Together Forever?

There is one sentence in the New Testament that has caused much anguish and heartache to those who have lost spouses to death.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, or they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.’ ” (Luke 20)

Jesus is making a point about two different eras of time: now on earth, and later in Heaven. Many lament that they will no longer be ‘married’ in Heaven, but if one looks closely at this passage, it is stating that there will be no ‘weddings’ in the age to come. Marriage is a holy ordinance provided by God from the beginning of time that according to His direction a “...man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) One of the main purposes of marriage is the procreation of children, and it is clear that such activity will be not be taking place after our lives are completed here on earth. So ‘marriage,’ in this sense, will not be necessary.

However, we don’t have to insist, as some do, that those that are married here on earth will not be especially close to one another when reunited in Heaven. Jesus is not saying that our spouses will be irrelevant to us in our new lives in Heaven. If the rich man could remember his dealings with Lazarus (previous post) how could it be that husbands and wives would forget their special love for one another? Why would we think that God will not enrich our experience in Heaven through our reunion with special people? It seems unlikely that we will be in Heaven saying “This is great, but I just wish I could see my husband of 55 years...”

Better to trust that your husband or wife will be special to you in Heaven, with the greater promise that “...they cannot die anymore.” And praise God that because of God’s electing love, Christ’s atoning work on the Cross, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts, we will forever be sons and daughters of the resurrection, and the bride of Christ, our Husband.

And that is one wedding that we will all attend!