No More Tears

No More Tears

by Wayne Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Eternal Blessings Awaiting

The blessings of God are eternal: the things He has made, the things He has provided, the things He has spoken of that are ours — that are eternally ours. They're ours forever; they won't be taken away. It won't be a trial when you're in heaven. No, it's no longer a proving time. It's an eternal blessing which is prepared of God for us.

Revelation 21:1,2
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Here we see two things which God will make new: a new heaven and a new earth. And this is what we want to examine.

We look at the time frame. The kingdom of God is spoken of in a time slot of 1,000 years. We're in the dispensation called "the church age." One of these days this age will have run its course. Then there will be the tribulation period and then there will be the kingdom of God.

Now, here God speaks of a new heaven and a new earth, with the former being passed away.

Revelation 21:3,4
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

What is He really saying to us here when He says He will wipe away all our tears? There will be nothing to cry about over there.

Why do we cry? When was the last time you cried? Today? This week? "A grown man doesn't cry; only women and children cry." Oh, yes, they do. There are those times in life when even men will cry.

Now, think of this time when God, Himself, is going to dwell with His people. There won't be any sadness, no sorrows, nothing to cry about.

We won't have to deal with sorrow. The new heaven and earth is not a place filled with trials like we have on this earth. On planet earth we've had our trials, we've had our testings, we have had to fight the good fight of faith.

But when you get down to the last two chapters of the Bible you see what great things God has prepared for when we leave this earth: no more crying, neither any more pain.

We're going to be in a place where the former things are passed away. The life that we know now, the places that we know now, all that will be passed away. We won't be upon this earth. This will no longer be our home.

Revelation 21:5,6
And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

The water of life: We're talking about life here, and about Jesus. He says it is done — something is finished here. And He says He will give unto the thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.

We Must Overcome

Revelation 21:7
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.

There's a message given to us in these verses that we should take to heart. The message is this: There are things in this life that cannot be carried over into the next life. There are things in this world that won't be in that new world.

He that overcomes shall inherit all things. The Lord will be our God and we His sons. To him that overcomes: This statement is a part of each of the seven messages of God in the book of Revelation to the seven churches of Asia. To each of these seven churches it is spoken what will be given to them that overcome.

There's got to be an overcoming. Recognize that fact. What is there to overcome? We have to overcome the world. We have to overcome the wicked one. If we don't overcome, then we will be overcome. If we don't stand and resist the devil, he'll be back on our case tomorrow. But he that overcomes shall inherit all things. The Lord will be our God and we His sons.

Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

How necessary it is, then, that we be overcomers? The Lord wants us to enter into this grand and glorious place which He has prepared for those who overcome: the new heaven and the new earth. But there are those who won't make it.

The first He lists here are the fearful. There are those who are afraid to serve God, afraid to give their lives to God, afraid to trust Him because they're fearful.

It would seem to be cruel to say that those who are afraid won't be able to go to heaven. But it doesn't speak of those who are afraid. It speaks of those who are fearful: fearful and unbelieving and abominable.

So God's criteria here associates being fearful with those who are unbelieving and abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars. These will have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death, because they were fearful to serve God. And so they don't have a relationship with Him.

And all liars: God hates lying. Here's this holy God who always tells the truth, who loves truth. His very character is to be truthful. All He has said to us is truth. You can read His Word and rest assured that His words are true. They are Scriptures of truth.

In that God is truthful to us at all times, we're not going to be misled by Him. If we believe the gospel, if we walk with the Lord in truth, then we'll inherit this new life that He speaks of here in Revelation. We'll inherit this new heaven and new earth — just like He said we would.

The Heavenly City

Revelation 21:9-12
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal

Now, looking at the heavenly city descending out of heaven from God, let's just try to imagine what kind of a task it would be if this great city was moving towards earth. It's visible, and you can see it coming down. Talk about a miracle of God! To ever bring something so big down to earth. One would think when it got under the pull of gravity, it couldn't be held back. But God can hold it back and lower it down to earth.

There is nothing too hard for God, nothing. And I know from the Scriptures that with God all things are possible: all things!

And I would also know this: that with men this would be impossible. To bring something of this size down to earth from on high. My, it would come down with a crash! In fact, as it began to come down in the atmosphere, it would burn up in the trying.

God bringing down this new city: the new Jerusalem. As you read on in this chapter, it describes the details of the walls of the city in all their beauty, the details of the four gates of pearl, and the inscriptions of the names of the apostles and the tribes of Israel. This is something, then, that is wonderful to behold.

Revelation 21:22
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

John saw no temple in this city, yet he goes on to say the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. That sounds contradictory. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of the city. How could this be?

Well, let's think about where we are now. Where are we now in the spiritual realm? We who are saved are in the Lord and He is in us. We're in a relationship with Him:

I Corinthians 6:19,20
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Read on now:

Revelation 21:23
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Another new thing is mentioned here, a new type of light. This new heaven, this new earth, will have no need for light. Neither the sun nor the moon will need to shine any more.

How could we get along without the sun's light? We couldn't get along without the sun shining down here on this earth. Take our sun away, and what would happen? Everything would be frozen so hard and so stiff so quickly. We'd be in a deep freeze that would never get thawed out.

But we recognize in the realm of God making new things, that God is making a new light to replace the sun and the moon. The glory of God will light the new Jerusalem, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Revelation 21:24,25
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

Eternal day! You know, if you were on the light side of the earth and it stopped turning you would no longer have any night or darkness. And those on the other side of the earth would always be in the dark.

