INTRO: Well, we have now come to the final message of the Pilgrim's Progress. I have not read a book or heard messages or come across any other material that covers life here and now to the new heaven and new earth from a chronological, personal perspective. Interestingly, sometimes when we speak of these future things it all seems a big mystery to us so, when we think of heaven there it all seems to come to an end. Then, to justify our lack of understanding anything beyond taht, we quote from the Scriptures this verse, "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him." That seems to give us a reason why we know so little about what lies ahead. But I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 2:10, the verse following the one just quoted and notice what the Scripture goes on to say: "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit." So, if we diligently study the Scriptures, in which the Spirit reveals these future things to us, we can understand things far beyond the simple fact that we go to heaven after we die.
We have considered the Church age believer's pilgrimage in four phases: Phase one, from initial salvation to death or the rapture; phase two, from the rapture until we are prepared to return to earth on white horses; phase three, from the return to earth until we go back to heaven; phase four, the return to the new earth. In phase four we have been considering the new heavens and the new earth. We have seen what changes take place and what will and will not be on the new earth. This morning we consider the new Jerusalem, and we will seek to describe it (read 21:1a). |
