We Will Not Be Married In Heaven

Today I promised to comment upon Christ's teaching that in the age to come we will not be married. Here's what He said as recorded in Matthew:

The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.'

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her."

But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:23-30; see also Mark 12:25)

The Missouri Synod's study of Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective reminds us that marriage remains an earthly order. St. Paul discusses this in 1 Corinthians 7 as he cautions believers to deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.

"For the present form of this world is passing away" (1 Cor. 7:31).  

I wrote about this in an earlier blog and concluded with these words: 

So where is all this going? Simply here. In the resurrection the mystery will be completed (Ephesians 5:18-33). In the new creation all of us will joyfully and willingly have only Jesus as our LORD and God. We will completely love, honor and serve Him and in so doing we will honor His Father (John 14:9-14). Marriage in this age is a type of Christ's union with His body, the church, His bride. He came to earth to unite us to Himself. We are made to be one with Him, His flesh and bone, but were separated from Him by our sinful nature (Pss. 51:5; 58:3). We have now come with Him from the "deep sleep" of His death into a new life of oneness with Him. We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. And when He returns the wonder of that gift will be fully realized. 

We have here but a glimpse of what that fullness will mean. On that day we will be like the angels, ever rejoicing together in His presence and power forever. We will certainly know one another in heaven. We will not miss our marriages nor pine away for their loss as do some widows in this age. Something more wondrous awaits us all, as we are bonded to our heavenly Husband and His Father and to one another in ways never before possible, even in marriage. 

In the next blog we'll begin a discussion of the three purposes of marriage.