So, the earth in its rotation changes us from day to night, even those places that have day for about six months and then night for about six months.

There'll be no need for sunshine in this new earth, no need for any other source of light but the Lord. Our minds don't readily grasp how all this can be, but we know it will be because that's what He said.

A New Paradise

The last thing the Lord reveals about this new heaven and earth is a new paradise with the river of the water of life flowing out from it.

Revelation 22:1
And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Man started out in paradise, in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the garden, they had no struggles, no problems, no troubles at all. God walked with them day after day. He visited them in the cool of the day. They had fellowship with Him.

But then there was that day when they did what God had said not to do. He had told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam and Eve were in the realm where we would say they weren't prayed up. We don't know whether they prayed or not, but we know that if something like this was given to us to be concerned about, we would want to be in the place where we were prayed up. We would want to get it in our hearts and minds that God has told us something we're not to do, and if we do it, it would take our life. Thus, we would want to watch and pray that we not enter into temptation.

Now, let's look at the place where Adam and Eve were living. It was paradise. Everything they needed was provided for them. Life was beautiful in that garden. They had no sorrow, no trials, no hardships. It was a place that was exactly as it was meant to be: paradise.

But then they sinned and were banished from the garden. After they were sent out, the cherubims guarded the gate to the garden that nobody could enter in.

They lost it and life became difficult. From then on it was a matter of work and sweat and toil. They didn't have to work when they lived in the garden. But after they sinned, Adam had to begin tilling the ground in order to start growing his food. He no longer lived in paradise.

Sin would ruin any paradise. Sin is a ruination of any peoples.

Now, as we read on, we begin to see God putting this together for us that we can get a glimpse of the beautiful things He has prepared for us.

Revelation 22:1
And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

This river is filled with pure water, clear as crystal, proceeding right out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Can you picture the throne of God having a river running out of it?

Revelation 22:2
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Learn from Adam and Eve

These trees are important trees in our lives. Remember, on this planet, right here in the garden of Eden, both of these trees were growing: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. They were brought into focus, and man could partake of the tree of life. God made no commandment to Adam and Eve not to eat of that tree.

Of all the trees in the midst of the garden there was just one tree they were not to partake of: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam and Eve ate of the wrong tree, and the knowledge of good and evil became a curse to us. To have this knowledge in us, where we know both good and evil! Wouldn't it be better if we didn't know evil at all? We would never talk about evil because we didn't have any knowledge of it.

You know, there are many things we have no knowledge of, and they don't trouble us a bit. But a lot of things that we do have knowledge of are a great trouble to us. Every day we hear of such things as some new sickness or disease, some new threat or danger, something to worry about and fret about. The knowledge of evil is a broad thing. God didn't create us to live like that; that wasn't in His plan for us.

Adam and Eve didn't have any problems until Satan came and tempted Eve. She told the devil that God had commanded them not to eat of that tree lest they die, but she seemed naïve to the reality of that fact. Satan beguiled her. With his crafty words he convinced her that it was OK to eat of that tree. If she ate, all it would do would be to make her wise.

All of the knowledge that came when they sinned! It was trouble from that day on. When they sinned, suddenly the earth became a different place. It became a place of work and sweat and toil. Now there was an enemy to fight all the time: the devil and his temptations ever lurking.

Be Ready

Revelation 22:7
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

This speaks of our being ready for the coming of the Lord. When He comes, He will come quickly. Will it be next week? Next month? Today? Coming quickly means that He is going to suddenly come, without any announcement.

Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

You've got to be ready when He comes. The importance of being ready in that moment! It's going to be more than missing a bus. If you miss the rapture, you won't be able to wait for another chance.

But many are all taken up with the things of this world. They pay no mind to what God has to say. They're not in that place where they should be, and they're not going to make it.

Revelation 22:12,13
And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Once again, we're told that He's coming quickly. When He comes, He's coming to reward those who kept these sayings. When He comes, His reward will be with Him. He'll come to give us a crown of life that fades not away.

We're living in a generation when many have the idea that the commandments of God can be tossed aside as being legalism. Legalism? Obeying God is legalism? Who has an authority from God to throw even one commandment away? Whom did God give the authority to pick and choose which ones to obey and which to toss aside?

These are the commandments of God! And in this last book of the Bible, we are taught to keep His commandments that we may have right to enter that holy city. We are to take His commandments seriously.

Revelation 22:17-19
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

There's a serious warning here: Don't add to God's Word, neither take away from it. Let's not cut portions out that we don't want to accept. Let us rather realize that these are the things the Lord has said, and let us give ear to them.

Revelation 22:20,21
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

These last two verses of the Bible are like a promise and like a prayer.

We've looked at these final chapters and read of a place that is prepared of God, far greater than anything we could imagine. What God has given to us!

Let's take hold of the things of God with all of our hearts. He's coming quickly. When He comes, it will be so quick. And we'll be caught up in it, caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

He's taught us in the Word what we are to expect concerning His coming. And all through the Scriptures we can see how important it is for us to be prepared, to be ready, to pray always that we be counted worthy.

Let's be thankful that we have great things to look forward to in our future. Why should anyone draw back? Why should any turn aside from all God has given? Why should we allow the devil to tempt us to go down the wrong road? Why should we give in to the pressures of the wicked one?

Let's hold fast. We've got to be found faithful, right to the end.