I have used Revelation 21:4 at funerals for years as a message of comfort during times of grief.  Yet, there is an aspect of the verse that I never considered until studying this verse again.  Notice that the first statement in this verse describes God wiping away every tear from their eyes!  We are not talking about a distant God who is in control way above us.  Instead, it provides an intimate picture of a father who will take time to personally touch our faces and wipe away our tears.  It is a God who specifically cares about your suffering and pain. 

Revelation 21 is the climax of the Bible.  Genesis begins with creation and describes how sin entered the world.  This passage describes a new creation that will replace a corrupted world.  It is a world that has no more crying, no more death, and no more pain. It is a message of hope for all of us.  Many people are interested in Revelation because they are interested in understanding the future.  They attempt to understand every prophesy and make predictions about when the second coming takes place.  Or, they attempt to correlate current world events with the prophesy found in Revelation.  But the main purpose of the message expressed in Revelation is to provide hope for a hurting world!

Times were difficult for the new Christian church when John received this revelation from God on the island of Patmos.  Many of the Christian leaders had been put to death as a result of their faith.  Followers of Christ were being persecuted and others forced to leave their homes.  And, in the midst of these horrible conditions, God provides a message through the Apostle John that He cares for each and every one of them.  That while times are difficult today, better days will follow. All of us encounter difficult times.  For some it may be your health, for others it could be the loss of a loved one.  It can be fractured relationships to extreme stress dealing with everyday life events.  Whatever you are going through right now, God cares for you!  He is able to comfort you through His presence.  Because He cares about you, He will touch your face and wipe away your tears! Do not let go of the unseen hand of God.

Read Revelation 21: 1-8