NEITHER ANY MORE PAIN
Revelation 21:1 ¶ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 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. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
This is a far different attitude for John than how he was pictured in the fifth chapter of this book. There we see him weeping, for he could find no worthy one to open up any new world now that the entire world of the law, which was all that he had ever known, had passed away. Therefore, at that time he had his attention directed to the Lamb, as he had been slain, who opened the book of His new administration to reveal the church age. John was greatly comforted in the passing away of the first heaven and the first earth by having the new heaven and the new earth – the church, the Bride of Christ in the gospel age – manifest to him.
That old world not only included the realm of the law in Israel, but also the Gentile world rule. The world would now be ruled from the spiritual kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ until the gospel age was fulfilled. Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones (of Babylon, of the Medes and Persians, of Greece, and of Roman), were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jesus of Nazareth is presently reigning Lord! Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
John now sees the appearance of the new heaven and the new earth of the gospel age, as the old world of the law and it’s sacrifices were already done away with. Hebrews 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Old Testament prophets had prophesied of the coming of this new world. Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
And the apostles received the gospel as the Holy Spirit opened up to them the revelation that He had given unto the prophets. 1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Then, as John sees more clearly the new gospel age, he begins to describe the effect it will have upon the citizens of the kingdom of Christ. For as spiritual death is finished, (see Daniel 9:24 with John 19:30), so is the “sorrow, crying and pain” that it caused!
And as the death that should be “no more” at the accomplishment of redemption was referring first to spiritual death, so the pain and sorrow was referring to the spiritual suffering of those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:15). For the old economy of the law, with only its blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin, nor appease the guilty consciences! Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Dear Reader, we just do not realize what a blessed thing it is to live in a day of accomplished and applied redemption. Matthew 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hebrews 11:39 And these all, (of the Old Testament), having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, (of the New Testament), that they without us should not be made perfect.
It was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross! It is applied by the Holy Spirit! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Redemption has been accomplished and is being applied as the Holy Spirit brings regeneration into hearts of believers! 1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
And redemption accomplished has delivered us from the pain of spiritual and eternal death! Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
The physical ground was cursed as a result of the first Adam’s transgression! Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
The spiritual ground of the hearts of men was relieved of any curse by the gospel word! Matthew 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
And Christ’s redemption shall also accomplish the removal of the curse of the natural ground! Romans 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The sin of the first Adam resulted in the bring forth of thorns. Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; The last Adam wore the thorns like a crown in order to relieve all believers of the result of sin! John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
The sin of the first Adam introduced sweat into the realm of fallen men! Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. The sweat came as a result of the labor necessary to feed the natural body.
But sweat was not allowed as the priests labored to present the sacrifices and offerings required to deal with the provision for the spiritual souls to be nourished! Ezekiel 44:18 They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.
Therefore our Great High Priest, the last Adam, labored to provide himself as the Bread of life, changing the natural sweat into the redemptive blood. Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The moisture of Adam’s sweat that fell upon the cursed ground among the thorns and briars, never made anything better. But the moisture of Christ’s lips changed the cursed ground into that required to complete fallen man! John 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. Mark 7:33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; For He who had made an entire body from the moisture of his breath, here forms new eyes for this blind man, and a new tongue for the deaf man who also could not speak! Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The Lord received the spit of men, implying that he could not redeem them, for they did not receive him as their Messiah! Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. Deuteronomy 25:9 Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.
Yet, he is The Kinsman Redeemer! Ruth 4:6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. 8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:… All glory to God and the Lamb forever!
Pastor Gene Breed
November 2, 2017
