Rev 14:7, 22:8-9 | JFB | STEP | 7. Fear God-- the forerunner to embracing the love of God manifested in the Gospel. Repentance accompanies faith. give glory to him-- and not to the beast (compare ; ). the hour of his judgment-- "The hour" implies the definite time. "Judgment," not the general judgment, but that up on Babylon, the beast, and his worshippers ( ). worship him that made heaven-- not Antichrist (compare ). sea ... fountains-- distinguished also in , .

‏ Revelation of John 14:7

7. Fear God--the forerunner to embracing the love of God manifested in the Gospel. Repentance accompanies faith.

give glory to him--and not to the beast (compare Re 13:4; Jr 13:16).

the hour of his judgment--"The hour" implies the definite time. "Judgment," not the general judgment, but that up on Babylon, the beast, and his worshippers (Re 14:8-12).

worship him that made heaven--not Antichrist (compare Ac 14:15).

sea ... fountains--distinguished also in Re 8:8, 10.

‏ Revelation of John 22:8-9

8. Both here and in Re 19:9, 10, the apostle's falling at the feet of the angel is preceded by a glorious promise to the Church, accompanied with the assurance, that "These are the true sayings of God," and that those are "blessed" who keep them. Rapturous emotion, gratitude, and adoration, at the prospect of the Church's future glory transport him out of himself, so as all but to fall into an unjustifiable act; contrast his opposite feeling at the prospect of the Church's deep fall [Auberlen], see on Re 17:6; Re 19:9, 10.

saw ... and heard--A, B, Vulgate, and Syriac transpose these verbs. Translate literally, "I John (was he) who heard and saw these things." It is observable that in Re 19:10, the language is, "I fell before his feet to worship him"; but here, "I fell down to worship (God?) before the feet of the angel." It seems unlikely that John, when once reproved, would fall into the very same error again. Bengel's view, therefore, is probable; John had first intended to worship the angel (Re 19:10), but now only at his feet intends to worship (God). The angel does not even permit this.

9. Literally, "See not"; the abruptness of the phrase marking the angel's abhorrence of the thought of his being worshipped however indirectly. Contrast the fallen angel's temptation to Jesus, "Fall down and worship me" (Mt 4:9).

for--A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, Andreas, and Cyprian omit "for"; which accords with the abrupt earnestness of the angel's prohibition of an act derogatory to God.

and of--"and (the fellow servant) of thy brethren."