Translation
I, JOHN,
am the one; it is I that
was seeing and hearing these
things.
Go to footnote numberWhen I heard and saw [these things] I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who was showing me these things.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
I, the RECIPIENT OF GOD’S GRACE, am the one; it is I that was seeing and hearing these things, (and I assert that they are true.)
When I heard and saw all these things I fell down to express thanks at the feet of the angel who was showing me these things.
Footnotes
1: "hearing these things"
The purpose behind mentioning this is to confirm the veracity of what is recorded; he was an eyewitness; this is not just hearsay, or gossip.
2
Why did John fall down to “worship” at the feet of the angel? John was so struck with joyful thanksgiving and relief that he felt he must express that emotion to the one bringing such an encouraging message. I cannot envision John ever worshipping another being the way one worships God. So I think this situation is not what it appears. John fell to his knees out of shear emotion.
The Greek word for “worship” means “to kiss the feet.” Interestingly, it comes from the preposition “toward” and the noun “dog.” It seems to paint a picture of a dog licking (kissing) the hand of his master. From there it changed to the meaning of “kissing the feet.” The kneeling and kissing the feet of someone, could be done for various reasons; it could show submission, supplication or to also show gratitude, the latter of which is what I think was going on here.
The angel stopped him from even showing gratitude because he is just the carrier of the message, not the originator of it. He made clear to John that he was on a similar spiritual plain as John was, not a higher one. He will have no commands for John that do not come directly from God Himself. The angel’s words remind John that he too has access directly to God, although we know it is a different kind of access than that of an angel.