Twice in the final chapters of Revelation, John falls before an angel and the angel tells him to get up: “I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God” (19:10; 22:8-9).
It seems a simple reaffirmation of monotheism. Of course, no one worships angels. But apparently some did (Colossians 2:18), and apparently at one time it was perfectly OK. Manoah and his wife fall before an angel (Judges 13:20), and so does David (1 Chronicles 21:16). No objections from the angels there.
These scenes appear in Revelation because something has changed in the relation of angels and men. For a little while mankind was lower than the angels, and in that old time it was fine to honor them. Now humans have been elevated to share in angelic service, ultimately to be elevated above the angels (“you will judge angels,” says Paul). Instead of falling at the feet of angels, we now stand with and among them as fellow servants.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
