Welcome to Prophecy Q & A with Jimmy DeYoung!
Revelation 4:1 states, “After this (after the Church Age) 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 (an apocalyptic phrase); which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
In Revelation 1, John was in prison on the isle of Patmos because of his testimony for Jesus Christ. He was an effective pastor of the church at Ephesus, and a good example to the other six churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3. The seven letters were to seven churches that were alive and on earth at that time in 95 A. D. when John wrote the book of Revelation. They are also the characteristics of the Church Age that has unfolded. Each of those characteristics are giving us a time in history over the last two thousand years.
The phrase, “as it were,” is used 52 times in the Book of Revelation and gives us an indication that it is introducing an apocalyptic (“to foretell, to reveal, to make known, to prophesy”) phrase. Four books in the Bible (Daniel, Zechariah, Revelation, and Ezekiel) use apocalyptic literature. John uses a symbol (a trumpet talking to him) to communicate an absolute truth.
The trumpet said “Come up hither.” This is what will happen to us at the rapture of the church. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Jesus will shout, the archangel will shout, and the trump of God will sound. We will depart this place and will be caught up into the heavenlies. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, it talks about it happening in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. At the last trump, we shall be changed. From other passages of Scripture, we see how the trumpet will be used at the time of the rapture.
At the end of the verse, after He shouts, “Come up hither,” John, in verse two, goes into the heavenlies. I believe he literally went to the third heaven. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians that he knew a man fourteen years ago who went to the third heaven. He is probably talking about himself. John talked to the man who went to the third heaven. In chapters 4 and 5, we are in the third heaven before the throne of God.
Before he concludes 4:1, John writes, “and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Everything after 4:1 is revealing what is going to happen in the future. Chapters 4-19 are details of the Tribulation period.
In Revelation 19:11, Jesus Christ returns to the earth. The Battle of Armageddon takes place. Revelation 20:1-3 says that Satan is bound for a thousand years. In Revelation 20:4-6, we will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:11-15 is the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 21 and 22 is eternity future.
I believe Revelation 4:1 refers to the Rapture.
Jimmy DeYoung was a prophecy teacher and journalist who travelled the country and the world educating the Body of Christ of the future events foretold in God’s prophetic Word. His goal was to equip Christians with the knowledge and understanding of what God’s Word says will happen someday soon, so that they can make better decisions today. Dr. DeYoung went home to be with his Savior on August 15, 2021.
