I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Ver. 10. I was in the Spirit] Acted by him, and carried out of himself, as the demoniac is said to be in the unclean spirit, as being acted and agitated by him. See Trapp on " 2Pe 1:21 "
On the Lord's day] The first day of the week, the Christian sabbath, Matthew 24:20, called the Lord's day, from Christ the author of it; as is likewise the Lord's supper, and the Lord's Church, kirk, κυριακη, the very word here used. To sanctify this sabbath was in the primitives a badge of a Christian. For when the question was asked, Servasti Dominicum? Keepest thou the sabbath? The answer was returned, Christianus sum, intermittere non possum, I am a Christian, I must keep the Lord's day. This day was also called anciently dies lucis, the day of light (as Junius observeth), partly because baptism (which the ancients called φωτισμον), was administered on that day; but principally, because by the duties of this day rightly performed, the minds of men are illuminated, and they translated out of darkness into Christ's marvellous light.
And heard behind me] Not before me; implying that the Spirit calleth upon us, being secure, passing by, and not regarding those things it calls for.
As of a trumpet] To teach us that the things here delivered to the Church must be ever sounding in our ears and hearts, indwelling richly in us, Colossians 3:16. I confess the matter is very mysterious and obscure. Hence Cajetan's exponat cui Deus concesserit, Let him expound it that can; I can say little to it. Hence Calvin (as Bodine reports him, Method. Hist. vii.) being asked his opinion about the Revelation, ingenuously confessed, se penitus ignorare quid velit tam obscurus scriptor, &c., That he, for his part, knew not what to make of it. Hence also Graserus, Mihi inquit, tota Apocalypsis valde obscura videtur; et talis cuius explicatio citra periculum vix queat tentari; Methinks, saith he, the whole book of the Revelation is wondrous dark, and indeed such as without danger of doing amiss, a man can hardly take in hand to interpret. I confess that I have hitherto profited less by the reading of no part of the Bible than by this so very dark a prophecy: thus he. Howbeit difficulty doth but whet on heroic spirits; and obscurity should not weaken but waken our diligence. God would have us to inquire into these things, though they be far above us; what else meaneth this trumpet, and that blessing so solemnly proclaimed with the sound of a trumpet, to him that readeth, and those that hear the words of this prophecy? Revelation 1:3. All cannot read, but all must hear. And let him that readeth or heareth, understand, Matthew 24:15. What if there be a veil laid over this Revelation, will it not be ratified by reading, and by degrees wholly worn away? Especially, if when we open the book we pray with David, "Lord, open mine eyes, that I may see the wondrous things of thy word:" and not pray only, but weep, as St John did, till this sealed book were opened.