26. I repeat my solemn declaration that these events took place and these things were said as reported, the earlier ones in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and the later ones in the heavenly community to which the angel with the trumpet belongs, who was my guide. Would anyone in Christendom have known anything about heaven and its joys and happiness, the knowledge of which is the same as the knowledge of salvation, if it had not been the Lord's pleasure to open up the sight of someone's spirit and show and instruct him? It is perfectly plain that this kind of thing happens in the spiritual world from what was seen and heard by the Apostle John, as described in the Book of Revelation. For instance, he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lamp-stands [Rev. 1:12, 13]; the tabernacle, temple, ark and altar in heaven [15:5, 8; 11:19; 6:9; 8:3; 9:13]; the book sealed with seven seals, its opening and the horses coming out of it [5:1; 6:1, 2, 4, 5, 8]; the four beasts around the throne [4:6]; the twelve thousand chosen from each tribe [7:4-8]; the locusts coming up from the abyss [9:3, 7]; the dragon and its battle with Michael [12:7]; the woman who bore a male child and who fled unto the desert because of the dragon [12:1, 2, 5, 6]; the two beasts, one coming up from the sea, the other from the land [13:1, 11]; the woman sitting on the scarlet beast [17:3]; the dragon cast out into a pool of fire and brimstone [20:3, 10]; the white horse and the great feast [19:11, 17]; the new heaven and the new earth, and the holy Jerusalem coming down with the description of its gates, wall and the foundations of the wall [21:1, 2, 12, 14, 17-20]; and the river of the water of life, and the trees of life that bear fruit every month [22:1, 2]. There are many other things too all of which John saw, when he was in the spirit in the spiritual world and in heaven. Moreover, there are the things seen by the Apostles after the Lord's resurrection, and later by Peter (Acts chapter 11), as well as seen and heard by Paul.
There are too the visions of the prophets. For instance, Ezekiel saw the four beasts which were cherubim (Ezek., chapters 1 and 10); the new temple and the new earth and the angel measuring them (chapters 40-48); his being taken off to Jerusalem and seeing abominations there, and being taken to Chaldea into captivity (chapters 8 and 11). Zechariah had similar experiences; he saw a man riding among the myrtles (Zech. 1:8ff); four horns, and then a man, carrying in his hand a measuring-line (2:1ff); a lamp-stand and two olive trees (4:1ff); a flying scroll and a barrel (5:1, 6); four chariots coming from between two mountains, and their horses (6:1ff). Equally Daniel saw four beasts coming up from the sea (Dan. 7:1ff); the fighting between the ram and the he-goat (8:1ff); the angel Gabriel with whom he had a long conversation (chapter 9). Elisha's boy saw chariots and horses of fire around Elisha; and he saw these when his eyes had been opened [2 Kings 6:17].
It is clear from these and many other passages in the Word that the things which come about in the spiritual world have been seen by many both before and after the Lord's coming. Is it surprising that the same has happened now too, when a church is starting up, and the New Jerusalem is coming down from the Lord out of heaven?
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church