Revelation 4:1

Revelation 4:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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 shew thee things which must be hereafter.
• New International Version (NIV)After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of Revelation 4:1

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.

Revelation 4:1 word by word

Μετὰ ταῦτα εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ θύρα ἠνεῳγμένη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἡ πρώτη ἣν ἤκουσα ὡς σάλπιγγος λαλούσης μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ λέγων· ἀνάβα ὧδε, καὶ δείξω σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• I lookedὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• a doorθύραthura · doorG2374
• openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• the firstπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• I heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• as it wereὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of a trumpetσάλπιγξsalpigx · trumpetG4536
• talkingλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• which saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Come upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• hitherὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• I will shewδεικνύωdeiknuō · to showG1166
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• mustδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
• beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096

Cross-references for Revelation 4:1

• Revelation 1:1This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John,
• Exodus 1:1These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family:
• Matthew 3:16After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.
• Mark 1:10As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.
• Luke 3:21One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened,
• Acts 7:56And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
• Acts 10:11He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.
• Revelation 1:10It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
• Revelation 16:17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!”
• Revelation 11:12Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.
• Exodus 19:24But the Lord said, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. In the meantime, do not let the priests or the people break through to approach the Lord, or he will break out and destroy them.”
• Exodus 24:12Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.”
• Exodus 34:2Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain.
• Revelation 1:19“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.
• Revelation 22:6Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”
• John 16:13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

Commentaries on Revelation 4:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1A door was opened in heaven - This appears to have been a visible aperture in the sky over his head.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1After this - Greek, “After these things”; that is, after what he had seen, and after what he had been directed to record in the preceding chapters. How long after these things this occurred, he does not say - whether on the same day, or at some subsequent time; and conjecture would be useless. The scene, however, is changed. Instead of seeing the Saviour standing before him Ezekiel 1:1, “The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” The Hebrews…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1A vision of God, as on his glorious throne, around which were twenty-four elders and four living creatures. (1-8) Whose songs, and those of the holy angels, the apostle heard. (9-11) 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 apostle 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1After this I … saw: This introductory phrase does not show the order of events (see also Revelation 7:9; 15:5; 18:1; compare 19:1). Instead, it signals a new vision that John receives. Come up here: The Lord’s voice invites John to see what will happen from God’s point of view.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-11Here begins the Revelation proper; and first, the fourth and fifth chapters set before us the heavenly scenery of the succeeding visions, and God on His throne, as the covenant God of His Church, the Revealer of them to His apostle through Jesus Christ. The first great portion comprises the opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets (fourth to eleventh chapters). As the communication respecting the seven churches opened with a suitable vision…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 4:1

• Trumpet
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Doors
• Living creatures
• Rainbow
• Receive
• Abinoam
• Canaan; Canaanites
• Cherubim (1)
• Ethics
• Isaiah
• Jabin

Commentaries on Revelation 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings