Does male and female status eternally persist?

linux.poet said:

Meaning, if I am female in this life (I am) and I die and am resurrected into a new glorified body in the New Heavens and the New Earth, will that body be female?

At one point, I was quite convinced that the answer was yes, but perhaps I am wrong?

Later on the "bride of Christ" is described as the new Jerusalem. This makes me wonder if, in the resurrection, individual female/male gender status does not persist the way we are accustomed to here on the earth. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

My own view, based on the evidence, is that we will be like angels who do not appear to be distinguished by gender from one another. There are different types of angels, seraphim, cherubim, and perhaps many others. But I don't know of any gender distinctions.

So there will be no male, no female, among us. We will no longer exist to breed, but will find satisfaction in other unknown ways--perhaps enjoyable work? There will no longer be intense, miserable labor, because it is described as rest from current miseries and hardships. It will be a reward for being faithful to God's word.

Since our brains are wired for gender in the present life we may not appreciate what being genderless will be? I don't think we have any need to be worried. The best we have here probably can't hold a candle to what lies ahead for those who are faithful.

I don't think those verses are sufficient enough either way. Bible is unclear on it. Argument can be made either way.

I tend to think there is b/c male/female pre-Fall.
Like the angels in heaven - it is a comparison to them not a =
"don't marry in heaven" - speaking against marrying for inheritance purposes
Bride of Christ - this is biggest argument for it not I think, that it's really all just a parable to help us understand him. I don't see why it can't be both

It's good to meditate on eternity!

DragonFox91 said:

Bride of Christ - this is biggest argument for it not I think, that it's really all just a parable to help us understand him. I don't see why it can't be both

Click to expand...

Yes, I can see that our relationship, as saints of God, to God Himself will be similar to a marriage between two different genders. Interesting to think about!

There are times in the Spirit when the intimacy we have with God can exceed anything comparable in this world, including in a marriage. And certainly God is different from us, just as a male is different from a female.

And yet, there are common denominators that enable us to experience Him in the Spirit, despite the fact we were created separate personalities. What we produce, through God, in eternity may be even superior to having children, if that's even possible?

I think the traditional Christian answer is "yes", however, I don't believe the Bible itself provides that kind of firm answer.

RandyPNW said:

Yes, I can see that our relationship, as saints of God, to God Himself will be similar to a marriage between two different genders. Interesting to think about!

Click to expand...

It is even today. The Bible frequently compares our relationship to God w/ a marital relationship. So marriage itself helps us understand our relationship w/ him

RandyPNW said:

There are times in the Spirit when the intimacy we have with God can exceed anything comparable in this world, including in a marriage.

Click to expand...

Yes, b/c he is our life.

RandyPNW said:

And certainly God is different from us, just as a male is different from a female. And yet, there are common denominators that enable us to experience Him in the Spirit, despite the fact we were created separate personalities.

Click to expand...

It’s great he’s so similar to us but so different!

RandyPNW said:

What we produce, through God, in eternity may be even superior to having children, if that's even possible?

Click to expand...

Keep thinking about this. This is not our home here.

linux.poet said:

Meaning, if I am female in this life (I am) and I die and am resurrected into a new glorified body in the New Heavens and the New Earth, will that body be female?

At one point, I was quite convinced that the answer was yes, but perhaps I am wrong?







Later on the "bride of Christ" is described as the new Jerusalem. This makes me wonder if, in the resurrection, individual female/male gender status does not persist the way we are accustomed to here on the earth. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Hi lp.

On earth there will be male and female, however in heaven the Body of Christ is the New Man. And that is a composite of the male and female natures, a complete New Man.

When Paul says there is no male or female in Christ, he's saying Christ sees male & female the same, we have the same identity to him, not that we become the same

linux.poet said:

Meaning, if I am female in this life (I am) and I die and am resurrected into a new glorified body in the New Heavens and the New Earth, will that body be female?

At one point, I was quite convinced that the answer was yes, but perhaps I am wrong?







Later on the "bride of Christ" is described as the new Jerusalem. This makes me wonder if, in the resurrection, individual female/male gender status does not persist the way we are accustomed to here on the earth. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

There is no marriage in heaven.

1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

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

The only thing that separates a man and a woman is the flesh but the soul and spirit are the same.

Which they will put off the flesh and have a glorified body which is the same.

Which they will be like the angels in heaven which angels do not have a gender but they are only known as having masculine names for they are greater than humans.

Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The saints and angels will remember nothing prior to the New Jerusalem and will feel like they were always there and nowhere else.

People will remember nothing about the earth and will not remember their spouse.

Heaven is spiritual and not for marriage.

mpaper345 said:

and will not remember their spouse.

Click to expand...

I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
I suppose it's good if you have an ex spouse or two , but if you love the one your with then I dunno......

linux.poet said:

Meaning, if I am female in this life (I am) and I die and am resurrected into a new glorified body in the New Heavens and the New Earth, will that body be female?

At one point, I was quite convinced that the answer was yes, but perhaps I am wrong?







Later on the "bride of Christ" is described as the new Jerusalem. This makes me wonder if, in the resurrection, individual female/male gender status does not persist the way we are accustomed to here on the earth. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

I don't know. I don't think any of us have a clear answer to it. However, I'm under the impression that IF we're going to be reminded throughout all eternity that Jesus died for us as the 'slain Lamb of God' in order for us to have the Eternal Life we will be enjoying with Him and all of the saved, THEN other marks of personal identity, however small, might also be "brought along" into eternity by each of us individually.

So, maybe we'll have some form of indicia of our gender going on into our glorified future, whether that's in the Cosmos or on a renewed Earth.

Good question. I've often wondered similar things myself.

The description of the New Jerusalem has multiple references to the past Jerusalem, meaning you can't get the references if you didn't know about our current age. Including names which is part of identity. I'm not sure where 'we'll have no memory' comes from but it sounds Gnostic to me as does much of the post.

1 Cor 15 is saying it's a different kind of body, not that it's not a body, there is!
Gal 3 is saying despite our differences, we are still one in Christ, not that the differences go away
Mat 20 is about marriage in this current age being based on inheritance goes away

linux.poet said:

Do you actually have sources or Scripture to back up these assertions? This post is not the first place I've heard these statements, so I'm wondering if there is a bigger argument for this position.

I disagree with it; the reason God created the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the first place is so that we would love God by choice, not by default. Taking away our memories defeats that point.

Click to expand...

It's probably based on this...

Isaiah 65:17 “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

But, what former things is this talking about? Literally everything? I'm not so sure about that.

Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The former things that will not be remembered are probably those things that could cause death, mourning, crying or pain. Sin leads to death, so we will not remember our sins or sinful things. We will not remember things that could cause us any mourning, crying or pain. But, what about good things that would not cause any harm to remember? We may remember those things. We will find out. Either way, we will not be disappointed with what God has prepared for us.