Many Christians know that the Bible warns against “adding to or taking away from God’s Word.”
But Revelation 22 gives a warning far more serious than most people realize—
a warning directly connected to salvation.
Let’s see what the Scripture actually says.
1. Revelation ends with the most severe warning in the entire Bible
“If anyone adds anything to the words of this prophecy,
God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.If anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy,
God will take away their share in the tree of life
and in the holy city…”
(Revelation 22:18–19)
This is not symbolic.
This is literal.
✔ Add to the prophecy → receive the plagues
✔ Take away from the prophecy → lose the right to enter the Holy City
= lose heaven itself
That is why Revelation must never be altered.
2. Why is Revelation so serious? Because it is the final prophecy for the New Testament era
For believers living today,
the Book of Revelation is not “one of many prophecies.”
It is the only prophetic book given to the church in the New Testament era—
the final message of Jesus,
sealed until the time of fulfillment.
And if that prophecy has been fulfilled,
the Bible teaches that we must see it, understand it, and believe it.
Otherwise we reject the very testimony of Jesus.
3. Altering Revelation destroys the meaning of prophecy and its fulfillment
Changing Revelation—
whether by adding human doctrine,
removing uncomfortable verses,
or spiritualizing away its meaning—
breaks the connection between:
- Prophecy (what God promised)
- Fulfillment (what God accomplishes)
Without this connection,
faith becomes disconnected from God’s plan.
This is exactly why Revelation warns:
“Do not add.
Do not take away.”
Because the moment a person changes the prophecy,
they can no longer recognize the fulfillment—
and therefore cannot enter the Holy City.
4. The ultimate reason: Altering Revelation leads to losing salvation
Revelation 22 does not say:
- “You will be punished a little.”
- “You will lose a blessing.”
It says:
“God will take away their share in the tree of life and in the holy city.”
That means:
❌ No tree of life
❌ No holy city
❌ No heaven
❌ No eternal life
This is the most serious warning in Scripture.
5. True faith holds on to Revelation exactly as written
If Jesus gave the prophecy,
and if God fulfills it,
then the believer’s role is simple:
- Know the prophecy
- Recognize the fulfillment
- Believe the testimony
- Do not add anything
- Do not remove anything
That is the faith God desires in the last days.
