957. 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add upon him the plagues that are written in this book. This symbolically means that people who read and know the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, and yet acknowledge some other God than the Lord, and some other faith than faith in the Lord, by adding something which destroys these two tenets, cannot but perish as a result of the falsities and evils symbolized by the plagues described in this book.

To hear the words of the prophecy of this book means, symbolically, to read and know the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, as may be seen in no. 944 above. To add to these things means, symbolically, adding something in order to destroy those truths, as will be seen below. The plagues that are written in this book symbolize the falsities and evils that are symbolically meant by the plagues described in this book, which we dealt with in chapters 15, 16. The plagues symbolize the falsities and evils entertained by people who worship the dragon's beast and the false prophet. See nos. 456, 657, 673, 676, 677, 683, 690, 691, 699, 708, 718. The dragon's beast and the false prophet are people who make faith alone saving without good works.

[2] There are two principal points in this prophetic book to which all the others in it have relation: The first is that no other God than the Lord is to be acknowledged; and the second, that no other faith than faith in the Lord is to be acknowledged. Someone who knows this, and yet adds something with the intention of destroying these two points, cannot help but be caught up in falsities and evils and perish on account of them, since from no other God than the Lord, and through no other faith than faith in the Lord, is good possible that is a matter of love, and truth that is a matter of faith, and in consequence of these the felicity of eternal life, as the Lord Himself teaches in many places in the Gospels. See no. 553 above.

[3] This is what is symbolically meant, and not that God will add the plagues described in chapters 15, 16 upon a person who adds something to the words of the prophecy of this book, as anyone can see in the light of his own ability to judge. For a person may add something innocently, and many also may do so for a good purpose, and in ignorance of what is symbolically meant. The book of Revelation, indeed, has so far been like a closed book or a mystical one. Anyone can see, therefore, that the meaning is that one is not to add or take away something that destroys the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, truths which have relation to the above two principal points. Therefore the declaration here also follows in this prior one in the series:

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." And the spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)

It symbolically means that the Lord will come in His Divine humanity and grant eternal life to people who acknowledge Him. Consequently the declaration here is also followed in the series by this one:

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)

It is apparent from this that there is no other meaning.

To add is also a prophetic term symbolically meaning to destroy, as in Psalms 120:3 and elsewhere.

It can now be seen from this what is symbolically meant by the declaration in this verse and the one in the next.

456. But the rest of mankind, who were not killed in these plagues. (9:20) This symbolizes people in the Protestant Reformed Church who were not as spiritually dead as the former were because of their illusory reasonings and love of self, a conceit in their own intelligence, and the attendant lusts, and yet who made faith alone the chief tenet of their religion.

The rest of mankind mean people who are not like those described, but who still make faith alone the chief tenet of their religion. Their not being killed symbolizes people not so spiritually dead. The plagues in which the former were killed mean a love of self, a conceit in their own intelligence, and the attendant lusts for evil and falsity, because these three are symbolized by fire, smoke and brimstone, as discussed above in nos. 452, 453. We will see below that plagues have this symbolism. But first we must say something about the people:

[2] I have been given to see these people, too, and to speak with them. They live in the northern zone over to the west. Some of them have huts there with roofs, others huts without roofs. Their beds are made of rushes, their clothes of goats' hair. Seen in the light that flows in from heaven, their faces have a leaden color and also lack vitality. The reason is that they know nothing more from their religion than that there is a God, that there are three persons, that Christ suffered the cross for them, and that they are saved by means of faith alone, and in addition by worship in churches and prayers at set times. To anything else pertaining to religion and its tenets they pay no attention. For the worldly and personal concerns that occupy and fill their minds shut their ears to them.

Many of them were church elders, and I asked them what their thinking was when they read about works, love and charity, fruits, precepts for life, repentance - in word, about things that must be done. They replied that they had indeed read these things and so had seen them, but still did not see them, because they kept their mind focused on faith alone. Consequently they said that these all constitute faith, and that they did not think of them as being the effects of faith.

The ignorance and stupidity of people once they have embraced faith alone and made it the whole of their religion is such as to be scarcely believable, even though I have been given to witness it by a good deal of experience.

[3] That plagues symbolize spiritual plagues, which cause a person to die in spirit or as regards his soul, is apparent from the following passages:

Your rupture is hopeless, your plague severe... ...I will restore health to you and heal you of your plagues... (Jeremiah 30:12, 14, 17)

Everyone who goes by Babylon shall... hiss at all her plagues. (Jeremiah 50:13)

...plagues will come (to Babylon) in one day - death and mourning... (Revelation 18:8)

I saw... seven angels having the seven last plagues, by which the wrath of God is to be consummated. (Revelation 15:1, 6)

Woe to a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity... From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it. A wound and a scar and a fresh plague - these have not been expressed, bound up, or soothed with ointment. (Isaiah 1:4, 6)

In the day that Jehovah will bind up the fracture of His people and heal the wound of its plague. (Isaiah 30:26)

So, too, elsewhere, as in Deuteronomy 28:59, Jeremiah 49:17, Zechariah 14:12, 15, Luke 7:21, Revelation 11:6; 16:21.