Revelation 21:4—“He Will Wipe Away Every Tear”

“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:4, New World Translation.

“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 21:4, English Standard Version.

Meaning of Revelation 21:4

God promises to remove not only the pain and suffering that afflict humans today but also the root cause of these problems.

“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes.” These words confirm Jehovah’sa promise recorded by the prophet Isaiah that He will “wipe away the tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17) This expression shows God’s tender care for all those who shed tears because of the loss of a loved one or any other cause of suffering.

“Death will be no more.” This expression can also be rendered “death will no longer exist” or “there will no longer be any death.” God promises to eliminate death and the suffering that it causes. In addition, there will be a resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22) Hence, death will be “brought to nothing.”—1 Corinthians 15:26.

“Neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” God’s promise does not mean that humans will become insensitive to all pain, including the physical pain that naturally warns us of danger or potential injury. Rather, this promise indicates that all the mental, emotional, and physical pain caused by sinb and imperfection will be no more.—Romans 8:21, 22.

“The former things have passed away.” This concluding phrase sums up the dramatic changes that humans will experience. One reference work states: “The old mode of existence, in which death, mourning, weeping, and pain were an inescapable part of the human situation, will be replaced by a new manner of life.” Humans will then be able to enjoy life on earth forever in ideal conditions, as God originally intended.—Genesis 1:27, 28.

Context of Revelation 21:4

At the beginning of chapter 21, the apostle John describes what he saw in a vision: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” (Revelation 21:1) He uses figurative language to describe a radical change that is also foretold in other Bible verses. (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13) God’s heavenly government, or the “new heaven,” will replace all human governments and rule over “a new earth,” that is, a new human society living on earth.—Isaiah 65:21-23.

What indicates that the vision refers to life on earth? First, God’s promise is introduced with the words: “The tent of God is with mankind.” (Revelation 21:3) So this promise is given, not to angels in heaven, but to humans on earth. Second, the vision describes a world where “death will be no more.” (Revelation 21:4) Death has never existed in heaven, but it has only affected people on earth. (Romans 5:14) Thus, it is logical to conclude that this verse describes future conditions on earth.

Watch this short video to see an overview of the book of Revelation.