TGIF
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.””(Revelation 21:2–4 ESV)
The question is often raised about this verse…why will there be tears in heaven?
Possible answers given are that we will be weeping over lost rewards or the absence of lost loved ones.
Both are possible I suppose, but both miss the point, in my opinion.
The reason we will be weeping will be that getting home has been so hard.
Life will break even the strongest among us and many of us will arrive in the next life the way we left this one.
In tears.
For some of us, it will be the first opportunity to finally let it all out.
The Bible is clear who makes it home…those who persevere and overcome.
For those who are more pious than bright, you don’t persevere through a good time and overcome pleasant circumstances.
We have to endure all the effects of the Fall and the unholy trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Finally, we have to die to get where we’re going.
Personally speaking, I’m going to flood the place…
This brings me to my Christmas message.
Ho, ho, ho…
Christmas, (otherwise known as the Bataan death march of commercialism and the calendar), is really about the Incarnation.
That’s where your God entered time and space and a fully human body and endured the same things you have had to.
He lived a short life full of tragedy and died at the hands of the people He came to save.
Thus, He is fully able to sympathize with our weaknesses…and fully qualified to wipe every tear from our eyes.
Once He does, there will be no more need for tears and mourning, the old things will have passed away and all things made new.
He told me to remind you.
I’m just trying to hold my tears until I get home…it’s Christmas, after all.
Make your own application…
IMO – 🙂 there’s no crying in heaven…
while i hate to sound like i’ve been MLD brainwashed ( lol ), i’ve always read that passage as figurative, the description of a loving father – the tears are describing the sorrows of life lived on earth, not tears we’ve been crying in heaven ( dunno, tho )
it is interesting that the joy of the Lord, which is deep and real, here and now, isn’t without tears for so many reasons – reasons that are all associated with the state of the planet and the people on it
praying for you, Michael and for all those who are reading your post and saying “amen” … it has become a tedious season for most of us, i think – dunno
“it’s Christmas, after all.”
It’s Advent 😉
I don’t see how there couldn’t be tears in heaven, for all the reasons you write. I think it’s ok to cry hear too. Thank you.
Perhaps the removal of all sense of shame for tears in the first place will be removed, the flood gates will open, and He will wipe them all away–personally, tenderly, and with his own tears flowing. I write with tears in my eyes as I type, longing for the day I reunite with my beloved son Drew. There will be tears.
Christmas will be an uphill march this year. Thanksgiving was tough. Veterans Day impossible. His birthday earlier this month about sent me over the edge.
filbertz,
Beautifully written,my friend.
Prayers still for you and your bride…
filbertz, That was very touching. Prayers for you and yours.
Oh Fil….praying for you and your family…
fil, now you got me crying. I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine losing one of my children. Please know that you are loved and many friends here are praying for you.
There will be tears in heaven, and our beloved Savior will wipe them all away. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He sympathizes with our weaknesses. There are so many reasons for tears. I suspect for many, it will be because we will finally realize the full effect of His grace and mercy, that it really is possible that He saved a filthy, selfish, vile, adulterous, unfaithful, wandering wretch like me. While I am a firm believer in eternal security, I don’t think that will make my entrance into the presence of Jesus any less jaw-dropping, knee-bending or tear-flowing. Maranatha!!!
Filbertz, im so sorry for your loss your son drew. Praying for you and your family now and this christmas.
Filbertz brings much focus for me. Many of us become numb to the tragedies of the world as we read of them every day. Often we forget that one life. That one family whose life has been forever rocked as in the case of filbertz.
I have thought along the lines of Em regarding those tears Michael speaks of. Since we serve a God who is perfect in every way I’m fine with each opinion.
I’m a man who rarely cries and when I do I feel it’s a gift from God. It’s cleansing.
I never tire of the explanation for Christmas. A story the world has tossed out but one that means everything to Christians.
Maybe it will be safe to admit that life can break us one day. Thankfully we serve a God who’s there for us at all times. Thanks Michael.
it is indeed the purpose of Satan to break us
“Thankfully we serve a God who’s there for us at all times” … add my amen to that declaration…
perhaps, those who have lost a son in a sacrifice of obedience (as filbertz’ son) have a special bond with the Lord… would, God, say to that parent, dear child, I too have been there and done that…
sometimes i think that Jesus really didn’t share ALL the sorrows that man goes thru (never dealt with old age infirmities) and then i circle back to Him, who knew no sin, becoming sin for us and i pray that we all would, at least once, see clearly just what that meant… think of the worst revolting humiliation that you could inflict on a human and it wouldn’t compare with that – this is a hill of opinion that i am prepared to die on, BTW
Since I’ve been late for so many PhxP parties the last year or so, I just now stumbled upon this gem from Monday’s Things I Think:
“When you arrive at the point when you are more fascinated by the person of Christ,than the doctrines around Him, you are much closer to holding right doctrine…”
Yes, yes, yes and AAAAAA-MEN!!!!!
Revelation 21:4
As I see it brother, there will be NO tears in Heaven.
The verse is actually intimating (in my opinion) that God will wipe our tears, pain, sadness, etc, at the moment we die and our souls come home to His loving arms.
Pastor Robert Trohon
La Via-The Way (Calvary Chapel)
Managua, Nicaragua