For full preterists to say that we now occupy the time when there is “no more death or mourning or crying or pain” is absolutely ridiculous. It obviously means the eradication of sin and evil, and if you think we are living in that time, with due respect, you must live in a hole in the ground. In response I will quote part of my commentary on this v. in Revelation 21:4:
Reflecting the bliss reserved for those in the presence of God in heaven, the Christian refugees returning from Pella resettled in Judea likely overwhelmed with joy that the war had ended. With the war over, in a way, there was no more death, sorrow or pain. The elation of the saints returning home mirrored that of the Jewish exiles returning home from Babylon in Jeremiah 31:12. Here the prophet writes, “[T]hey will sorrow no more.” The Christian church shares in this promise. The prophet Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would carry their sorrows.[xiii] As a result, the believer is left with joy in the Holy Spirit, as stated in Romans 14:17 and John 15:11. This promise of no more mourning, crying or pain which is fulfilled on earth in the joy in the Holy Spirit is merely a shadow of the literal fulfillment of this promise in heaven. Adding to the joy of the believer is the promise of eternal life through Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross.[xiv] Because of this sacrifice, there is no more death as the old order has passed away.]]>