‘And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw I fell down to venerate at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, and he says to me, “See that you do not do it. I am a fellow-servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God”.'
The writer first confirms who he is, that he is the John whom everyone will know, and that his information is first hand. Then he informs us of what was a natural reaction to what he had experienced. He fell before the angel in awe and reverence. But even this was not to be. The angel strongly forbids such behaviour and stresses that such should only be shown to God. Man is ever slow to learn this lesson. None is to be venerated but God.
Over the last two thousand years these words have been constantly ignored. Fallen man, when he rejects idolatry and yet fails to come to Jesus Christ in full trust and obedience, loves to replace idols with other substitutes. This is so whether they be Mary or the so-called saints or angels. The angels stricture applies equally here. They too were fellow-servants and are not to be shown veneration, which is all too similar to full worship. They become substitutes for God and barriers against a full knowledge of Him. We must remember the words of the angel. “See you do not do it”. But he is not saying that all men are on a level with angels. Rather he is saying that those who have truly responded to Christ are raised in status to that of the angels, ‘fellow-servants' of God.