One hymn that expresses really well the Christian hope for the future is Arthur Campbell Ainger’s 1894 hymn, God is working his purpose out. Each verse invites us to look forward to a time that is drawing nearer and nearer. Is it the time when God will take us away from the earth to live in some ethereal paradise for ever? No! Throughout the hymn we are invited to look forward to the time when “the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea” (see Numbers 14:21; Psalm 72:19; Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). It’s such a thrilling hope, that it is difficult to express in words, still less in poetic metre!
Here is a video with three of the five verses…