dst of them (1:12-16)

a throne in heaven, and One sitting on the throne, and around it four
beasts, which were cherubim (4)

the book of life taken by the Lamb (5)

horses coming out from the book (6)

seven angels with trumpets (8)

the pit of the abyss opened, and locusts coming out a dragon, and its
battle with Michael (12)

two beasts, rising, one from the sea and the other from the land (13)

a woman seated on a scarlet beast (17)

Babylon destroyed (18)

a white horse, and One seated on it (19)

a new heaven and a new earth, and the holy Jerusalem descending from
heaven (21)

the river of the water of life (22).

That he saw these "in the vision of the spirit" is said 1:10; 4:2; 5:1;
6:1; 21:1, 2.

[4] Such were the visions which appeared from heaven to the sight of the
spirit of these men, but not to their bodily sight. Such visions do not
occur at this day because if they did, they would not be understood
inasmuch as they are produced by representations the details of which
signify internal things of the church and arcana of heaven. Daniel also
foretold (9:24) that they would cease when the Lord came into the world.

Diabolic visions, however, have occurred at times, incited by fanatical
and visionary spirits who in their delirium called themselves the Holy
Spirit. But those spirits have now been gathered together by the Lord and
cast into a hell separate from the hells of others. There are also
phantasmal visions which are merely the illusions of an estranged mind.

All this makes clear that no one can be reformed by any visions other
than those in the Word.

134 r. The fact that no one is reformed by communication with the dead is
plain from the Lord's words about the rich man in hell and Lazarus in
Abraham's bosom.

For the rich man said, I ask you, father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my
father's house, for I have five brothers, to testify to them lest they
also come into this place of torment. Abraham said to him, They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. But he said, No, father
Abraham, but if some one will go to them from the dead, they will repent.
He replied, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, they will not be
persuaded either if one should arise from the dead (Lu 16:27-31).

Communication with the dead would have the same result as miracles (of
which just above), namely, that a man would be influenced and driven into
worship for a short time. But as this depri