Revelation 4: 1

After the messages to the seven churches, the Holy Spirit moves John along in the vision. So John is transported from earth to heaven. The scene begins with John seeing an open door. He then hears a trumpet-like voice telling him, “Come up here, and I will show you things that must take place after these things” (referring to chapters 1-3’s seven messages to the seven churches current circumstances). Here then, the purpose is to move on to things of the future (Chapters 4-22).

The open door was the door of the heavenly temple. Through the door, John was taken to the throne room of God.

A popular interpretation of what I just described is that John represents the whole church. Therefore, it is the church that is taken up to heaven. Proponents of this view label it as “the secret rapture.” This ignores the fact that prior to this scene, these same interpreters cast John just a man, and not as a symbolic church writing to the literal seven churches.

The “secret rapture” interpreters go on to supposedly prove that they’re right. They say that the church – after Chapter 4’s “Come up Here” scene – isn’t mentioned as being on earth again until it returns with Christ and the Millennium era begins (Chapters 19, 20). That ignores the fact that the church is mentioned several times as being on earth; for example, in Rev. 7: 3; 9: 4; 14: 1. 

The interpretation of John as the church was obviously conjured out of thin air, so as to fit the “secret rapture” narrative. That narrative doesn’t have a biblical basis and is detrimental to the salvation of many. I’ve more detail on this satanic teaching in my long-form article called Secret Rapture Needs to be Left Behind. Also check out 7 Years of Tribulation Is Not Biblical.