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Rev 21:1. Οὐρανὸν καινὸν, κ.τ.λ.) The new heaven and the new earth preserve the name of heaven and earth because of the former ones: therefore the substantives precede in the former clause only; and there follows, for the first heaven and the first earth, etc. It is not a flourishing state of the Church in the last time which John here describes, but he speaks of all things entirely new and perfect for eternity. Augustine says: There are many obscure things in this book; but in these words, where he says, God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, that which is spoken concerning the future world and immortality, and the eternity of the saints (for it is only then and there that these things will cease to be), is spoken with such light, that we ought neither to seek nor to read anything plain in the sacred writings, if we shall think these things obscure: lib. xx. de Civ. Dei, c. 17.-παρῆλθε) But in Rev 21:4, ἀπῆλθον, as ch. Rev 9:12. To pass away is something more in sound than to pass by, [as the Greek ought to be translated in Rev 21:1, not passed away, as Engl.]
[223] Death, sorrow, crying, and pain, altogether pass away; the former heaven and the former earth pass by, giving way to a new heaven and a new earth.
[223] A reads ἀπῆλθαν· B, ἀπῆλθον· so h Iren. and Vulg. “abiit.” Beng. read with Rec. Text, which has no very old authority on its side, παρῆλθε.-E.