157. As man's spirit means his mind, therefore "being in the spirit" (a phrase sometimes used in the Word) means a state of mind separate from the body; and because in that state the prophets saw such things as exist in the spiritual world it is called "a vision of God." The prophets were then in a state like that of spirits and angels themselves in that world. In that state man's spirit like his mind in regard to sight, may be transferred from place to place, the body remaining meanwhile in its own place. This is the state in which I have now been for twenty-six years, with the difference, that I am in the spirit and in the body at the same time, and only at times out of the body. That Ezekiel, Zachariah, Daniel, and John when he wrote the Apocalypse, were in that state is evident from the following passages. Ezekiel says:
The spirit lifted me up, and brought me back in vision in the spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me (Ezek. 11:1, 24). That the spirit lifted him up, and he heard behind him an earthquake (Ezek. 3:12, 14). That the spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven and brought him to Jerusalem, and he saw abominations (Ezek. 8:3 seq.). That he saw four living creatures that were cherubim, and various things with them (Ezek. 1, 10). Also a new earth and a new temple, and an angel measuring them (Ezek. 40, 47). That he was then in vision and in the spirit (Ezek. 40:2; 43:5). [2] It was the same with Zachariah (in whom there was then an angel) when he saw:
A man riding among the myrtle trees (Zech. 1:8 seq.);
Four horns, and a man with a measuring line in his hand (Zech. 1:18; 2:1, 5 seq.);
Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3:1 seq.);
The lampstand and two olive trees (Zech. 4:1 seq.);
A flying roll and an ephah (Zech. 5:1, 6);
Four chariots going out from between two mountains, and horses (Zech 6:1-3). Daniel was in a like state:
When he saw the four great beasts coming up from the sea, and many things respecting them (Dan. 7:1-12);
When he saw the battles between the ram and the he-goat (Dan. 8:1-12);
All of which he saw in vision (Dan. 7:1, 2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7, 8); The angel Gabriel appeared to him in vision and talked with him (Dan. 9:21). [3] The same occurred to John when he wrote the Apocalypse; he said:
That he was in the spirit on the Lord's day (1:10);
That he was carried away in the spirit into the wilderness (17:3);
Upon a high mountain in spirit (21:10);
That he saw in vision (9:17);
and elsewhere that he saw the things he described; as when he saw the Son of man in the midst of the seven lampstands; the tabernacle, the temple, the ark and the altar, in heaven; a book sealed with seven seals, and horses going out of it; four living creatures around the throne; the twelve thousand elect from each tribe; the Lamb on Mount Zion; the locusts ascending from the abyss; the dragon, and his combat with Michael; the woman bringing forth a male child, and fleeing into the desert on account of the dragon; the two beasts, one ascending out of the sea and the other out of the earth; the woman sitting upon the scarlet beast; the dragon cast into the lake of fire and brimstone; the white horse and the great supper; the holy city Jerusalem descending, the gates, walls, and foundations of which he described; the river of the water of life, and the trees of life bearing fruit every month; and many other things. Peter, James, and John were in a like state when they saw Jesus transfigured, and Paul when he heard from heaven things ineffable.