VERSE 1 continued, “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.”
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.
