S – Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:^, Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,^, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. 

Revelation 21:3–4 CSB

O – Commentary:

The final revelation from heaven states that God will then dwell with men, that the saints will be His people and He will be their God. In eternity saints will enjoy a new intimacy with God which is impossible in a world where sin and death are still present. The new order will be without sorrow. God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death with its mourning, and pain with its crying will vanish, for the old order of things will have passed away.

Some have wondered if grief and sorrow will exist for a while in heaven and then be done away with here at the establishing of the new order. It is better to understand this passage as saying that heaven will have none of the features that so characterize the present earth.

 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 985.

A – It is hard to fathom or understand what a world without sin or death would look like.  It is even more difficult to imagine a day where interaction with God is so intimate and close he would actually wipe away a tear.  We endure the present day knowing there is a better one to come.  God will empower us with strength, faith and perseverance to be victorious today.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God who sits on His throne and longs to dwell with his people.  We are grateful for the opportunity to know you through Christ and the Holy Spirit today.  We look forward to the day where we will see you face to face.