Revelation 1:10

New Living Translation

It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,

Simplified Cowboy Version
It was a Sunday and I was worshiping God when I heard a voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet.

Bible in Basic English
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and a great voice at my back, as of a horn, came to my ears,

Darby Translation
I became in [the] Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet,

World English Bible
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,

Weymouth's New Testament
In the Spirit I found myself present on the day of the Lord, and I heard behind me a loud voice which resembled the blast of a trumpet.

King James Version (1611)
I was in the spirit on the Lords day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Literal Translation
I came to be in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I was in the sprete on a sondaye, and herde behynde me, a gret voyce, as it had bene of a trompe,

Mace New Testament (1729)
there I was in an exstacy on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a loud voice, like the sound of a trumpet,

Amplified Bible
I was in the Spirit [in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the revelation from Jesus Christ] on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,

American Standard Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet

Revised Standard Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
I was in the sprete on a sondaye and herde behynde me a gret voyce as it had bene of a trompe

Update Bible Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet

Webster's Bible Translation
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Young's Literal Translation
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's-day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying,

New Century Version
On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet.

New English Translation
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

Berean Standard Bible
On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

Contemporary English Version
On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and behind me I heard a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet.

Complete Jewish Bible
I came to be, in the Spirit, on the Day of the Lord; and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet,

English Standard Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

Geneva Bible (1587)
And I was rauished in spirit on the Lordes day, and heard behinde me a great voyce, as it had bene of a trumpet,

George Lamsa Translation
The Spirit of prophecy came upon me on the LORD''S day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and,

Christian Standard Bible®
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet

Hebrew Names Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a shofar

International Standard Version
I came to be in the Spirit on the Day of the Lord, when I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet,[xr]

Etheridge Translation
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day; [fn] and I heard behind me a great voice as a trumpet, saying,

Murdock Translation
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day; and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, which said:

New King James Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

New Life Bible
I was under the Spirit's power on the Lord's Day when I heard a loud voice behind me like the loud sound of a horn.

English Revised Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet

New Revised Standard
I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I came to be, in Spirit, in the Lord's Day, and heard, behind me, a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

Douay-Rheims Bible
I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

King James Version
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Lexham English Bible
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great sound like a trumpet

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I was in the spirite on the Lordes day, and hearde behynde me a great voyce, as it had ben of a trumpe.

Easy-to-Read Version
On the Lord's Day, the Spirit took control of me. I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet.

New American Standard Bible
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,

Good News Translation
On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y was in spirit in the Lordis dai, and Y herde bihynde me a greet vois, as of a trumpe,

Contextual Overview

⁹ I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God's Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. ¹⁰ It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. ¹¹ It said, "Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." ¹² When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: Revelation 4:2, Revelation 17:3, Revelation 21:10, Matthew 22:43, Acts 10:10-33, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

on the: John 20:19, John 20:26, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2

as: Revelation 4:1, Revelation 10:3-8

Reciprocal: Exodus 16:23 - rest Exodus 19:16 - voice Exodus 24:16 - seventh day Leviticus 23:3 - General Numbers 24:4 - falling Numbers 28:9 - General Psalms 118:24 - the day Isaiah 56:6 - every Isaiah 58:1 - like Isaiah 58:13 - call Jeremiah 17:22 - neither do Ezekiel 3:12 - a voice Ezekiel 8:3 - the spirit Ezekiel 9:1 - cried Ezekiel 11:1 - the spirit Ezekiel 37:1 - hand Ezekiel 40:1 - hand Matthew 12:8 - General Mark 2:28 - General Mark 16:9 - the first Luke 1:41 - was Luke 2:27 - by Luke 6:5 - General Acts 21:4 - we Acts 22:17 - while 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - with the trump 2 Timothy 3:12 - shall Revelation 14:2 - of a

Cross-References

Genesis 1:4
And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Psalms 104:31
May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 met together to hear the word, and attend on ordinances,

Acts 20:7; and Justin Martyr z tells us, who lived within about fifty years after this time, that on the day called τη του

