Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 19:10

"And I fell down before his feet to worship him. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." — Revelation 19:10 (ASV)

And I fell at his feet to worship him (Revelation 19:10). This refers to falling at the feet of the angel (see the notes on Revelation 19:9).

This is a common posture of adoration in the East. See Rosenmuller's Morgenland on this passage (see the notes on 1 Corinthians 14:25).

John was entirely overcome with the majesty of the heavenly messenger and with the amazing truths that he had disclosed to him. In the overflowing of his feelings, he fell upon the earth in the posture of adoration.

Alternatively, he may have mistaken the rank of the one who addressed him, supposing that he was the Messiah whom he had been accustomed to worship, and who had first appeared to him (Revelation chapter 1). If so, his error was soon corrected.

The angel himself who made these communications told him that he had no claims to such homage, and that the praise John offered him should be rendered to God alone.

It should be observed that there is not the slightest intimation that this was the Messiah himself. Consequently, this passage does not provide any evidence that it would be improper to worship Christ. The only fair conclusion from the passage is that it is wrong to offer religious homage to an angel.

And he said to me, See you do it not (Revelation 19:10). That is, in rendering the homage you propose to me, you would in fact render it to a creature. This may be regarded as an admonition to be careful not to allow our feelings to overcome us, and not to render to a creature the homage that is due to God alone.

Of course, this would prohibit the worship of the Virgin Mary and of any of the saints, and all homage rendered to a created being that is due to God only. Nothing is more carefully guarded in the Bible than the purity and simplicity of worship; nothing is more sternly rebuked than idolatry; nothing is more contrary to the Divine law than rendering in any way to a creature the homage that belongs by right to the Creator.

It was necessary to guard even John, the beloved disciple, on that subject; how much more needful, therefore, is it to guard the church at large from the dangers to which it is liable! I am your fellow servant (Revelation 19:10). Evidently this was an angel, and yet he here speaks of himself as a "fellow servant" of John.

That is, he was engaged in the service of the same God; he was endeavoring to advance the same cause and to honor the same Redeemer. The sentiment is that in promoting religion in the world, we are associated with angels. It is no condescension for them to be engaged in the service of the Redeemer, though it seems to be condescension for them to be associated with us in anything. It constitutes no ground of merit in us to be engaged in the service of the Redeemer , though we may regard it as an honor to be associated with angels, and it may raise us in conscious dignity to feel that we are united with them.

And of your brothers (Revelation 19:10). This means other Christians, for all are engaged in the same work.

That have the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10). These are those who are witnesses for the Savior. It is possible that there may be a particular reference here to those who were engaged in preaching the gospel, though the language also applies to all who give their testimony to the value of the gospel through consistent lives.

Worship God (Revelation 19:10). He is the only proper object of worship; He alone is to be adored.

For the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10). The meaning here seems to be that this angel, John, and their fellow servants were all engaged in the same work: bearing their testimony to Jesus. Thus, in this respect, they were on a level. One of them should not worship another; instead, all should unite in the common worship of God.

No one in this work, though an angel, could have such preeminence that it would be proper to render to him the homage that was due to God alone. There could be only one being whom it was proper to worship, and those who were engaged in simply bearing testimony to the work of the Savior should not worship one another.

Is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). The design of prophecy is to bear testimony to Jesus. The language does not mean, of course, that this is the only design of prophecy, but that this is its great and ultimate end.

The word prophecy here seems to be used in the broad sense in which it is often employed in the New Testament—meaning to make known the Divine will (see the notes on Romans 12:6). The primary reference here would seem to be to the preachers and teachers of the New Testament.

The sense is that their grand business is to bear testimony to the Savior. They are all—whether angels, apostles, or ordinary teachers—appointed for this and therefore should regard themselves as "fellow servants."

The design of the angel in this seems to have been to state to John what was his own specific business in the communications which he made, and then to state a universal truth applicable to all ministers of the gospel: that they were engaged in the same work and that no one of them should claim adoration from others.

Thus understood, this passage has no direct reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament and teaches nothing regarding their design, though it is in fact undoubtedly true that their grand and leading object was to bear testimony to the future Messiah. However, this passage will not justify the attempt so often made to "find Christ" everywhere in the prophecies of the Old Testament, or justify the many forced and unnatural interpretations by which the prophecies are often applied to him.