Isaiah, chapters 24-27, are referred to by Biblical scholars as the Apocalypse of Isaiah because these chapters all point to “end of world” events, and not merely Israel’s future. We saw last week that chapter 24 points us forward to a cataclysmic time in world history that we’ve come to call The Great Tribulation. Chapter 25 points us to the next great event in God’s plan which is Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. It concerns that period of time when Jesus Christ is reigning upon the earth in glory and power. It is a message of hope and promise to the Jews. Yet, as I read these verses, I am reminded of a parallel passage in Rev. 21:4. That verse is not a prophecy to the Jews, but it is a promise to all of God’s children. Notice what that great verse says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” I don’t know about you, but I like the thought of Jesus wiping all of our tears away!

Tonight, I want to take some time to look at this prophetic passage. I want to look at what Isaiah is saying and I would like to preach for a few minutes on Some Tears Our Lord Will Wipe Away.

I want you to know that there is a better day coming for all of God’s children. I want you to know that weeping and sorrow will not last forever. I want you to know that trials and heartaches will come to an end one of these days. I want you to know that one day, God’s children are going home and, when we arrive there, God will take His great handkerchief of grace and all of our tears will be wiped away. Here are some of the tears our Lord will wipe away.

I. HE WILL WIPE AWAY THE TEARS OF DEATH v. 8

“he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8, NIV)

death has a universal impact and many live in fear of death and dying

ILLUS. Literature is filled with the expressions of fear about death that grip the hearts of unbelievers. Socrates said, “No one knows whether death. . . may not be the greatest of all good,” but men “in their fear apprehend it to be the greatest evil.” Francis Bacon wrote, “Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark. . . .” Samuel Johnson—an 18th century British poet and essayist—told of his horror at the death of a friend: “At the sight of this last conflict, I felt a sensation never known to me before: a confusion of passions, an awful stillness of sorrow, a gloomy terror without a name.”

the Bible is very clear that physical death comes to all men and there is nothing we can do about it

"No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8, NIV)

the Bible is equally clear that after physical death, men will stand before God and give and accounting of their lives

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27, NIV)

ever since man sinned in the Garden man has been dying

we have all been touched by it and if the Lord doesn’t return in our lifetimes, we will experience it personally

Isaiah gives us hope when he writes that a day is coming when God will swallow up death forever

A. JESUS HAS CONQUERED DEATH FOR HIS PEOPLE

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:1–6, NIV)
ILLUS. William Saroyan was a world-famous dramatist and author, who had achieved great success in his field. His works had been acclaimed in the literary world, his name was a familiar entry on best-seller lists, and he had even been awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his play The Time of Your Life. Early in 1981 he lay dying in New York City of cancer, which had spread to several of his vital organs. One evening, as Saroyan reflected on his condition and what the future held for him, he placed a phone call to Associated Press. After identifying himself to the reporter who answered his call, he posed a searching question. It was a final statement to be used after his death (which occurred later in May of 1981). He said, “Everybody has got to die. But I have always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what.” And then he hung up the phone.

Jesus has answered the ‘now what’ for those who call upon His name

“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”” (1 Corinthians 15:49–55, NIV)

death is not the end, it is but a passage to a new beginning

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8, NIV)

in that passage, the word Paul used for his death was departure
the word was used in a variety of ways in the culture of that day

this word was used by sailors to speak of loosening the moorings to set sail for a new destination
it was used by armies to refer to striking the tents to move to a new location
it was used by travelers to speak of taking a saddle off a horse and putting in a stall to rest
it was a legal term used to speak of taking the shackles from a prisoner and giving them freedom

Paul didn’t see death as a sad end to life, but as a new adventure and as a doorway into the presence of God

on that day the Lord Jesus will reward the apostle with the crown of righteousness
and not only does the Apostle Paul receive this crown, but so too all who have longed for his appearing

B. DEATH HAS BEEN ABOLISHED WHERE WE ARE GOING

“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.” (Revelation 21:4, NIV)

never again will we follow a loved one to the cemetery
never again will view them in their coffins
never again will the cold, icy grip of death take hold on those we love!
no tears over death, because death will be no more!

II. HE WILL WIPE AWAY THE TEARS OF DESPAIR v. 8

“he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8, NIV)

A. THIS VERSE REMINDS US THAT THIS WORLD IS A LAND OF WEEPING

in this world homes and hearts are frequently broken

families and the lives of individuals lie in shambles due to the touch and taint of sin
every week spouses, children and parents watch their loved ones march off to war, not knowing what the outcome will be for the one they love

this world is a vale of tears!

the Bible makes it clear that there will be times when we will pass through times of heartache and sorrow

“Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1, NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)

B. EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HEARTBREAK, JESUS GOES ON GIVING US THE VICTORY!

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9, NIV)

God’s grace really is sufficient for us
King David knew what it was like to know victory in the midst of heartbreak

in the 8th Psalm, the Psalmist has good advise for those who are passing through a difficult time

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” (Psalm 84:5–6, NIV)

the word Baca means Weeping

the Psalmist tells those who are passing through the Valley of Weeping to make it a well
in other words, he is saying, “When you pass through a hard, deep valley, scoop out some places along the way. When God sends His rain of refreshing into your life, it will leave some valuable water behind for those pilgrims who enter the valley after you.”

