We have a Christian journey to a spiritual mountain to see New Jerusalem. To reach this mountain requires experiences of Christ. It also requires exercise of our spirit mingled with the Spirit because a proper Christian life is a walk according to the spirit (Gal. 5:16).
In Matthew 4:17 the Lord proclaimed “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” In Matthew 5–7 He spoke about the reality of life in this kingdom. Both are necessary steps toward the vision of New Jerusalem.
Repentance was proclaimed to those beside or on the sea of Galilee, which typifies living in a worldly situation. May we all repent of whatever degree of worldliness we have. Then we go up a mountain (Matt. 5:1) to enter the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
In ourselves we cannot fulfill what the Lord spoke in Matthew 5–7. But He gave us the key, “our Father.” He spoke this phrase at least 12 times in these three chapters. We are sons of our Father (5:45) and His life in us enables us to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48).
Beside the sea we repent and on the mountain we live by the Father’s life. The reality of this life is the Spirit. “The Spirit gives life” (John 6:63, 2 Cor. 3:6) and because of being born again our spirit is life (Rom. 8:10). It is in our spirit, regenerated by the Spirit, that we are carried to the mountain for the vision of New Jerusalem.
Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, footnotes, and cross-references, may be viewed at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is © by Living Stream Ministry.
New Jerusalem - the Consummation 
Beatriz
/ September 2, 2015Amen! May we be those that walk according to the Spirit, allowing the Law of the Spirit of life operate in us to overcome the law of sin and death, so that we may have the reality of a daily living in the kingdom of the heavens, far above the earthly pleasures of this world usurped by Satan, God’s enemy, to become New Jerusalem in this age of grace!
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Don
/ September 2, 2015Lord, keep us walking according to the Spirit, so You can live through us!
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Edgar
/ September 3, 2015Amen!
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Fred Northrup
/ September 3, 2015I have been enjoying the connections made in this blog between the experience of God’s people in Exodus and the believers journey to the New Jerusalem. We are currently studying “The Need of a New Revival.” The new revival, (which will bring us to the New Jerusalem) begins at ‘the high peak.” This must be the mountain of God in Exodus 19. This revelation of God produces a living that is according to what and who God is. What kind of God is He? This may be seen in Luke 15. He loves people and goes after the lost ones, searches them inwardly until they come to their senses and return to the Father’s house which ultimately is the New Jerusalem!
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Don
/ September 3, 2015Fred, thanks for the words about Luke 15.
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