If Jesus does return in the first century, how are we to understand that death and pain are no more? Does Revelation promise us these will end? Yes it does.
Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 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. 4 ‘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.”
Coming from the perspective that Revelation is all future, this can be one of the more difficult and disappointing realizations we walk though. We expect that one day, the earth will be perfect and sinless with no more pain and suffering and with no more death. However, the Bible sometimes uses death differently than we do.
What Revelation means by “death”
Christians today widely believe that when we die we go to Heaven and have eternal life.
John 3:16 ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
We believers might even say we have eternal life now even before we physically die and continue to have eternal life after we die. But if we are physically dead on earth, why do we consider ourselves to have eternal life? Because we are talking about what I call “afterlife life.” In the afterlife we are alive, not dead or asleep as we would be in Sheol/Hades or the lake of fire. This seems to be what Revelation is talking about. This concept is most clearly illustrated in the words of Jesus.
John 11:25-27 BLB the one believing in Me, even if he should die, he will live. And everyone living and believing in Me shall never die, to the age. Do you believe this?”
“To the age,” is often left out of translations but is in the Greek and important to understand what Jesus is saying. When this is spoken, the \disciples are in an age where they were destined for Sheol/Hades when they die. Jesus promises them even if they go to Hades, they will eventually be resurrected and live again. However, since Jesus is going to return in their generation, resurrect the dead, and usher in the new age, some of them will live long enough to reach the next age. It seems Jesus is saying that if they are fortunate enough to live long enough to see the new age, they will never face death in Sheol/Hades but will go directly to Heaven after dying on earth. A person is not considered dead if they are in Heaven. This is the only way Jesus can sensibly be saying those who believe in him will never die, if people who believe in him have continued to die physically ever since.
Mark 10:29-31 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
Notice eternal life is not given until the age to come, not the age the disciples were currently in. For those Christians who lived long enough to see it come, they would never taste death because they would never go to Sheol/Hades.
No more death and pain describe Heaven
A few verses before our focused Revelation passage, what do we find was just thrown into the lake of fire?
Revelation 20:13-14 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
At the Great White Throne Judgement, Death and Hades have all their occupants emptied out before being thrown into the lake of fire. This is the death that is defeated. From this moment on, those in Christ live in Heaven and no longer wait in Hades.
Since the resurrection is also the moment Heaven is opened (Hebrews 11:16,40, Hebrews 13:14) to the saints and since the Great White Throne Judgement is the resurrection, it’s no surprise that the following chapter should have something to say about this glorious new reality.
Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Being a cyclical book, Revelation describes this new reality in a few places, this verse being one of them. The rules of the afterlife have changed, we now go to Heaven or the lake of fire, not Hades.
Revelation 17:14-17 ESV I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Notice the same language being used here as in Revelation 21, but here the promises apply to those who have died in the great tribulation and stand before the throne of God in Heaven.
So, when the Bible talks about no more pain, no more death, it describes the new reality of Heaven. Of course the new Jerusalem also comes down out of Heaven, indicating some aspect of the kingdom of Heaven exists on earth as well. It should not be surprising to find that Revelation 21 describes both aspects of Heavenly and earthly realities.
What Isaiah tells us about the new Heavens and new earth
Isaiah tells us more about the new Heavens and new earth but makes it clear that sin and death are still a part of it.
Isaiah 65:17-22 “For behold, I create new Heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old,and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
In Isaiah’s new Heavens and new earth, sinners still live to be a hundred years old indicating that both death and sin still exist. Isaiah says God’s people will live as long as trees. Scientists to this day debate if trees die of old age (“Do trees die of old age?”), we have trees that have been in existence for thousands of years. In fact, Josephus, a Jewish historian living in the first century says,
“There is also there shewed, at the distance of six furlongs from the city, a very large turpentine tree; and the report goes that this tree has continued ever since the creation of the world” (Josephus The War of the Jews 4.9.7).
Perhaps to a Jewish reader in Isaiah’s time, such an analogy would have simply meant, God’s people will live forever. If Revelation is talking about earthly death being no more, why do nations still need healing from the tree of life (Revelation 22:1-2)? Why are the wicked still existing outside the city and never allowed to enter (Revelation 21:6-8,27, Revelation 22:14-16) if all evil is destroyed?
Revelation 21:23-27 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Isaiah 60 also uses remarkably similar language to this passage in Revelation 21 but says that nations will continue to perish if they do not serve the new Jerusalem. Note the many similarities between Isaiah and Revelation as you read.
Isaiah 60
19-20 The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended
10-12 Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you. 11 Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. 12 For the nation and kingdomthat will not serve you shall perish;those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
Like Revelation, Isaiah tells us the sun is no longer our light, but he adds that “the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish,” indicating that even in this age, death will exist. Otherwise how do nations still perish? It’s clear Isaiah and even Revelation are using metaphorical language. The fact that there is no more night (Revelation 21:23-25, Isaiah 60:19-20) is contradicted by the fact that Isaiah still prophecies day and night in the new Heavens and new earth (Isaiah 60:11, 66:23).
