Revelation 22:9
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Overwhelmed by the splendor of the heavenly city shown to him, John fell again at the feet of the revealing angel to worship him, and the angel lifted him with a gentle rebuke that he was only a fellow servant with John and the prophets and all who keep the sayings of the book, and that worship and glory belong to God alone. Even the angel standing next in honor to the Son of God, and even a translated overcomer in heaven, remains a fellow servant sent to reveal God's purposes and must never be worshiped. The naming of his brethren as the prophets repeats Revelation 19:10 in substance, showing that those who have the testimony of Jesus have the spirit of prophecy, which embraces the prophetic gift with all the gifts of the one Spirit. The saying stands among the faithful and true words about things which must shortly be done and Christ's quick coming, made known through Christ by His angel to warn minds against Satan's deceptions in all deceivableness of unrighteousness when the perils of the last days are upon them. The command to worship God calls for a daily life hidden with Christ in God, for careful reading of the closing chapters of Revelation with deep humbling and repentance and transformation of heart, and for obedience to all God commanded, including the Sabbath, so that those who do His commandments may have right to the tree of life and enter through the gates into the city.
John's Worship and Reproof
After the angel had shown the heavenly city in all its splendor and dazzling glory, John was enraptured and overwhelmed by what he saw. Forgetful of the former reproof, he fell again at the angel's feet to worship him. The heavenly messenger raised him with a second gentle rebuke.
The angel forbade the worship, declaring himself a fellow servant with John, with the brethren the prophets, and with all who keep the sayings of the book. Worship and adoration and glory are to be given to God alone. Not even an angel from heaven is to receive them.
Even the angel who stands next in honor to the Son of God is a servant of God, chosen to reveal God's purposes to sinful people. Even a heavenly overcomer translated to heaven remains a fellow servant who must not be worshiped.
The rebuke corrects human pride. It also warns against exalting and venerating people through the worship of others. Trusting in people rather than the Lord can lead astray both those who receive such honor and those who give it.
Prophecy and Testimony of Jesus
The angel's description of his brethren as the prophets repeats in substance Revelation 19:10, where those same brethren are described as those who have the testimony of Jesus. This parallel shows the force of the statement that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The testimony of Jesus is thus connected with the prophetic gift, and it includes all the gifts of the one Spirit.
The verse stands as part of the faithful and true sayings about the things which must shortly be done and about Christ's quick coming. These things were made known by God through Christ by an angel to John on Patmos as a solemn warning about the last events of this earth's history. They were given to call minds to what will come and to what is coming, so that minds are not left confused by Satan's deceptions in all deceivableness of unrighteousness when the perils of the last days are upon them. That faithful and true revelation will surely be fulfilled for those who take all the Scriptures as their guide and walk in God's way, bringing God's mighty blessing upon them.
It belongs to the description of the city of God where those who have a place there shall see His face and have His name in their foreheads. This reflects changed circumstances from the time of Moses, when no one could see God's face and live.
Study Worship and Obedience
The refusal of worship belongs to daily life, for worship belongs to God alone as fellow servants with John, with the prophets, and with all who keep the sayings of the book, and the command to worship God is carried out by building a godly character that represents a Christian life hidden with Christ in God and that makes plain the difference between those who serve God and those who do not.
The verse belongs to the last four chapters of Revelation that are to be read carefully, and to the last chapter and the whole of Revelation 22 that is to be presented often, because these words were given for people facing the dangers of the last days as the revelation of Jesus Christ concerning things to come, given by God through an angel to John, and those who read, hear, and keep its prophetic words are blessed because the time is near. Reading that closing revelation is to make an impression upon heart and life and character, and it calls for deep and thorough individual work that should have been done long ago and must be done now, with thorough humbling of the soul before God and with cleansing, refining, and transformation of the heart. That work requires earnest prayer and untiring effort, thorough work of repentance without delay or dallying, purification of the soul by heartfelt repentance, asking God to forgive unfaithful discharge of duty, leaving the unprepared state, and opening the door of the heart that Christ may enter, especially for everyone carrying responsibility in the work and in the church.
The last chapter is to be read with Exodus 20 and Exodus 31:12-18 to answer whether a person can be saved without keeping the Sabbath, since it reveals God's will concerning obedience and gives the promise that those who do His commandments have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. Entering in requires believing the Word just as it reads and doing what the Lord directed, searching the Scriptures with prayer for opened understanding and with a mind willing to grasp every ray of light even when opposed to past belief. The chapter also warns against replacing God's Word with human suppositions, fanciful doctrines, invented tests, new theories, and doctrines not contained in God's Word, for those who teach such things are represented among those condemned there because they lead people away from what God revealed and confuse them about what God commanded. Ministers therefore must not preach their own suppositions or invent new theories but must preach the Word and search the Scriptures earnestly with solemn realization of this danger.