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.
Continued with next post.
