Don't worship me! Revelation 22: 8-9.

 We are getting close to the end of the Revelation; while some may yell hooray, this book has become a close friend of mine, and I feel like I am about to say goodbye for a time. You might think this journey would have answered all our questions; it has not, and I find I have more.

I also told one of my family members, who still remember the prophetic word I gave them about our mother's death, about how I felt like the Holy Spirit told me that He would come back for His church when I finish this study. So that family member said, please let me know when you get to the last verse.

Do you realize how close we are to me finishing my study on Revelation and the soon return of Jesus to catch His bride away?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, but I am telling you, He is coming back for those who are anxiously awaiting His return.
I don't know if you have noticed it, but it sure seems that God is separating the wheat from the chaff regarding church bodies across, at least, this nation of America. Folks, we are a mess.

Revelation 22:8 NLT 

“I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.”

Pay attention to how John opens this sentence; it is as though he is reinforcing a close relationship with good friends.

If there is such perceived relational involvement, why then does he have to say - “I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things.”?

There would be no reason at all, as someone familiar with John's style of teaching and the life he lived would probably find him most believable. Perhaps the reality is not a problem of intimacy or the lack thereof, but with false prophets and teachers in the church. ( Even though it has been little more than sixty years since Jesus' death, false teachers and prophets have become very real problems in the church; and still are today, if not more so.)

In trying to understand the Revelation, I have also come to understand that the writings of James, Peter, John, Jude, and finally Paul would have been read, copied, and redistributed among the known churches (howbeit not prolifically); this knowledge alone seems to invalidate the friendship point of view.

Note how John feels it is necessary to explain, “And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.”

I remember the first time I heard the Mercy Me song, “I Can Only Imagine.” It was at a memorial service for an uncle of mine. I only bring this up because I knew of religious people who would speak as though you merely charge up to God and tell Him what to do. I shudder when I think about that kind of attitude.

How would that kind of action translate (when we get to heaven;) if you angrily tell God what you think about Him when He did not heal someone you know, as you saw fit?

Yes, I know, I am putting human emotions on the characters in heaven and on God, and God is NOT moved by our human emotions.

When I had the opportunity to visit with this precious uncle, he would almost always have his Bible open, and I would ask him, what are you studying now? It did not matter what it was because he would make it interesting as he retold the story, and he often spoke of what it would be like to stand in the presence of Jesus. It may have been after this memorial service that I began to realize that I can't even imagine what I will do in the presence of Jesus. Most of the time, I see myself clinging to His legs and weeping in gratitude that He would even let me into the kingdom.

The problem is that John (though the Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ) was NOT now looking at Jesus; it was an angel.

Notice what the angel says to him.

Revelation 22:9 NLT  “But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

You may not find this interesting, but I do. The translators tell us that the angel tells John NOT to worship him. But when you look up the simplest of words you occasionally find something entirely different.

The Greek word for worship is horaō which means to behold or look.

Perhaps John has been perceived, by the angel, as looking in awe.

Where have we seen John doing something like this before?

“And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.” (Revelation 17:6-7 NASB)

• “When I saw her, I wondered greatly”

Wonder is not the same word as horaō, but John was found looking at this woman in a strange manner. Perhaps here in Revelation 17, the woman it is meant to demonstrate how seductive the Babylon system is. The word wondered is the Greek word thaumazō, and it means to admire.

Are you kidding me? Admiration, among other things, means to regard with esteem. Considering what the Babylon system is currently pushing on us, this makes me want to vomit. You would think John had lost his mind, but you know that is not true. The Babylon system works because of seduction. Think about the fact that John wondered greatly and not just for a fleeting moment.

One other thing I need you to pick up on. After the angel explains that he is a servant of God, he adds -

“I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book.”

• “just like you”

  I ran through the possible explanations just like some of the commentators did. Finis Jennings Dake assumed that it was a dead saint, a follower of Christ who was now with Christ.

  Albert Barnes says it “may be that he mistook the rank of him (this angel may have had a rank, but the scriptures do not support that assertion,) who addressed him, and supposed that he was the Messiah whom he had been accustomed to worship, and who had first [Rev. 1] appeared to him. (If you go back and read Revelation 1:1, you will see that it was God that gave John the Revelation of Jesus. Now, if I wanted to make a case, it is the same John that laid his head on Jesus breast there in the upper room. So it seems reasonable to think that John would recognize the Messiah if he saw him. But when John does get to see Jesus, the only one worthy to open the seals, this is what he sees.

  “Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”
  Revelation 5:4-7 NASB

  To continue Barnes' quotation,

  “If so, his (John's) error was soon corrected. He was told by the angel himself who made these communications that he had no claims to such homage, and that the praise which he offered him should be rendered to God alone.”

  David, the Psalmist said this about the man.

  “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!” (Psalms 8:4-5 NASB)

  So, if an angel has a rank, then they, being messengers, are below humanity, and I would think that John knew that. This train of thought still doesn't explain what we see in Revelation 22:9.

• “and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book.”

  It may be difficult to picture yourself as being among the prophets, but you need to know that the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of prophecy. So giving testimony of or about Jesus would be prophetic.

  “Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
  (Revelation 19:10 NASB)

  So, not only does this come across word for word, but it validates the idea of testimony. Testimony is the Greek word marturia and means evidence.

  If this does not convince you that you have a place with the Father, then maybe, as the Amplified Bible tells us “and with those who are mindful of and practice [the truths contained in] the messages of this book.”

Revelation 22:9 ends with this, Worship God!

