At once I was in the Spirit: see the comments at 1.10. New Revised Standard Version has “At once I was in the spirit,” by which an ecstatic experience is meant, although this is a very unusual way in English of saying that (note An American Translation “I found myself in a trance”; Barclay “I fell into a trance”; New Jerusalem Bible “I fell into ecstasy”). The main justification for translating this way is the fact that in Greek the word “spirit” does not have the definite article; this, however, does not prove that the writer is talking about an ecstatic experience that has nothing to do with God’s Spirit. On the supposition that God’s Spirit is meant, there are several ways to translate: “The Spirit came upon me” (Translator’s New Testament); “I knew myself to be inspired by the Spirit” (Phillips); “I fell under the power of the Spirit” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); “I was overpowered by the Spirit” (Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). It is preferable to refer specifically to the presence and action of God’s Spirit. So “God’s Spirit took control of me” is also a justifiable rendering.

Lo: see “Behold” in 1.7. In many languages the equivalent of lo in this context will be “I saw….”

A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne: for throne see 1.4; 2.13. The verb translated stood is better represented in English by “was” or “was placed”; it denotes simply location, without any indication as to how it got there. New American Bible, Revised has “A throne was there in heaven.” The one sitting on it is described in verses 4-5 but never identified by name. If possible, a translation should avoid saying specifically that God is the one who is sitting there. In later visions John does identify God by name (7.10, 15; 12.5; 19.4).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• At once God’s Spirit took control of me, and I saw there in heaven a throne on which someone was sitting.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .