Revelation 4:1

The Amazing Scene in Heaven

4:1 After these things I looked, and there was ¹  a door standing open in heaven! ²  And the first voice I had heard speaking to me ³  like a trumpet ⁴  said: “Come up here so that ⁵  I can show you what must happen after these things.”

Revelation 10:3-8

10:3 Then ⁶  he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. 10:4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but ⁷  just then ⁸  I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.” 10:5 Then ⁹  the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 10:6 and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will be no more delay! ¹⁰  10:7 But in the days ¹¹  when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, ¹²  just as he has ¹³  proclaimed to his servants ¹⁴  the prophets.” 10:8 Then ¹⁵  the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak ¹⁶  to me ¹⁷  again, ¹⁸  “Go and take the open ¹⁹  scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

¹ tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

² tn Or “in the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

³ tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”

⁴ sn The phrase speaking to me like a trumpet refers back to Rev 1:10.

⁵ tn The conjunction καί (kai), much like the vav-consecutive in Hebrew, appears to be introducing a final/purpose clause here rather than a coordinate clause.

⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁸ tn The words “just then” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

¹⁰ tn On this phrase see BDAG 1092 s.v. χρόνος.

¹¹ tn Grk “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.”

¹² tn The aorist ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh) has been translated as a proleptic (futuristic) aorist (ExSyn 564 cites this verse as an example).

¹³ tn The time of the action described by the aorist εὐηγγέλισεν (euhngelisen) seems to be past with respect to the aorist passive ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh). This does not require that the prophets in view here be OT prophets. They may actually refer to the martyrs in the church (so G. B. Caird, Revelation [HNTC], 129).

¹⁴ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

¹⁶ tn The participle λαλοῦσαν (lalousan) has been translated as “began to speak.” The use of πάλιν (palin) indicates an ingressive idea.

¹⁷ tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”

¹⁸ tn Grk “again, saying.” The participle λέγουσαν (legousan) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹⁹ tn The perfect passive participle ἠνεῳγμένον (hnewgmenon) is in second attributive position and has been translated as an attributive adjective.