Revelation 21:4

Commentary on Revelation 21:4

Revelation 21:4 “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.”

✦ Concise Takeaway

Revelation 21:4 reveals the heart of God for his redeemed people: a future where every grief is removed, every wound healed, and every cause of suffering abolished. It is the consummation of God’s redemptive plan, grounded in the finished work of Jesus Christ and pointing believers toward hope-filled perseverance in the present.

1. Immediate Context: Revelation 21

Revelation 21[i] describes the new heaven and new earth, the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and the final state of God’s people. It follows the final judgement in Revelation 20 and marks the beginning of eternal communion between God and his redeemed.

Key verses shaping the context:

• Revelation 21:1
  “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.”
• Revelation 21:3
  “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.”

These verses establish the setting: God dwelling with his people in a renewed creation. Revelation 21:4 then describes the character of life in this new creation.

2. Exegetical Commentary on Revelation 21:4

2.1 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”

The image is intimate and pastoral. God himself acts. He does not delegate this comfort. The verb “wipe away” conveys tenderness and finality. Tears represent the full range of human grief: loss, injustice, fear, regret, and suffering.

This echoes earlier promises:

• Isaiah 25:8
  “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.”
• Revelation 7:17
  “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

The wiping away of tears is not merely emotional relief; it is the removal of every cause of sorrow.

2.2 “And there shall be no more death”

Death entered through sin (Genesis 3) and has been the universal human experience. Its removal is the final outworking of Christ’s victory.

• 1 Corinthians 15:26
  “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

In the new creation, death is not simply absent; it is defeated, rendered impossible.

2.3 “Neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain”

These terms together describe the full spectrum of human suffering: emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual. The language is cumulative, emphasising total removal.

Pain is not only physical discomfort but the entire burden of living in a fallen world. The redeemed will experience unbroken wholeness.

2.4 “For the former things are passed away”

The reason suffering is gone is that the old order of sin, decay, and death has been abolished. This is not a temporary reprieve but a permanent transformation.

The phrase “former things” includes:

• the curse of Genesis 3
• the brokenness of human relationships
• the groaning of creation (Romans 8:22–23)
• the spiritual warfare of the present age

All of these are finished.

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3. Theological Teaching

3.1 God’s Character

Revelation 21:4 reveals God as compassionate, present, and active. He is not distant. He personally wipes away tears. His sovereignty is expressed through tenderness.

3.2 The Fulfilment of Redemption

This verse shows the final stage of salvation: glorification. Justification removes guilt. Sanctification removes the power of sin. Glorification removes the presence of sin and its consequences.

3.3 The Nature of Christian Hope

Christian hope is not vague optimism. It is anchored in God’s promise and Christ’s victory. Revelation 21:4 is a concrete description of the believer’s future.

3.4 The New Creation

The new creation is not merely a spiritual state. It is embodied, relational, and communal. God dwells with his people. Suffering is removed. Life is renewed.

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4. Meditation Guide

4.1 Reflect on God’s Tenderness

Picture God wiping away tears. Consider the personal nature of his comfort. Bring your present griefs before him, knowing he sees and cares.

4.2 Consider the Finality of Christ’s Victory

Meditate on the phrase “no more death.” Let this truth shape your view of mortality, fear, and loss.

4.3 Name Your Sorrows

Identify the pains, sorrows, and cries of your life. Lay them before the Lord with the assurance that they will not have the final word.

4.4 Rest in the Promise

Repeat the phrase “the former things are passed away.” Let it remind you that the brokenness of this world is temporary.

4.5 Pray for Perseverance

Ask God to help you live faithfully in the present, shaped by the hope of the future.

5. Application to Modern Christian Living

5.1 Hope in Suffering

Christians today face grief, illness, injustice, and fear. Revelation 21:4 teaches that suffering is temporary and will be fully removed. This does not minimise pain but places it within God’s redemptive timeline.

5.2 Courage in Ministry

Pastoral care, evangelism, and discipleship often involve walking with people through sorrow. This verse equips believers to offer hope grounded in God’s promise.

5.3 Holiness and Perseverance

Knowing the future encourages present faithfulness. Christians are called to live as citizens of the new creation, resisting sin and pursuing righteousness.

5.4 Comfort in Bereavement

Death is painful, but it is not final. Revelation 21:4 provides comfort for those grieving, reminding them that death will be abolished.

5.5 Community Shaped by Hope

Church communities should reflect the compassion of God. As God wipes away tears, believers are called to comfort one another.

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[i] Revelation 21

King James Version

21 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.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 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.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

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.

9 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 shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

10 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,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

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

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.

24 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.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.