Speaking of the World to Come

Q: What does the Bible say about the world to come?

The Bible speaks of a coming world where sin, sorrow, and death will be no more, as seen in Revelation 21:1-4. The Bible describes the world to come as a place free from sin, sorrow, and death. Revelation 21:1-4 paints a picture of a new heaven and a new earth where God will dwell with His people, wiping away every tear and eliminating pain and death. This future hope is foundational to Christian faith, encouraging believers to set their affections on things above rather than on earthly matters, as stated in Hebrews 2:5, which emphasizes that the world to come is where our focus ought to be.

Q: Why is looking towards heaven important for Christians?

Looking towards heaven helps Christians prioritize spiritual matters over earthly concerns, enhancing their hope and faith. Christians are reminded to set their affections above, as it is crucial for maintaining faith in this present evil world. By focusing on the world to come, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, believers find their hope and strength amid earthly trials and tribulations. The encouragement to 'not mind the things of the flesh' helps Christians navigate life's pressures, according to Hebrews 2:5, aligning their lives with God's eternal promises instead of temporary worldly pleasures and uncertainties.

Q: How do we know the promises of God regarding heaven are true?

God's promises regarding heaven are affirmed through scripture, which declares them as true and faithful. The certainty of God's promises about heaven stems from the authority of Scripture itself. In Revelation 21, we see John affirming that the words of God regarding the new creation are true and faithful. Additionally, throughout Scripture, God has consistently demonstrated His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. The believer's assurance is anchored in Christ's victory over sin and death, as well as the witness of the Holy Spirit, which empowers faith in God's revealed truth, confirming that we will one day dwell with Him eternally.

Q: Why is the theme of the world to come central to the gospel?

The world to come encapsulates the hope of eternal life and redemption found in the gospel message. The theme of the world to come is central to the gospel because it represents the culmination of God's redemptive plan for humanity. Through Christ's death and resurrection, believers are assured of a future where sin and suffering are eradicated. The gospel offers hope that surpasses the trials of this life, compelling Christians to live in anticipation of the eternal state where righteousness dwells, as exemplified in passages like 1 Peter 3:13. This focus encourages believers to persevere through present afflictions with the hope of future glory.

After singing that hymn, let's go before the Lord and thank him for his church and for the great, great blessing we have to be here this morning. Our merciful Heavenly Father, how thankful we are that our husband, loved his bride and laid down his life for her. The body of Christ, your church. Lord, forgive us for not being as grateful and thoughtful as we ought to be concerning the great blessing of gathering together in the name of our Savior and opening thy word and having the great promise of thy presence with us. Thank you for the blessing of your Holy Spirit that enables us to worship and enables us to come and enables us to believe. Lord, we depend upon your precious Holy Spirit to bless your word to our hearts this morning, enabling us to worship in spirit and according to the truth revealed in thy word concerning Christ. Lord, we thank you. We ask it in Christ's name, amen. Let's open our Bibles to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 2. There's a verse in Hebrews chapter 2 that I want us to concentrate our thoughts on this morning, this first hour. It's verse 5.

For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection, and here's the message, the world to come, whereof we speak. The world to come, whereof we speak. When the Lord speaks of not minding the things of the flesh, what he's referring to is looking to fleshly means as the hope of our salvation. We mind the things of the spirit, not the things of the flesh in regard to the hope of our salvation.

That having been said, how much time and how much energy we all spend in this world minding the things of the flesh. We are pressed with earthly responsibilities. We are far too often disquieted with earthly uncertainties and earthly fears. We are tempted with earthly pleasures.

The Lord tells us to set our affections not on the things of the earth, but on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. My hope and prayer this morning is that for these few minutes that we have together today, that the Lord will enable us to do just that. To not mind the things of the flesh, but to set our affections on those things above where Christ is seated, the world that is to come, whereof we speak. How much of scripture, how much of God's word is written to remind us to look away from the world that is and to consider the world that is to come, whereof we speak.

So much. Well, the Lord knows that we are made of dust. He remembers that we're made of dust. He knows that we are foolish and slow of heart to believe. He knows that we are men of flesh. And so in his mercy, in his mercy, he reminds us time and time again, to not walk by sight but to walk by faith.

