The Abolition of Tears

The Feast of All Saints – All Saints’ Day – 2011

Dear Faithful Family & Friends,

Today we remember all who have died.  We especially remember all who have died during the past year.  I am praying today for all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  May the Holy Trinity comfort them in their affliction.  To those who sorrow, I offer this brief meditation:

Coram Deo,

Margot

The Abolition of Tears

 Revelations 21.1-4 [NASB]:

 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

 And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,

 And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.

 Reflection:

 As I compose this, I await the birth of my granddaughter.  As the “Doula,” I will offer my daughter every comfort, as she endures the suffering of labor.  Finally, her tears of pain will cease, as she witnesses the birth of a new life.

This pattern echoes that in the above passage, which focuses upon the Final Act of the Drama of Redemption.

“He will swallow up death forever.  The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.” [Isaiah 15.6-8]  At the end of the age, the Risen Christ will appear upon the earth but He will not literally “wipe away every tear,” as with a soft handkerchief.  Rather, He will dramatically enforce a radical and permanent solution to the problem of pain and suffering:

At his Second Coming, the Lion of Judah, the Warrior God, the Refiner’s Fire will wield His mighty instruments of Justice, Judgment, and the Sword of His Word.  The Victor, the Conqueror, the Vanquisher will obliterate every result of the Fall and He will terminate every evil, until He defeats the final enemy, Death.

Our Victorious Redeemer, the Author and Finisher, the Alpha and Omega will stand upon the earth.  We will kneel, bow, and worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We will witness both the Death of the Old Order, with its grief and sorrow, and the Birth of the New Order, offering eternal life and joy.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” [Isaiah 65.17]  Christ will reconcile the two worlds — the two spheres – and we will live forever in His presence!

And, finally, there will be no tears.

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[Written by Margot Blair Payne, All Saints’ Day 2011]