Revelation 1:10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, I WAS - `I came to be:' 'I became.' IN THE SPIRIT - in a state of ecstasy: the outer world shut out: the inner spirit, being taken possession of by God's Spirit, establishing an immediate connection with the invisible world. While the prophet 'speaks' in the Spirit, the apocalyptic seer is in the Spirit wholly. The spirit alone (which connects us with God) is active, or recipient, in the apocalyptic state. With Christ this being "in the Spirit" was not the exception, but invariable. ON THE LORD'S DAY. Though forcibly detained from church communion with the brethren on "the Lord's day," the weekly commemoration of the resurrection, John was enjoying spiritual communion. The earliest mention of the term. But the consecration of the day to worship, almsgiving...

9-11 It was the apostle's comfort that he did not suffer as an evil-doer, but for the testimony of Jesus, for bearing witness to Christ as the Immanuel, the Saviour; and the Spirit of glory and of God rested upon this persecuted apostle. The day and time when he had this vision was the Lord's day, the Christian sabbath, the first day of the week, observed in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ. Let us who call him "Our Lord," honour him on his own day. The name shows how this sacred day should be observed; the Lord's day should be wholly devoted to the Lord, and none of its hours employed in a sensual, worldly manner, or in amusements. He was in a serious, heavenly, spiritual frame, under the gracious influences of the Spirit of God. Those who would enjoy communion with God on the Lord's day, must seek to draw their thoughts and affections from earthly things. And if believers are...

Verse Revelation 1:10. _I WAS IN THE SPIRIT_] That is, I received the Spirit of prophecy, and was under its influence when the first vision was exhibited. _THE LORD'S DAY_] The first day of the week, observed as the Christian Sabbath, because on it Jesus Christ rose from the dead; therefore it was called _the Lord's day_, and has taken place of the Jewish Sabbath throughout the Christian world. _AND HEARD BEHIND ME A GREAT VOICE_] This voice came _unexpectedly_ and _suddenly_. He felt himself under the Divine afflatus; but did not know what scenes were to be represented. _AS OF A TRUMPET_] This was calculated to call in every wandering thought, to fix his attention, and solemnize his whole frame. Thus God prepared Moses to receive the law. See...

I WAS IN THE SPIRIT - This cannot refer to his own spirit, for such an expression would be unintelligible. The language then must refer to some unusual state, or to some influence that had been brought to bear upon him from without, that was appropriate to such a day. The word “Spirit” may refer either to the Holy Spirit, or to some state of mind such as the Holy Spirit produces - a spirit of elevated devotion, a state of high and uncommon religious enjoyment. It is clear that John does not mean here to say that he was under the influence of the Holy Spirit in such a sense as that he was inspired, for the command to make a record, as well as the visions, came subsequently to the time referred to. The fair meaning of the passage is, that he was at that time favored, in a large measure, with the influences of the Holy Spirit - the spirit of true devotion; that he had a high state of religi...

EXPOSITION THE TITLE. The simplest form of this, as of other books of the New Testament, is the oldest: 'The Revelation of John' (Αποκάλυψις Ιωάννου). Other forms worth noting are: 'The Revelation of John the Apostle and Evangelist;' 'The Revelation of the holy and most glorious Apostle and Evangelist, the virgin, the beloved, that leaned on the breast, John the Divine.' 'The divine' as a title for St. John, which is retained here in both the Authorized Version and the Revised Version, is certainly as old as Eusebius ('Praep. Evan.,' 11.18). Recent discoveries at Ephesus have shown that "divines" (θεολόγοι) was a title of the chief priests in the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. It is possible, but hardly probable, that this suggested the title for St. John. It probably points to his witness to the Divinity of the Logos or Word. Eusebius ('Hist. Eccl.,' III. 24.13) remarks that John omit...

I WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD'S DAY,.... Not on the Jewish sabbath, which was now abolished, nor was that ever called the Lord's day, and had John meant that, he would have said on the sabbath day; much less the Jewish passover, but the first day of the week is designed; so the Ethiopic version renders it "on the first day"; and is so called just as the ordinance of the supper is called the Lord's supper, being instituted by the Lord, and the Lord's table, 1 Corinthians 10:21, and that because it was the day in which our Lord rose from the dead, Mark 16:9; and in which he appeared at different times to his disciples, John 20:19, and which the primitive churches set apart for his worship and service, and on which they

Revelation 1:1. _The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw._ John was one who was of the same spirit as his Master. He lived in very intimate communion with his Lord, and, therefore, to him the choicest revelations were made. The Lord does not reveal his secret to uncongenial minds. He that will do his will shall know of the doctrine, and he shall know all secret things. Oh! if we lived nearer to God, if we walked more in the love of Christ, how much more we might know and see; or, if we saw not visions, yet there are inward perceptions to the heart which God would grant us if we lived more in the light of his countenance....

VOICE The theophanies. (Revelation 1:9); (Genesis 12:7)....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE PATMOS VISION OF THE GLORIFIED SON OF MAN CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Revelation 1:1)_ 2. Greeting and benediction (Revelation 1:4) 3. The praise (Revelation 1:6) 4. The testimony of the Almighty (Revelation 1:8) 5. John in Patmos (Revelation 1:9) 6. The vision of Christ in glory (Revelation 1:12) 7. The commission ...

THE PROLOGUE gives an account of the vision of the Son of Man, and the manner in which the messages to the seven churches came to the seer. Revelation 1:9. John your brother: the term brother in the NT is used to signify fellow-Christian, the members of the same Christian community (_cf._ the phrase our brother Paul, 2 Peter 3:15; see Harnack, _Mission and Expansion of Christianity_ 2_,_ i. 405 f.). TRIBULATION refers to the persecutions. The order of the words is significant, kingdom coming after tribulation and before patience, and reminds us of the words, Through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom (Acts 14:22). PATIENCE: _i.e._ patient endurance. We must not only enter