Revelation Chapter 4

VERSE 1 “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

AFTER THESE THINGS:

Not that the following is to HAPPEN after these things (i.e. after the events outline in the previous chapter in regards to the seven churches), but what John now sees is a totally new vision —a second look at the age.

Placing the Vision at its Proper Starting Time

“As stated the “vision of the door” does not start after the seven churches are finished chronologically, but rather it’s seen as a new vision starting from the beginning of the gospel age church, and most likely just before.

What separates this vision from the seven churches, and allows it to be moved back to the beginning of the Gospel church, is the statement (I looked and I saw). This is an important thing to notice in Revelation, or else we will find some events that we know precede others, seeming to be out of order. What we see is that Chapter 4, and especially 5, is going to show us how this door of opportunity and revealing came to be open, and the eventual results of that open door!

Before the Gospel age (Chapter 4), God had only revealed himself through a few incidents, such as the covenant with Abraham and the eventual adding of the law through Moses, which imperfect man could not keep, but which showed to all what was sinful (Rom 3:9).

If we don’t back up in time with our prophetic viewpoint after we finish with the seven churches, we mistakenly think that the events that occur in Chapters 4 and 5, have to be events that occur after the seven churches, or at least from the seventh trumpet onward. This is actually what some accept as being the situation here, but we believe that interpretation misses the entire point of the chapter. Again, the context of what happens in this chapter seems to exclude that solution. It’s true that this vision will reach up to the end of the millennial age, but it still needs to start from before the giving of the ransom by the Lamb, because that is a key part of chapter 5.” (Revelation Notes: Southern Wisconsin)

This is why we believe it’s best to study each church, seal and trumpet in order, viz. the first church, the first seal, the first trumpet, then on to the second church, second seal, second trumpet and so on and so forth so as to avoid the common error of believing the seals are not opened until after the completion of all seven stages of the church, and the trumpets until the completion of the seals.

I LOOKED:

The John Class can look several times at the history of the Gospel Age, each time with a different perspective. This is healthy from the standpoint of understanding. Looking ONLY at ecclesiastical happenings while ignoring secular things will cause us to miss much of what prophecy is saying. Prophecy (and we) acknowledge that civil and ecclesiastical things are inseparable.

AND BEHOLD:

This word is always important. Here the Lord wishes us to pay close attention. The intent of BEHOLD here is not as obvious as we might prefer. Is it referring to the door? Is it referring to the symbols of Chapter 4?

A DOOR (STANDING) OPEN IN HEAVEN:

A door is an opportunity. It may here represent the opportunity to glimpse at the forces of heaven as the age opens. It may represent the ability to interpret Revelation by understanding the symbolism’s which are to be listed.

“How unbelievable this spectacle must have seemed to John—to see a door ajar in heaven! The Apostle does not describe the door in the present sense, as an “open door,” but infers he witnessed it in the process of being opened. No doubt John’s curiosity and desire were fired by the very motion of the door opening, a motion that seemed to beckon him to enter its portals and gaze therein. No doubt also, he was impressed with the insufficiency of his own humanity, confined by gravity to earth, to gain access to an open door in the ethereal atmosphere. Despite the willingness of his spirit, his flesh could but with futility aspire to attain the proper height and perspective to look within. (Apparent here is a spiritual lesson from Isa 55:9—“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”) The Keys of Revelation

AND THE FIRST VOICE WHICH I HAD HEARD (in Rev 1:10) LIKE THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET SPEAKING WITH ME:

(See comments on Rev 1:10) This whole phrase serves to LINK the introduction to the Churches with the introduction to the Seals. As Jesus introduced himself to the Churches, he now introduces us to the heavenly scene from which he had come. He does this as a means to show the relationship of himself and His Father to the sequence of Seals.

“If the reader puts himself in the Apostle’s place, he can imagine what utter amazement struck John when he heard this voice emanating from the heavens! Such was its volume and mega-phonic force, with a corresponding immensity of coverage, that it sounded not simply like the amplified voice of mortal man but like a trumpet blown with divine power, producing an articulate, authoritative pronouncement (1 Cor. 14:8).

While this voice was the first audible sound John heard in this particular vision, it also emphatically reminded him of the former or first voice; namely, that of his risen Lord, who had addressed him with a message to each of the seven, churches (Rev. 1:10). The significance of this reference to the trumpet like voice of the Master is that the John class would be granted a miraculous insight (open door) into the deep things of God (in heaven) in regard to His counsel and future purposes . . . similar to the backward panoramic view of Revelation 1:12. (The Keys of Revelation)

SAYING, COME UP HERE:

This is a kind and wonderful invitation for his saints to view history from the heavenly perspective —not from the natural sight of men.

“In view of John’s physical limitations, already mentioned, such a request might appear meaningless; yet by the very utterance of these words, the Holy Spirit indicates otherwise. The purpose is to underscore the personal worthiness of the Apostle John to receive such an invitation. His interest had already been attested by holy devotion and zealous activity in the Lord’s service (Rev. 1:2, 9). The fact that no further demonstration of faith was required by John is manifest because, without delay, he was translated to the heavenly realm and to spiritual things above in order to be given a preview of things to come.” (The Keys of Revelation)

AND I WILL SHOW YOU THINGS WHICH MUST TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS:

The purpose of Revelation (according to Rev 1:1) is to “show his bond-servants the things which must shortly take place.” Clearly, the vision of the Seals is in partial fulfillment of this promise.

The word “hereafter” (KJV) or the words “after these things” (NAS), while possibly appropriate here may NOT belong in this verse. It is likely that Verse 2 should begin -“After these things I was immediately in the spirit.” This seems better to fit the context.

We will continue with Verse 2 in our next post.