Will you know your loved ones when you get to heaven?

christinagart

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I keep hearing about how when you get to heaven your soul purpose is to worship God, which is understandable, but does it mean you will not even know who you loved while you where on earth? I just dont think that as paradise you know? I hope this doesn't offend, i just would really like to know the answer.

Also.. is there such a place as heaven? Or is it just a state we are all in until heaven is recreated on earth? Or is it even recreated on earth?

Christina
 
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SpiritualAntiseptic

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Well theres no marriage in Heaven, so at a guess its most likely a no, were not going to know loved ones in heaven.

Even when I was a Christian heaven never sounded like much of a reward but apparently I just value family to highly or something.

Huh? Everyone is of the same flesh- it is one big marriage.

There is no sex, because physical intimacy is insufficient compared to the intimacy experienced in Heaven.
 
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SpiritualAntiseptic

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I keep hearing about how when you get to heaven your soul purpose is to worship God, which is understandable, but does it mean you will not even know who you loved while you where on earth? I just dont think that as paradise you know? I hope this doesn't offend, i just would really like to know the answer.

Also.. is there such a place as heaven? Or is it just a state we are all in until heaven is recreated on earth? Or is it even recreated on earth?

Christina


Heaven is a real place, it is not a state of mind.

In Heaven, we are in total union with God, his angels and all those that died in His grace.

The soul wasn't meant to be separated from the body. We are resurrected. God created us to experience the ultimate pleasure and fulfillment in being in His presence, gazing upon His face.

The reality of Heaven is very hard for anyone to understand, given our perspective in this world.
 
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christinagart

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I just couldnt imagine the thought of the ultimate paradise being a place where I will not know who my family are, my loved ones, that would be unimaginable. I realize that heaven is not about us, but what about all the people who claim to have NDE's who say they say their loved ones? Or the ones who experience hell versions say they had full rememberence of their life. I really would like to think that even though it says he will whipe away all our tears, that we will still be the same person and know who we are, and who we loved.
 
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Luther073082

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Well I don't think my loved ones (at least currently) will make it.

But to answer the question, it doesn't matter.

God lays it out like this.
Heaven and the ressurection = Really Good
Death and Hell = Really Bad

'nuff said. (Doesn't that frustrate you sometimes?)
 
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ryanb6

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from John Macarthur

Will we recognize and be reunited with our loved ones in heaven?

Yes! In the Old Testament, when a person died, the biblical writers said he was "gathered to his people" (cf. Gen. 25:8; 35:29; 49:29; Num. 20:24; Judg. 2:10). In 2 Samuel 12, when David's infant child died, David confidently said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (v. 23). David evidently expected to see the child again--not just a nameless, faceless soul without an identity, but that very child.
The New Testament indicates even more clearly that our identities will remain unchanged. While sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, Christ said, "Take this [cup] and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:17-18). Christ was promising that He and His disciples would drink the fruit of the vine together again--in heaven. Elsewhere Jesus makes a similar, but even more definite, promise: "Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 8:11).
Furthermore, Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Even though they died centuries before, they still maintained a clear identity (Matt. 17:3)--Peter, James, and John evidently recognized them (v. 4), which implies that we will somehow be able to recognize people we've never even seen before.
All the redeemed will maintain their identity forever, but in a perfected form. We will be able to have fellowship with Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, Moses, Joshua, Esther, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, David, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, or any of the saints we choose. For that to be possible, we must all retain our individual identities, not turn into some sort of generic beings.
Describing the Lord's appearing and the resurrection of the saints who have died, Paul writes, "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17).
Paul's purpose in writing was to comfort some of the Thessalonians who evidently thought their dying loved ones would miss the return of Christ. He says in verse 18, "Comfort one another with these words." The comfort comes from the prospect of reunion. Little comfort this would be if in the reunion we could not even recognize one another. But Paul's promise that we will all be "together" forever implies that we shall renew fellowship with all whom we have known.
We will be reunited not only with our own families and loved ones, but also with the people of God from all ages. In heaven we will all be one loving family. The immense size of the family will not matter in the infinite perfection of heaven. There will be ample opportunity for close relationships with everyone, and our eternity will be spent in just that kind of rich, unending fellowship.
If you're worried about feeling out of place in heaven, don't. Heaven will seem more like home than the dearest spot on earth to you. It is uniquely designed by a tender, loving Savior to be the place where we will live together for all eternity and enjoy Him forever--in the fullness of our glorified humanity.
Is it any wonder that the psalmist said, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Ps. 116:15)?

