The Promise of No More
Have you ever cried? Have you ever mourned the loss of a loved one? Has anyone ever hurt you, and you didn’t know how to get past that pain? Have you ever felt that life was one punch after another?
In the book of Revelation, the apostle John experiences a window into God’s future plans to set everything right in this broken world. At the close of this apocalyptic writing, John sees a glimpse of the restored world and creation, and a voice from God’s throne proclaims this powerful promise:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4, ESV).
This declaration sees the fulfillment of the covenant promises of the Scriptures, where God establishes full residence once again with His people. In God’s dwelling with His own, we see a powerful promise that seems too good to be true for those of us still living in a broken world awaiting the Lord’s return and the consummation of all things in Revelation 21:4. This promise can be summarized by the words, “No more.”
No more tears. No more death. No more mourning. No more crying. No more pain.
The former things have passed away. The Lord will dwell with His people. They will be His people, and He will be their God.
Being a part of the people of God is the guarantee of this promise. For the one who mourns, for the one who weeps, for the one who is in pain, there will be a day when these things of a former life and a former reality will fade. The Lord of the Universe, the Maker of heaven and earth, will set all things right that are wrong with this world when He fully dwells with us in the age to come. Order and peace will be restored. Death will be no more. He will dwell with His people (Rev. 21:3).
This is the good promise that God has graciously given to us, His people, as we still walk in a broken, corrupted world. The death we see, hurt from, experience. The hurt caused by people we love, people who hate us. The loss we can’t comprehend, don’t understand, question without receiving any clear answers. These things are not our eternal lot. God will dwell with us, and the former things will pass away.