Will We Know One Another?

There are two questions that seem to constantly arise in the minds of those who have lost a loved one to death. The first involves whether or not we will know one another in Heaven, the other is whether or not we will still be married to our spouses in Heaven. The second of these will be addressed soon, but the first question will be explored now and in the next section as well.

One of the clearest indications that we will indeed recognize one another in Heaven comes from the 17th Chapter of Matthew, the account of the Transfiguration of Christ:

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”

The dictionary definition of transfiguration is this: “A complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.” At first glance, then, it would appear that perhaps we will not know one another, if it involves a complete change of appearance. However, it is also apparent that Peter, James, and John recognized Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, even though the last three were “transfigured.” This is quite remarkable since obviously Peter, James, and John had never personally met Moses and Elijah, since those men lived on earth many centuries before this incident took place.

While it is not wise to speculate too much on what is not said directly in Scripture, I do believe that this passage suggests that we will know one another in glory. We will not be hindered by the “more beautiful or spiritual state” of one another; in fact, it will be a true delight to see one another “perfected.” 

If the disciples knew people they had never met before when they saw them at the Transfiguration, it would seem very strange for us to be unable to recognize people in Heaven that we have known very well on earth. In fact, this passage seems to imply that we will even be able to recognize many people in eternity that we have never met before, people like Moses and Elijah.

How amazing is that?