“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, NKJV)

The visions of John symbolize spiritual realities. They should not be taken as describing the physical characteristics of the new heaven and the new earth. In fact, he clarified that future state of things is far different from the present.

The heavenly city is not an improved version of the present. The “new world” will completely replace the life in the present. Often, God is depicted as dwelling in heaven and human beings living on earth. However, in the eternal state such distinction does not exist, because now God dwells with his people in a state of life that has never experienced before. It is holy and beautiful, where God and his people live together in perfect union because the effects of sin in the former order have been removed.

In his Gospel, John quoted Jesus as saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NKJV) In this life we cry, we experience pain, sorrow and death. But in the life to come Jesus assured us that we will no longer experience all these. For in that future state of life, we will experience peace and bliss. It is possible because Jesus “have overcome the world.”

Sources:

MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.

Olive Tree Bible Software, 1998-2020.

http://www.biblegateway.com

Published by Pastorbluejeans Unplugged

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