Seals--Ch 2-Journey Through "The" Open Door - Endtime Issues February 2007

Verse 1: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”

There are many views as to what the meaning of these words portrays. There are three obvious references, each having significance.

1. The vision of the seven churches has just been completed. One might assume that periodically throughout that vision Jesus paused so John could write and accurately depict the complex symbolism given. That first vision John saw was of Jesus here on earth. The words recorded were quotes from His lips. Now Jesus fades from the scene. The next revelation is again with visual and auditory scenes, but this time he is transported to heaven. Thus, “After this” are transition words introducing the next vision.

“‘The phrase ... (meta tauta, ‘after these’) in v. 1 denotes a sequence in John’s receipt of the revelation. It marks the beginning of a new vision as it does a number of times in the book (7:9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1 ...’ Here ‘it introduces a new section of the book as the scene now changes from a picture of the glorified Christ walking among the churches on earth to that of the Father in the court of heaven ...’ It is true that the sequence of visions given to John may coincide with the sequence of events they predict (Scott), but whenever meta tauta is followed by ... (eidon, ‘I looked,’ ‘I saw’), John’s primary reference is to the beginning of a new vision.”¹

Meta means “immediately after,” suggesting no intervening messages, events or delay were experienced until he begins this new vision. John presumably had time to write down the final Laodicean message before the new visual message began.

2. The setting of Revelation is within a sanctuary motif. To ignore this is to bring chaos to the meaning of this book. In chapter 1, the introductory scene was predominantly of the earthly Holy Place, but we saw imagery of Jesus depicting His readiness to function in the heavenly Most Holy Place. It was the glorified Jesus who came down for this part of the vision. This imagery was on earth, yet it portrayed divine heavenly action. This sanctuary setting now changes. We are given a glimpse into heaven, God’s throne. Thus, “After this” also has a powerful allusion to a continuum from chapter 1’s sanctuary imagery. We have a progressive revelation of Holy Place ministry, now projected in heaven.

As we progress through this book we will find two unique and distinct chronological flows of thought. One, through the sanctuary imagery, which is sequential and introductory to the second and depicts Divine action. Two, imagery of earthly events, man’s action, that coincides with the just-revealed heavenly or sanctuary message. There will also be interludes and inserts to clarify the prophetic outline given.

3. The third implication of “After this” is one of sequence and when. Is there a timed message that might be part of this new vision which ties to chapter 1 and even 2 and 3? We have just seen a Holy Place setting. Jesus is ministering to His churches, but shows that He is about to render judgment. This presents anticipatory or proleptic activity. Something beyond the immediate vision is going to occur.

The picture in chapter 1 relating to the future presents an eschatological motif: “the time is at hand” (vs 3), “who is to come” (vs 4), “cometh with clouds” (vs 7), “which is to come” (vs 8), “which shall be hereafter” (vs 19). The chiastic center of chapter 1 of these futuristic thoughts is the second coming of Jesus (vs 7). Early on we are invited to think about His second coming.

There are similar clues within the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. Repeatedly, we have references to “the end,” His “coming quickly,” coming as a thief with heavenly rewards. But in the Philadelphia church Jesus states that he sets before them an open door which is not to be shut (3:7-8). When was the door affixed open? There is an allusion given in Philadelphia to the Most Holy Place.²

From the anticipatory imagery of chapter 1 the next sanctuary depiction is preceded in chapter 4 by the phrase “After this.” Could this be a follow-through of the anticipatory judgment motif of chapter 1? It is.

The silver thread that strengthens the fabric of this sequential message of Revelation is the timing of Jesus’ actions.

“The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must shortly be done” (22:6), “Behold, I come quickly” (22:7), “Surely I come quickly” (22:20).

Jesus presents, as a “minister” to the churches, messages of warning, correction and hope.

Jesus now invites John into heaven to observe another sanctuary scene – around God’s throne.

We can anticipate that this new vision experience relates to either a continuum of the pastoral role of Jesus or it introduces a new setting that extends His role. The structure of Revelation with its sanctuary imagery invites progression of understanding.

