February 17: FAITH IN PRECIOUS PROMISES

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

Are we to believe that the redeemed will shed tears after they have been with the Lord for a thousand years? Let us take a moment to gain access to where we are in the stream of time when God will wipe away every tear. Over the past thousand years, the redeemed have been reigning with Christ as judges (20:4) and priests (v.6). According to 1 Corinthians 6:3, even the judgment of angels is included. This will involve full access to the books of record (Daniel 7:10, Revelation 20:12). For the redeemed, no question will be left unanswered (John 16:23). At this point, knowing and being fully known will be the reality, as contrasted with partial, limited knowledge (1 Corinthians 13:12). The counsels of the hearts have been brought fully to light (4:5), and all of the redeemed will be in full agreement with the righteous judgments of the Lord.

But at the time of today’s opening verse, the redeemed have just witnessed the final destruction of the unsaved (Revelation 20:15). The hurt of losing even one loved one for eternity will bring torrents of tears to their eyes. For some, there will be many losses. But the magnitude of such tragic loss hardly compares to the enormous pain in the great heart of God, whose love for each individual far exceeds that of human love.

Let us take a close look at tears. The tears produced by deep emotion contain protein-based hormones as well as leucine enkephalin, a neurotransmitter designed by the Creator to reduce stress. Our salty tears also contain fatty oils and over fifteen hundred different proteins. And did I mention water?

Today’s verse tells us that our loving Creator and Savior will personally assume the task of wiping away every tear following the final judgment of the unrepentant. Even in His own sorrow, His concern for ours takes precedent. This action is accompanied by an incredible promise. Incredible, but nevertheless true: there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain. The world of beauty and perfection that He desires to provide for us will be wholeheartedly accepted by His created ones, whose wills have become fully aligned with His own.

The last phrase, for the former things have passed away, is very important. Now that sin has mercifully been eradicated from the universe, there is no reason to remember or relive the sorrows and terrors that were pushed onto God’s perfect order through disobedience. All sin and rebellion qualify as former things. Everlasting peace—rest from stress—belongs to all of Creation!

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them {those who were brought out of Egypt}; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Hebrews 4:1-2

For further study: Daniel 2:30; Hebrews 4:12-13