What is the meaning of Revelation 21:4? He will wipe away every tear from their eyes - God Himself moves close enough to touch, fulfilling Isaiah 25:8 and Revelation 7:17. - The picture is literal and personal: every past grief is remembered by Him (Psalm 56:8) and then lovingly removed forever. - This scene assures believers that their present tears are not ignored; they have an appointment with divine comfort. And there will be no more death - Death, the “last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26), is abolished, just as 2 Timothy 1:10 declares. - Christ’s resurrection guarantees ours, so the sting of death is gone (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). - In the new creation, life is permanent and indestructible. Or mourning - All the sorrow that once accompanied loss is erased, echoing Isaiah 35:10 where “sorrow and sighing will flee.” - Jesus promised that grief would turn to joy (John 16:20); this is the ultimate fulfillment. - No funeral processions, no empty chairs, no lingering sadness—only unbroken joy. Or crying - Outward expressions of anguish cease because inward anguish no longer exists (Psalm 30:5). - Every unmet longing is satisfied; every wrong is righted. - The realm ahead is filled with celebration, not lament. Or pain - Physical suffering ends, answering the groans of creation in Romans 8:18-23. - Afflictions that once seemed crushing are exchanged for “eternal glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). - The curse introduced in Genesis 3 is fully reversed; bodies and hearts function exactly as God intended. For the former things have passed away - The entire order of sin, decay, and death is gone (Isaiah 65:17). - A new heaven and new earth, “where righteousness dwells,” replace the old (2 Peter 3:13). - Nothing of the old curse slips through the doorway into eternity. Summary Revelation 21:4 promises a literal future where God personally removes every trace of sorrow. Death is defeated, grief is silenced, pain is banished, and the old broken order is forever gone. This sure hope anchors believers today, inviting steadfast faith and joyful anticipation of the world to come. |
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