The Eternal Security Debate With Independent Baptist Debater Kent Brandenburg, Part 3
Kent responded on August 28, 2007:
Mr. Thibodaux,
What about Revelation 22:19? "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."
This verse describes an unbeliever. He characteristically "takes away" (Gk. aphaireo
as an iterative present set in contrast with the point action of God "taking away" in the
verse) from the Bible, corrupting and changing it. Such actions will not characterize the
elect, who "tremble at His word" (Is 66:2, 5;Prov 13:13). If the elect corrupted His
Word instead of receiving it, Christ's prayers are a failure (John 17:8, 6, 17; cf. John
6:68; 1 Thess 2:13)-blasphemous thought! The "part" in Revelation 22:19 is prospective,
not possessive. They have no real part, although they may seem to (Luke 8:18). God offers
salvation to "whosoever will" (v. 17). Notice the "part" is not just in "the book of
life," but also in "the holy city" and "the things which are written in this book."
People in heaven and hell (obviously) cannot change Scripture; it is people who are alive
on earth who do it. Nobody currently on earth is already in possession of "the holy city"
and "the things which are written in this book." The living who are justified certainly
aren't there yet, and the lost certainly aren't there yet either! Just as God offers a
"part" in the holy city and the blessings mentioned in Revelation to the unconverted, so
does He offer them a "part" in the book of life; they have a prospective "part" in all
three, but a possessive part in none of them.
The person who rejects the blessings offered him in the book of Revelation, choosing
to tamper with its text instead, forfeits his offer of eternal life by rejecting the Word
instead of receiving it, as all who believe and will be saved do (John 17:8). In the
previous chapter of Revelation, John uses to meros (the word "part" in 22:19) to
represent a "part" one has before he actually gets it (21:8); here people who repent lose
their prospective "part" in the lake of fire for a "part" in glory. In Rev 22:19, people
reject a prospective "part" in the New Jerusalem and the book of life for damnation. One
has a "part" prospectively before possessing it in Mt 24:51 + Luke 12:46 (to meros autou,
just as in Rev 22:19; note it was his "part/portion" before he actually got it). In Luke
15:12, the meros or "portion" pertained to the younger son before he actually possessed
it.
In summary: Revelation 22:19 does not mean that one who actually possesses a part in
the book of life and the New Jerusalem loses it; it means that one who is offered such a
part, who has it prospectively, may lose it by rejecting Christ and, instead of repenting
and believing the gospel, corrupting the Scriptures and rejecting their teachings.
Here's a good way to think about Revelation 22:19
"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."
Will anyone unsaved be in the holy city? NO
Will God take away anyone from the holy city that is already in there? NO
So all of this must be viewed as prospective.
QUESTION FOR Mr. Thibodaux: ARE ANY UNSAVED PEOPLE GOING TO BE IN THE HOLY CITY WHO GOD WILL REMOVE?
The verse doesn't actually say that God will take anyone out of the book of life, but
take away his PART out of the book of life. He could have been in there, but his PART
was taken away. This verse purposefully does not say "take your name out of the book of life."
I'll await the emotional and loaded rhetoric. I yearn for someone who cares just to look
at what Scripture says, that we might know the truth.
Sincerely,
Kent Brandenburg
'Emotional?' ...ok...anyway, I replied on August 29:
Hello again Mr. Brandenburg,
Okay, for starters,
The "part" in Revelation 22:19 is prospective, not possessive.
and
Nobody currently on earth is already in possession of "the holy city" and "the
things which are written in this book."
Actually, if only a prospective or potential part were taken away, then this would effectively make detracting from God's word the unforgivable sin, since even the sinner's potential share in glory is now taken; therefore this can't be speaking strictly of prospect. Attempts to stretch this to mean 'never getting saved' or trying to say that it is something only seemingly possessed are not supported by the passage at all. We who believe do possess the blessings associate with eternal life already in the sense that they are reserved for us; they are more than merely possibility. Peter writes,
"Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you..." (1 Peter 1:3-4)
Only those who follow Christ have any inheritance awaiting them in God's kingdom, and hence we do "possess all things" (2 Corinthians 6:10) in the sense that they are our future portion as believers. As for those who do not:
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man,
who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
(Ephesians 5:5)
Since sinners have no part in the godly inheritance, the only ones who have any part in it at all are those whose names are in the Lamb's book of life.
"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
[whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written
in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27)
If one has any part in the holy city, then his name is in the book of life, therefore; if one's part in the holy city is forfeit, then his name is no longer in the Lamb's book of life. One's part would logically include one's name, so there is no difficulty there.
QUESTION FOR Mr. Thibodaux: ARE ANY UNSAVED PEOPLE GOING TO BE IN THE HOLY CITY WHO GOD WILL REMOVE?
No. But if anyone who does have a share in the eternal inheritance awaiting him tampers with God's word, then God will take his portion of it away. Such a warning specifically and especially applies to those who do have that possession reserved for them.
In Christ,
J.C. Thibodaux
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