This world that is to come is set in stark contrast to the world that is, the world in which you and I live. The world in which we live can be seen, it can be heard, it can be felt, it can be experienced, it can be smelled, all of our fleshly senses respond to the world that is. This evil present world, the Bible calls it. The world that is to come cannot be sensed in the same way that we sense the world that is. It can only be seen through the eye of faith. And that can only be had by the gift of God.

You say, well, there's so many responsibilities that I have in this world and I'm certain that's true. But I also know that the more heavenly minded we are, the more earthly good we will be. The more able we will be to set all of these earthly matters in their proper order. to understand them for what they are, and to address them as we ought, but with an eye always towards that which is eternal, that which is spiritual. Is that not always our hope when we come here? Is that not our hope when we find ourselves on our knees before the Lord in prayer, in private devotion, searching the scriptures, Are we not looking to escape this present evil world? There are two things, I'm sure there's more but I just want to mention these two things. The world that is to come will not have that we have to deal with in this present evil world.

Galatians chapter 1 verse 4 says that he gave himself for our sins that he may deliver us from this present evil world. Only as we're able to set our affections on Christ and know that as He is, so are we, that we are seated with Him in heavenly places, and that one day we will see Him as He is and be made like Him, our successful conquering Savior seated at the right hand of God, having put away our sins once and for all by the sacrifice of Himself, sin and all that it brings in this life, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, the sufferings, the confusions, and ultimately death, there will be no sin in the world that is to come. What that will be like in our experience is beyond our comprehension, everything that we Everything we relate to in this world is sinful and everything we bring to this world is sinful. But oh, what hope the eye of faith has when it's able to believe that the Lord Jesus has put away our sin and that in heaven, Peter said it like this, 1 Peter 3, verse 13, we look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." Wherein dwelleth righteousness. No more sin. No more death. No more sorrow. The Lord will wipe away all our tears What hope, what hope that we have.

The second thing that will not be in heaven is Satan himself. He's called the prince of this world. The Lord Jesus conquered him at Calvary's cross, took away his power, judged him. The prince of this world has been judged, that's what the Lord said. and he's God's devil and he's on God's chain, but how much trouble he causes. No, in the world that is to come, wherever we speak, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. No more trouble, no more accusations of the brethren. He's called the father of lies. He's called the murderer from the beginning. He's called the spirit of disobedience. He won't be there, not in the world that is to come.

This is not some side doctrine. This is not some vague secondary subject in the gospel. The world that is to come, whereof we speak, is the central theme of the gospel. The salvation of our immortal souls to spend eternity in this perfect world that is to come in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, our God. and our Savior. It's the end result of our faith. It is the goal, the heart of every believer.

Turn to me, if you will, to Revelation chapter 21. Revelation chapter 21. I can't think of anything more profitable. I can't think of anything more pleasing than to have my mind, my thoughts, and my heart, my affections turned from this present evil world to the world that is to come. The world that is to come. Revelation chapter 21 verse 1.

Here's the conclusion of the matter. Here's the... These first century believers were scattered throughout all the world, persecuted. They were being martyred. They were... wondering when the Lord would come and expecting him to come any day and wondering why he had not already.

And the Lord gives the book of Revelation as a conclusion to the matter. He's coming. He's coming. This book ends with, come Lord Jesus, even now, come, even now. In verse 21, John said, I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. And there was no more sea. The way of the Lord is through the seas.

The tribulations of this world are part and parcel of our walk of faith. They are the means by which the Lord causes us to set our affections on things above. How often we've experienced and we've heard our brethren say when when going through great times of trial and great afflictions, how sweet the Lord was to them and how thankful they are that the Lord has caused them to not be just caught up in the things of this world. Verse 2, the word see also as you know doesn't just refer to the tribulations of this world that are ordained of God and measured by his loving hand toward his children but it's also a reference to the separation that we now have in our fleshly bodies.

