Every tear

           I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:2-4)

If you listen to the political rhetoric that dominates our country at the moment, the last sentence contains the goal. “… will wipe every tear…no more death…mourning or crying in pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” It promises heaven on earth, just as we see at the end of the book of revelation, with one vital exception. God isn’t in it. Most assuredly, God is not in control of it. No, it is the government that will wipe every tear, end death, mourning, and pain by destroying the old order, which permitted, accepted, and even (sometimes) sought God.

Go back to the garden of Eden in Genesis 3. What did the serpent say? Eat of the fruit, and you’ll be like God. Forget about doing things God’s way. Do it yourself. Create heaven on earth with yourself as its master – not God. It’s the same old story with minor variations. Who needs God? We can do it ourselves. And…when the going gets rough, that’s a route we tend to like to take.

Historically, when people have tried to “help” God, or achieve “heaven on earth” by themselves, it hasn’t gone well. Think of the Tower of Babel, or Abram and Sarai, or Nebuchadnezzar, or the Anti-Christ. Think of Hitler’s slaughter of 30 million (6 million of which were Jews,) or Stalin’s slaughter of 40 million, or Mao’s slaughter of 60 million. All of that was in the name of some utopian vision in which every evil would disappear with the destruction of the old order of things.

We must look forward to Christ’s victory, but we must be patient. When we go off, trying to make it become a reality in our strength (and usually for our own glory) it is doomed.