When John had heard Christ’s voice, commanding him to climb up, he had to be in the spirit or, put better, in the Spirit. That was necessary. He cannot just move over there in his own spirit, but he must be taken there by the Holy Spirit. No one climbs up there except the One who descended from there, such as Christ Himself1 or the angels2 or the Holy Spirit.3
Jesus had left the Glory behind that He possessed from eternity and entered into the darkness of this world, which is territory occupied by demons.4 He came as the Child in the crib at Bethlehem, born under the law, born of a woman.5 The eternal and everlasting Word of God became flesh. Angels sometimes come down from Heaven, and return there,6 as they did on the night that Jesus was born. On the Day of Pentecost, the exalted Christ sends the Spirit of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to earth, to Jews,7 Samaritans (half-Jews)8 and Gentiles.9 The Holy Spirit remains with us—through rebirth even in us—so that Christ, through His Spirit, can live in the hearts of people10 whose bodies thus become Temples of the Holy Spirit,11 in which God lives. The Spirit takes John “in the Spirit” and transports him—whether or not physically12—to and into Heaven. And he sees!
There was a throne in Heaven, and on that throne a person, the figure of a human being! What must have gone through John’s mind? He had fallen on his face, as dead before Christ, prostrated at His feet as a dead man.13 Now he climbs up in the Spirit and sees the throne. It does not say so, but he must have had a feeling of indescribable awe, like Moses when he appeared before God, with the people standing far away,14 or like Elijah at Horeb, God’s mountain,15 or Elisha when Elijah ascended to Heaven,16 and Isaiah,17 and Ezekiel18 and Daniel.19
There is the throne. “Heaven is My throne and earth My footstool,” says the Lord.20 “You may not swear by Heaven because Heaven is God’s throne,” says the Lord Jesus,21 ‘and whoever has sworn by Heaven, swears by God’s throne, and by He Who is seated thereon,” He says.22 “The Heavens, even the highest Heaven, cannot contain You,” says Solomon.23
No further description of the throne is given, nor of the person sitting on it. Daniel describes that person as an ‘Ancient of days’, an ‘Eternal One’, an Eternal Ancient of days, the Eternal One. His raiment was as white as snow and the hair on His head as white as wool—compare this with the description of Christ in Revelation 1:14. He apparently looks like the Father—to Whom the Son of man is caught up!
He describes the throne as consisting of flames of fire and wheels.24 Ezekiel sees lapis lazuli, a blue-coloured precious stone that had the form of a throne with a figure on it, who looked like a man. He saw something glowing like metal, with fire from his waist up, surrounded by brilliant light, and with fire downwards from his waist, surrounded by a radiance.25 “He lives in unapproachable light,” says Paul.26
The Spirit allows John to see something of Him, without being consumed as a sinner by the radiance of the Majesty. One can only enter into the ‘Heavenlies’ when Jesus by His Holy Spirit permits it. For Jesus is the Door.27
No one can see God and live. The prophet Isaiah says: “I am ruined.” We read in chapter 6:1-5 “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the Temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of Him who called out, while the Temple was filling with smoke. “Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
The Israelites tell Moses in Exodus 20:19: “Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”
And the Lord tells Moses in Exodus 33:18 and 20 “Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your Glory!”…” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”
Bible References:
1.Ephesians 4:9–10; John 6:38 2.Matthew 28:2 3.Matthew 3:16 4.Matthew 4:8–9 5.Galatians 4:4 6.Luke 2:8–15 7.Acts 4:10 8.Acts 8:14–17 9.Acts 10:44–45 10. Romans 8:11 11. 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 and 6:19 12. 2 Corinthians 12:1–4 13. Revelation 1:17 14. Exodus 20:18–21; 24:9-18; 33:18-23; 34:29-35 15. 1 Kings 19:8–13 16. 2 Kings 2:11–12 17. Isaiah 6:5 18. Ezekiel 1:28 to 2:2, 3:15 and 22–23 19. Daniel 10:8–10 20. Isaiah 66:1 21. Matthew 5:34 22. Matthew 23:22 23. 1 Kings 8:27 24. Daniel 7:9 and 13 25. Ezekiel 1:26–27 26. 1 Timothy 6:16 27. John 10:1–9