We can only We can only see him through the eye of faith. One day, there will be no need for faith. One day, our faith will be our sight. We will see him as he is and be made like him. That separation will be gone. There's no more see. No more need for trouble. No more need for trials. No more need for tribulation. No more need for separation.

What a day. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, verse two, coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The Lord Jesus prepared his bride. Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it for no man ever hated his own flesh. But he takes care of it. He provides for it. It's what the Lord Jesus did for his bride.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, "'Neither shall there be any more pain, "'for the former things are passed away.'" Passed away. "'And he that sat upon the throne said, "'Behold, look, look, I make all things new.'" All things. "'And he said unto me, write, "'for these words are true and these words are faithful.'" The Lord Jesus himself is called true and faithful.

This is his promise. This is not speculation. This is not wishful thinking. This is confirmed. This is truth. This is not, well, you know, I'll just live in a dream. No. No, this is the promise of God. And we stand on His promises. It is the promise of God that becomes the foundation of our faith. We believe God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God. Believing God. Faith is not He's not believing that something will happen. And if I believe it strong enough, I can make it happen. That's not what heaven is. No faith is believing what God has said.

We just read in such simple language, such clear language, what the Lord has promised. And he said, these sayings, these words are true. And these words are faithful. And faith says, amen, Lord. I'm hanging all the hopes of my mortal soul on you and your word. This is not the kingdoms of this world. This is the kingdom of heaven. This is set in contrast to the kingdoms of this world as we know them. This is the kingdom that the Lord reveals all the way back there in the book of Daniel.

You remember King Nebuchadnezzar had a vision. He had a dream and none of his soothsayers could interpret his dream. And the Lord gave to the prophet Daniel a proper accurate and truthful interpretation of what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed in his dream. Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream this great figure.

This great figure had a head of gold, it had arms and chest of silver, it had a belly of brass and it had legs of iron and then it had feet mingled with clay and iron. And those parts of that figure represented the kingdoms of this world. And the Lord tells Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar, that gold head, that's you. But the Medes and the Persians are gonna come in, and they're gonna destroy your kingdom, and they're gonna take over. And then the Greeks are gonna come in, and they're gonna destroy the Medes and the Persians, and they're gonna take over. Then the Romans are gonna come in, and they're gonna destroy the Greeks, and they're gonna take over. That's the two legs of the figure. And then the Roman Empire, will dissolve, it will no longer have its power but it will change into the feet of this figure, the feet of clay mingled with iron.

Interesting that in each one of those metals, the metal becomes harder Silver is harder than gold and bronze is harder than silver and iron is harder than bronze and man just becomes more and more hardened in his defiance against God and trying to establish for himself kingdoms in this world.

Where are we today? Well, we're living in the feet of that statue. Some kingdoms hard like iron, others very soft like clay, and they're mingled together. Perhaps we look at our current circumstances and think, well, we're one of those kingdoms of iron. Well, we may be. We may be a force to be reckoned with as the kingdoms of this world go. But don't forget the end of the story. Nebuchadnezzar sees the hand of God carve from a mountain a great rock, and this rock comes and crushes the entire statue right down to its feet, turns it into powder, and then that rock becomes an eternal kingdom, the kingdom of God.

All the kingdoms of this world are nothing The Lord Jesus told Pilate, he said, my kingdom's not of this world. If my kingdom was of this world, are you a king? Are you the king of the Jews? My kingdom's not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my disciples would fight.

There's people that want to somehow try to establish some sort of earthly religious kingdom. No, we have our affection set on the world that is to come, where of we speak. This is what we're speaking of. We're not speaking of the kingdoms of this world. We're speaking of the world that we know is to come.

It is the kingdom of God. It is an eternal kingdom. It is a kingdom that's not going to be anything like the kingdoms of this world. It's gonna be one with perfect peace, worshiping a perfect God, reigning over all the subjects, all the willing, loving subjects of that kingdom. Oh, what a day that will be.

Let us, let us be reminded by the oftenness of what the Lord tells us, This world is not our home. It's not our home. Now I admit, as an older man, the older we get and the shorter life becomes, the more conscious we become of these things. But I can only say that I wish I had been more conscious of them when I was younger. And I wish I could be more conscious of it even now. We cannot think on these things too much.