ηλιου ημερα, "Sunday", (by the Greeks,) the Christians met together in one place, and read the Scriptures, and prayed together, and administered the ordinance of the supper; and this, he adds, was the first day in which God created the World, and our Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the dead; yea, Barnabas a, the companion of the Apostle Paul, calls this day the eighth day, in distinction from the seventh day sabbath of the Jews, and which he says is the beginning of another world; and therefore we keep the eighth day, adds he, joyfully, in which Jesus rose from the dead, and being manifested, ascended unto heaven: and this day was known by the ancients by the name of "the Lord's day"; as by Ignatius b, Irenaeus c, Tertullian d, Origen e, and others; for it must be some day that was known by this name, otherwise it is mentioned to no purpose, because it would not be distinctive from others; for which reason it cannot merely design the day in which John saw this vision, because the Lord appeared on it to him, for this would not distinguish it from any other day. Some have conjectured that this was not the weekly Lord's day observed by the Christians, but the anniversary of Christ's resurrection; and so the Ethiopians still call Easter "Schambatah Crostos", the sabbath of Christ: to understand it of the former is best. Now, though John was driven from the house and worship of God, and could not join with the saints in the public worship of that day; yet he was employed in spiritual contemplations and exercises, and was under a more than ordinary influence of the Spirit of God; and his spirit or soul was wholly intent upon, and taken up with divine and spiritual things, with visions and representations that were made unto his mind, which he perceived in his spirit, and not with the organs of his body; he was in an ecstasy of spirit, and knew not scarcely whether he was in the body or out of it:

and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet; which was the voice of the Son of God, as appears by what it uttered, Revelation 1:11; and is afterwards said to be as the sound of many waters; and it was behind him, as in Isaiah 30:21, it came to him at an unawares, and surprised him, while he was in deep meditation on spiritual things: and it was a very "great" one; it was the voice of a great person, of the Son of God, and expressed great things, and was very sonorous and loud, it was like the sound of a trumpet; and this was partly to awaken the attention of John to it, and partly to express the certainty of the relation he gives of what it said; had it been a low muttering voice, it might be questioned whether John rightly understood it, and whether he might not be mistaken in the account of what he heard; but it being so loud and clear, there is no room for such a doubt.

z Apolog. 2. p. 98, 99. a Epist. c. 11. p. 244. Ed. Voss. b Epist. ad. Magnes. c. 9. c Apud Script. Quaest. & Respons. ad Orthodox. inter Justin. Opera, p. 468. d De Corona, c. 3. e Homil. in Exod. fol. 41. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 religious enjoyment, and was in a condition not inappropriate to the remarkable communications which were made to him on that day.

The state of mind in which he was at the time here referred to, is not such as the prophets are often represented to have been in when under the prophetic inspiration (compare Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 40:2; Jeremiah 24:1), and which was often accompanied with an entire prostration of bodily strength (compare Numbers 24:4); 1 Samuel 19:24; Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 10:8-10; Revelation 1:17), but such as any Christian may experience when in a high state of religious enjoyment. He was not yet under the prophetic ecstasy (compare Acts 10:10; Acts 11:5; Acts 22:17), but was, though in a lonely and barren island, and far away from the privileges of the sanctuary, permitted to enjoy, in a high degree, the consolations of religion - an illustration of the great truth that God can meet his people anywhere; that, when in solitude and in circumstances of outward affliction, when persecuted and cast out, when deprived of the public means of grace and the society of religious friends, He can meet them with the abundant consolations of His grace, and pour joy and peace into their souls. This state was not inappropriate to the revelations which were about to be made to John, but this itself was not that state. It was a state which seems to have resulted from the fact, that on that desert island he devoted the day to the worship of God, and, by honoring the day dedicated to the memory of the risen Saviour, found, what all will find, that it was attended with rick spiritual influences on his soul.

On the Lord’s day - The word rendered here as “Lord’s” (κυριακῇ kuriakē), occurs only in this place and in 1 Corinthians 11:20, where it is applied to the Lord’s supper. It properly means “pertaining to the Lord”; and, so far as this word is concerned, it might mean a day “pertaining to the Lord,” in any sense, or for any reason; either because he claimed it as his own, and had set it apart for his own service, or because it was designed to commemorate some important event pertaining to him, or because it was observed in honor of him. It is clear:

(1) That this refers to some day which was distinguished from all other days of the week, and which would be sufficiently designated by the use of this term.

