Apocalypse Revealed#36
36. I became in the spirit on the Lord's day. (1:10) This symbolizes a spiritual state then owing to Divine influx.
"I became in the spirit" means, symbolically, a spiritual state, the state in which John was while he was experiencing the visions, and which we will take up in the following exposition. "On the Lord's day" symbolizes influx from the Lord then, for that day brings the Lord's presence, as it is a holy day.
Concerning the prophets we read that they were in the spirit or in vision, and that the Word came to them from Jehovah.
When they were in the spirit or in vision, they were not in the body, but in their spirit, a state in which they saw phenomena such as are found in heaven. But when the Word came to them, they were then in the body and heard Jehovah speaking.
These two states of the prophets must be properly distinguished. In the state of vision the eyes of their spirit were open and the eyes of their body closed; and they heard then what angels said, and what Jehovah said through angels, and also saw representations produced for them in heaven. Moreover, they sometimes seemed to themselves to be taken then from place to place, their body remaining where it was.
[2] This was the state in which John was when he wrote the book of Revelation, and the state sometimes experienced by Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel. They also said that they were then in vision or in the spirit. For Ezekiel says,
The Spirit lifted me up... and brought me back into Chaldea, to those in captivity, in a vision (of God), in the spirit of God. (Thus) went up from me the vision that I had seen. (Ezekiel 11:1, 24)
He also says that the Spirit lifted him up, and he heard behind him an earthquake, and more (Ezekiel 3:12, 24). So, too, that the Spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven, that it brought him in visions of God to Jerusalem, and that he saw abominations (Ezekiel 8:3f.). He was likewise in a vision of God or in the spirit when he saw the four living creatures, which were cherubim (Ezekiel 1; 10), as also when he saw a new earth and a new temple, and an angel measuring them (Ezekiel 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48). That he was then in the visions of God, he himself says (Ezekiel 40:2), and that the spirit lifted him up (Ezekiel 43:5).
[3] The same was the case with Zechariah, who had an angel with him at the time, when he saw a man riding a horse among the myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8ff.); when he saw the four horns, and then a man with a measuring line in his hand (Zechariah 1:18; 2:1ff.); when he saw Joshua the high priest (Zechariah 3:1ff.); when he saw the lampstand and two olive trees (Zechariah 4:1ff.); when he saw the flying scroll and the ephah (Zechariah 5:1, 6); when he saw the four chariots coming from between two mountains, and the horses (Zechariah 6:1ff.).
Daniel was in a like state when he saw the four beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:1ff.), and when he saw the combat between the ram and the male goat (Daniel 8:1ff.). He himself says that he saw these things in visions (Daniel 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8), and that the angel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision (Daniel 9:21).
[4] The same was the case with John, as when he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands (Revelation 1), and finally, the new heaven and the new earth, and then the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Revelation 21, 22. John himself says that he saw these things in the spirit and in vision (1:10; 4:2; 9:17; 21:10). This, too, is meant by the statement, "I saw," everywhere it occurs in this book.
[5] It is clearly apparent from this that to be in the spirit is to be in a state of vision, which is brought about by an opening of the sight of a person's spirit; and when this is opened, phenomena found in the spiritual world are as clearly visible as those in the natural world are to the sight of the body.
The reality of this is something I can attest to from many years' experience.
The disciples were in this state when they saw the Lord after His resurrection, which is why are told that their eyes were opened (Luke 24:30-31).
Abraham was in a like state when he saw the three angels and spoke with them. 1
So, too, Hagar, Gideon, Joshua and others, when they saw angels of Jehovah. Likewise when Elisha's lad saw the mountain full of fiery chariots and horses all around Elisha, for Elisha prayed and said,
"Jehovah, open, I pray, his eyes that he may see." And Jehovah opened the eyes of the lad, and he saw. (2 Kings 6:17)
As regards the Word, however, it was not revealed in a state of the spirit or of vision, but the Lord dictated it to the prophets in an audible voice. Consequently we are nowhere told that the prophets spoke it from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah. See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, no. 53.
