Truly...but was John whisked away through time or through space? In other words, was John taken to the future or to another area to see more visions (which could be of the past, present, or future)?
The tabernacle (and later the temple) was designed to represent the heavenly dwelling place of the Almighty. First was the outer court, then the inner court (called the Holy Place), and then the Most Holy Place (where the ark of the covenant rested).
The ark of the covenant was the earthly representation of the throne, so it's safe to assume the Most Holy Place represented the throne room. Meanwhile, the area just before the Most Holy Place, the inner court, was where many holy furnishings were kept including the lampstand.
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When John enters into the spirit his visions begin with the Messiah in His priestly garments surrounded by the lampstands, where Messiah gives John His messages to take to each of the churches.
Revelation 1:12-13
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
But where are they? Where are the lampstands kept?
Paul reveals that there are (at least) three heavens (2 Corinthians 12:2). Some argue that the three are: sky, space, and The Almighty's dwelling...but notwithstanding, there's an accepted notion that there are different levels/stages/zones/areas to heaven. And if we trust that the Almighty gave Moses (and then Solomon) accurate blueprints then His heavenly dwelling indeed is separated into different areas.
So John was most likely is in the Holy Place as his visions begin; the inner court...and if he's there, then AFTER the inner court comes the vision of the throne room, the Most Holy Place. Notice what Revelation 4:1 says...
Revelation 4:1 [brackets mine]
After these things [Meta taura = "with or after it in accompaniment"] I looked, and behold, a door was standing open in heaven, and the first voice that I heard like a trumpet was speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show to you what must be after these things. [Meta taura = "with or after it in accompaniment"]"
Those "things" were objects John saw (which each represented something), He was then taken further in his vision to see things that appear AFTER the objects he just saw...in the throne room.
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Now if we skip forward in the book to chapter 12, notice that John is already in heaven at this point...and yet he sees a vision of a woman giving birth to a child (who will rule the nations) followed by a war in heaven when that child ascends. This vision is clearly of the birth of the Messiah and his ascension to the throne, which was an event in John's past as he was currently in exile on the island.
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So it's not necessarily as cut and dry to say everything he sees is the future when John enters heaven. See what I mean?