(2) That it was a day which was for some reason regarded as especially a day of the Lord, or especially devoted to him.

(3) It would further appear that this was a day particularly devoted to the Lord Jesus; for:

(a)That is the natural meaning of the word “Lord” as used in the New Testament (compare the notes on Acts 1:24); and

(b)If the Jewish Sabbath were intended to be designated, the word “Sabbath” would have been used.

The term was used generally by the early Christians to denote the first day of the week. It occurs twice in the Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians (about 101 a.d.), who calls the Lord’s day “the queen and prince of all days.” Chrysostom (on Psalms 119:0) says, “It was called the Lord’s day because the Lord rose from the dead on that day.” Later fathers make a marked distinction between the “Sabbath” and the “Lord’s day”; meaning by the former the Jewish “Sabbath,” or the seventh day of the week, and by the latter the first day of the week, kept holy by Christians. So Theodoret (Fab. Haeret. ii. 1), speaking of the Ebionites, says, “They keep the Sabbath according to the Jewish law, and sanctify the Lord’s day in like manner as we do” (Prof. Stuart). The strong probability is, that the name was given to this day in honor of the Lord Jesus, and because he rose on that day from the dead. No one can doubt that it was an appellation given to the first day of the week; and the passage, therefore, proves:

(1) That that day was thus early distinguished in some special manner, so that the mere mention of it would be sufficient to identify it in the minds of those to whom the apostle wrote;

(2) That it was in some sense regarded as devoted to the Lord Jesus, or was designed in some way to commemorate what he had done; and,

(3) That if this book were written by the apostle John, the observance of that day has the apostolic sanction. He had manifestly, in accordance with a prevailing custom, set apart this day in honor of the Lord Jesus. Though alone, he was engaged on that day in acts of devotion. Though far away from the sanctuary, he enjoyed what all Christians hope to enjoy on such a day of rest, and what not a few do in fact enjoy in its observance. We may remark, in view of this statement:

(a) that when away from the sanctuary, and deprived of its privileges, we should nevertheless not fail to observe the Christian Sabbath. If on a bed of sickness, if in a land of strangers, if on the deep, if in a foreign clime, if on a lonely island, as John was, where we have none of the advantages of public worship, we should yet honor the Sabbath. We should worship God alone, if we have none to unite with us; we should show to those around us, if we are with strangers, by our dress and our conversation, by a serious and devent manner, by abstinence from labor, and by a resting from travel, that we devoutly regard this day as set apart for God.

(b) We may expect, in such circumstances, and with such a devout observance of the day, that God will meet with us and bless us. It was on a lonely island, far away from the sanctuary and from the society of Christian friends, that the Saviour met “the beloved disciple,” and we may trust it will be so with us. For on such a desert island, in a lonely forest, on the deep, or amid strangers in a foreign land, he can as easily meet us as in the sanctuary where we have been accustomed to worship, and when surrounded by all the privileges of a Christian land. No man, at home or abroad, among friends or strangers, enjoying the privileges of the sanctuary, or deprived of those privileges, ever kept the Christian Sabbath in a devout manner without profit to his own soul; and, when deprived of the privileges of public worship, the visitations of the Saviour to the soul may be more than a compensation for all our privations. Who would not be willing to be banished to a lonely island like Patmos, if he might enjoy such a glorious vision of the Redeemer as John was favored with there?

And heard behind me a great voice - A loud voice. This was of course sudden, and took him by surprise.

As of a trumpet - Loud as a trumpet. This is evidently the only point in the comparison. It does not mean that the tones of the voice resembled a trumpet, but only that it was clear, loud, and distinct like a trumpet. A trumpet is a well-known wind instrument, distinguished for the clearness of its sounds, and was used for calling assemblies together, for marshalling hosts for battle, etc. The Hebrew word employed commonly to denote a trumpet שׁופר showpar means “bright” and “clear,” and is supposed to have been given to the instrument on account of its clear and shrill sound, as we now give the name “clarion” to a certain wind-instrument. The Hebrew trumpet is often referred to as employed, on account of its clearness, to summon people together, Exodus 19:13; Numbers 10:10; Judges 7:18, etc.; 1 Samuel 13:3; 2 Samuel 15:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

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 Exodus 19:16; Exodus 19:19, &c.