John was on Patmos. But the Holy Spirit transported him in visionary means into heaven so that he saw what is happening in God’s dwelling. John does not mean that he was physically absent from Patmos for a given period of time. Rather, on Patmos he received a vision so that his observation deck was in heaven. A similar thing had happened to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:12–15; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:1, Ezekiel 11:24).
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.