"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 here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.'" (Revelation 4:1)
"After this, I looked." The result of John's response to the manifestation of the presence of the Lord was an opening into the realm of the Spirit – "a voice...as a trumpet talking with me." This "voice as a trumpet" is a call to action, and speaks of spiritual direction and authority. Notice that the door opened when John looked.
For those who are responding as John responded, there is an empowering that has to do with "dominion" that is being imparted. When this verse was quickened to me, I began asking the Lord to "show me things which must be hereafter." He wants to answer this prayer for us.
The Lord is knocking. Our part is to hear and respond. I often pray concerning my ability to "hear" spiritually. I am never satisfied that I am hearing clearly enough, as no matter how well I am hearing, I can hear better.
Kingdom Impartation to Those who Hear and Respond
This "voice as a trumpet" is a corporate voice that will function in all those who will be saying and doing the same thing. Notice that the promise to the overcomer is to sit with the Lord in His throne. This has to do with spiritual authority.
"To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His throne." (Revelation 3:21)
This dominion, as the "sound of many waters," is an end-time function of those who are "overcomers," who will receive apostolic authority. This relates to our being able to speak a creative word, which will have "authority with consequence."
The Lord is calling us to become an apostolic, prophetic people – not apostles or prophets, as that is a ministry office. This is a Kingdom impartation into those who, as overcomers, have been dealt with so that they will not use this authority for any personal gain, to accomplish the end-time purposes of the Lord.
This will begin to happen as the Lord increasingly takes His place as the Head of those to whom He is being joined; those who are hearing and responding to His knocking. These are being "caught up" into a higher realm of spiritual life and authority.
Yielding to the Process
Concerning Moses, Acts tells us that he was "mighty in word and in deed." But after being in the wilderness, where he came to the end of all human ability, his response was, "Lord, when I spoke my mind, it got me in a lot of trouble, now I have nothing to say, unless You speak" (paraphrased).
So also, those whom the Lord is preparing are being "scourged" that all human ambition might be removed.
"For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6)
If we yield to this process and overcome, we will become a part of this end-time prophetic voice, "...His wife has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:6). The Lord is preparing a people for "that day."
As we wait upon the Lord, asking that we will better hear His voice, and have the enabling grace to rightly respond, we will become a part of this prophetic trumpet, and begin to move incorporate harmony, as the "sound of many waters."
It is imperative that we spend time waiting in the presence of the Lord, that we can become a part of the Body that will function directly under the dictate of the Head.
"...Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your Lord." (Matthew 25:23)
The Lord is getting people ready. May each one of us be found among these, in that day.
Replies
Great reading and I am so amazed because I spoke of the prophetic triumph in the previous reading. God is releasing a sound in the atmosphere one that is shifting the gifts of the believers that will bring order into the kingdom of God. This triumph is the voice of God.
Habakkuk 3 King James Version (KJV)
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?
9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.
12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
The chapter response to God's answer of chp 2. In the midst of the world's sin and God's judgment, he has learned to live by faith in God and to trust in the wisdom of God's ways. Habakkuk knew God's people had sinned and would experience His judgment. In this situation he made tow petitions 1. he prayed for God to come among His people with a fresh manifestation of His power. Habakkuk knew that God's people would not survive if the Lord did not intervene in their lives with an outpouring of His grace and Spirit; only then would there be true spiritual life among them. 2. Habakkuk prayed that in times of distress for the Lord's people, God would remember to be merciful; without mercy His people would be not sustained. As the foundation of the church is being shaken today and trouble seems to be on every hand, we too need to plead with the Lord to manifest Himself, His mercy and His power anew, in order that life and renewal might come to His people.
The major theme of Habakkuk is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God. Habakkuk addresses his concerns over the fact that God will use the Babylonian empire to execute judgment on Judah for their sins. Habakkuk openly questions the wisdom of God.