Revelation 21:4, commentary and pictures

God Himself will dwell with His people as their God and with His own hand wipe every tear from their eyes, taking away all cause of grief and sorrow. There will be no more death, sorrow, mourning, crying or pain, with no sickness, funerals, partings or signs of mourning, because the former sin-cursed order and troubles of this life have passed away. This will take place on the earth made new and purified by fire, where the New Jerusalem comes down and the saints live with God as their everlasting home. It will be fulfilled when Christ comes to gather the redeemed and raise the just to immortal life, with its full end of death coming at the close of the thousand years after the judgment and destruction of Satan and the wicked. It belongs to Christ's faithful, obedient children who keep God's commandments, overcome, and are made Christlike, and it now comforts mourners with the hope of reunion and calls all to holy, separate lives in preparation for that eternal summer of health, unity and joy.

Promise and Its Setting

God Himself will dwell with His people as their God and personally wipe away every tear from their eyes. In the earth made new He will remove every cause of grief and sorrow, so that His redeemed people have happiness prepared for them and everlasting joy. This is the condition of His people after they come forth in the first resurrection to dwell with Him and the eternal blessings made available to every person in His future kingdom. Every cause of tears is ended because the former order of things has passed away.

There will be no more death, neither sorrow, mourning, crying or sighing, and neither shall there be any more pain, sickness or suffering. Pain and death will no longer afflict God's people, and sorrow and crying will also end, so that in their final heavenly life and future glory the conflict and tribulation of this life are over. Funeral trains and signs of mourning will be gone, with no more funerals, partings, or badges of mourning, because the former things have passed away. This is the setting of the river of life and the tree of life, where the great multitude of all nations who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb serve God day and night in His temple, with the Lamb feeding them and leading them to living fountains of waters.

The former things that have passed away are the former sin-cursed order, the former conditions and troubles and sufferings of this life. Death, sorrow, crying and pain belong to that former order, and when it has passed away they are ended. Their absence is complete because the first things are passed away as God makes all things new.

The setting is the earth made new, purified by refining fire from heaven from every stain of sin, and the New Jerusalem, the city of God shining with the glory of God, coming down out of heaven from God upon it as the everlasting home where the saints live with God. This happens when the Mount of Olives is split open to become an immense plain and the Holy City, prepared as a bride, comes down upon it, where God Himself lives with men as their God and rejoices in Jerusalem and joys in His people. Only then will the land now called the Holy Land indeed become holy, for old Jerusalem is not sacred until then but rests under guilt and curse for refusing the light of Christ and rejecting and crucifying Him, and God will cleanse away that vile blot. There God's people are all righteous and inherit the land forever in the new earth where God personally removes every cause of grief.

Time of Fulfillment

The promise will be fulfilled in the near future when Christ comes to gather the redeemed. After finishing His atoning work in the holiest of all and declaring there is no more sacrifice for sin, He will appear the second time in complete contrast to His first coming as a Man of sorrows acquainted with grief whose glory was veiled, and the words will be sung by innumerable voices. After only a short rest in the grave the Life-giver will raise the dead immortal, and they will never again know pain, sorrow, or death, which gives consolation and joy even amid present sickness and distress. The righteous will come forth in the first resurrection to life eternal from all parts of the earth, from rocky caverns, dungeons, caves of the earth and the waters of the deep, with not one overlooked, in triumph and victory. Upon them the second death has no power, and for them there is then no more death, no more sin and no more sorrow, while the wicked dead do not come forth until the end of the thousand years. This earth is the place of preparation for heaven, the Christian's winter when affliction blows and trouble rolls, and the verse describes the Christian's summer that follows, when sorrow and sighing will be forever ended, all trials will be over, and there will be no more sickness or death. It is the triumphant consummation closing the great controversy between Christ and Satan, with the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the destruction of Satan and of sin, when the glorious kingdom of Christ and of God is established and Christ reigns in glory on the new earth.

Its full end of death comes at the close of the thousand years after Christ's second advent, when the holy city descends from heaven and settles on the earth. During the thousand years the saints in unison with Jesus mete out to the wicked what is due, and then God breathes fire that executes judgment upon them. After the wicked are resurrected, Satan and all the wicked are destroyed, and the same refining fire from heaven purifies the sin-cursed earth from every stain of sin. That fire melts the broken ragged mountains and the atmosphere, consumes all the stubble, removes corruption so city and inhabitants are no longer subject to it, and opens the glorious and beautiful inheritance of the whole earth made new for the saints to inherit with loud shouts of Glory, Alleluia. Then, as He makes all things new, God Himself will dwell with men as their God and their people, remove every tear, and end death, mourning, crying and pain because the first things are passed away. This happens when the Mount of Olives is split open to become an immense plain and the Holy City, New Jerusalem, prepared as a bride, comes down out of heaven from God upon it, and only then will the land now called the Holy Land indeed become holy. Old Jerusalem is not sacred until then but rests under guilt and curse for refusing the light of Christ and rejecting and crucifying Him, yet God will cleanse away that vile blot.