This is what the writer of Hebrews is telling us. This is what God is saying to us. That whereof we speak, it is the kingdom that is to come. It is the world that is to come. It's not of this world. Go back with me. to our text in Hebrews. Verse 4 of Hebrews chapter 2, God also bearing them witnessed both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. These things have been confirmed. The word of God has declared it clearly and God has manifested evidence by signs and wonders and miracles performed by the penman of scripture and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that he gives to us that the eyes of our faith might be opened. That's by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5, for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the worlds to come whereof we speak The worlds to come are not under the authority of the angels. Now, let's read the next verses.

But, and this is a reference to Psalm 8, but one in a certain place, David said this in Psalm 8. but one in a certain place testified saying, what is man that thou art mindful of him? This is a humble prayer that David offers to the Lord saying, Lord, why would you be mindful of me? Why would you give me a second thought? Why would you put man in such a place of honor in this world? Why would you give him so much power and authority? "'What is man that thou art mindful of him, "'or the son of man that thou visited him? "'Why would you visit me?

"'Thou madest him a little lower than the angels, "'and thou crownest him with glory and honor, "'and did set him over the works of thy hands, "'and hath put all things in subjection under his feet.'" All things have been put under, man is the pinnacle of God's creation. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now, we see not yet all things put under him. What is it that we don't see put under man?

What is it that man, man has the authority A man has the ability and the authority to domesticate animals. He has the ability to harness electricity. He has the ability to create a computer with intelligence that is beyond comprehension. I don't know if you've used AI, I'm just blown away by it. Man has the ability to travel to the moon and back. He's been given glory and honor. He'd been given status in God's creation above everything else, but there's still one thing. There's still one thing that is not in subjection to him. What is that? How to get to the world that is to come. How to get through the final enemy and be delivered from death.

Man has no answer to that. He lives his life in fear of it. He has no way to conquer. He can conquer everything else, he cannot conquer death. He cannot find an escape from the judgment of God and from wrath that is to come. He does not have anything in his power With all the powers that he possesses given to him by God, he has nothing in his power to accomplish that. Not all things have been put in subjection to him. This is the one thing that's not put in subjection to him. David is glorying in the power and the authority that God has given to man. And then he says, There's something he has no power over.

Verse nine, at the end of verse eight, let's be reminded now, but now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every.

I don't know why the translator said every man. The verses following are gonna make it clear that the Lord Jesus Christ did not die for every man. That he died for those whom the father gave him. He died for his people. The word in the original language is not every man. The word in the original language is just simply the word all. All. And that's how it ought to be translated. That he should taste death for all. Who are they all? All is like the word world. It's never used in the Bible to define every individual person of the world.

We see Jesus. He conquered death. He defeated Satan. He put away, said, what? The power of death is sin. Oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is the strength of sin. How does that go? Strength of death is sin. Well, let's go there. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, I'm sorry. Verse 55, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

If we are judged by the law, the law will condemn us. The law will find everything that we've ever done, every thought that we've ever had, to fall short of what God requires. We've never been able to keep any part of God's law. The law has one thing to say to us, guilty, guilty, condemned. That's all the law can say. The law cannot save us. The law can only condemn us.

The strength of sin is the law. but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, this is not an obscure doctrine. This is not something that's just sort of on the side. This is the end of what the Lord Jesus did. He conquered that which is not yet put in subjection to man. We as of yet do not see all things under our authority, but we see Jesus. We see the Lord Jesus Christ who conquered death by keeping the law, satisfying God's holiness and God's justice by his obedience and by the sacrifice of himself to satisfy what God required for the putting away of our sin.

We see Jesus. Here's where we set. That's why Paul said in Colossians chapter three, set your affections on things above, not just on thinking about heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Mark was in the men's study this morning reading, where was that passage? I can't hear. Psalm 46.

And the word in the scripture was the city of God. And Mark did what I often do, and you know this, when I read, sometimes my eyes get ahead of me and I say words that aren't there. You said the city of gold. And I thought, you know, that's, the streets are gonna be paved with gold. Scripture says, what does that tell us? That we set our affections on some sort of glistening city? No, what's God saying to us?

