Short Answer
Yes, the author of Revelation is still understood to be John the Apostle. His moment of bowing to an angel does not disqualify him—it reflects human weakness, not a different identity. Even faithful believers can make mistakes, and he was immediately corrected.
The Overview
Some question whether the author of Revelation is truly John the Apostle, especially because he briefly bows before an angel in the book. However, this incident does not provide strong evidence against his identity. The title “John the Revelator” simply refers to the one receiving the revelation, not a different person altogether. Historically, the early church consistently identified the author as the Apostle John.
The act of bowing to an angel may seem surprising, especially for someone who taught against idolatry. Yet, Scripture shows that even the most faithful leaders can fail in moments of weakness. Other apostles also made serious mistakes despite their close relationship with Christ. This highlights an important truth: spiritual maturity does not eliminate human frailty.
In this case, the context matters. John was experiencing an overwhelming, supernatural vision filled with glory and divine imagery. In such a moment, his response—though incorrect—was understandable. Importantly, he was immediately corrected, and the correction itself is recorded, reinforcing the proper focus of worship on God alone.
Rather than undermining his credibility, this moment actually adds authenticity. It shows honesty in the biblical record and reminds readers that God works through imperfect people. The consistent testimony of Scripture and early tradition supports that the Apostle John is indeed the author of Revelation.
Key Takeaways
- John the Apostle Is the Author
Early church tradition strongly supports this. - “John the Revelator” Is Not a Different Person
It simply describes his role in receiving the vision. - Even Apostles Made Mistakes
Human weakness does not negate their calling. - Context Explains the Reaction
The vision was overwhelming and extraordinary. - Correction Was Immediate
The focus is clearly redirected to worship God alone. - Scripture Shows Honest Humanity
Imperfection does not invalidate divine inspiration.
Transcript
[00:00:00 – 00:01:30] Hi, Pastor Mike. I have a question about the book of Revelation. Well, I have lots of questions about Revelation, but once welcome to the club. Yeah. Good. Okay. Um, I learned many years ago that there are some people who think that the author of Revelation is not John the Apostle, but a different John, who is called John the Revelator. And mostly that seems silly to me. Um, but then in Revelation 19 and 22, we see John bowing down and worshiping the angel who’s speaking to him. And it seems to me that the disciple
[00:00:45 – 00:01:56] whom Jesus loved, who was part of Jesus inner circle and who ended his first epistle by saying, “Keep yourselves from idols.” Um, it seems to me that this John would know better than to worship an angel. And so I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on that. Yeah. Well, every time someone speaks of John the Revelator, let’s just start with that. Um, is talking about the John of the book of Revelation who is receiving this revelation. And so, I mean, any theory about who the identity of John is can’t
[00:01:21 – 00:02:27] be based on that title. uh you’d have to try to build it based on something in the text. Then you’re pointing to him bowing down to an angelic being, which uh I’m going to say, you know, yeah, I I would I would expect better from Peter, too, not to uh cut off Malchus’ ear or not to uh deny Christ in Caiaphas’s courtyard, but uh there is something much more forgivable, I would say, about having a revelatory experience with an angel giving you uh with all of the glory that has been described,
[00:01:54 – 00:02:58] especially in chapter 1 and chapter four and five and then laying all this out in some multimedia presentation and to to to give obesence of some kind through prostrating myself uh in front of that angel and and I think you know that’s a little different than the idols of John’s day as he talks about the antichrists in the culture in 1 John 4 and5. So I I don’t know. I’m I’m not going to exclude him uh as being the John who uh was the beloved apostle because of that. Uh I just think much
[00:02:27 – 00:03:18] like James, the halfb brotherther of Christ who was so important in the early church in the book of Acts who says uh we all stumble in many ways. I think if you talk to John when you meet him one day, he’s going to say, “Yeah, I shouldn’t have done that.” And uh I do stumble in many ways. So sometimes we hold our leaders up or even the apostles in the scripture to a standard that um I think all of them when we sit down and talk with them they’re going to say, “Yeah, we we’ve all sinned and we you
[00:02:52 – 00:03:51] know even with the knowledge we had sometimes we sinned.” A whole second chapter of Romans is about teachers of the law who don’t do the very things they’re teaching. So yeah, John did say don’t bow down to idols. That’s how he ends his epistle there. And um I do think that uh it is John the the apostle. I think that’s been the earliest uh understanding of the church and receiving the book of revelation being exiled there in the island of Patmas is certainly the extra biblical
[00:03:22 – 00:04:16] uh tradition that grew up around what happened to that disciple and everything seems to match. So I wouldn’t question it based on him um doing something he shouldn’t have done which he was quickly corrected on in bowing down to the angel in the book of Revelation. So, yeah, I I hold to uh you laid back on Jesus’s chest when he ate at those tables that were just a few inches off the floor. And I’m not going to hold that against him in a sense that he’s disqualified from being the John that said, “Don’t
[00:03:49 – 00:04:47] worship idols.” Because bowing down to an angelic being that’s truly an angelic being. I mean, just think about that scene in Revelation or Isaiah chapter 6. I mean the amazing picture of an angelic being somehow being realized and manifested in our eyeballs would be a remarkable thing to see and after all that he had heard uh perhaps just in a weak moment he did what uh he shouldn’t do and I’m so glad that he recorded the fact that he shouldn’t do it and he said you know I quickly uh you know I was
[00:04:18 – 00:05:10] told that and and I didn’t worship Jesus which of course is what the book is all about. So, I don’t disqualify him from that. And I do think the the gospel question about the Bible or the Christian life. Give me a call 877-9135357. Whatever you’re thinking about regarding the Bible, the Christian life, let’s hear what you have to say. And I’d love to interact with it. No, no question too small, no question too dumb. Let’s tackle as many as we can on the program today.