The chapter is a sure prophecy of the last events of this earth's history, made known by Christ Himself to John while he was on the Isle of Patmos and given from God in solemn warning to call minds in these last days and remind of the things which will be. Its first four verses are to be read carefully and understood as a living reality and words that are true and will surely be fulfilled, so keeping minds clear about it matters because confusion now gives Satan a great victory. They call for deep and thorough individual work, cleansing, refining and transformation of the heart, thorough humbling of the soul before God and diligent cultivation of the soul soil, especially by those carrying responsibility in the work and the church, so that a wrong spirit is removed, the present condition is entirely changed, and fruit appears in the life in proportion to light given. The promise describes the future hope of Christ's faithful, obedient children, whose sin-soiled garments are removed and who are clothed in coronation robes, with God removing every cause of sorrow in connection with Christ's victory. It is part of a chapter to be read as a solemn view of life in light of eternity: those who reject God's warnings and refuse the path of self-denial cannot endure heaven's purity and glory.

End of Sin Restored

The end promised is the final close of the great controversy over sin, when evil itself with the curse and all its results is brought to an end. When God's original design is carried out sickness and death will be no more. After the victory over sin death will be no more, and God and Christ will proclaim the end of death in a world where sin also has ceased. In the new earth the curse and every trace of sin are gone, so nothing mars the peace and happiness of the saints who possess that renewed earth forever. There they are immortal and show joy and glory as they reflect their Redeemer, in a world renewed in joy and praise and heavenly light where God's will is done on earth as in heaven.

Through Christ's sacrifice the Eden home of humanity is to be restored to men, and the earth made new becomes the home of the redeemed. The curse is removed and the earth is restored to the purity and beauty of Eden, purified and freed from taint and destruction. There will be nothing to mar its loveliness, nothing to taint or destroy, and nothing to cause disease or death. The world to come shall never know the blight of sin and death, and the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse, with no blight or wailing or anything to bring disease or death. Even now delight in the attractive loveliness of the earth and the varied gifts of God in nature, which give only the faintest gleaming of His glory, should lift minds from things seen to things unseen and lead sufferers to think of that coming life more glorious than the brightest imagination can portray.

Christ will undo the ruin caused by sin, so that in the new earth there will be no sin or disease and all that was lost through Adam's transgression will be regained through Christ. Blemishes and deformity will be left in the grave, and the body will be restored to its original perfection. Every deformity will be removed by the divine Restorer, who frees His faithful people from affliction and gives them eternal life. The redeemed are given everlasting life in which they will never again face death or sorrow. The saints raised when Christ rose were redeemed from the grave as first fruits of His power and witnesses to His resurrection, trophies of His victory and a symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous; unlike those Jesus raised during His ministry they were raised to everlasting life not still subject to death and decay, and the same power that raised Christ will raise and glorify His church with Him.

The redeemed enter God's city for eternal salvation and remain there forever, with no tempter to draw them away from God, for the warfare is ended. That future life in the heavenly city where death is no more is free from sin and temptation and from the devil and Lucifer, and those who work with Christ and overcome temptation hope to enter there. When Jesus comes and gathers His children to live forever in the beautiful home above, sin will end and they will enjoy sanctification forever, free from the devil's temptation and leading astray. There they will never again be tempted or tried by the enemy. When the saved meet in the city of God, saved eternally, fear will end forever, the enemy will never tempt again, and all will forever do God's will; and because that life measures with the life of God, close self-examination and sure work for eternity are required now, since the time to prepare is short and no mistake can be afforded.

Life of the Redeemed

The promise belongs to the great multitude from every nation, kindred, people and tongue who stand before the throne and before the Lamb in white robes with palms, crying salvation to God and to the Lamb. They are those who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, who serve God day and night in His temple with Him dwelling among them, whom the Lamb in the midst of the throne feeds and leads to living fountains of waters so that hunger and thirst and scorching heat end. For them the conflict is over and tribulation and strife are at an end, and they fill heaven with songs of victory to the Lamb that was slain and lives again as triumphant conqueror. It is the joy of the commandment keepers entering the golden city, welcomed by Jesus, rejoicing that they kept God's law and are free from its bondage, declaring they will enjoy the city's glory eternally.

