ely I was in the spirit," implying that the
vision recorded in chapter 1, which was given on the Lord's day, had
been interrupted and that a new one now began when the angel with
trumpet voice gave summons for him to ascend to heaven "in the spirit"
(or under the influence of the spirit of prophecy) to behold the events
of the future, passing before him as a vast moving picture.

This fact of John's ascension to heaven to behold certain visions of the
future (which begin properly with chapter 6) will serve to explain many
allusions to things said to occur in heaven, merely signifying that John
was in heaven when these things were revealed to him, although their
fulfilment was intimately connected with the affairs of the church on
earth, for whose benefit the Revelation was given and unto whom it was
sent.

When the apostle ascended through the door that had been opened unto
him, the first object that met his vision and absorbed his soul was a
throne with the Almighty seated upon it, around whom all the inhabitants
of heaven were assembled. No symbol of God is given, for the reason that
there is no analagous object that can be chosen as his representative.
True, John saw a throne, but that is a symbol, not of God himself, but
of his supreme power and authority. One was seated upon the throne
separate from the throne itself. It is not said that a jasper or a
sardine stone was seated thereon, for that would be to make such an
object the representative of God; but he that sat on the throne "was to
look upon" like a jasper or sardine stone. The jasper mentioned was in
all probability the diamond, and is described in chapter 21:11 as a
stone most precious, clear as crystal; while the sardine stone was a
brilliant gem of a red hue. This description naturally suggests the
vestments of a great monarch in a position of authority upon his throne.
The main idea, then, as here expressed, is that the appearance of the
Almighty was so inexpressibly glorious that it could be likened to
nothing except the beauty of the most resplendent gems. But God himself
appears in his own person, unrepresented by another, for the reason, as
above stated, that no inferior intelligence of earth or heaven can
analagously represent the uncreated Deity.

The throne of the omnipotent One was surrounded by a beautiful rainbow
of emerald clearness, and was probably a perfect one, or a complete
circle, such as ours would be could it come wholly into our si