What Will Heaven Be Like?
Today’s reading covers a couple of very important concepts for us to understand about eternity. When God created Adam and subsequently Eve, He designed them to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) This shows us we, as humans living on this earth, were created to marry and procreate. Sex is not a dirty part of life that needs to be a secret or held on the same status as sin. Sex within the confines of marriage is a beautiful gift that also serves a purpose of creating further lives. Once the resurrection happens; however, we will no longer be called upon to multiply and fill the earth. Since the beginning of time, those who have placed their eternity in God’s hands creates a multitude so vast I have no way of understanding how many people that would be. We will already be enough to fill the new earth.
The new earth will be the fruition of God’s plan. According to Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” Imagine if marriage and childbirth extended into the new heaven and earth where death no longer resided. We would soon need a second new earth and then a third. Plus, this would add the confusion of whether or not the newborn growing to an adult would have a chance to decide for themselves to worship God. If they had the choice and chose against God, where would they go? Revelation 21:27 tells us that no sinful person can exist in God’s new earth but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. With all of this in mind, it is easy to see how the continuation of sex and childbirth in the new heaven and earth would lead to endless problems.
Of course, we have to realize, as Jesus did, that the Sadducees’ question was not an actual searching for information. It was a trap. You see, the Sadducees rejected the idea of resurrection as well as the notion of angels and other heavenly beings. Jesus’ answer, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God,” (verse 29 of today’s reading) included all the ways the Sadducees sought to refute the truth of God’s word. Jesus clearly declares the resurrection and angels to be very real. He also clears up any misunderstanding about relationships after the resurrection. We will not be married, nor will we get married.
Before we end this look into scripture, we need to take note of the last couple of verses from our reading. Jesus reminds the crowd that God declares Himself the God of the living – not the dead. By saying, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” (verse 32) I regularly get asked if we will know each other in heaven. This verse, as well as the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 clearly tell us that we will still be us in heaven. Abraham is still Abraham. Isaac and Jacob and even a poor man named Lazarus are all still the perfected versions of the men they were upon this earth. Charles Spurgeon declared, “The living God is the God of living men; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive and identified as the same persons who lived on earth.”
We have much to look forward to after the resurrection of the dead. The new earth means dwelling in harmony and in the presence of our God. It will be a life without pain or sin. It will also be a life without marriage, birth, or death. This life is a training ground. It is not the final destination. So, if you find yourself struggling or not living the perfect life on this earth – aside from your faith. Don’t let it bring you down. The future holds constant communion with our God and perfection we cannot even understand in this life.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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