The redeemed receive immortal, everlasting life through faith in Christ and obedience to God's law, a life without sorrow, sighing, pain, sin, sickness, distress or death. It is the life Jesus meant when He said to take no thought for life, life in the kingdom of glory forevermore. Made ready for Christ's coming, clothed in His righteousness and reflecting His character, obeying all the commandments as members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King honored with citizenship above, they receive life everlasting lasting as long as the life of God itself, measuring with the life of God. It is the reward for giving everything to Jesus, denying self and lifting the cross to sit with Him upon His throne, and the great inducement not to turn away for the things of this life.

They live under no other law than the law of heaven as one happy, united family, with God's will done on earth as in heaven. The renewed world is filled with heavenly light and joy, clothed with praise and thanksgiving, while the morning stars sing together and the sons of God shout for joy over the scene. God and Christ proclaim over the nations of the saved the end of sin and the end of death as the victory in the conflict is complete. Even now believers can share the Saviour's joy by faith while awaiting that deliverance, and former trials no longer occupy them.

There are no more partings for those who meet in God's city, for the grief caused by death and separation ends when the Saviour appears and those parted on earth meet again. The dead in Jesus rest until the Lifegiver comes, then wife and children come forth from their graves clothed with immortal splendor where death is no more. This gives mourners hope beyond death toward the resurrection and the coming of Christ, with special hope of reunion with children who have died, gathering around God's throne in the city of God to live in peace, happiness and glory forever. Jesus loves the mourning believer even in grief and looks lovingly upon him as he follows his loved one to the grave, bidding him look up by faith now and forever at unseen things for blessing and encouragement, and this hope should lead to seeking eternal life through obedience to God's commandments.

It is a precious haven of rest for the weary where God's presence gives light, with no wearisome sighing, no wearisome nights and no sad partings. Pain, tears, sickness, mourning and death are gone, and God's people live there forever transformed and no longer subject to suffering, trial or affliction. There is no sorrow, grief, trial, affliction, pain or death, but perfect peace, harmony, order and bliss. The troubles and providences hard to understand on earth will be explained, and God's care will be seen as ordering even the hardest experiences for good, a hope to be shared with those who suffer. The redeemed live forever praising the Lamb, receiving the overcomer's crown and a golden harp with white robes, crowns, harps and rich fruit, in a home of eternal summer, health, vigor, light and love with no frowns, complaining, chilling winds or wintry cold, and their happiness and unending joy deepen throughout eternity.

Who Will Inherit It

The promise belongs to Christ's faithful, obedient children who make Him their friend, give their lives to Him, follow Him, and thirst for the heavenly inheritance He has prepared. It describes the happiness prepared for God's children in the earth made new where God will be with them and suffering will end, and it is given as an inducement to live holy lives and obey God. It is the eternal life of those who consecrate themselves to God and who consecrate heart, mind, and intellect to serve Him in this world, showing they will live with Him through ceaseless ages, enter the holy city as those who belong there, and inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. It is the commandment keepers' joy upon entering God's Golden City and meeting in His city where there are no more partings, whom Jesus will welcome, who will rejoice that they kept God's law and are free from its bondage, and who are called by this hope to seek eternal life and prepare through obedience to God's commandments. It belongs to those who purify their hearts, overcome temptation, and labor for souls.

Entrance requires a character shaped by Christ and the wedding garment of His righteousness, for the heavenly family lives without anything that could mar its happiness or perfect trust. Those who nurture suspicion, criticism, temper, pride, accusation, murmuring, anger, and disobedience cannot join that family, because such traits would harm others and destroy trust, and one such character would spoil all the harmony of heaven. The promise is for good, obedient, patient little children who try to do right and overcome impatient and fretful feelings, who when Jesus comes will be called by name into His kingdom and the beautiful City where they will be happy always with no sickness, no sorrow, and no temptation to do wrong, with a wreath of gold on the head and a little harp in the hand sending forth beautiful music, eating rich fruit and plucking beautiful flowers, while wicked, naughty, fretful, disobedient children will not be taken there. Those who sanctify heart and soul and keep God's commandments have a guarantee of a place in the kingdom of glory where they are fit to come into God's presence and see the King in His beauty, meaning Christ did not die in vain for overcomers who are found worthy in a grand and critical review of every case by God, so that there will be no second rebellion in heaven, and joy and gladness and peace in serving and obeying God now lead to that life with God.

The short, brief probationary life now is the time for daily preparation for eternity, diligent work, and urgent overcoming of sinful habits. The last chapters of Revelation are to be read carefully, calling for deep and thorough individual work, cleansing, refining and transformation of the heart, thorough humbling of the soul before God and diligent cultivation of the soul soil, especially by those carrying responsibility in the work and the church, so that a wrong spirit is removed, the present condition is entirely changed, and fruit appears in the life in proportion to light given. That promise calls for working for one another now, with determined effort to bring up youth in a right manner so they become overcomers and receive the crown of life and have a part in the new earth, with angels of God assisting in schools as boys and girls are educated for this end and the Holy Spirit working with all human effort to save souls, so fathers and mothers must take hold of the work. The city of God is worth striving to enter, and preparing for that future life is preparation for eternity through obedience and helping one another gain eternal life.