God may just use your valley experience to be a blessing to someone else!

look for God in your valley, He is there

C. A DAY WILL COME WHEN JESUS HIMSELF WILL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS

“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.” (Revelation 21:4, NIV)

Jesus will heal all broken hearts

III. HE WILL WIPE AWAY THE TEARS OF DISPARAGEMENT v. 8c

“he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8, NIV)

A. GOD SPEAKS OF THE TRIALS HIS PEOPLE ENDURE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE HIS PEOPLE!

He is saying that a day is coming when God’s people will be persecuted no more!
right now, it is unpopular in our world for a person to declare their faith in Jesus

in some places, it is not “politically correct” for us to say that Jesus is the only way of salvation

the world says that we are narrow-minded and too exclusive
they mock us for our faith
they ridicule us for our stand on the Bible
they laugh at us and call us old-fashioned because we have moral standards

in some places, it is “downright dangerous” to say that Jesus is your Lord

ILLUS. Two Sundays ago, as faithful Christian believers gathered at church in Baghdad to worship, Al-Qaeda attacked. They took about 120 worshipers hostage, beat and killed three priests, and detonated explosives moments before Iraqi security forces stormed the church in a rescue attempt. At least 64 people, mostly worshippers–including a 3-year-old–were massacred and an estimated 300 wounded. Unfortunately, it's not over. Al-Qaeda's Iraq splinter group, the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) who was responsible for the attack, just issued this statement: “All Christian centers, organizations and institutions, leaders and followers, are legitimate targets for the mujahedeen wherever they can reach them."

the day is coming when those who do not know the Lord Jesus will wish they did!

there is coming a day when the greatest men of this world, along with the vilest sinners will cry out for the rocks and the mountains to shield them from the face of the Lamb and from His wrath—Rev. 6:12-17

there will come a day when it will be desirable to be found in Jesus Christ

don’t be ashamed of your relationship with Jesus!

whether it be at your place of employment
at the school house or
where you live

be glad that you know Him, for one day, He will remove the reproach and the disgrace of His people from off the earth!

IV. HE WILL WIPE AWAY THE TEARS OF DISTANCE v. 9

“In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9, NIV)

verse 9 pictures the Jews finally seeing their Messiah after having waited on Him for thousands of years

often, what we perceive as His delay in coming causes many to become discouraged and disillusioned
sometimes the enemy will whisper in your ear “He’s not coming! You are wasting your time living for Him!”

I just want to remind you that the devil is a liar! —Jesus will come!

one day, He will bridge the distance between us and Himself and He will come to take us home, to be with Him forever

that is His plan and that is His promise

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1–3, NIV)

in that day, He will replace our sighing with shouting!

we will see Him and spend our eternity praising Him

this great verse gives us three themes that will form the basis of our praise in glory

A. WE WILL PRAISE HIM FOR HIS STEADFASTNESS

we will praise Him because He said He would come for us and He did!

notice the wording of verse 9—“THIS is our God...THIS is the Lord”

the Jews are praising Him because He came like He said He would

may I just remind you this evening, we serve a steadfast God?

He is faithful

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23, NIV)

not the least of His promises to you shall go unfulfilled

He will take care of you in this life and He will safely transport you to His home in Heaven when the time comes

we will praise Him because He did not let us down!

B. WE WILL PRAISE HIM FOR HIS SOVEREIGNTY

He is called God and Lord

these two titles remind us that He is in absolute control of the path

it may get tough at times, but God is the One directing your steps and ordering your way

“If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;” (Psalm 37:23, NIV)

we will praise Him for the fact that He was working all the time in our lives as we journeyed

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV)

and we will praise Him for taking us to a place where trials and sufferings cannot come

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18, NIV)

C. WE WILL PRAISE HIM FOR HIS SALVATION

we will praise Him there for His great salvation

we will praise Him for sending Jesus to die for us
we will praise Him for calling us, saving us and for keeping us saved
we will exalt His name for His marvelous, saving power!

Conc: I really believe that you and I will have tears and burdens as long as we walk in this world. But, I thank God a day is coming when He will wipe every one away forever. And, after He does, they will never return again!

Prince of Prophets: “Some Tears Our Lord Will Wipe Away”