Rebecca Ruter Springer (1832–1904) first published her
vision of heaven in the early 1900s. Mrs. Springer was unconscious
for some days while the vision was unveiled to her; the vision
itself covers a period of years. Rebecca Springer said each person
would need to draw his or her own conclusions about the vision, but
she had reported it as it had come to her at the time. She came to
understand the vision as a series of basic instructions about
heaven rather than a revelation of the past or future. She said the
initial instructions from the vision came in the form of
illustrations, in a style as if one were teaching truths to
children. Then, the application and meaning of these illustrations
were given. Rebecca wrote, “I am painfully aware of the fact that I
can never paint for others the scenes as they appeared to me during
those wonderful days…with the hope that it may comfort and uplift
some who read, even as it then did, and as its memory ever will do
for me, I submit this imperfect sketch of a most perfect
vision.”