And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Rev 21:3-4
A few months ago I shared that I was praying for six individuals who were diagnosed with late stage cancer. This week we attended the graveside service of one of those dear saints. She was diagnosed five years ago and the battle was intense. She leaves behind her husband and four children from ten to five years old. Our memories of this young woman are sweet. She and our daughter were best friends in high school. I remember her sweet spirit, and her love for Jesus. The wonderful fellowship we shared when she came to our home for a visit was not typical of most teenagers. She was every parent’s answer to prayer as far as who your children hang out with. Over the past five years we prayed and hoped and trusted God as many others did. The Lord in His mercy took her home!
I’ve been pondering Rev 21:3-4 and other verses for such a time as this. For the believer, these truths serve as the anchor of our souls.
The promise that God will wipe away every tear is accompanied by other things that exist in our world. “There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever!” In the place of those things, the presence and glory of God, and the everlasting joy of the saints. As God wipes away all tears, all that occasioned the tears is also wiped away.
Life in this world is a mixture of good and evil, which forces us to grapple with various tragedies. There are tears, sorrow, pain, suffering, sickness, death, accidents, and natural calamities. The fallen nature of our world is obvious, and everyone has experienced some form of suffering. And yet, Christians are not without hope! God subjected creation to a curse when Adam sinned. But He will restore everything and establish a new order of life through Jesus. “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” Psalm 30:5. The night of this world brings sorrow, but sunrise is coming. When that new day dawns, God will wipe away all tears.
I think Elisabeth Elliot sums it up well. “…to God nothing is finally lost. All the scriptural metaphors about the death of the seed that falls into the ground, about losing one’s life, about becoming the least in the kingdom, about the world’s passing away—all these go on to something unspeakably better and more glorious. Loss and death are only the preludes to gain and life.” (These Strange Ashes)
If you lived long enough on this earth you will experience grief. But as God’s children grief can always give way to gratitude. Gratitude that suffering is not for nothing. That God will redeem this momentary light affliction with an eternal weight of glory. Far beyond all comparison. In the words of Esther Kerr Rusthoi, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus”