Is this the same “open door” that Jesus told John could never be shut in the Philadelphia message (3:8)? That door led to the Most Holy Place. If this is so, this vision begins in the heavenly throne room and is related to the message to only one of the churches. To do justice to the contextual setting, we must consider these messages as full of instructive and probationary imagery for each church setting. As noted above, there are two separate message lines in Revelation: one represents a progressive heavenly template of sanctuary activity, the other a progressively more detailed earthly flow of summation work in dealing with sin.

We are about to be given a view of the throne room through an open door. What sanctuary section does this throne room scene typify? Let’s review a few additional thoughts. In verse 5 there are seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. This appears to be the Holy Place, consistent with a pre-1844 (Investigative Judgment time) setting. This would complement the progression of the chapter 1 sanctuary theme. Confirmation of this comes in this comment:

“The holy places of the sanctuary in heaven are represented by the two apartments in the sanctuary on earth. As in vision the apostle John was granted a view of the temple of God in heaven, he beheld there ‘seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.’ Revelation 4:5. He saw an angel ‘having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.’ Revelation 8:3. Here the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the ‘seven lamps of fire’ and ‘the golden altar,’ represented by the golden candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on earth. Again, ‘the temple of God was opened’ (Revelation 11:19), and he looked within the inner veil, upon the holy of holies. Here he beheld the ark of His testament,” represented by the sacred chest constructed by Moses to contain the law of God.”³

Often when expositor White uses Scriptural references, many verses will be quoted if their context contributes to a given flow of ideas. She is always careful to present Scripture in a way that never alters its true meaning. Here, only verse 5 is quoted from chapter 4. The imagery begins in the Holy Place.

Verse 1 – “and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;”

Immediately we are presented with the same auditory symbolism found in chapter 1, verse 10. There is no doubt that it continues to be Jesus addressing John. The trumpet quality creates the tie. This is not a simple conversation voice but one reminiscent of the awful authoritarian grandeur of Mount Sinai when the law was given. In chapter 1 it symbolized the call of the leaders of “Israel,” the seven churches. But, in a “private” vision setting, why this dramatic trumpet-like voice?

The first feast of the three fall feasts was the Feast of Trumpets. Then within a very short span of time (the seventh Hebrew month) came the Day of Atonement and, lastly, the Feast of Tabernacles.

“The Feast of Trumpets reflects God’s desire to summon His people to repentance so that He can vindicate them on the day of His judgment. The name of the feast is derived from the blowing of the trumpets (Shofar) which was its distinguishing characteristic. The massive blowing of the Shofar on the first day of the seventh month was understood by the Jews as the beginning of their trial before the heavenly court where books would be opened and the destiny of each individual would be decided. The trial lasted ten days until the Day of Atonement (Yom kippur) when God would dispose of their sins in a permanent way.4

What was this Shofar trumpet call for? It announced that time was short. The issue of sin was to be resolved, ended, wiped out in ten days. The final judgment scene was soon to be enacted. It announced that the final period of probation had begun.

“The blowing of the Shofar during the Ten Days of Penitence served not only to call upon the Jews to repent but also to reassure them that God would remember and vindicate them on the day of judgment. The ten days preceding the Day of Atonement were not an abstract theological truth, but an existential reality lived out with real trumpet-calls to repentance, trusting in God’s mercy to vindicate them.”⁵

“It is noteworthy that the announcement of the judgment is followed by the opening of the Most Holy Place of the heavenly temple.”⁶

If this is a pre-judgment call, the trumpet’s voice becomes a metaphor for the Feast of Trumpets.

“We notice that the voice that was speaking to John, like the sound of a trumpet, was the same voice that he heard in Rev 1:10. When John heard that voice at the beginning, he turned and saw a vision of Jesus. We can conclude that it was Jesus who spoke to him with a voice like the sound of a trumpet. Notice, however, that John has not yet seen Jesus as part of this vision. We may surmise that Jesus was present, but had not come into John’s view, as was initially the case in Rev 1:10-12. This point may become significant a little later on.”⁷

The allusion to a Shofar in chapter 4 raises a question. Is this a pre-judgment warning or announcement? Let’s begin to analyze this issue:

“The Lord said to Moses: ‘Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. If only one is sounded, the leaders – the heads of the clans of Israel – are to assemble before you. When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same signal. The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.” Numbers 10:1-8.

The typology of this antitypical blowing of the trumpets is most fascinating. Jesus was calling, in chapter 1, the leaders of His people.

