Repost: Heaven and Marriage

[WilliamL]

Gotta disagree with the unmarried-in-heaven presumption, based upon this single verse: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

 

First of all, a repeated teaching of the Bible is: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Anyone who presumes to establish a doctrine from the above single verse violates the Scripture when doing so.

 

Secondly, note that to marry, and to give in marriage, are acts of personal will. Those who attain to the heavenly realm are those who have submitted their wills to the Holy One. Thus, they have given up their choice of whom to marry, or to marry off (the giving in marriage part).

 

Third, when Adam was first created, his female was a part of him. She was only separated from him afterward. Adam was made in God's image, male and female. In God, the male and female parts of his nature are in complete union. I would suggest that the same holds true for the angels. And that the same will likely hold true for those who are resurrected: a perfect union of male and female, provided by God, the One whose perfect wisdom is able to provide the perfect match, because he created it in the beginning.

[Sevenseas]

And yet, we have all these references as well.  It seems that sometimes people may try to find what they already believe, rather then allow the Bible to tell them how it really is

 

 

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24“Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died.28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^b ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  Matthew 22

 

God created marriage as a means of procreation and the filling of the earth with human beings. Heaven, however, will not be populated by procreation. Those who go to heaven will get there by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; they will not be created there by means of reproduction. Therefore, there is no purpose for marriage in heaven since there is no procreation or loneliness.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/marriage-heaven.html#ixzz3LhFqSFzr

 

 

 

 

First of all, a repeated teaching of the Bible is: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Anyone who presumes to establish a doctrine from the above single verse violates the Scripture when doing so.

 

 

I don't believe that actually is applicable to deciding whether or not marriage will be an event in heaven..other then the marriage supper of the Lamb.  The witnesses here are

meant as witnesses to events that have happened in order to determine innocence or guilt.  For example, if you look up the same quote in the OT, you find this:

 

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.  Deuteronomy 19:15

 

The same verbage is used here:

 

If your brother or sister^b sins,^c go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’^d 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  Matthwew 18

 

I would conclude from these and other references with similar import, that this is not a reference to future events...as you seem to state regarding marriage in heaven.

 

And finally, as a third reference, (there are others)...we have:

 

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.  II Corinthians 12

This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

II Corinthians 13

 

So, you have to back it up to II Cor 12, as chapter 13 continues from 12

 

The word 'charge' here indicates that Paul is being accused of something as you can tell if you read the entire passage

 

So it seems that using your prescription for ascertaining whether or not marriage occurs in heaven, falls somewhat short of what is acceptable doctrine...while the

reverse of what you state actually appears to be established by the words of Jesus Himself.

[seandavids]

How sad. It seems everyone has gotten married just to get divorced.

then again there is a possibility that the things in heaven are so far above mating and reproduction that those who are ressurected into their new bodies don't even care for those old ways of life.

 

Its kind of like riding a tricycle and then getting a Harley..........once you've ridden the Harley you don't care what happens to the tricycle...........God knows the needs of man, I'm sure He has somthing better, everything God ask's of us makes our life better when we follow it

[WilliamL]

And yet, we have all these references as well.  It seems that sometimes people may try to find what they already believe, rather then allow the Bible to tell them how it really is

 

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24“Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died.28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^b ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  Matthew 22

 

"We have all these references"?? You only quoted the same one again. One. Only.

 

 

 

First of all, a repeated teaching of the Bible is: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Anyone who presumes to establish a doctrine from the above single verse violates the Scripture when doing so.

 

 

I don't believe that actually is applicable to deciding whether or not marriage will be an event in heaven..other then the marriage supper of the Lamb.  The witnesses here are meant as witnesses to events that have happened in order to determine innocence or guilt.  ...

 

I would conclude from these and other references with similar import, that this is not a reference to future events...as you seem to state regarding marriage in heaven.

 

...So it seems that using your prescription for ascertaining whether or not marriage occurs in heaven, falls somewhat short of what is acceptable doctrine...while the

reverse of what you state actually appears to be established by the words of Jesus Himself.

Actually, Jesus said himself that the veracity of his whole ministry, his whole doctrine, had to be established on more than one witness.

 

John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ... 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 8:18 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

 

What people are trying to establish here, which I have objected to, is a doctrine which says that people will not be in a married state in heaven. And they only quote a single verse to support their suppositional doctrine, which verse can be understood in a different light. You, on the other hand, have used this very method of three witnesses -- three biblical quotes -- to try to disprove my assertion. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by WilliamL

[1x1is1]

If there were marriage in Heaven, then those who are married would continue to submit to each others needs.  In Heaven, we will only submit to God. (Not that He has needs), we will desire to submit to Him because He is Worthy of it.  Our earthly marriages may merely seem like an engagement once we arrive if Heaven.  That is where the true marriage is going to take place.

[Sevenseas]

 

Actually, Jesus said himself that the veracity of his whole ministry, his whole doctrine, had to be established on more than one witness.

