just a small heads up, just because the word "church" is not mentioned in Revelation 9-21 does not automatically mean it's not being talked about...
Mark, Luke, John, 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, Jude, or Romans 1-15 do not mention the word "church", but that does not mean that the church is not being described, or being talked about... all that is is wishful thinking and more eisogesis
I am not trying to be rude but by using the same token of logic, just because you or I post here on this site and in these threads does not automatically mean that we know what we are talking about. Right! Let's be honest, you and I might just be a couple of non-thinking
aphrons that come here to this site to speak of things that we know nothing about. Why should anyone listen to what we have to say?
If you are a student of the word of God, there is a certain weight given to things that are omitted within a context, especially when chronology is importance to the events being addressed. The subject of the action of the verbs (whether passive or active) and the direct or indirect objects of those verbs are vital to understand in the scheme of what is being taught and revealed. The gospels say very little about the church because God gave that mystery revelation of the church and Christ's relationship to it through the apostle Paul. But if you are a student you know that, right?
You also know that the revelation given to John is a chronology of future events that would take place with a message to the seven churches that would represent seven periods of time that the church would go through that could also be applied to any local church concerning their doctrine, practice and relationship to Christ. The revelation to those churches pertained to things that must shortly come to pass / Rev 1:1 and are ended in Rev 3:22 and you have to have an ear to hear what the Spirit was saying. Then John is given a new revelation of things that must be hereafter in Rev 4. I will not speculate as to the following passages of scripture but will only comment on what is written.
The following is only an observation of the scriptures in relationship to Location, Time (
concerning the things revealed) and Voice . In Rev 1:9,10 John was given the revelation to the seven churches when he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day while on the isle of Patmos and he heard from behind a great voice as of a trumpet. He was told of things that must shortly come to past / Rev 1:1.
Location ~ in the Spirit on the Isle of Patmos
Time ~ things that must shortly come to pass
Voice ~ trumpet from behind
ln Rev 4:1,2 John looked and a door was opened in heaven and the first voice he heard was of a trumpet talking with him. The voice said, 'Come up hither' and I will show you things that must be hereafter. John was in the Spirit and beheld a throne in heaven and the One that sat upon it.
Location ~ in the Spirit in heaven before the throne
Time ~ things that must come hereafter
Voice ~ trumpet that came through the open door in heaven that was in front of him
The book of Revelation may be a difficult book to interpret correctly but it can be complicated when speculation is added to or taken away from its message and content which Jesus Christ had warned against in / Rev 22:18,19.
Final comment ~ John was on the isle of Patmos getting revelation about things that must shortly come to pass concerning the church that was on the earth but when he got revelation about things that must come hereafter, he had to '
come up hither' and enter into heaven through and open door and behold the throne. His location changed from earth to heaven and in heaven he got the revelation about those events that would take place that involved the great tribulation in Rev 7:14. I won't speculate what that means but I will take it as it is written. I'll stop here.