Revelation 22:9 - “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”

An angel had come to John (21:9) to show the apostle glory of the church. Having seen, John “fell down to worship before the feet of the angel” (22:8). The angel’s response (v. 9) reveals truths relevant to the world today. To those who glorify angels with jewelry and art, the angel says, “do it not.” The angel is a servant of God as John was a servant of God; they were alike in that regard. The angel is of the status of the spiritual brethren of John: the prophets of God. That is, again, he is a servant. Men don’t worship servants. To worship an angel is of no greater merit than to worship a man. But see also that the angel is “of them which keep the sayings of this book.” Who are they? John and his brethren. The angel keeps the words of the Bible; John and his brethren kept the words of the Bible. Doesn’t it seem strange, then, that men argue today that it is not necessary, neither appropriate nor required of God, that men should keep the words of the Bible? God didn’t give a law and a promise that were good only for the generation which first heard them. There is one faith just as there is one hope and one God (Eph. 4:4-6). Is it logical to expect the promises of the Bible, but not to accept the law of the Bible (Rom. 8:2)? You know that it’s not.

Revelation 22:14 - “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

If I want to drive a car, I know that I have to pass a driving proficiency exam, and have a properly registered car. If I want to do something as simple as eat my dinner, I know that I have to go to where the food is. Why would I think that there are no requirements - or that I could make my own - for something as great as getting into Heaven? Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world to reveal to man the nature of our eternal Creator. He came to make a way for us to get into Heaven. But building a grocery store and stocking its shelves - building a restaurant and opening its doors - does not satisfy my body’s need for nutrition. I still have to do something to benefit from the opportunity. Jesus went to prepare a place for His disciples, but a place prepared is not yet a place inhabited. I learned how to drive as a small child on a farm tractor, but I wasn’t permitted on the highway in a car until I met the legal requirements. I learned about Heaven by reading the Bible. Doesn’t it make sense that I should learn from the same Book what I must do in order to be admitted to that wonderful place? It’s foolish to think that Jesus can prepare a place for me, and tell me how to come to it, yet I can reach it by my own plan. Only they that do His commandments have the right to enter. If you are not obeying here, don’t be surprised whey you are rejected there.