ed. But there is an intense longing at times to know more about them,
where they are, what they are doing, how much they know of things down
here. These thoughts _will_ come crowding in upon us.

Now here is some light. _All_ the questions are not answered. But there
comes clear, sweet light to comfort our hearts during the waiting time
until we shall be joined with them again. We are given here in John's
Revelation the first clear, definite glimpse into the upper world. It is
told us in the language of earth of course. It must be, else we would
not understand. But clearly there is a glory and happiness clear beyond
what earthly words can tell.

This is the first glimpse into heaven given us in this old Book of God.
Jacob wakes up in his dream and sees a ladder set up connecting earth
and heaven, and the angels going up and returning again while God talks
with him. It means much to him, but gives us no answer to our questions,
except to make plain that there is a very real and wondrous world up
there where our loved ones go.

Moses is up in the mount with God for six weeks nearly, twice over, but
there is no suggestion of what he may have seen; only the transfiguring
change in his face, and the strongly gentling change in his character.

Ezekiel finds the heavens opening and sees the vision, so like John's,
of the wondrous Man. Stephen looks up steadfastly into heaven and sees
the resplendent glory of God, and the crucified Jesus standing at the
right hand of God. Paul is caught up into heaven, not improbably at the
time that his body lay bruised and bleeding and apparently lifeless
outside Lystra. But the sights he sees and the over-awing glory are too
much to be told. But here John is taken up in vision into the heavens,
into the presence of God, and sees much, and tells us what he sees.

It was after the vision of the glorified Man and His message. John is
sitting thinking on all he has seen and heard, thinking back to Ephesus
and the other Churches he knew so well. He is wondering perhaps _how_ he
_can_ tell them what, whom, he has seen; and wondering too how he can
tell them this message entrusted to him.

The holy spell is still strong upon him, when all at once he noticed
what looks like a door, a door opened above him in the blue. And as he
is looking, astonished, that same voice that had been speaking with him
before speaks again. He is bidden to "come up hither," and he will be
shown the things that are t