No More Tears

No More Tears

By Richard P. Joseph

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    Rev 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

    The book of Revelation gives a vivid prediction of the soon to occur last days of Judaism and the temple.  In chapter 21 John now sees a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. I, and probably everyone else, really don’t have all of this figured out.  There are many different points of view but one thing is for certain, this “new” Jerusalem was created in heaven, not on earth. The earthly temples were made by men from brick, mortar, wood and gold.  This new temple is made by God himself and can never be destroyed. This New Jerusalem is the new covenant that Jesus established with his blood. Then a voice tells John that the tears in their eyes will be wiped away and that there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.   As a Christian I certainly have avoided many tears that others have but by no means do I have no tears or pain. So when will the time come when every tear will be wiped away?

    Well, the futurists believe it is when Jesus establishes his 1000 year reign on earth.  That ain’t gonna happen. It isn’t right now on earth either. The only time it can happen to an individual is in heaven.  But, is that really what the scripture is talking about? I am not sure. However, if I attempt to place myself in first century Jerusalem, I might imagine what a Jew would think. 

    The Jews would immediately think back when King Nebuchadnezzar once destroyed their temple by way of the Babylonian army.  When Jerusalem was sacked in 586 BC, Jeremiah the prophet wrote an entire book lamenting the disaster.  

Lamentations 1:2  

Bitterly she weeps at night,

    tears are on her cheeks.

Among all her lovers

    there is no one to comfort her.

All her friends have betrayed her;

    they have become her enemies.

After the temple was destroyed and the people carried away there was great weeping and lamentation as there should be.  But what strikes me funny is that after Herod’s temple was destroyed and Jerusalem laid waste, God is telling us that there would be “No more tears!”  Maybe, just maybe, God is telling us that these tears are for Jerusalem. And since this time the true temple and Judaic economy of sacrifices will never be established again, it should not bring any tears.  No more death for those under the law.  

Revelation 21:5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

There is a new day that dawned.  No one will ever cry over the old covenant, because a new covenant is now established by the blood of the lamb.  Even the temple is judged differently now.

 In Lamentations 2:8 we read that there was a line of judgement measured against the faltering people of Zion.

The Lord determined to tear down

    the wall around Daughter Zion.

He stretched out a measuring line

    and did not withhold his hand from destroying.

He made ramparts and walls lament;

    together they wasted away.

However, the new city, which had no temple, seemed to be laid plumb and sound. The Temple was God himself.

Revelation 21:15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide….

 This new city and it’s new temple (God) will never need to be wept over.  The city was square and solid and decorated with every kind of precious stone.  The kingdom of Jesus Christ cannot be destroyed and therefore no need to ever weep over it.  We may weep over the world which is trying so hard to destroy it but the gates of hell will not prevail.  God’s mercies are new every morning. Let us rejoice and be glad when we come to the house of the LORD.