Let him hear.—“For verily I say unto you, That many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”—Matt. 13:17. What the Spirit saith unto the churches.—Unto the seven epochs, ending, respectively, in A. D. 73, 325, 1160, 1378, 1518, 1874 and 1918. Revelation 4—The Author Of The Plan 4:1. After this.—After this first panorama of the seven stages of the Church had passed. I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven.—It is only as the Lord, who holds the key, opens the door to the understanding of Heavenly things, that we are able to comprehend them.—Matt. 3:16; Ezek. 1:1; Rev. 19:11. And BEHOLD the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me.—See comments on Rev. 1:1; 7:2. Which said, Come up hither.—Not that St. John went to Heaven at that time; he was merely given a vision of Heavenly things. (Rev. 11:12.) “The seer now obtains a higher spiritual standpoint.”—Cook. And I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.—The Divine Plan for the permission of evil. 4:2. [And] immediately I was in the spirit.—In a trance condition.—Acts 10:10; Rev. 1:10. And, behold, a Throne.—The Throne of the Heavenly Father.—Isa. 6:1; Ezek. 1:26‐28. Was set.—Permanently established. The same word as in, “This Child is _set_ for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.” (Luke 2:34.) “I am _set_ for the defence of the Gospel.”—Phil. 1:17. In Heaven.—“Whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.”—Heb. 6:20. And One.—Jehovah, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:3), the Author of the Divine Plan for the permission of evil, in the recreation of a perfect human race, and in the creation of a race of gods, sons of Himself. “God designed to _permit evil_, because, having the remedy provided for man’s release from its consequences, He saw that the result would be to lead him the more to love and honor his Creator, who is the source and fountain of all goodness, and forever to shun that which brought so much woe and misery.” (A. 124.) “Not only are men benefited to all eternity by the experience gained, and angels by their observation of man’s experiences, but all are further advantaged by a fuller acquaintance with God’s Character as manifested in His Plan. Had sin not been permitted, the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus and of His Church, the reward of which is the Divine nature, would have been impossible.”—A. 135. Sat on the Throne.—Of the Universe. “All can see the propriety of the Almighty’s decision that He shall be recognized as the Center of authority, wisdom, justice, love and power; for this is the _truth_, and anything else would be untruth and to that extent evil, injurious.”—E. _57_, 52; Rev. 7:10; Dan. 7:9.