The Former Things

“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.” Revelation 21:4

When we think of heaven, we think of the streets of gold and gates of pearl, but much of what we know about heaven is understood in terms of what will not be there. In the passage above, we see that there will be no tears, no death, no sorrow, no crying, and no pain in heaven because the former things are passed away. In the course of our lives, we are subjected to a wide array of negative experiences. The loss of a loved one brings unspeakable grief. Financial reversal, the loss of a job, the betrayal of a friend, or a wayward child can bring sorrow, grief, pain, and tears. In heaven, none of those things will happen. The longer we live, the more burdens we have to bear. Eventually, our bodies begin to give out, and we suffer with a growing list of ailments and are unable to do the things that we enjoyed most in life. If heaven is so wonderful and God wants all of the saved to go there, then why doesn’t He take us to heaven immediately after we are saved? Our journey here includes dealing with all of these difficult things, but it gives us the opportunity to help others and to be a testimony and a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Along the way, when the pain becomes unbearable or the tears begin to flow because sorrow has overwhelmed our hearts, we can remember that one day in heaven our sorrow and pain will all be over.