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There are the former things and there are the future things. The former things are destined to pass away and the future things are destined to take their place.
What are the former things? As understood in our verse for today, the former things are anything and everything evil that is associated with the present dispensation.
The former things include things like death, mourning for the dead, crying about things, and pain. All these evils and every other evil will have passed away. Instead of the present realities they are now, they will become the “former things” that no longer apply.
What are the future things? The future things are anything and everything good associated with the future dispensation to come. The future things include everything in the list of our verse. The future things include no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, and no more pain. All these goods and every other good not listed here will have come to pass. Instead of the future things they are now, they will become the present realities of the new age.
How do we know all this? We know all this because “a loud voice from the throne” of God told the Apostle John all this (Revelation 21:3). John testified to what he heard by writing it down for our benefit. We know all this because we have believed by faith what John wrote down. We are people who live by faith. We are people who can see beyond John the Apostle to the one who revealed all this to him.
We have, however, more than just John’s testimony. We have personal experience of the future things he wrote about. Although we have not experienced them in their fullness, we have experienced the “first fruits” of them (Romans 8:23; II Thessalonians 2:13). Although we do not have the fullness of the Kingdom to come, the Kingdom is already here (Matthew 12:28). Already the Lord is wiping away our tears, already He is saving us from death, already He postpones our mourning, and already our crying and pain are alleviated.
We know all this, then, from first-hand experience, and we eagerly wait for the day when the fullness of what we know will have come to pass.
What are the former things? As understood in our verse for today, the former things are anything and everything evil that is associated with the present dispensation.
The former things include things like death, mourning for the dead, crying about things, and pain. All these evils and every other evil will have passed away. Instead of the present realities they are now, they will become the “former things” that no longer apply.
What are the future things? The future things are anything and everything good associated with the future dispensation to come. The future things include everything in the list of our verse. The future things include no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, and no more pain. All these goods and every other good not listed here will have come to pass. Instead of the future things they are now, they will become the present realities of the new age.
How do we know all this? We know all this because “a loud voice from the throne” of God told the Apostle John all this (Revelation 21:3). John testified to what he heard by writing it down for our benefit. We know all this because we have believed by faith what John wrote down. We are people who live by faith. We are people who can see beyond John the Apostle to the one who revealed all this to him.
We have, however, more than just John’s testimony. We have personal experience of the future things he wrote about. Although we have not experienced them in their fullness, we have experienced the “first fruits” of them (Romans 8:23; II Thessalonians 2:13). Although we do not have the fullness of the Kingdom to come, the Kingdom is already here (Matthew 12:28). Already the Lord is wiping away our tears, already He is saving us from death, already He postpones our mourning, and already our crying and pain are alleviated.
We know all this, then, from first-hand experience, and we eagerly wait for the day when the fullness of what we know will have come to pass.
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