Blowing of two silver trumpets or a ram’s horn (used in the Shofar) were signals to the whole camp of Israel of pending events. This could range from the sound of alarm, to calling the people, calling leaders or as in the Shofar, announcing a call to repentance (teshuva).

1. Evidence weighs that in chapter 1 the trumpet-like voice of Jesus was a call to the leaders of the assembly (Numbers 10:4). Then only one trumpet was used to gather the “heads of the clans of Israel.” This is a symbolic segue into the messages that were given to the leaders of the churches to, in turn, give to the congregation.

2. The trumpet-like voice of Jesus in chapter 4 is a simile of the Shofar (Leviticus 23:24-25). In this, time is short – ten days for the Israelites. The Greek word is teshuva – the solemn call to repentance. John is listening to the Shofar, announcing that soon it will be the Day of Atonement when the sanctuary is cleansed. It is important to observe that no trumpet call for a religious event or experience of worship occurred in just the Holy Place. Thus, we should soon see Most Holy Place imagery.

“Loudness marks the sound of the voice John heard here as it did in 1:10. Its comparison to a trumpet in the words hos salpingos (‘as [that] of a trumpet’) is almost identical with the comparison at 1:10. This sounds a note of authority with which the voice summoned John. Here the participle lalouses (‘speaking’) replaces ... (legouses, ‘saying’) of 1:11 in describing the voice. It was speaking with John and saying the following words: ... (‘Come up here’). This summons, [is] somewhat similar to the one given Moses at Mount Sinai (cf., Exod. 19:20, 24-25).”⁸

This is a call that a major event is about to occur. Jesus’ trumpet-like voice provides that announcement. There is debate as to whether the voice of 4:1 was that of the first chapter. The Greek English Interlinear sets the stage to understand:

It was the voice of Jesus continuing the prophetic narration, and we must conclude by the expression, it is still trumpet-like.

Verse 1 – “which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”

This is a unique summons that Jesus gives to John. He is in vision but able to “come up.” John is asked to voluntarily go from a “lower place” to heaven and, more specifically, the Throne Room. What “lower” level place did he initiate this move from? We can only conclude from the earth.

This is cross-referenced to Exodus 19, where a trumpet that waxed louder and louder sounded long, and then “the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount” (vs 20) where God had come to abide.

“Infinite Love has cast up a pathway upon which the ransomed of the Lord may pass from earth to heaven. That path is the Son of God. Angel guides are sent to direct our erring feet. Heaven’s glorious ladder is let down in every man’s path, barring his way to vice and folly. He must trample upon a crucified Redeemer ere he can pass onward to a life of sin. Our heavenly Father’s voice is calling us, Come up hither.... The humble, trusting ones are guided and protected in the way of peace. But He who is infinite in wisdom compels none to accept Heaven’s most precious gift–compels none to walk in the path which has been cast up at such a cost. Every one is permitted to choose for himself the narrow, shining steep that leads to heaven, or that broader and easier way which ends in death.”¹⁰

“The promise of deixo soi (‘I will show you’) is in execution of the plan of God the Father in granting to Christ the responsibility of transmitting the ... (apokalypsis, ‘revelation’) to the churches (cf. deixai [‘to show’], 1:1). His action, which fulfills this promise, begins in Rev. 6:1 where the Lamb initiates the process of breaking the seals of the seven-sealed scroll (Beckwith).”¹¹

Though the letters to the churches have ceased, the command is to write what he would see from the past to the present and into the future. As we have seen, the theme of the Book of Revelation is para-parousial.

Ever since chapter 1 we are being moved constantly forward toward the final scenes of this earth’s history. This book is about the wrap-up of the conflict between Satan and Christ. We are being introduced to a scene that begins the final steps in that direction.

¹Thomas, Robert L.; Revelation 1-7 –An Exegetical Commentary (Moody Press, Chicago), 1992, p. 333.

²Revelation for the End Times, Chapters 2 and 3, vol. II, p. 127 (Prophecy Research Initiative document –2002); White,

⁴Bacchiocchi, Samuele, Ph.D.; God’s Festivals in Scripture and History Part 2 – The Fall Festivals (Biblical

⁷Canter, Bryan; Revelation – A Study of the Eschatological Application of Prophecy – Part 3, “The

⁹Douglas, J. D.; The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.;