36. Verse 10. I became in the spirit on the Lord's day, signifies a spiritual state then from Divine influx. "I became in the spirit," signifies the spiritual state in which he was when he was in visions, which state is treated of in what follows. "On the Lord's day," signifies influx then from the Lord; for on that day the Lord is present, because the day is holy. From which it is evident, that "I became in the spirit on the Lord's day," signifies a spiritual state then from Divine influx. Of the prophets we read that they were "in the spirit" or "in vision," also 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, in which state they saw such things as are in heaven; but when the Word came to them, then they were in the body, and heard Jehovah speaking. These two states of the prophets are to be carefully distinguished. In the state of vision the eyes of their spirit were opened, and the eyes of their body shut; and then they heard what the angels spoke; or what Jehovah spoke through the angels, and they also saw the things which were represented to them in heaven; and then they sometimes seemed to themselves to be carried from place to place, the body remaining in its place. [2] In this state was John when he wrote Revelation; and sometimes also Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel; and then it is said that they were " in vision," or "in the spirit"; for Ezekiel says:
The spirit took me up, and brought me back into Chaldea to the captivity in a vision of God, in the Spirit of God; thus the vision which I saw went up upon me (Ezek.11:1, 24). It is said also that the spirit took him up, and he heard behind him an earthquake, and other things (Ezek. 3:12, 24); also that:
The spirit lifted him up between the earth and heaven, and brought him in the visions of God to Jerusalem, and he saw abominations (Ezek. 8:3 seq.). In like manner he was in a vision of God, or in the spirit, when he saw the four animals which were cherubs (Ezek. 1 and 10); as also when he saw the new earth and the new temple, and the angel measuring them (Ezek. 40-48); and it is said that he was in the visions of God (Ezek. 40:2); and that the spirit took him up (Ezek. 43:5). [3] The same was the case with Zechariah, with whom there was an angel at the time, when he saw the man riding among the myrtle trees (Zech. 1:8 seq.); when he saw four horns, and afterwards a man, in whose hand was a measuring line (Zech. 2:1, 5 seq.); when he saw Joshua, the high priest (Zech. 3:1 seq.); when he saw the lampstand and the two olive trees (Zech. 4:1 seq.); when he saw the flying roll and the ephah (Zech. 5:1, 6); and when he saw the four chariots coming out from between two mountains, and horses (Zech. 6:1 seq.). In a similar state was Daniel; when he saw four beasts coming up out of the sea (Dan. 7:1 seq.). And when he saw the battle of the ram and the he-goat (Dan. 8:1 seq.). That he saw these things in visions, he himself said (Dan. 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8), and that the angel Gabriel was seen by him in a vision (Dan. 9:21). [4] It was the same with John; as when he saw the Son of man in the midst of the seven lampstands (Rev. 1); when he saw a throne in heaven, and Him that sat thereon, and four animals round about the throne (Rev. 4); when he saw the book sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5); when he saw the four horses going forth out of the book that was opened (Rev. 6); when he saw the four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth (Rev. 7); when he saw the locusts going forth out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9); when he saw the angel in whose hand was a little book, which he gave him to eat (Rev. 10); when he heard the seven angels sound with their trumpets (Rev. 11); when he saw the dragon, and the woman whom the dragon persecuted, and the combat of the latter with Michael (Rev. 12); and afterwards, two beasts coming up, one out of the sea, and the other out of the earth (Rev. 13); when he saw the seven angels having the seven last plagues (Rev. 15-16); when he saw the harlot sitting upon the scarlet beast (Rev. 17-18); and afterwards, a white horse, and One sitting thereon (Rev. 19); and lastly, a new heaven and a new earth, and then the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Rev. 21-22). That John saw these things "in the spirit," and "in vision," he himself says (Rev. 1:10; 4:2; 9:17; 21:10); this also is meant by "I saw" wherever it occurs. [5] From these things it is evident that to be "in the spirit" is to be "in vision"; which is effected by the opening of the sight of man's spirit; which, when it is opened, the things which are in the spiritual world appear as clearly as the things which are in the natural world appear before the sight of the body. I can testify that it is so, from the experience of many years. In this state the disciples were when they saw the Lord after His resurrection, wherefore it is said that: "Their eyes were opened" (Luke 24:30, 31). Abraham was in a similar state when he saw the three angels, and spoke with them. So were Hagar, Gideon, Joshua, and others, when they saw the angels of Jehovah; and, in like manner, the boy of Elisha, when he saw the mountain full of chariots and horses of fire round about Elisha; for:
Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray, open his eyes that he may see; and Jehovah opened the eyes of the boy, and he saw (2 Kings 6:17). But as to the Word, it was not revealed in a state of the spirit or in vision, but was dictated to the prophets by the Lord by the living voice; therefore, it is nowhere said that they spoke it from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah; see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord (n. 53).
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