Revelation 22:9
But he said to me, "Do 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. Worship God!"
But he said to me
This phrase introduces the response of the angel to John. The use of "he" refers to the angel who has been guiding John through the visions. In the context of Revelation, angels are often messengers of God, serving as intermediaries between the divine and human realms. The phrase underscores the authority and divine origin of the message being delivered. Historically, angels have been seen as God's servants, and their words carry the weight of divine instruction.

Do not do that!
This command is a direct prohibition against an action that John was about to take, which was to worship the angel. The Greek imperative here is strong, indicating an urgent correction. In the broader scriptural context, this reflects the consistent biblical teaching against idolatry and the worship of anyone or anything other than God. It serves as a reminder of the first commandment and the importance of directing worship solely to the Creator.

I am a fellow servant with you
The angel identifies himself as a "fellow servant," emphasizing equality in service to God. The Greek term "sundoulos" (fellow servant) highlights the shared mission and purpose among God's servants, whether human or angelic. This phrase humbles the angel, aligning him with believers and reinforcing the idea that all service is ultimately directed toward God. It reflects the biblical theme of humility and the unity of all believers in Christ.

and with your brothers the prophets
Here, the angel aligns himself not only with John but also with the prophets, those who have been chosen to deliver God's messages throughout history. This connection to the prophets underscores the continuity of God's revelation and the shared mission of proclaiming His truth. The mention of "brothers" indicates a familial bond among those who serve God, highlighting the community of faith that spans both time and space.

and with those who keep the words of this book
This phrase extends the fellowship to all believers who adhere to the teachings of Revelation. The "words of this book" refer to the prophecies and instructions contained within Revelation, emphasizing the importance of obedience and faithfulness to God's Word. The Greek term for "keep" (tereo) implies guarding, observing, and maintaining the teachings, which is a call to active and vigilant discipleship.

Worship God!
The command to "Worship God" is the central exhortation of this verse. It redirects John's misplaced worship back to its rightful object: God alone. The Greek word for worship (proskuneo) involves reverence, adoration, and submission. This imperative encapsulates the primary duty of all creation, to honor and glorify God. It serves as a powerful reminder of the ultimate purpose of life and the focus of all true worship. In the historical and scriptural context, this command echoes throughout the Bible, affirming the monotheistic foundation of the Christian faith.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Angel
A messenger sent by God to deliver revelations to John. In this verse, the angel corrects John, emphasizing the importance of worshiping God alone.

2. John the Apostle
The recipient of the Revelation, who is corrected by the angel for attempting to worship him.

3. The Prophets
Refers to the Old Testament prophets and possibly New Testament prophets who are fellow servants with John and the angel.

4. The Book of Revelation
The final book of the New Testament, containing visions and prophecies given to John.

5. Worship of God
The central command in this verse, highlighting the exclusive worship due to God alone.
Teaching Points
The Exclusivity of Worship
Worship is reserved for God alone. This principle is foundational to Christian faith and practice, as seen throughout Scripture.

The Role of Angels
Angels are servants and messengers of God, not objects of worship. Understanding their role helps prevent idolatry and misdirected reverence.

Humility and Correction
John's willingness to be corrected by the angel demonstrates humility. Believers should be open to correction, especially in matters of faith and worship.

Unity Among Servants of God
The angel identifies himself as a fellow servant with John and the prophets, highlighting the unity and equality among those who serve God.

Obedience to Scripture
Keeping the words of the book of Revelation is emphasized, pointing to the importance of obedience to God's revealed Word.
Bible Study Questions
1. Why is it significant that the angel identifies himself as a "fellow servant" with John and the prophets?

2. How does this verse reinforce the commandment against idolatry found in the Old Testament?

3. In what ways can believers today ensure that their worship is directed solely to God?

4. How does understanding the role of angels as servants impact our view of spiritual beings?

5. What practical steps can we take to "keep the words of this book" in our daily lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3-5
The commandment against idolatry, emphasizing that worship is due to God alone.

Matthew 4:10
Jesus' response to Satan during the temptation, affirming that worship should be directed only to God.