Isaiah 60:11 Your gates shall be open continually;day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.
Isaiah 66:23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.
Jesus promises to rule forever administering justice.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
There is no need for justice if there is no injustice, this demands sin still exists on earth to some degree. In Isaiah’s idea of the new Heavens and new earth, death and sin are a regular part.
Do Isaiah and Revelation describe the same new Heavens and new earth?
So how do we know that Isaiah and Revelation are prophesying the same events? Could Isaiah be describing the Millennium? Could Isaiah be speaking hypothetically?
1. Could Isaiah 65 be describing the Millennium?
When you compare the language of Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21, it’s clear they both describe the same reality:
- For behold, I create new Heavens and a new earth, (Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21:1)
- the former things shall not be remembered (Isaiah 65:19, Revelation 21:4)
- no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress (Isaiah 65:19, Revelation 21:4)
- I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people (Isaiah 65:18-19, Revelation 21:2-3)
The new Heavens and new earth Isaiah describe is promised to last forever.
Isaiah 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create;
Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new Heavens and the new earththat I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. 23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.
If Isaiah’s new Heavens and new earth last forever, then it could not be replaced by a newer Heavens and earth later. Both Revelation and Isaiah must therefore be describing the same reality. Jesus even quotes from the ending of Isaiah 61 saying, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21) indicating that Isaiah is known to be talking about first century events. The similarities between Revelation and Isaiah don’t stop there. The final chapters of Isaiah heavily influence the final chapters of Revelation.
- The Lord coming in judgement with angels in flaming fire (Isaiah 64:1-2,66:15-16, Revelation 19:11-18, 22:12)
- The destruction of old Jerusalem and its temple (Isaiah 63:8-10, 64:10-11, 66:6, Revelation 11:1–2)
- The establishment of a new Heaven and new earth (Isaiah 65:7, 66:22, Revelation 21:1)
- An everlasting covenant is established at the new Heavens and new earth (Isaiah 59:21, 60:15, 61:8, Revelation 21:7, Matthew 5:18)
- A marriage between God and a new people (Isaiah 62:4, Revelation 19:7) (Christians, 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-25)
- The establishment of a new Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:1-2,7,65:15,19, Isaiah 66:7-9, Revelation 3:12, 21:2,10,)
- The new Jerusalem has no temple (Isaiah 66:1,6; Revelation 21:22)
- The new Jerusalem has continually open gates (Isaiah 60:11; Revelation 21:25)
- No more tears (Isaiah 60:18,20, 65:19, Revelation 21:4)
- Former troubles are no more (Isaiah 60:18, 65:16, Revelation 21:4)
- The wealth, glory, and honor of the nations will be brought into the new Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:5-9,11,61:6, Revelation 21:26)
- Kings will be led in their splendor in procession through the new Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:11, Revelation 21:24).
- God will be its light with no more need for the sun or moon (Isaiah 60:19-21, Revelation 21:23)
- Evil will not enter it and will be destroyed (Isaiah 60:12,18, Revelation 21:27)
How can two prophesies with such identical content be describing different realities?
2. Could Isaiah 65 be using hypothetical language?
Could Isaiah be using hypothetical language and intend to communicate that death will be no more?
Isaiah 65:20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
Isaiah emphasizes how long people will live by saying that those who die at a hundred will be considered accursed. Even a person who dies at a hundred is thought to be a young man. Is Isaiah meaning that all people will live forever and in the eye of eternity one hundred is quite short? The words Isaiah chose suggest death is still a part. He specifically mentions that it is the “sinner” who dies at a hundred, why make such a distinction if he merely means “one hundred will be considered a short time?” Can this logic also be applied to:
Isaiah 60:12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
Does Isaiah intend to communicate in this verse that death wouldn’t exist?
Summary
The promise of no more death and pain seems to describe the new reality of Heaven that had just opened up to those in Christ at the resurrection. But it has an earthly component. Just as the new Jerusalem comes down out of Heaven, so God’s kingdom descends upon this earth and is continually growing here, bringing with it God’s will, justice, peace, righteousness, and joy.
For us Christians, eternal life begins the moment we believe and although our earthly bodies will die, scripturally we are not considered “dead” (John 11:25-26) because we go to Heaven and not Sheol where we will continue to live forever. While the unbelieving may live on earth for a hundred years, they eventually do end up in the lake of fire (the “second death” Revelation 20:14) where they are wiped out of existence.
While this may be less than you were hoping for on earth, it is nonetheless a great blessing for us in the afterlife. We will be on earth for a few decades, but we will live in Heaven for eternity where we will have no more pain, sorrow, or death.
If Revelation doesn’t promise us an end to death, sin, and pain on this earth after the new Heavens and new earth then a first century fulfillment becomes plausible and we can trust the time statements of Revelation.