Thursday: No More Tears
Read Revelation 21:3-5. What do the tears there mean?
We are all experienced with what it means to cry. We are also familiar with the action of wiping tears from another’s eyes: a mother tenderly comforting her child; a close friend comforting a companion; or one parent comforting the other in the midst of heartache or tragedy.
Image © Darrel Tank from GoodSalt.com
We also know that we do not allow many people to touch our face. So, what does it mean that God touches our face other than that we will have an intimate tie with our Maker?
It is hard to imagine a world without death, sorrow, or crying. Pain, sweat, tears, and death have been the norm for humankind ever since the Fall (Gen. 3:16-19). Yet, from that time on God has assured the human race that failure and loss are not all there is to look forward to. God has given little indicators along the way that He will one day redeem us and bless us with His presence.
God does so first with the promise of a Redeemer (Gen. 3:15); then with the assurance of His presence in a tabernacle (Exod. 25:8); then with the reality of the Word becoming flesh and tabernacling among us (John 1:14); and finally, by placing the throne of the universe in our midst (Rev. 21:3).
Many Bible verses give a summary of this covenant assurance, using such words as, “I will be their God,” “you shall be my people,” and “I will dwell among you.” One example is: “‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people'” (2 Cor. 6:16, NIV).
Jesus came the first time to neutralize the effects of the broken covenant. Jeremiah described the consequences of the broken covenant this way: “‘Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you'” (Jer. 30:15, NKJV). Thanks to Jesus, that is now history. Revelation 21:3 essentially gives us the climax of the Bible. Perhaps the tears are what we shed over the final annihilation of the lost, but God Himself wipes them away, and sorrow and suffering are forever “passed away.”
| These texts imply an intimacy with God once we are in heaven. We, though, don’t have to wait until then to have that kind of relationship with Him. How can you walk, even now, closely with the Lord? |
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Daily devotion with God is very essential to walk with God everyday. An earnest prayer and daily reflection from day to day.
Daily devotional is a good place to start! I believe added to that should be a constant living in his presence! Take Him with you to the store, the park, to work, lunch and yes even the bathroom - well all places you go! God already knows and sees the intimate parts of our life - acknowledge you desire and consent for Him to be a part of who you are!
No More Tears, in Revelation 21:3-5, has an understanding that may be different from what the text seems to indicate. The Greek word for tear, is dakru, dakruon and is of uncertain affinity. However the following expressions, sorrow , death and crying, that are the cause of "Tears", is what has been experienced from a life of sin, affliction, trouble and sorrow. The tears that are wiped away are from the Greek exaleipho, (ex-al-i-fo). Mean to smear out, erase tears, figuratively pardon sin.
I thought of the extensive use of mobile phone these days. what is its primary use? its is to stay connected, to keep in touch, to know the latest news, as well as to know the wellbeing of family and friends. With our loving God we have the gift of prayer. If we pray as much as we use our mobile phones, we will find ourselves connect to God continually: Morning devotion, praise and worship songs on the way to work, prayer at your desk before you start to work, pray to thank God for your achievements and your struggles. pray during family worship, and pray to thank God for a blessed day. I now understand 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
P.S. let us use the time of easter to share the greatest news to mankind - JESUS IS RISEN. God bless.
Walking daily with him by faith thru daily devotion and constant prayer.
Sometimes we think of the present heaven as a place of all joy. But if there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7) what does this say about the response to those who do NOT repent? Is there sadness?
Was there sadness in heaven when Jesus was crucified? I think that when Jesus wipes away tears from our eyes, it will be for all His creatures, not just humans alone. The present heaven is NOT an all happy place once there is the blot of sin in the universe.
When God wipes away our tears, does that mean we will lose the memory of our loved ones who are lost? If not, then we will experience pain of losing them and pain will not exist in the new earth.
Ella, I believe there will be tears in heaven, but God will "wipe them away" by allowing us to see that what He does is best - that those who will not be in heaven would not want to be there but would choose death over being in the presence of God. And that's exactly what God allows them to have.
That doesn't mean losing the memory of our earthly life. But there's a difference between a memory with pain and a memory without pain. But then, maybe that's why it will take 1000 years, at least figuratively. ...
"Tears are a language God understands", famous words from a long-time favorite Heritage song for many of us, right? I also connect with this line "God weeps along with man, and takes him by the hand, tears are a language....etc.). Much research has been done on the phenomenon of tears and numerous results documented. According to scientific research, there are essentially three reasons why we cry.
1. Basal tears-protect the eyes and provide lubrication (a routine
function of the tear glands or ducts, to clear dust etc.)
2. Reflex tears - flush the eyes when irritated
3. Emotional tears - in response to pain, distress, sadness
or other heightened emotional states as stress, happiness
loss, etc.