 

John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ... 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 8:18 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

 

What people are trying to establish here, which I have objected to, is a doctrine which says that people will not be in a married state in heaven. And they only quote a single verse to support their suppositional doctrine, which verse can be understood in a different light. You, on the other hand, have used this very method of three witnesses -- three biblical quotes -- to try to disprove my assertion. 

 

 

 

I gave an entire passage of scripture, which you promptly ignore and then determine that you have the goods on the truth while those who are determining what

they believe FROM scripture, are creating doctrines as they merrily go along.

 

What's your take on Matthew 22?  That is way more then a single verse and if you insist on having 2 or 3, you can add it to the other verse and voila...should

be fine then according to your analysis.

 

The verses I quoted were with regard to establishing innocence or guilt.  I guess you may have skipped that part of the post

 

 

 

Gotta disagree with the unmarried-in-heaven presumption, based upon this single verse: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

 

The problem for yourself that you are creating, is that there are more then one verse regarding marriage in heaven.  You would have to ignore the passage

in Matthew 22 for example, in order to stop counting after "1"

[another_poster]

Gotta disagree with the unmarried-in-heaven presumption, based upon this single verse: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

 

First of all, a repeated teaching of the Bible is: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Anyone who presumes to establish a doctrine from the above single verse violates the Scripture when doing so.

 

however it is not just this one verse. There are others that also suggest that earthy marriages will not exist in heaven. Remember it is earthly marriages being asked about in this thread. So if all your saying is there will be a different concept of marriage in heaven then you are not actually answering the question or countering peoples points.

[WilliamL]

 

Gotta disagree with the unmarried-in-heaven presumption, based upon this single verse: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

 

First of all, a repeated teaching of the Bible is: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Anyone who presumes to establish a doctrine from the above single verse violates the Scripture when doing so.

 

however it is not just this one verse. There are others that also suggest that earthy marriages will not exist in heaven. Remember it is earthly marriages being asked about in this thread. So if all your saying is there will be a different concept of marriage in heaven then you are not actually answering the question or countering peoples points.

 

As I have asked before, what other verses? The only verse so far posted that is in any way relevant to the question is Matt. 22:30. Parallel verses are found in the other Gospels, but they are all of the same origin. All the rest of the passage in Matt. 22 only sets up this one verse, and do not answer the question.

 

The original post asked, in part, "...if people who are married [on earth] stay married in heaven..." That is, does an earthly marriage remain so in heaven? Jesus only addressed one specific, very unusual kind of marriage. He did not address marriage in general, such as the possibility that some couples might remain in their original marital union, while others not remain so. Everything extrapolated by churchianity about things extraneous to the specific question, and Jesus' answer, are pure spec.

 

Song of Songs 8:6  [L]ove is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.

[WilliamL]

Some (in)famous church doctrines based upon a single Bible verse:

 

1 Cor. 15:29 ...what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

 

Every devout Mormon is convinced that their church's elaborate and expensive Temple baptismal fonts, world-renowned genealogical libraries, and a million hours involved with proxy baptisms for the dead, etc., are fully justified by this. verse. only.

 

Matt. 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

Every devout Catholic is convinced that the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, sitting upon the chair of St. Peter, world-ruler of all Christendom, etc., is fully justified by this. verse. Only.

 

1 John 2:18 ...as ye have heard that the antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

 

Millions of Evangelicals are convinced that their elaborate, scripturally cobbled-together doctrines of a single human “The Antichrist” are fully justified by this. verse. only. (Which belief John, like Paul in 1 Cor. 15:29 above, never endorses.)

 

Matt. 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

 

Many people on this webpage and elsewhere are convinced that resurrected saints become sexless beings, divorced from even the most beloved of spouses, that the sole purpose for male-female union is procreation, that when procreation of physical bodies in heaven ceases, marriage become irrelevant, etc.; and they are fully justified in these doctrines by this. verse. only.

 

These examples show how easily the ecclesias of Israel and the Church were able to become riven by the overly-expansive imaginations of their members.

[almightyist]

So when people say they're going to be with their loved ones in heaven, it's not really like that? Or is it that things like our family connections won't be important to us anymore?

If their loved one was a born again believer in Jesus Christ they will see them in heaven.We will recognize them but their will be no marriage or sex in heaven.

  

Matt 22

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

 

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

 

No hubby's or honey's in Heaven.

As far as I can tell the first resurrection is on earth and is the beheaded Children of God during tribulation. They are not in heaven. The second resurrection is not on earth or heaven. And it is final judgement. Like the Angels mankind will be judged. Your either cast in lake of fire or given eternal life on new earth. We know there is marriage in Heaven. Marriage of the LAMB. It also says God is living with man on the new earth. GOD designed his creation for marriage and sex. So I don't see marriage or sex going away on the new earth.

Revelation 20:4-15 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or one their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”