http://www.gty.org/Resources/issues/562
 
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WileyCoyote

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from John Macarthur

Will we recognize and be reunited with our loved ones in heaven?

Yes! In the Old Testament, when a person died, the biblical writers said he was "gathered to his people" (cf. Gen. 25:8; 35:29; 49:29; Num. 20:24; Judg. 2:10). In 2 Samuel 12, when David's infant child died, David confidently said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (v. 23). David evidently expected to see the child again--not just a nameless, faceless soul without an identity, but that very child.
The New Testament indicates even more clearly that our identities will remain unchanged. While sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, Christ said, "Take this [cup] and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:17-18). Christ was promising that He and His disciples would drink the fruit of the vine together again--in heaven. Elsewhere Jesus makes a similar, but even more definite, promise: "Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 8:11).
Furthermore, Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Even though they died centuries before, they still maintained a clear identity (Matt. 17:3)--Peter, James, and John evidently recognized them (v. 4), which implies that we will somehow be able to recognize people we've never even seen before.
All the redeemed will maintain their identity forever, but in a perfected form. We will be able to have fellowship with Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, Moses, Joshua, Esther, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, David, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, or any of the saints we choose. For that to be possible, we must all retain our individual identities, not turn into some sort of generic beings.
Describing the Lord's appearing and the resurrection of the saints who have died, Paul writes, "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17).
Paul's purpose in writing was to comfort some of the Thessalonians who evidently thought their dying loved ones would miss the return of Christ. He says in verse 18, "Comfort one another with these words." The comfort comes from the prospect of reunion. Little comfort this would be if in the reunion we could not even recognize one another. But Paul's promise that we will all be "together" forever implies that we shall renew fellowship with all whom we have known.
We will be reunited not only with our own families and loved ones, but also with the people of God from all ages. In heaven we will all be one loving family. The immense size of the family will not matter in the infinite perfection of heaven. There will be ample opportunity for close relationships with everyone, and our eternity will be spent in just that kind of rich, unending fellowship.
If you're worried about feeling out of place in heaven, don't. Heaven will seem more like home than the dearest spot on earth to you. It is uniquely designed by a tender, loving Savior to be the place where we will live together for all eternity and enjoy Him forever--in the fullness of our glorified humanity.
Is it any wonder that the psalmist said, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Ps. 116:15)?

http://www.gty.org/Resources/issues/562
My first reaction when I read some of the comments in this thread was to go to the scriptures for evidence that we WILL meet loved ones in Heaven. But when you posted this, it was like you beat me to the punch. LOL. Good article, Ryan.
 
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ryanb6

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My first reaction when I read some of the comments in this thread was to go to the scriptures for evidence that we WILL meet loved ones in Heaven. But when you posted this, it was like you beat me to the punch. LOL. Good article, Ryan.
hey what are friends for?
 
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christinagart

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This really helped and reassured me so much. But it does bring me to another question. The bible said that when judgement day comes the body will be reunited with the soul, and the worthy will go to heaven. But doesn't that contradict the whole moses and elijah IN THE FLESH coming from HEAVEN? My pastor says when we die we go to heaven, my boyfriend's says we wait until judgement day. Is there a "limbo" of some sort? I'm curious.. I hope all these questions do not give off a sense of doubt, that is not it at all, just curiosity, I dont think church can describe as much as you really want to know.
 
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