脚注:
如申命记 12
1
你們存活於世的日子,在耶和華─你們列祖的神所賜你們為業的地上,要謹守遵行的律例典章乃是這些:
2
你們要將所趕出的國民事奉神的各地方,無論是在高山,在小山,在各青翠樹下,都毀壞了;
3
也要拆毀他們的祭壇,打碎他們的柱像,用火焚燒他們的木偶,砍下他們雕刻的神像,並將其名從那地方除滅。
5
但耶和華─你們的神從你們各支派中選擇何處為立他名的居所,你們就當往那裡去求問,
6
將你們的燔祭、平安祭、十分取一之物,和手中的舉祭,並還願祭、甘心祭,以及牛群羊群中頭生的,都奉到那裡。
7
在那裡,耶和華─你們神的面前,你們和你們的家屬都可以吃,並且因你手所辦的一切事蒙耶和華─你的神賜福,就都歡樂。
8
我們今日在這裡所行的是各人行自己眼中看為正的事,你們將來不可這樣行;
9
因為你們還沒有到耶和華─你神所賜你的安息地,所給你的產業。
10
但你們過了約但河,得以住在耶和華─你們神使你們承受為業之地,又使你們太平,不被四圍的一切仇敵擾亂,安然居住。
11
那時要將我所吩咐你們的燔祭、平安祭、十分取一之物,和手中的舉祭,並向耶和華許願獻的一切美祭,都奉到耶和華─你們神所選擇要立為他名的居所。
12
你們和兒女、僕婢,並住在你們城裡無分無業的利未人,都要在耶和華─你們的神面前歡樂。
14
惟獨耶和華從你那一支派中所選擇的地方,你就要在那裡獻燔祭,行我一切所吩咐你的。
15
然而,在你各城裡都可以照耶和華─你神所賜你的福分,隨心所欲宰牲吃肉;無論潔淨人不潔淨人都可以吃,就如吃羚羊與鹿一般。
17
你的五穀、新酒,和油的十分之一,或是牛群羊群中頭生的,或是你許願獻的,甘心獻的,或是手中的舉祭,都不可在你城裡吃。
18
但要在耶和華─你的神面前吃,在耶和華─你神所要選擇的地方,你和兒女、僕婢,並住在你城裡的利未人,都可以吃;也要因你手所辦的,在耶和華─你神面前歡樂。
19
你要謹慎,在你所住的地方永不可丟棄利未人。
20
耶和華─你的神照他所應許擴張你境界的時候,你心裡想要吃肉,說:我要吃肉,就可以隨心所欲地吃肉。
21
耶和華─你神所選擇要立他名的地方若離你太遠,就可以照我所吩咐的,將耶和華賜給你的牛羊取些宰了,可以隨心所欲在你城裡吃。
22
你吃那肉,要像吃羚羊與鹿一般;無論潔淨人不潔淨人都可以吃。
23
只是你要心意堅定,不可吃血,因為血是生命;不可將血(原文作生命)與肉同吃。
25
不可吃血。這樣,你行耶和華眼中看為正的事,你和你的子孫就可以得福。
26
只是你分別為聖的物和你的還願祭要奉到耶和華所選擇的地方去。
27
你的燔祭,連肉帶血,都要獻在耶和華─你神的壇上。平安祭的血要倒在耶和華─你神的壇上;平安祭的肉,你自己可以吃。
28
你要謹守聽從我所吩咐的一切話,行耶和華─你神眼中看為善,看為正的事。這樣,你和你的子孫就可以永遠享福。
29
耶和華─你神將你要去趕出的國民從你面前剪除,你得了他們的地居住,
30
那時就要謹慎,不可在他們除滅之後隨從他們的惡俗,陷入網羅,也不可訪問他們的神說:這些國民怎樣事奉他們的神,我也要照樣行。
31
你不可向耶和華─你的神這樣行,因為他們向他們的神行了耶和華所憎嫌所恨惡的一切事,甚至將自己的兒女用火焚燒,獻與他們的神。
32
凡我所吩咐的,你們都要謹守遵行,不可加添,也不可刪減。