Revelation 19:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It follows from this that what the higher angel honors, the lower man also must honor, since human nature itself became lower through irreverence toward God. For a wise angel and a wise man, a truthful angel and a truthful man, do not come from different principles, but from one unchangeable Wisdom and Truth. Through the temporal divine economy of our salvation, the very unchangeable Power and Wisdom of God, consubstantial and coeternal with the Father, was pleased to assume human nature. He did this to teach us that man must honor the same One whom every thinking and rational creature must honor. Let us believe that even the highest angels and the most excellent ministers of God desire us to honor the one God together with them. They are blessed through the contemplation of Him.

The divine angel says: "Do not worship me" as though I were the foreteller of the future, for the confession of Christ and the testimony concerning Him are inspired by the spirit of prophecy. This may also be understood in this way. Prophecy existed in order to proclaim the testimony of Christ and to bear witness to the faith of the saints. Therefore, worship not me, your fellow servant, but Him who has authority over all. From this we also learn the humility of the angels. They do not appropriate divine glory to themselves, as the demons do, but refer it to the Master. Let us also, in humility giving precedence to one another (cf. Rom 12:10), fulfill the word of God: "Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Mt 11:29).

When the royal commands of God had been heard and received, John fell down to worship the angel who was speaking to him. But the angel, to show the disposition proper to his ministry and to show that God is above all, restrained him. He told him not to do this, because he is "your fellow servant and the fellow servant of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus." The testimony of Jesus is the true offering of conciliar confession. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The spirit of prophecy is truth, judgment, and righteousness, which are contained in the fullness of the catholic faith.

The accursed Greeks, who hate God, have heard what our teaching is. It foretells that the holy angels, by the good pleasure of God, guard nations, communities of believers, and individual persons.

Since they have heard what we teach, they say to us: "Friends, why do you abuse our view when you teach us this? Our view expresses the idea of gods presiding over nations. Those whom you call angels, we call gods. Thus we disagree only about names, not about the substance of the matter. But since you also give the name gods to what you call the angelic order, there is not even a dispute about names between us."

Perhaps the essence of every prophecy and the sanctification of the Spirit are contained in the testimony of Jesus Christ, whom the Law and the Prophets serve. Therefore, when He revealed Himself on the mountain between Moses and Elijah, His face and garments shone with His light. He declared that the testimony of the Law and the Prophets truly speaks of Him (cf. Mt 17:1-5; Mk 9:2-4). Thus, if they foretold anything, they did so in service to Him and to the Church. Christ Himself testified to this when He said of Moses: "He wrote of Me" (Jn 5:46). And when He rose from the dead, He said: "Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets and Psalms, must be fulfilled" (Lk 24:44).

From this it is clear that the angels are humble servants, giving glory only to their Master, God, in contrast to the proud and self-loving demons.

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This word of the angel served to confirm why he would not allow John to worship him. Here the angel is no more than a prophet revealing the future. But John, who wished to worship him, is in no way lower than he, because he bore witness to Jesus and confessed faith in Him. This too is prophecy.

Why does the angel refuse worship, and does this not testify against the worship by which we honor the dwellers in heaven? To answer these questions, one must determine what prompted John's intention to offer worship to the angel. John was seized by great joy when he saw the destruction of Babylon and heard the news of the marriage supper of the Lamb (vv. 2 and 9). In this spiritual rapture he took the angel speaking with him for the Lord Himself, the Victor over the dark power. Therefore he hastened to offer him worship. The angel had to refuse worship offered with such thoughts. This is precisely what he did, saying: "See that you do not do this." Angels are due reverential worship, but not the worship offered to God, not λατρεία, but προσκύνησις τιμητική.