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2. I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel – John’s actions are a bit surprising here. He certainly should have known better than to worship an angel. However, lest we be too hard on John, we should remember that we do many things when we “should have known better.” It is a reminder that the saints in the Bible were human beings.
- Revelation 1
In this passage we see Jesus as being the most approchable...
- Revelation 1
- What The Story Means to Us Today
- Additional Thoughts and Considerations
- Notes on Biblical Translation
- Bible Text
Revelation – a message inspired by God
As we near the end of Revelation, the angel confirms that the visions John sees came from God. John confirms to the readers that he accurately wrote what he saw. Thus, we can be confident that what we read in Revelation is inspired by God and intended for our consumption. Not all will believe, however. Those that are evil will continue to be evil and those that are good will continue to be good while they wait for his return.
The sealing of the vision
The angel tells John, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll.” This differs from the scroll given to Daniel in the Old Testament. It also differs from apocalyptic literature in general which tends to apply to events in the far future. Rather than sealing up the scroll, John must ensure it is available to all Christians from his time to all those in the future.
John’s attempt to worship the angel
John’s “worship” of the angel was not intended to be an affront to God. He simply got caught up in the moment. This can happen to any of us. Just remember, we don’t worship “goodness” in people or anything else but rather God and God only.
The things in John’s vision must take place “soon”
John is told that God sent his angel to show his servants “the things that must soon take place”. How soon is soon? This closing is typical of apocalyptic literature. Rather than specifying an immediate timetable of events, the angel simply says they will take place soon to suggest the events are imminent.
“Let the ones who are evil continue to be evil”
The verses tell us “the ones who do evil will continue to do evil while the ones who do good must continue to be good”. Some translate this as “the ones who are evil will continue to be evil”. To some, this implies a lack of choice or a sort of fatalistic view of things. This is not the case. The original Greek is difficult but implies a sort of evangalistic message, not one that implies bad people must continue to be bad. The gist of the message is this: there is a choice to be made between...
NIV
The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.
The NET Bible
Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006. Print.
New King James Version
The New King James Version. Nashville: ThomasNelson, 1982. Print.
—Or rather, And I John am he who hears and sees these things. The words of the angel are confirmed by the words of Christ. Now we have the confirmatory testimony of the seer to the truth of the vision. The declaration reminds us of the opening of the Epistle of St. John: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you” (1John 1:1-3 ...
- Colossians 2:18 ESV / 22 helpful votes. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
- Revelation 22:9 ESV / 18 helpful votes. But he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book.
- Revelation 19:10 ESV / 15 helpful votes. Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
- Jude 1:6 ESV / 14 helpful votes. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Not unless they were left unrecorded. The angel has said nothing to John between 21:9 and 22:6. John has been "shown" a great deal (21:9; 22:1), but as far as we know has heard no words spoken (contrast the vision of Babylon in 17:1â 19:10; also the vision of the new creation in 21:1-8). Therefore the pronouncement these words are trustworthy ...
John's angel, who obviously cannot claim to be a mere mortal, reminds John instead that they share a common position as servants of God and custodians of the testimony of Jesus, and God's servants do not worship each other. God alone is worthy of their worship. The angel offers one last interpretation: For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit ...
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Could the speaker change from the angel to Jesus?
10. at—Greek, "before." John's intending to worship the angel here, as in Re 22:8, on having revealed to him the glory of the new Jerusalem, is the involuntary impulse of adoring joy at so blessed a prospect. It forms a marked contrast to the sorrowful wonder with which he had looked on the Church in her apostasy as the harlot (Re 17:6).
