SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:1
¶ Despus de estas cosas mir, y he aquí una puerta abierta en el cielo; y la primera voz que oí, era como de trompeta que hablaba conmigo, diciendo: Sube ac, y yo te mostrar las cosas que es necesario que sean hechas despus de stas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 4:1
Verse 1. A door was opened in heaven] This appears to have been a visible aperture in the sky over his head.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. After this I looked , etc.] After John had seen the vision of Christ, in the midst of the golden candlesticks, with seven stars in his right hand; after he was bid to write what he had seen, and what were, and should be hereafter; and after he had by order written the seven epistles to the seven churches, he looked about him to see what else he could, having his desires and expectations raised of seeing more, and other things, for the eye is never satisfied with seeing; though this is to be understood, not of looking with the eyes of his body, but with the eyes of his mind; of his beholding things in a visionary way, as the prophets did, whence they are called seers, and their prophecies visions: how long this was after the first vision is not certain, it may be but a few minutes; and it is to be observed, that as the first chapter of this book, with the vision in it, is the preface or introduction to the church prophecy delivered out in the seven epistles; so this and the following chapter, with the vision therein, contain the preface or introduction to the book prophecy exhibited in the opening of the seven seals of the sealed book: and behold, a door [was] opened in heaven : not in a literal sense, as the heavens were opened at Christ's baptism, and at Stephen's martyrdom, but in a figurative sense; and the phrase is to be understood of a discovery of things that were, or were to be in the church of God, which in this book is oftentimes signified by heaven: and it must be conceived as done in a visionary way, just as Ezekiel, in the visions of God, was brought to Jerusalem, and the temple there, and in at a door was shown all the abominations committed in the court and temple; so John, in a visionary way, through an opened door, had a scene of things in the church presented to him, as follows: and the first voice which I heard [was], as it were, of a trumpet talking with me ; this voice is not called the first voice with respect to any other voices that were to follow; but it designs the former voice, the voice that John heard behind him, when he saw the first vision; and this, as that, was clear, loud, and sonorous as a trumpet, so that he thoroughly heard, and rightly understood what was said; it was the same Person that made the following representation of things as did then, even he who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord Jesus Christ, the author of the whole revelation; the first is left out in the Arabic version: the allusion is to the blowing of trumpets at the opening of the door of the temple; every day there were one and twenty soundings of a trumpet in the temple, three yr[ tjytpl , at the opening of the doors, and nine at the daily morning sacrifice, and nine at the daily evening sacrifice f126 . And one of them was called the great door of the temple; and he that slew the daily sacrifice, did not slay till he heard the sound of that door when it was opened f127 ; so here at the opening of the door in heaven, in the church, of which the temple was a type, the voice of the Son of God is heard as the sound of a trumpet, talking loudly and familiarly to John: which said, come up hither ; from the isle of Patmos, where he was, up to heaven; not into the third heaven, where Paul was caught up, but rather up into the Gospel church, the Jerusalem which is above; though this, as before, is to be understood in a visionary way, in like manner as Ezekiel was lifted up by the Spirit between the earth and the heavens; and so John, in a vision, was called up from Patmos into the air, where he had a representation of the church made unto him: and I will show thee things which must be hereafter ; in the world, in the Roman empire, and in the church of God, to the end of the world; not but that there were some things shown him, as before, in the church prophecy, which had been, and were, and which was done to give him a complete view of things from first to last: and these things were shown in the following visions of the seals, trumpets, and vials, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, who talked with him, and to whom this revelation was given to show unto his servants; and it was of things that must be, because determined and resolved upon in the unalterable purposes and decrees of God.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - After the Lord Jesus had instructed the apostle to write to the churches "the things that are," there was another vision. The apostl saw a throne set in heaven, an emblem of the universal dominion of Jehovah. He saw a glorious One upon the throne, not described by huma features, so as to be represented by a likeness or image, but only by his surpassing brightness. These seem emblems of the excellence of the Divine nature, and of God's awful justice. The rainbow is a fit emble of that covenant of promise which God has made with Christ, as the Hea of the church, and with all his people in him. The prevailing colou was a pleasant green, showing the reviving and refreshing nature of the new covenant. Four-and-twenty seats around the throne, were filled with four-and-twenty elders, representing, probably, the whole church of God. Their sitting denotes honour, rest, and satisfaction; their sitting about the throne signifies nearness to God, the sight an enjoyment they have of him. They were clothed in white raiment; the imputed righteousness of the saints and their holiness: they had of their heads crowns of gold, signifying the glory they have with him Lightnings and voices came from the throne; the awful declarations God makes to his church, of his sovereign will and pleasure. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne; the gifts, graces, and operation of the Spirit of God in the churches of Christ, dispensed according to the will and pleasure of Him who sits upon the throne. In the gospe church, the laver for purification is the blood of the Lord Jesu Christ, which cleanses from all sin. In this all must be washed, to be admitted into the gracious presence of God on earth, and his glorious presence in heaven. The apostle saw four living creatures, between the throne and the circle of the elders, standing between God and the people. These seem to signify the true ministers of the gospel, becaus of their place between God and the people. This also is shown by the description given, denoting wisdom, courage, diligence, and discretion and the affections by which they mount up toward heaven.
Greek Textus Receptus
μετα 3326 ταυτα 5023 ειδον 1492 5627 και 2532 ιδου 2400 5628 θυρα 2374 ηνεωγμενη 455 5772 εν 1722 τω 3588 ουρανω 3772 και 2532 η 3588 φωνη 5456 η 3588 πρωτη 4413 ην 3739 ηκουσα 191 5656 ως 5613 σαλπιγγος 4536 λαλουσης 2980 5723 μετ 3326 εμου 1700 λεγουσα 3004 5723 αναβα 305 5628 ωδε 5602 και 2532 δειξω 1166 5692 σοι 4671 α 3739 δει 1163 5904 γενεσθαι 1096 5635 μετα 3326 ταυτα 5023
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. After this (meta tauta). Rev., literally, after these things. Not indicating a break in the ecstatic state of the seer, but only a succession of separate visions.
I looked (eidon). Rev., better, I saw. Not of the directing of attention, but of the simple reception of the vision.
A door was opened (qura anewgmenh). Rev., rightly, omits was. A door set open. The A.V. implies that the seer witnessed the opening of the door. In Heaven. Compare Ezek. i. 1; Matt. iii. 16; Acts vii. 56; x. 11. In all these heaven itself is opened.
Was. Omit. Render, as Rev., "a voice as of a trumpet."
A trumpet (salpiggov). See on Matt. xxiv. 31. Properly a war-trumpet, though the word was also used of a sacred trumpet, with the epithet iJera sacred.
Speaking - saying (laloushv -legousa). See on Matt. xxviii. 18. The former verb indicates the breaking of the silence, the latter the matter of the address.
Hereafter (meta tauta). Some editors connect these words with the succeeding verse, substituting them for kai and at the beginning of that verse, and rendering, "I will show thee the things which must come to pass. After these things straightway I was," etc.