Studies also show that emotional tears release elements and hormones, (manganese & prolactin) that affect mood and temperament, thus relieving tension in and stress in the body, making us feel better after crying. God our Father is so wise, in building mechanisms within us to deal with even our times of grief and sadness.
Suppose babies couldn't cry? How would we know when something is wrong? The type of crying or weeping that (Rev. 21:4) refers to, is associated with sorrow, loss, pain and death. These will be no more when "the former things are passed away" and God has promised in (Rev. 21:5) "Behold I make all things new.) There will no longer be any reason to mourn and weep for the experiences which we now have resulting in these emotions will fade into the past.
While we are still here, though, God shares our sorrows and griefs and weeps with us in empathy, and sympathy because He love us so. Our discomforts are His as well. What a loving Creator we have!
TEARS ARE A LANGUAGE
Often you wonder why tears come into your eyes
And burdens seem to be much more than you can stand
But God is standing near, He sees your falling tears
Tears are a language God understands.
God sees the tears of a brokenhearted soul
He sees your tears and hears them when they fall
God weeps along with man and takes him by the hand
Tears are a language God understands.
This reminds me of part of a prayer spoken by David when the Philistines took him.
Psa 56:8 "...put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book [of remembrance]?"
...Please don't let them fall to the ground and be forgotten.
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The Greeks and the Romans (perhaps even the Jews?) had a custom, that in a time of mourning a friend went to a person in sorrow, and literally wiped the tears from their eyes with a piece of cloth, and squeezed the tears into a tiny bottle made of glass [or glazed pottery]. The bottle was carefully preserved as a memorial of friendship and sorrow. Many of these "bottles" have been found in the ancient Roman tombs.
I am waiting for that glorious return of my savior to wash away my tears and reward me with eternity.Let us be comforted with these words brethren.
I thank the Lord for not only wiping our physical tears away but also our emotional and psychological tears (scars) as well. Our Abba is truly awesome.
We are all sojourners in this world. We have no abiding place here but are on a journey through life. As we travel we learn about and discover who God is. I was brought up in a christian home, and by devout Anglican parents. My desire to know who God is really began when I got to Bethel College, a Seventh-day institution of learning in South Africa. I believed in God but had many unanswered questions. I began to learn that a walk with God was instituted by God Almighty in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 8). The Bible taught me that Enoch "walked with God" (Genesis 5: 22- 24). Small wonder that his life ended on this life not in the grave but was taken by God up to heaven. Noah is described as a righteous man who walked with God. (Genesis 6: 9). The Bible exhorts us to "walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6: 8). Indeed God desires a close relationship with us.
A walk with the Lord involves laughing, talking, listening and opening up of your heart daily. It involves an all-consuming focus and dedication on Him. It is a constant state of worship. You become "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2: 20). In other words walking with God means a total lifestyle change. You no longer do the things you used to do before you met Christ. You no longer walk or keep evil friends. Ezekiel 12:1-2 says, "Son of man you are leaving among a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house."
A relationship with Him means that you choose the narrow path of complete surrender to Jesus. This entails buckling down to the authority of God and submitting fully to His will and purpose. It is a growing up process to become more like Jesus. You become changed and experience the presence of Christ in your life. A song I cherished so much at Bethel College had the following refrain:-
"Christ liveth in me,
Christ liveth in me,
Oh! what a salvation this,
That Christ liveth in me."
Let this be our experience.
The idea of walking together with God, brings to mind a text from the Book of Amos.
It is the question : "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)
We cannot "walk" together with God unless our hearts and minds are in "agreement" with His. It is certainly possible for our minds to be made compatible with His mind, but without this we will not be able to walk with Him.
Enoch and Noah are said to have walked with God -- because their hearts and minds were in agreement with [knit with, joined with,] His. (Gen 5:2, 6:9)
_________
"When the Lord Jesus dwells in our hearts, we think the thoughts of God, and do the works of God... [we] will have a spiritual connection with God." (Review & Herald, Feb 23, 1897, para. 2)
Quote from teaching: Perhaps the tears are what we shed over the final annihilation of the lost, but God Himself wipes them away, and sorrow and suffering are forever "passed away."
How comforting for the SDA, that the sinner will be forever annihilated and not have to be tormented forever. This is a false comfort and a misleading teaching to imply that the momentary wiping away of our tears is linked with the annihilation of the wicked.
Jesus taught Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
This is not comforting or a mere wiping away of tears for this is an everlasting or eternal torment for the wicked not just a momentary discomfort then annihilation. George Storrs taught annihilation but Jesus Christ taught 'eternal torment'. I believe Jesus teachings and His teaching are not comforting about the lost souls burning in the lake of fire forever.
God give us compassion for the lost that we may be wise with our time to preach the gospel to every creature as we still have breath.