Hebrews 1:14
Describes angels as ministering spirits, reinforcing their role as servants rather than objects of worship.
Alpha and OmegaC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 22:9
Character and CrisesT. T. Munger, D. D.Revelation 22:9
Christ the Alpha and OmegaJ. M. Sherwood.Revelation 22:9
Christ the OmegaH. Scott-Holland, M. A.Revelation 22:9
Christ, the Alpha and OmegaJ. Cairns, D. D.Revelation 22:9
Christ, the Object of WorshipJ. Vaughan, M. A.Revelation 22:9
Christian Character not Gained in SicknessRevelation 22:9
Death Fixes CharacterC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 22:9
Deeds and DestinyW. M. Thackeray.Revelation 22:9
DogsProf. Shuttleworth.Revelation 22:9
Evangelical ObedienceSketches of Four Hundred SermonsRevelation 22:9
Finality in CharacterPresident Porter.Revelation 22:9
Heaven-Gate; Or, the Passage to ParadiseT. Adams.Revelation 22:9
Man Meeting His Actions AgainChas. Graham.Revelation 22:9
Moral Character Becoming UnalterableHomilistRevelation 22:9
Only One ProbationRichard Roberts.Revelation 22:9
Permanence of CharacterC. F. Thwing.Revelation 22:9
Right to the Tree of LifeH. Melvill, B. D.Revelation 22:9
Right to the Tree of LifeJohn Stoughton, D. D.Revelation 22:9
The Blessedness of Keeping the CommandmentsJ. Bailey, Ph. D.Revelation 22:9
The Blessedness of the ObedientA. Bullock, M.A.Revelation 22:9
The Coming of ChristW. Burkitt M. A.Revelation 22:9
The Great InvitationHomilistRevelation 22:9
The Last Beatitude of the Ascended ChristA. Maclaren, D. D.Revelation 22:9
The Misery of the Unjust and ImpureT. Chalmers, D. D.Revelation 22:9
The Place of Christ in ChristianityJ. Denny, D. D.Revelation 22:9
The Reward of Debt and the Reward of GraceD. Kelly, M. A.Revelation 22:9
The Rightful Entrance into the City of GodBp. Woodford.Revelation 22:9
The Stereotyping of Human CharacterDean Vaughan.Revelation 22:9
The Sunward Side of HabitW. Hoyt, D. D.Revelation 22:9
The Temptation to Creature WorshipM. F. Sadler, M. A.Revelation 22:9
The Tree of LifeJohn Thomas, M. A.Revelation 22:9
The Tree of Life and the Entering into the CityDean Vaughan.Revelation 22:9
The Way to the City of GodJ. Cunningham Geikie, D. D.Revelation 22:9
TransitionsJ. W. Earnshaw.Revelation 22:9
Truth and its Results on CharacterJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Revelation 22:9
TruthfulnessCanon Diggle.Revelation 22:9
What a Man Takes into the Other WorldH. W. Beecher.Revelation 22:9
Work Appointed and Rewarded by ChristSamuel B. Stribling.Revelation 22:9
WorshipR. Thomas.Revelation 22:9
The Final Word of BlessingR. Green Revelation 22:7, 12-15
Glimpses Through the Barrier: RevelationD. Thomas Revelation 22:8-10
People
David, John
Places
Patmos
Topics
Bondservant, Book, Bow, Brethren, Brothers, Brother-servant, Fellow, Fellow-bondman, Fellowservant, Fellow-servant, Heed, Homage, Keeping, Mindful, Oh, Prophets, Sayings, Says, Scroll, Servant, Teachings, Worship, Yours
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 22:9

