Rev 7:17 Question

You have to go back to verse 14.

This seems to be referring to those martyrs killed in the tribulation.

Those of you who do not believe in a Tribulation, please don't start bashing me or hijack the thread. Just give your view. It would be nice to debate this without personal attacks. :thumbs:

 

It simply means suffering and sorrow are over.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, Psalm 58:10. We won't be crying over God's judgment of sinners.

 

I seriously worry about the sanity of anyone who revels in blood, wants to wash their feet in it, and would have no care for others. Really sick. Sometimes folks take a metaphor too literally. It is not a huge leap from loving blood of others, to going out and trying to make it happen.

 

We will have no memory of Earthly life. I do not believe we will have memory of loved ones in Heaven. I don't see how God could promise to wipe tears away and keep any memories from down here.

Aaron's post is dead on.

 

Yes... Aaron is right.

 

If we will have no memory of an earthly life, then how praise God eternally for His great salvation, His grace and mercy? or Praise Him for His perfect plan which came to pass as He decreed (ie. His sovereignty). How can we sing to Him a new song of our redemption?

If we have even these memories then we also have the memories of what we were and were saved from, so our praise means something more than just words.

His wiping away our tears is not about loved ones being in hell for in heaven we will have the mind of Christ and know they received a just judgment. So in this, yes, Aaron was correct..

However what we find in this verse, are all the things that pertained to our earthly existance and weakness and even failures - of which we will never worry nor fear them in our existance again.

Note also that the 'new' He is creating is the same type of 'new' we find in us, as His 'new creation' in salvation. We remember all that transpired prior even though now we are no longer the same person. Old things are no more and have no real effect on us, and the same will be during His physical Kingdom here.

Acatully, in gong through many of my commentaries I can't find one that agrees with your premise we will not remember our earthly life or loved ones.
These include Gill, Henry, Jamison- Faussett- and Brown, Macarthur, Barnes, Robertsons Word Pictures, Vincent Word Pictures, and about 8 others.

Not trying to be rude or combative here, just curious, why do you presume we will have no knowledge of neither our previous life or our loved ones?

 

Because we won't have any sin, or memory of it. I'm not writing doctrine, here, just putting my opinion out. The rich man in hell wanted his family warned of what awaited them, but Lazarus we don't see that. I see nothing in scripture indicating we will greet loved ones, or even recognize them. And my understanding would be for there to be no tears, we would have to be blissfully ignorant of our past lives. And there are preachers I have heard that seem to think the same thing.

 

Revelation is full of OT imagery and concepts. This verese is no different. You must go back to the OT for the understanding. Here is a podcast done just last week on this very topic, I think you'll find it eye opening if nothing else: http://ad70.net/podcast/two-guys-and-a-bible/two-guys-and-a-bible-02-23-2010/

 

I interpret the verse to mean we won't have sympathy for sinners on judgement day, and you want it to mean I revel in blood.

To quote Buzz Lightyear, "You're a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity."