Will We Know And Recognize Our Loved Ones In Heaven?

WILL WE KNOW AND RECOGNIZE OUR LOVED ONES IN HEAVEN? 4-4-09

MATT. 22:23-30

It really would be a sad situation if we didn’t know our friends and loved ones in Heaven, all of us have loved ones that have passed and gone on to be with the Lord, and those of us that are saved are looking forward to being with them again when it comes our time to depart this life.

So what does the Bible have to say about this question? We can rest assured that we will know our friends and loved ones in Heaven according to the Word of God.

Listen as I read to you our beginning verses in MATT. 22: 23-30

Matt. 22: 23-30 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

25Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue,** left his wife unto his brother: 26Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. ****

27And last of all the woman died also. 28Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

29Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

The reason why there will be no marriage in heaven is: there is no need for it.

Marriage will end, but the deep relationships don’t, it’s the relationship that we have had with one another that continues, the marriage does not. There’s no need for it.

These Sadducees were talking about what Moses had said back in Deuteronomy 25:5, where marriage called for an unmarried brother to take his widowed brother’s wife to be his own in order that the deceased brother would have his family name still with the people. This ancient practice was recognized by the Jews but rarely followed in those days.

In heaven it will not be necessary to continue the race by means of birth. But this doesn’t mean that a husband and wife who were very close down here cannot be together in heaven, if they want to be together. As the old saying goes,” not all marriages are made in heaven” some marriages are abusive and in many instances become dangerous and end in divorce, so a situation such as this would not be the case in heaven, but to the people who truly love each other they’ll still have this loving relationship in heaven but without marriage, there will be no need for marriage in heaven,

Lets remember that all saved people will become the Bride of Christ as we’re told in Rev. 19:

To be “as the angel’s” means that resurrected believers will have a glorified non-mortal body (capable of neither reproduction nor destruction).

The Lord didn’t say that we’d become angels or that all earthly family relationships are lost in heaven. All resurrected (or raptured) believers will be in a state of perfect glorification and fellowship.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Luke 24:39, Jesus said after His resurrection: ’It is I myself’, implying that they ought to recognize that He was the very Jesus that walked with them for three years.

Christ’s disciples recognized Him countless times after His resurrection: on the shore as He cooked breakfast for them in John 21: 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.

When He appeared to a skeptical, doubting Thomas in John 20; 26-29And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:

And then in 1 Corinthians 15: He appeared to over 500 disciples at one time. 1 cor.15:5-6 5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once;

1st JN. 3:2-- but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. So we will have glorified bodies that will be recognizable, like His.