Eternity 136 - Is There Marriage In Heaven?
Jesus really, really outclassed his opponents. Today we will study a great
example of it, and learn a bit about life in Heaven.
(Matthew 22:23-33 NKJV) The same day the Sadducees, who say there is
no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, {24} saying: "Teacher,
Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry
his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. {25} "Now there were
with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having
no offspring, left his wife to his brother. {26} "Likewise the second
also, and the third, even to the seventh. {27} "Last of all the woman
died also. {28} "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the
seven will she be? For they all had her." {29} Jesus answered and said
to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power
of God. {30} "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given
in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. {31} "But concerning
the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by
God, saying, {32} 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." {33}
And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
(Luke 20:27-40 NKJV) Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is
a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, {28} saying: "Teacher, Moses
wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without
children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his
brother. {29} "Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a
wife, and died without children. {30} "And the second took her as wife,
and he died childless. {31} "Then the third took her, and in like manner
the seven also; and they left no children, and died. {32} "Last of
all the woman died also. {33} "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose
wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife." {34} And Jesus
answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given
in marriage. {35} "But those who are counted worthy to attain that
age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in
marriage; {36} "nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the
angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. {37} "But
even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised,
when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob.' {38} "For He is not the God of the dead but of the living,
for all live to Him." {39} Then some of the scribes answered and said,
"Teacher, You have spoken well." {40} But after that they dared
not question Him anymore.
Jesus's reply is both perfectly logical and utterly astounding. Moses lived
four hundred years after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so when God says "I
am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" then that must mean that Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob were still living 400 years later and were in heaven with
God, as resurrected beings, as God is God of the living, not of the dead.
The Sadducees only accepted the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy) and scoffed at anything supernatural. So Jesus
uses their own key passage, perhaps the best-known passage in the Jewish
bible, to completely demolish their view of the resurrection!
Jesus adds insult to injury by saying of the Sadducees: "Jesus answered
and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor
the power of God." Like many skeptical theologians they had no deep
knowledge of the Scriptures and no experience of God's saving power. They
were the barren politicians of a dying faith that was soon to pass away.
In Acts we learn a bit more about the Sadducees: "For Sadducees say
that there is no resurrection; and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees
confess both." (Acts 23:8) So they would not have enjoyed it when Jesus
said of the righteous dead: "nor can they die anymore, for they are
equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection"
thus saying that angels existed, a spiritual world existed and that the
righteous saints have a very high status "equal to the angels and are
sons of God". However, like the angels they lack the ability of physical
reproduction. This is essential for any eternal being because if reproduction
was allowed and the population of heaven doubled say every fifty years,
and no-one died, then after a million years the population would be 2 to
the power 20,000 which is trillions of trillions of trillions of immortals.
After a few billion years of that.... well you get the idea! (Does someone
out there have a calculator?)
Christians who die in the Lord have three status' mentioned here: equal
to the angels, sons of God and sons of the resurrection. In fact Hebrews
says that angels are our servants (Hebrews 1:14) and 1 Corinthians 6:2.3
says that we will be their judges: (1 Corinthians 6:2-3 NKJV) Do you not
know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged
by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? {3} Do you not know
that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
The fact that we are over certain angelic and spiritual beings is clear
from the fact that quite ordinary Christians can cast out demons. This was
not done even by the prophets in the OT. Something has happened, a fundamental
change in the heavenlies occurred with Christ's coming, His ministry, death,
resurrection and ascension. The Church now consists of sons of God, glorious
beings whose redemption will even set Nature free.
(Romans 8:16-21 NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that
we are children of God, {17} and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also
be glorified together. {18} For I consider that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us. {19} For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for
the revealing of the sons of God. {20} For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; {21}
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Not only is there a resurrection but "those who are counted worthy
to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead," become beings
so glorious that it will astonish us and liberate creation. We become immortals
for as Jesus said "nor can they die anymore". They are counted
worthy of continuous and permanent existence. If you shoot them they do
not die, and cannot die. No disease touches them, no pain racks their bodies,
they are glorious immortal beings, clothed with powerful resurrection bodies
like those of angels. The saints are imperishable, incorruptible, immortal
and eternal. (see I Cor 15:35-55)