After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. (Rev 4:1-2 NKJ)

John writes to the seven churches of Asia Minor that were under his pastoral care; he had a word from the Lord for them.  That word showed them:

1.      A distinctive character trait about the Lord.

2.      He knew them and the things they needed to correct.

3.      Their reward for the overcomer

Now the reader would get a glimpse of heaven through an open door.  Is this a physical door or just John’s way of depicting something that was once closed to him but is now open for him to see? John is still in the spirit (1:10) when an angelic being calls him to come up or come higher, immediately, he is in the presence of God. John isn’t the first to be caught up into the presence of God, Isaiah and Ezekiel both mention a heavenly experience. If John, Isaiah and Ezekiel saw what they did within their mortal limitations how much more will we experience when we to enter God’s presence?

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa 6:1-4 NKJ)

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. (Eze 1:24-2:1 NKJ)