Revelation 21:4
«He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”»
God promises a future where His presence ends all sorrow, suffering, and death forever.
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Understand the verse
What this verse is about
Revelation 21:4 envisions the world made new under God’s direct, tender care. The picture is intimate: God Himself wipes away tears, signaling not only an end to pain but personal comfort. “Death will be no more” declares the final defeat of the last enemy. This verse anchors Christian hope in a concrete future where all the fractures of life are healed.
Context
Revelation 21 follows the judgment of evil and the passing away of the old heaven and earth (Revelation 20). John sees the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God, symbolizing God dwelling with His people. Verses 3–5 emphasize a covenant-like presence—“God with them”—and the renewal of all things. The chapter contrasts the secure joy of the redeemed with the exclusion of all that corrupts, highlighting God’s faithfulness to complete redemption.
When people especially turn to it
Return to this verse in seasons of grief, terminal illness, or after loss when hope feels thin. It also steadies anxious hearts facing chronic pain or uncertainty about the future.
A short prayer
Lord, fix my eyes on Your promise to make all things new, and let that hope steady me today. Draw near to my tears now as the God who will one day wipe them away.
Key phrases in Revelation 21:4
«He will wipe away every tear from their eyes»
Intimate, personal action by God; the Greek verb exaleipsei suggests wiping out/erasing completely, not just soothing.
«Death will be no more»
Thanatos, the great enemy, is abolished; not mitigated but rendered nonexistent in the new creation.
«neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more»
A total removal of grief’s expressions and causes; the Greek words cover lament, outcry, and bodily suffering.
«The first things have passed away»
The old order of sin, curse, and decay (ta prota) has definitively ended, replaced by God’s renewed creation.
Historical background of Revelation 21:4
Revelation was written by the apostle John in the late first century AD, likely during the reign of Domitian. It addressed churches in Asia Minor who faced pressure from Roman imperial cult expectations and social-economic marginalization. Public life often required acts of loyalty to Caesar, like incense offerings before imperial images; refusal could bring exclusion or worse. John writes from exile on Patmos, a Roman penal island, conveying visions of God’s ultimate victory over evil. The imagery of a descending city and God dwelling with people echoes temple themes, now realized without a physical sanctuary. Into a world marked by Roman power and fragile security, this promise assured believers that Caesar’s rule is temporary, but God’s kingdom endures.
Theological themes in Revelation 21:4
New creation
God doesn’t merely repair the old world; He brings a transformed order free from corruption, fulfilling promises of renewal.
Divine presence
God dwelling with His people is the source of healing, comfort, and life; His nearness ends distance, fear, and sorrow.
Victory over death
Christ’s resurrection guarantees the final abolition of death, the last enemy, culminating in a deathless world.
Covenant fulfillment
God’s long-standing pledge to be our God and we His people finds consummation as He personally cares for His own.
Cross references for Revelation 21:4
«He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for the LORD has spoken it.»
Connection: Anticipates Revelation 21:4 with the promise of death’s end and tears removed.
«The last enemy that will be abolished is death.»
Connection: Explains the theological basis for “death will be no more.”
«for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7»
Connection: A prior vision of God’s tender care, echoed and completed in 21:4.
«For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.»
Connection: Sets present suffering against future glory, aligning with “the first things have passed away.”
«You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more. Psalms 16»
Connection: Connects God’s presence with the fullness of joy that excludes mourning and pain.
Other wordings
WEB (World English Bible)
«He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”»
Public-domain modern translation used on this page.
KJV (King James Version)
«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.»
Classic 1611 English translation.
How to apply Revelation 21:4
- Read Revelation 21 aloud, slowly, and note each “no more” promise to pray over current pains.
- Write the verse on a card and place it where you grieve most, inviting God’s comfort in that space.
- At funerals or memorial moments, recite this verse to anchor hope in Christ’s resurrection.
- List three current sorrows and ask, “How does God’s future change how I live with these today?”
- Share the promise with someone suffering, offering to pray this hope over them.
Questions for reflection on Revelation 21:4
- Where do I most need to feel that God Himself sees and wipes my tears?
- How does the end of death change the fears that quietly shape my choices?
- What “first things” do I cling to that God intends to pass away?
- In what small way can I live today as a citizen of the world Revelation 21 describes?
Memorize Revelation 21:4
Break the verse into four beats—“He will wipe away every tear | Death will be no more | no mourning, nor crying, nor pain | the first things have passed away”—and repeat each beat while walking or breathing slowly.
FAQ
What does “wipe away every tear” mean?
It’s a personal picture of God ending sorrow at its source, not just comforting but removing the causes of grief forever.
Who is being addressed in this promise?
It’s for God’s redeemed people in the new creation, seen in the New Jerusalem vision.
How does this fit the chapter’s message?
Revelation 21 presents the renewal of all things with God dwelling among His people, contrasting the old order with the perfected new.
How can I apply this verse now?
Let its future certainty shape present endurance—pray it over your pain and make choices that reflect hope, not fear.
How does the New Testament connect this to Jesus?
Jesus’ resurrection secures the defeat of death, making the promise of “no more death” certain for all who belong to Him.
Why do some translations word phrases slightly differently?
Differences reflect translation choices from Greek terms (e.g., exaleipsei, thanatos) but the core meaning—God ending sorrow and death—remains the same.
Is this only symbolic?
The imagery is visionary, but it points to a real, embodied future in which evil, death, and pain are truly gone.