That which is most highly valued in this world, you're gonna be walking on this pavement in heaven. It's not gonna matter. The things of this world are not going to be of any value to you there. The only thing that's going to be of value to you is setting your affections on Christ, worshiping Him, knowing Him and being made like Him.

Let the world envision heaven just as an improved version of what they have here. Let the world envision as a place where, you know, everything's wonderful and everything's rich. No, we envision the person of heaven. Men talk about going to see loved ones and we're going to see Christ. There'll be no marrying in heaven. Our love for one another will be Not like it is here in this world. We have different affections for different people in this world. But the world that is to come is not like that at all.

How can that be? I don't know, but I believe it. We'll have perfect love, perfect love for every single person there. Why? Because every single person there is gonna be just like Christ. without sin. Go back with me to our text in Hebrews two. Verse nine. All things are not yet put under us.

We have a lot of God-given abilities. I'm always encouraged when I hear You know, I don't know where they are as far as their knowledge of God and their understanding of the gospel but watching the latest space explorations, I'm always encouraged when I hear some of them speak of the glory of God and God giving them the ability to do what they did rather than just glorifying man. Some of them just think, look at man, look what man's able to do. And then you'll hear one say, you know, God gave us that ability. And when we were there, we saw the hand of God.

We see Jesus who was made a little over the angels for the suffering of death. And we see him crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death for us, for all. for it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory." He didn't bring all unto glory, he brought many sons unto glory. Not a few, not all, many, many.

To make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. He was made perfect. Through his suffering, we are made perfect. For both he that sanctifieth, that's the Lord Jesus. He was sanctified by the father set apart and he does the sanctifying. John chapter 17, Lord, I have sanctified myself that they also might be sanctified He that sanctifyeth, made holy, set apart for the glory of God, and they who are sanctified, that's the ones for whom he died, are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them his brethren.

We're ashamed of ourselves. He's not ashamed. He's not ashamed of us. Do we not? Let shame and fear and guilt, and that's the accuser of the brethren, keep us from approaching the throne of grace boldly to find help in our time of need. He's not ashamed. He's not ashamed. He sanctified his people. He sees them. as he made them without sin.

Verse 12, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church while I sing praises unto thee. See, it's not that he died for every man. He died for all of his brethren, every one of them. Not one will be left behind. Not one for whom he died will end up in hell. You remember the passage in 1 Corinthians 13 last Sunday?

No man speaking by the Holy Spirit can call Jesus accursed. What is accursed? Accursed is to suffer the wrath of God without the hope of redemption. That's what it means to be accursed. It means to be eternally separated from God. If the Lord Jesus Christ died for one single person that ends up in hell, then you're calling Jesus accursed. You're saying that he suffered the wrath of God without the hope of redemption. No, not one drop of his blood was wasted. He actually successfully accomplished the salvation of his people. He is our hope.

All things are not put under subjection to us now, but in the world to come, in the world to come, they will be. Wherever we speak, that world, the one that we're looking to, the one that we're hoping for, the one that we believe that God has prepared a place for us, Now, the final enemy has been conquered in Christ just as Satan has been defeated in Christ. That is experienced through faith. But in our walk in this world, we still have to face the final enemy. We still have to deal. with all the evils of this present world and the evils of our flesh.

But here's our hope. We have our affection set on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We mind the things of the spirit, not the things of the flesh. We look on those things which cannot be seen. What a, what a hope. These words are true and these words are faithful. Amen.

Speaking of the World to Come

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the world to come?

Why is looking towards heaven important for Christians?

How do we know the promises of God regarding heaven are true?

Why is the theme of the world to come central to the gospel?

Sermon Transcript

About Greg Elmquist

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Speaking of the World to Come

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the world to come?

Why is looking towards heaven important for Christians?

How do we know the promises of God regarding heaven are true?

Why is the theme of the world to come central to the gospel?

Sermon Transcript

About Greg Elmquist

Comments

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