Comfort and Holy Living

The promise is comfort for mourners and the bereaved, with hope in the coming time when God dwells with His people and removes grief and gives everlasting joy. In the blessed hereafter and the everlasting home where He makes all things new, pain and death will no longer afflict, and sorrow, crying, sin, sorrow and death will be gone, because the former order will have passed away. Those who have lost loved ones may take hope that the one who died is at rest, and that there is reunion beyond death and at the coming of Christ and the resurrection, even reunion with children who have died. The rest of one prepared who dies in Jesus is finished hardship and sadness, spared from the perils of the last days, resting in Jesus until the Lifegiver wakes His sleeping saints to glorious immortality. Because Christ died so that death is not an eternal sleep and passed through the tomb and brightened it, rebellious and uncontrollable grief is forbidden, and praise is called for instead of mourning as if there were no resurrection. In the heavenly home the Great Physician removes every tear and brings an end to sorrow, in a world where sickness and death will never come.

Jesus as living Saviour is already with His people in all present sadness, grief, sorrow and affliction to give strength and grace to endure. He has already wiped away tears, soothed pain, removed anxiety, dispelled fear and supplied needs, and remembering these acts strengthens confidence to face future trials. He is Helper and Comforter now, and at His coming and the revelation of His glory all suffering will end and the wickedness of the wicked will be brought to an end. Then He will bring His people out of all affliction when the gates of the city of God open, and overcomers, including mothers and fathers with their children, will enter in to victory with the crown of life on their heads and harps in their hands. The secured future life shuts out every sorrow and grief forever, with health and immortality, vigor for every faculty, light for the intellect and abiding sincere love, with no chilling winds or wintry colds but an eternal summer, as Jesus leads by fountains of living waters and gives white robes and crowns of everlasting life. Its rich and glorious promises must be personally appropriated now, with love for God and joy in contemplating heavenly things gained on earth, because the songs of Zion must be learned below before they can be sung in heaven.

Contemplation of the better land, where tears are never shed and earthly trials, losses and reproaches are unknown and there is only peace, joy and happiness, fills the heart with hope and joy and strengthens spiritual life. The future life without death, sorrow, crying or pain is a vision of unseen eternal realities and future glory that gives value to the eternal, helps people value eternal things above temporary ones, strengthens hope and influences others toward the higher life. The promise is of a tearless morning after present pain, when sorrow will end and life will be endless; it is not vain, for hope in it sustains the soul through suffering, and life that lasts forever blossoms through the cross. The troubles and providences hard to understand on earth will be explained, and God's care will be seen as ordering even the hardest experiences for good, while the redeemed rejoice with happiness deepening throughout eternity, a hope to be shared with those who suffer. This promise of the future life in the city of God, where death and sorrow will be no more, belongs to the joys awaiting the redeemed and gives reason to help one another gain eternal life.

The happiness God has prepared in the earth made new, where God will be with His children and suffering will end with no death, sorrow, crying or pain because the former things have passed away, is an inducement to live holy lives and obey God. This earth is the place of preparation for heaven, the Christian's winter when affliction blows and trouble rolls, and the verse describes the Christian's summer that follows in the near future when Christ comes, when sorrow and sighing will be forever ended and all trials, sickness and death will be over. That beautiful new earth and blessed world promised through the plan of salvation, where eternal riches and glory replace the losses of this earthly life, belongs to the hope of everlasting life made possible through Jesus Christ. It calls for determined work for one another now to bring up youth in a right manner so they become overcomers and receive the crown of life and have part in the new earth, with angels assisting in schools as boys and girls are educated for this end and the Holy Spirit working with all human effort to save souls, so fathers and mothers must take hold of the work. Its enduring happiness far outweighs all the hilarity, glee and enchantments of this life, which are nothing in comparison, in the home and inheritance in the kingdom above where there is no sin and no sorrow, no sickness and no death. Wanting that home for ourselves and our children means not linking with the world in its habits and practices but coming out and being separate, showing a line of demarcation so distinct in character that others see the advantage, with character changed after the similitude of Christ's character which He gives to His followers. The reward for giving everything to Jesus, denying self and lifting the cross in order to sit with Him upon His throne, is everlasting life where life measures with the life of God with no sickness, sorrow, pain or death, the great inducement that should keep people from turning away for the things of this life.