Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 19:10

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him . And he said unto me, See thou do it not : I am thy f[illegible: 1 letter]llow-servant , and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: Worship God : for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy .

Prostration, or falling at the feet of Superiors, to pay them an Homage in consideration of their Superiority, was ordinarily used in those Eastern Countries, Gen. 44.14. 1 Sam. 25.24. 2 Kings 4.37. Esther 8.3. To worship him therefore, here must be understood of Prayer or Praise, which are pieces of Divine Adoration, which it is not probable this great Apostle would have offered, had he not mistaken him, and thought him an uncreated Angel.

But the Angel doth not only refuse it, but with some indignation, [non-Latin text not transcribed], have a care you do it not. From whence we may observe, what a Figleaf they have made to cover the Papists Idolatry, in worshipping the Bread in the Eucharist, who (to shew us their great Skill in Divinity) think they may be excused from Idolatry in it, because they think the Bread is turn'd into the Body of Christ; Idolatry is not to be excused by Think so's.

The Angel gives him a reason why there was no Adoration due to him, because he was his Equal in Office, tho not in Nature; he was both his and all their Brethrens Fellow-Servant, who by preaching the Gospel give a Testimony to Christ. Well therefore, chap. 2. & chap. 3. may the Mini[illegible: 1 letter]ters of Churches be called Angels.

There is no Prayer, no Praise due but to the Creator.

There are divers Sences given of the last Phrase; but of all given, there are two which seem to me most probable: either, 1. The Spirit of this Prophecy, by which I have revealed these things to thee, is no[illegible: 1 letter] mine, it is the Testimony of Jesus; he therefore is to be adored, not 1. Or, 2. Thy preaching the Gospel, which is thy Testimony to Christ, is as much from the Spirit of God, as my Spirit of Prophecy: We are therefore Equals, and I am not to be worshipped more than thou art. We have the same, chap. 22.8, 9. to let us know that even good Men may twice run into the same Error; and to let us know, that by the mouth of these two Witnesses this Truth ought to have been established, so that Papists should not after this have paid any Divine Adoration to Angels, much less to Saints; and if Invocation be no Divine Adoration, nothing is. This deserveth the Consideration of them, who think it so easy to excuse the Popish Religion from Idolatry.

Marginal references: Acts 10.26. & 14.14.; 1 Joh. 5.10. Chap. 12.17.