What is Heaven going to be like for married people?
My father in law was a born again Christian. His wife/my mother in law is too. He just died. Will they still be married in Heaven or will they just be friends?
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Asked February 15 2016
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Jeannette Shields
Supporter
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Tim Maas
Supporter
When asked a similar question, Jesus responded (Matthew 22:30 and Luke 20:34-36) that, in heaven, people no longer marry or are given in marriage, but are like the angels. What I take from this is that, for the redeemed, their relationship to God as His children in His presence for all eternity will be their primary focus, to the exclusion of any other earthly relationships (not just between husbands and wives, but also between parents and children, between brothers and sisters, or any other relational ties in this life), and will make service and praise to Him their continual and exclusive function, as it is for the angels (although the redeemed will have glorified bodies like Christ's, and will not be spirit beings, as the angels are). I believe that is also why Jesus made the point in Luke 14:26 that "if anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." He was not meaning "hate" in the sense that we must have intense dislike for them, but, rather, that our love and devotion to Him must be so much greater or take such priority that it makes our love for any other earthly relationships we have (no matter how close they may be to us), or even for our own lives, seem as hate by comparison. He was (in my opinion) preparing His followers for the devotion to God that will be the focus of the redeemed in eternity.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
We will maintain our identities and know each other, {Jesus statement in Luke 20:34, 35 doesn’t imply that Christians won’t recognize their wives in heaven} but there will be no more death—hence, no need for marriage and procreation. Thus, it won't be necessary to bear children to replace those who die. But now on earth we all die, so we have to be replaced with children.
On earth now it's like this: As human beings, we are fulfilling our God-given mandate to be fruitful and multiply when we have children.
Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Following God’s instruction provides feelings of fulfillment- just a perk of obedience!
But in heaven things will be different. The Bible 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.” – Revelation 21:4 KJV
And we'll still be filled with a feeling of fulfillment, that is, with God alone! And that will be enough because God is enough!
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