,
"comparing spiritual things with spiritual," we must often refer to the
prophecies of the Old Testament,--to the second and seventh chapters of
Daniel in particular, because that prophet, while the church was captive
under the power of literal Babylon, was favoured with a discovery of the
purpose of God, that a succession of imperial powers should afterwards
arise to "try the patience and the faith of the saints." As in the case
of Pharaoh, so in the whole history of the rise, reign and overthrow of
succeeding persecuting powers, Jehovah's design was precisely the
same,--"to make his power known, and that his name might be declared
throughout all the earth." (Ex. ix. 16; Rom. ix. 17.) In connexion with
this, he would "glorify the riches of his grace on the vessels of mercy,
which he had afore prepared unto glory," by sustaining them in the
furnace of trial.

1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and
the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with
me; which said. Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must
be hereafter.

2. And immediately I was in the Spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:
and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an
emerald.

Verses 1-3.--"After these things," contained in the three preceding
chapters, the glorious vision of the mediatorial person, and the writing
and sending of the seven epistles; there seems to have intervened a
pause. While John was in expectation of farther discoveries of "things
which were to be thereafter," "behold, a door was opened in heaven," the
place of Jehovah's special residence. But as this "heaven" is sometimes
the theatre of _war_, (ch. xii. 7,) of course it is not to be taken
literally. As a symbol it generally signifies organized society, over
which the Most High presides. The "door opened" afforded the means to
John of seeing the objects within. The "voice as of a trumpet," which
arrested his attention, was that of Christ,--the "voice of the Lord,
full of majesty." (Ps. xxix. 4; ch. i. 10, 11.) John was in his own
apprehension, like Paul, "caught up into the third heaven," that he
might behold in glorious succession "things which must be hereafter."
Why _must_ they be? Simply because such was the "purpose of Him who
worketh all things after the counsel of his own wi