“For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” – Matthew 22:30
This week’s devotional series will address several common marriage questions as well as the four marriage laws and the true meaning of “honor” in marriage relationships. Today, we will answer the question of whether or not we will be married to our spouse in Heaven.There are several arguments for and against marriage in Heaven that we will discuss.
For those who argue for marriage in Heaven, they refer back to the first marriage between Adam and Eve. We see that in Genesis 1-2, everything was very good, God made the man, and He said it was not good for him to be alone. In Genesis 1-2, Adam had a perfect relationship with God in a perfect environment, yet it wasn’t good for him to be alone. The Father, Son, and Spirit, the Trinitarian God of the Bible, is one. For Adam, he had God above him and creation beneath him, but he didn’t have an equal alongside of him to be one with and reflect the nature of the Trinitarian God of the Bible. Some would argue that Genesis 1-2 is how God intended the world to be. Genesis 3 has ruined everything with sin, and when Jesus comes back, He picks up where Genesis 1-2 leaves off, and He continues with His original design plan. These people would say that, even though you have a perfect relationship with God and are a perfect person in a perfect place, it doesn’t mean that it’s okay for you to be alone. They would argue that God designed you for marriage and you will be married in Heaven.
On the other hand, those who would argue against marriage in Heaven have several points, one of which is very practical. If you’re married, you’re fruitful and multiply, you have kids forever, and there is no death rate, do you think that at some point there could be a population issue? Probably. Another point people would argue is that when we get to Heaven, our relationships with one another and God are so perfect that it meets all of our deep relational longings. The third point is that marriage is a sign, pointing to the greater relationship of God and His people. It’s what Paul says in Ephesians 5:25, that a husband should love his wife, “as Christ loves the church.” It says in Revelation 19:6-9, when Jesus returns, there will be the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” and Jesus and His people will be like a bride and a groom throwing a party and enjoying their relationship together forever. Marriage was a sign to get us to Jesus, and once we get to that eternal, heavenly home, and perfect relationship, we won’t need the sign anymore.
Now, let’s look at what the Bible says about this question. There are two primary texts of Scripture that indicate that the marriage relationship as we know it doesn’t come to an end but it has some other manifestation on the other side of this life. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 7:2, “A married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives…” So, marriage is for people who are both alive. It continues, “…but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.” Paul is saying that marriage is for this life and if your spouse should die, you are no longer bound to that relationship. That would open the possibility for you to remarry if you would like to.
The other text that speaks to this topic is Matthew 22:23-33 where a group of religious leaders known as the Sadducees ask Jesus about a strange scenario where a woman ends up marrying seven men who are all brothers that end up dying one after the other. They asked, “Whose wife will she be?” Those who would say that this doesn’t refer to our current marriages continuing in Heaven would point to verse 30 that says, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in Heaven.” That’s the Bible’s language for marriage in this life. Some would argue that this doesn’t negate the possibility of our current marriages continuing in Heaven but that there won’t be new marriages in Heaven. The majority of scholars would say that angels are living beings that have loving relationships just like humans, but they don’t get married as we do in that sacred covenant. Human beings will be resurrected with physical bodies, but their relationships will not be continuous through marriage. Nevertheless, their relationships will still be loving, devoted, and deep.
So, the question remains: Will we be married in Heaven? My answer: I don’t know for sure, but what I do know is that I need to trust God that my relationship with my wife in Heaven will not only be satisfying, but it will exceed the intimacy that we enjoy today. If you both know Jesus Christ, it’s not totally devastating to be separated from your spouse through death. You will be able to pick up from where you left off, complete the things you started, and perfect the relationship you had. That’s the hope for the believer.
Tomorrow’s devotional will address the importance of monogamous marriage relationships.
Which of these arguments is most compelling to you about marriage in Heaven?
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