In all things and at all times, whether it hurts and seems like God is not there or you are rejoicing, the wise thing to do is to worship God.

Serve all the more diligently. 1 Timothy 6:2-5

 In the course of our daily lives, do you live with a deep concern that something you said could damage God's reputation to the point that people will say bad things about God and the teachings that are found in scripture?

While they may think that person just ruined who God is for me, the reality is, you cannot ruin God's reputation. He stands above all else, no matter how badly you screwed up. This conversation was associated with 1 Timothy 6:1, where Paul spoke about the relationship of a slave with their master – the person with the whip. When we covered this verse, it was easy to see that this directive can easily apply to the employee/supervisor relationship; and this is spelled out distinctly by Dr. J. Vernon McGee when he said.

“The Christian should render a full day's work for whomever he is working. If he agrees to work until five o'clock, he should work until five o'clock. Then sometimes workers leave with their pickaxe hanging in the air—they don't finish up. The Christian is to turn in a full day's work for a full day's pay.”

There are plenty of people who see how badly you look when you act like this, and this is a worst-case scenario.

1 Timothy 6:2 initiates a section that the NASB translators entitle:

False Teachers and True Contentment.

The translations vary a little, and to be honest, I have to struggle to find common ground in some of them.

1 Timothy 6:2 CJB And those who have believing masters are not to show them less respect on the ground that they are brothers; on the contrary, they should serve all the more diligently since those benefiting from their service are believers whom they love. Teach and exhort people about these things.

Hold up a minute here. This translation is expressing the idea that this slave/laborer thinks that it would be appropriate to disrespect this owner/boss/supervisor MERELY because they are a follower of Christ.

What would possess you to think that is appropriate?

I used to sit with a group of men who apparently thought that excessive cussing was something that grace permitted you to do. Let me remind you that Jesus DID NOT come to do away with the Law. He came to fulfill the Law.

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18 NASB)

Besides that, this law, since the time of the Holy Spirit, is written upon our hearts.

“Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart, I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-33 NASB)

The words of Jeremiah are repeated in Hebrews 10:16, validating the prophetic theme of the Word in the New Testament.

So, you are still controlled by the Law and yet free. Ah, the mystery of grace. Being controlled by the Law does not mean that we have to be circumcised to come into a relationship with Jesus Christ; that relationship happens based on faith alone. However, merely because you call yourself, a Christian gives you no excuse to abuse others, especially those who are a part of the fellowship.

1 Timothy 6:2 goes on to say,

“but must serve them all the more.”

Another way of stating this, according to the NLT, “Those slaves should work all the harder.” Context tells us that this is talking about those in subservience, whether a slave or an employee. If you had a question about why you should work all the harder, Paul explains why this makes sense.

As God's Word translation states,

“because those who receive the benefit of their work are believers whom they love.”

Perhaps you never thought of this relationship you have with others in this manner?

The Moffatt translation finishes off verse two in this manner.

“This is what you are to teach and preach.”

We are not preaching business; we are teaching the advantage of righteous relationships.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 NASB If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, (4) he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, (5) and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

I could stretch my imagination and say if anyone advocates that grace gives them the freedom to be offensive to everyone with their cussing; they are, at minimum, wrong; and, they are, by their actions, not conforming to sound doctrine, which is godliness.

Paul continues the descriptions by saying they are:

• conceited,
• understand nothing,
• have a morbid interest in controversial questions,
• among those who dispute about words. The NLT translation tells us that, “Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words.” If this person can have an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words; then, there is an appropriate place and purpose for discussing the meanings. In my own interactions, I have pointed out that even the simplest of words does NOT mean what you think they mean. You also have to remember that our scriptural translations result from man's research and the underlying motivations that drove these early translations. One of the predominant examples of a bad translation can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Here, at the direction of the State church – the Catholic church, the word apostasia, which means the gathering, was changed to read, the falling away – the apocalypse, to reflect the disgust the church felt toward those who had left the “mother” church and gone over to Protestantism.

To continue Paul's descriptions, because of their actions, they cause:

• envy
• strife
• abusive language to flourish
• and evil suspicions to arise.
• and constant friction between people with depraved minds who are deprived of the truth
• And, you suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Look at how the NLT conveys verse five.

1 Timothy 6:5 NLT These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

Paul tells us how to identify the person who advocates a different gospel; this could be essential information for Jesus, who told us about the tares and the wheat, knew full well that you can't legitimately tell by a casual look if someone carries a false doctrine inside them; for when they begin talking what they say frequently sounds good, and appeals to the passions of our heart at the moment.

An example of this comes to mind, in light of our new Los Angeles County, California lock-down, in which we are supposed to stay indoors, where we live. Even though we are locked-down, we can go shopping and to church – but in an even more restricted public environment than previous limitations. And, we are free to protest without restrictive considerations. Hiking trails are still usable, as long as you don't interact with anyone outside your homegroup.

Personally, since I know that the Covid 19 is nothing less than a bogus means of controlling the populace, I am enraged, and I don't know what to do with this anger I feel. A friend of mine, who borders on homelessness because he lives in his camper (by choice,) claims that he has never worn a mask during this time of the Covid.

How is that possible?

It can only work through attempts at aggressive refusals, but that can only work for so long, and then you get arrested by tired, angry law enforcement, who is being played by the government.

I have met these people who advocate a different gospel in my migration through several churches over the years, and so have you. And, though these individuals do not hold every detail of Paul's description in one human being, they are out there none-the-less. So we have to be prepared to pick out those with false doctrines by their words and actions.