     7942   ministry
     8242   ethics, personal

Revelation 22:8-9

     4114   angels, and praise

Revelation 22:9-10

     5232   book

Library
Come and Welcome
Nay, further than this, this is not only Christ's cry to you; but if you be a believer, this is your cry to Christ--"Come! come!" You will be longing for his second advent; you will be saying, "Come quickly, even so come Lord Jesus." And you will be always panting for nearer and closer communion with him. As his voice to you is "Come," even so will be your prayer to him, "Come, Lord, and abide in my house. Come, and consecrate me more fully to thy service; come, and without a rival reign; come, occupy
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Sanctification and Justification (Continued).
"He that is holy, let him be holy still." --Rev. xxii. 11. The divine Righteousness, having reference to the divine Sovereignty, in one sense does not manifest itself until God enters into relationship with the creatures. He was glorious in holiness from all eternity, for man's creation did not modify His Being; but His righteousness could not be displayed before creation, because right presupposes two beings sustaining the jural relation. An exile on an uninhabited island can not be righteous nor
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Need of the New Testament Scripture.
"For I testify onto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."--Rev. xxii. 18. If the Church after the Ascension of Christ had been destined to live only one lifetime, and had been confined only to the land of the Jews, the holy apostles could have accomplished their task by verbal teaching. But since it was to live at least for eighteen centuries, and to be extended over
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Rivers in the Desert
T. P. Rev. xxii. I Glorious River of God's pleasures, Well of God's eternal bliss, Thirsting now no more for ever, Tread we this waste wilderness. O for words divine to tell it, How along that River's brink, Come the weak, the worn, the weary, There the tides of joy to drink! "Drink abundantly, beloved," Speaks the Voice so sweet and still; "Of the life, and love, and glory, Freely come and drink your fill." Every longing stilled for ever, As the face of God we see-- Whom besides have we in heaven,
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis
To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis He praises Suger, who had unexpectedly renounced the pride and luxury of the world to give himself to the modest habits of the religious life. He blames severely the clerk who devotes himself rather to the service of princes than that of God. 1. A piece of good news has reached our district; it cannot fail to do great good to whomsoever it shall have come. For who that fear God, hearing what great things He has done for your soul, do not rejoice and wonder at the great
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Wesley at Sevenoaks
Monday, October 16.--I went to Tunbridge Wells and preached to a serious congregation on Revelation 22:12. Tuesday, 17. I came back to Sevenoaks and in the afternoon walked over to the Duke of Dorset's seat. The park is the pleasantest I ever saw; the trees are so elegantly disposed. The house, which is at least two hundred years old, is immensely large. It consists of two squares, considerably bigger than the two quadrangles in Lincoln College. I believe we were shown above thirty rooms, beside
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Water of Life;
OR, A DISCOURSE SHOWING THE RICHNESS AND GLORY OF THE GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL, AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM, THE WATER OF LIFE. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'--Revelation 22:17 London: Printed for Nathanael Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Often, and in every age, the children of God have dared to doubt the sufficiency of divine grace; whether it was vast enough to reach their condition--to cleanse
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Jerusalem Sinner Saved;
OR, GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MEN; BEING A HELP FOR DESPAIRING SOULS, SHOWING THAT JESUS CHRIST WOULD HAVE MERCY IN THE FIRST PLACE OFFERED TO THE BIGGEST SINNERS. THE THIRD EDITION, IN WHICH IS ADDED, AN ANSWER TO THOSE GRAND OBJECTIONS THAT LIE IN THE WAY OF THE THEM THAT WOULD BELIEVE: FOR THE COMFORT OF THEM THAT FEAR THEY HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. BY JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. London: Printed for Elizabeth Smith, at the Hand and Bible, on London Bridge, 1691. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Last Words of the Old and New Testaments
'Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'--MALACHI iv. 6. 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.'--REVELATION xxii. 21. It is of course only an accident that these words close the Old and the New Testaments. In the Hebrew Bible Malachi's prophecies do not stand at the end; but he was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and after him there were 'four centuries of silence.' We seem to hear in his words the dying echoes of the rolling thunders of Sinai. They gather up the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

God's Will and Man's Will
The great controversy which for many ages has divided the Christian Church has hinged upon the difficult question of "the will." I need not say of that conflict that it has done much mischief to the Christian Church, undoubtedly it has; but I will rather say, that it has been fraught with incalculable usefulness; for it has thrust forward before the minds of Christians, precious truths, which but for it, might have been kept in the shade. I believe that the two great doctrines of human responsibility
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 8: 1863

The Properties of Sanctifying Grace
By a property (proprium, {GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH PSILI AND OXIA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON}{GREEK SMALL LETTER NU}) we understand a quality which, though not part of the essence of a thing, necessarily flows from that essence by some sort of causation and is consequently found in all individuals of the same species.(1155) A property, as such, is opposed to an accident (accidens, {GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON}{GREEK
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Of Love to God
I proceed to the second general branch of the text. The persons interested in this privilege. They are lovers of God. "All things work together for good, to them that love God." Despisers and haters of God have no lot or part in this privilege. It is children's bread, it belongs only to them that love God. Because love is the very heart and spirit of religion, I shall the more fully treat upon this; and for the further discussion of it, let us notice these five things concerning love to God. 1. The
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

