form of a promise, but the truths they contain make the basis of our claims for gospel benefits.