VERSE 10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet…”

I WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD’S DAY:

John’s perspective for the entire book of Revelation is that of standing in OUR DAY —the “Day of the Lord” which both Peter and Paul stress much in their writings. From this perspective he can look back through history and tell the story of the entire age seeing how one thing led to another. Secondarily, this can well represent that it is NOW when we (John’s antitype, the feet of him) can look back and understand the age. (Compare Rev 17:3) John, of course, stood in our day only IN SPIRIT (in his mind), not literally.”

“John’s attention is first attracted by the trumpet like voice of Christ behind him. The fact that the location of the voice is mentioned implies it has a special meaning. Just as John heard a voice behind him and looked in that direction, so the Lord’s people now, having the reality, find the message is behind them; they turn and look backward in time to see the fulfillment of the various features of the divine plan, and to hear and understand the message given by the risen Lord.”

AND I HEARD BEHIND ME A LOUD VOICE, AS OF A TRUMPET:

“The voice is Jesus (Verses 12, 13). It is LOUD because it is clear and authoritative. (Compare Matt. 7:28, 29) It is BEHIND John because, from John’s perspective, the whole matter is being reported from the Lord’s Day as finished history.

Literally, what John heard had already begun —the Gospel Age was already well in progress. Additionally, much of what Revelation records shows the meaning and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies —words from the past —BEHIND John. Verse 7 is a good example of this. In it both Daniel and Zechariah are quoted.

It is LIKE a trumpet. There are only seven trumpets in Revelation. The word LIKE is important. This is NOT another trumpet. It is LIKE one because it is clear; it is LIKE one because it is a message; it is LIKE the Seventh trumpet (“the trump of God” —1 Thess. 4:16) because on the “Lord’s Day” this trumpet clarifies all. It is the “end of the mystery.” (See Rev 10:7)

Thus, from the perspective of the Lord’s Day (our day), Revelation is understood.” Not necessarily (all) by any one individual, but (all) by the true Church as a whole.

“Verse 10, therefore, informs the Christian that John “was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”; that is to say he was caught up or transferred by the power and agency of God’s Spirit down through the corridor of time into the Millennial Age.

“The Lord’s Day” refers to earth’s great Sabbath or Millennium, the last or seventh of a series of one-thousand year days since Adam. In this day the “voice, as of a trumpet” is to symbolically sound. This voice, as of a trumpet is no more audible then are the others, it is heard, discerned through divine providences and by the spirit, “He, who has an ear, let him hear”

From this vantage point, futuristic from the Apostle’s day—namely, at this end of the age—he was able to look upon prophesied events as either already fulfilled or in process of being fulfilled. This thought is confirmed by John’s hearing “behind” him, that is, historically in the past, the great trumpet like voice of Jesus, indicating the commencement of earth’s Sabbath day, the day of Christ’s invisible presence, and the beginning of a series of symbolism’s and tumultuous events spoken of in 1 Thess 4:16 as “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.”

We continue on to Verse 11 in our next post.