"The Lord Hath Need of Him. " Mark xi, 3
What! of an Ass? Yes, "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world." He gets renown to Himself by "using things which are despised." Let us never despair of the most foolish of men, if he become the servant of Jesus. It is said of the great John Hunt, that when a young man, he gave no promise of the talents he shewed in the work of the Ministry. We have spoken with one who knew him before his conversion, who made us smile as he described his gait and style of life. Yet this ungainly ploughboy
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

Luke's History: what it Professes to Be
AMONG the writings which are collected in the New Testament, there is included a History of the life of Christ and of the first steps in the diffusion of his teaching through the Roman world, composed in two books. These two books have been separated from one another as if they were different works, and are ordinarily called "The Gospel according to Luke" and "The Acts of the Apostles". It is, however, certain from their language, and it is admitted by every scholar, that the two books were composed
Sir William Mitchell Ramsay—Was Christ Born in Bethlehem?

Three Inscriptions with one Meaning
'Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it ... HOLINESS TO THE LORD.'--EXODUS xxviii. 36. 'In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD.'--ZECH. xiv. 20. 'His name shall be in their foreheads.'--REV. xxii. 4. You will have perceived my purpose in putting these three widely separated texts together. They all speak of inscriptions, and they are all obviously connected with each other. The first of them comes from the ancient times of the institution
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Thirty-First Day. Holiness and Heaven.
Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of men ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness?'--2 Pet. iii. 11. 'Follow after the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord.'--Heb. xii. 14. 'He that is holy, let him be made holy still.... The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the holy ones. Amen.'--Rev. xxii. 11, 21. O my brother, we are on our way to see God. We have been invited to meet the Holy One face to face. The infinite mystery of holiness, the
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

All are Commanded to Pray --Prayer the Great Means of Salvation
CHAPTER I. ALL ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY--PRAYER THE GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION, AND POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES BY THE MOST SIMPLE. Prayer is nothing else but the application of the heart to God, and the interior exercise of love. St Paul commands us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. v. 17). Our Lord says: "Take ye heed, watch and pray." "And what I say unto you, I say unto all" (Mark xiii. 33, 37). All, then, are capable of prayer, and it is the duty of all to engage in it. But I do not think that all are
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

That Worthy Name.
James ii:7. IN the second chapter of the Epistle of James the Holy Spirit speaks of our ever blessed Lord as "that worthy Name." Precious Word! precious to every heart that knows Him and delights to exalt His glorious and worthy Name. His Name is "far above every Name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." (Ephes. i:21.) It is "as ointment poured forth" (Song of Sol. i:3); yea, His Name alone is excellent (Psalm cxlviii:13). But according to His worth that blessed
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Apostles Chosen
As soon as he returned victorious from the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus entered on the work of his public ministry. We find him, at once, preaching to the people, healing the sick, and doing many wonderful works. The commencement of his ministry is thus described by St. Matt. iv: 23-25. "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout
Richard Newton—The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young

An Essay on the Mosaic Account of the Creation and Fall of Man
THERE are not a few difficulties in the account, which Moses has given of the creation of the world, and of the formation, and temptation, and fall of our first parents. Some by the six days of the creation have understood as many years. Whilst others have thought the creation of the world instantaneous: and that the number of days mentioned by Moses is only intended to assist our conception, who are best able to think of things in order of succession. No one part of this account is fuller of difficulties,
Nathaniel Lardner—An Essay on the Mosaic Account of the Creation and Fall of Man

Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome.
IT pleased God, to whom all his works are known from eternity, to prepare Gregory by a twofold process, for the great and difficult work of the guidance of the Western Church, then agitated by so many storms. Destined to be plunged into the midst of an immense multitude of avocations of the most varied character, he was trained to bear such a burden by administering, until his fortieth year, an important civil office. Then, yielding to a long-felt yearning of his heart, he retired into a monastery,
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

Christ's Prophetic Office
'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet,' &c. Deut 18:85. Having spoken of the person of Christ, we are next to speak of the offices of Christ. These are Prophetic, Priestly, and Regal. 'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet.' Enunciatur hic locus de Christo. It is spoken of Christ.' There are several names given to Christ as a Prophet. He is called the Counsellor' in Isa 9:9. In uno Christo Angelus foederis completur [The Messenger of the Covenant appears in Christ alone].
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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