Hebrews 6:4-5 (...) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come (...).

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, it is done. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews uses the expression "tasting the future world" in reference to the experience of the spiritual rebirth.

The present world in which we find ourselves is the second one; the spiritual, however, was already always the first or primary world. The things which we see, exist through the influence of the primary world. They were created by God and, just like the spiritual world, they are maintained by HIM. There are now two worlds existing parallel to one another, which are integrated together and, thereby, mutually influence each other.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is from that other world. Everyone who receives this gift experiences a part of the future world. I'm glad that the Lord has made it possible that people living in the present reality are able to have a taste of the future - a world which will never pass away!

The more we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, the more we desire to fall in line with the future world, while we master our daily lives here. Jesus once said to the people that HE comes from above and is not from this world. This is the reason why we need to exactly watch out for what HE says, for HE knows more about time, matter, the universe, eternity, the devil, judgment, heaven and hell than anyone else.

It is not surprising that Jesus said that we must be born again (spiritually) and be full of the Holy Ghost. He knew that we would need the power to live in this world, as well as for finally entering into the other world.

May God help each one of us to be hungry and thirsty for the things of the future world while we live on this earth. In doing so we will be blessed, because according to Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" and the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:10) teach us to pray: Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Future will become eternity and it will be glorious to be with Jesus forever. sw

Additional verses to study: Psalm 84; John 7:37-39; John 14; Ephesians 1:9-14; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 John 3:2-3; Jude 1:20-25