I pray this study of the eternal state will increase your faith, humble your heart, and nourish your soul… for Christ and in Christ, Amen.
What happens to the believer after death?
Will we be married in Heaven?
Will we still be a family in heaven?
Just as life begins at physical birth for each of us here on earth, so eternal life begins with spiritual birth. Spiritual birth begins with faith in Christ and never ends; it is everlasting life with our Savior.
Physical life is temporary, terminating at death. Jesus explained this in his conversation with Nicodemus. “Jesus answered and said, Verily, Verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3.3), “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). So that we could have eternal life, Christ had to go to the Cross and die. His death gives us life when we accept his death as our substitute. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him” (John 3.36).
“For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, (here’s the reason) that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).
We are a new spiritual species in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Life for every believer begins at the cross where Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and provided eternal life to all who would believe. Believing is receiving. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12. Reference John 3:15; 10:28, 20:31; 1 John 5:11-12).
The results of what Christ did for us on the Cross will become more and more obvious as time goes on, through learning Bible Doctrine. As we move closer and closer to eternity, Jesus Christ should become more and more realistic. Why? Because we are habitually learning his mind. His mind is God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:15).
As we absorb more and more doctrine, our thinking begins to change as God’s Word begins to transform our mind and conform us to his image (Romans 12:2). “That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love… may be able to comprehend with all the saints (believers) what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
God has a plan for our life now and in eternity. Nothing has been left out, nothing has been forgotten. All we have to do is learn God’s Word to learn his plan for our lives.
At death (which is only physical) our body remains on or in the earth, buried or disposed of in some way. The soul and the spirit (of the believer only) enter into the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Our body of corruption (because of the sin nature) is gone forever and will never be occupied again. We will receive a body exactly like that of Christ after his resurrection.
Paul said in Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” If you think life is pretty good here on earth, physical death and entrance into Heaven is far greater. So much so that God is careful not to tell us very much about it.
We need not fear death because God considers our death precious. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (believers)“ God goes through the valley of death with us (Psalm 23).
Arriving on the other side in the presence of God will be the most fantastical and awesome experience. Heaven is beautiful beyond words. There is no sin there, no sorrow, no pain, the former things (this life, this world) have passed away, behold all things are become new (reference Revelation 21:4). We will be face to face with God.
Be sure to study 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 and 1 Peter 1:4,5 which describes our inheritance as “incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” We are heirs of God and joint-heirs of Christ as believers (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:14, 18; Colossians 3:24; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:4).
Death means we go to a new eternal home (John 14:1-3). This mansion in the Greek means dwelling place, and we shall have a new dwelling place for our soul and spirit. When the first resurrection occurs we will be cleansed by fire at the Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10) and given a new body like his body for we shall see him as he is. “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2,3. Reference 1 John 5:1; 5:4-8; 11-15&20). Christ was able to pass-walk right thru material wall in the upper room after his resurrection, and He could eat or not eat (Luke 24:30,31; 36-53).
Revelation 21:23 indicates that Jesus Christ (the Lamb) has a resurrection body full of light – our body will be like His, so we will be full of light. Apparently, we will recognize and know one another on the basis of our light. The concept of the tabernacle is that Christ was in the Tabernacle as the God of Israel, in the past. This time he will be in his glory as Savior God of His people and all mankind. We will be in the presence of Christ throughout eternity (Revelation 21:3).
If you were to ask me to define Heaven, my answer would be: “Heaven is where God is!” If I were to add anything to it, it would be: “And where sin isn’t!”
God is, of course, eternal. Eternity exists because God exists!
Let’s briefly look at eternity future.
Eternity has three designations:
- New Heaven – Revelation 21:1;
- New Earth – Revelation 21:1;
- New Jerusalem – Revelation 21:2,10.
The Eternal New Heaven replaces the current heavens (universe). At God’s command, a tremendous fire or explosion, perhaps much like an instant nuclear meltdown, will destroy the entire universe in an instant (2 Peter 3:10,13).
The eternal new heaven will be the dwelling place of the Church age believer – you and me. It will be constructed out of numerous light years of space. The expanse of our current universe is incomprehensible, but the new heaven (new universe, if you will), will be awesome beyond words (2 Peter 3:13).
Revelation chapters 21 & 22 talk about light, and that light is God, who will light the entire new universe with his glory forever and ever. The beauty of Heaven, eternity future, is described in Revelation 21.
We will be perfectly happy in eternity (Revelation 21:4). There will be “no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain,” therefore perfect happiness. Old things are passed away and these are some of the old things that we will never suffer again nor remember.
We will enjoy “perfect and perpetual newness” (Revelation 21:5), “Behold I make all things new,” which means perpetually new and marvelous beyond description. “Write for these things are true and faithful.”
As for the question of our relationship with each other, the Bible does not specifically address this question. Sometimes the answer is not what is directly stated, but what is not directly stated. Common logic and many categories of Bible Doctrine cause us to reason what God does not specifically state. For example: If we died and went to Heaven, our happiness would be affected if we had memory of those we love still here on earth. Well, the Bible states we will be perfectly happy, so we will probably have little or no memory of this life until we all come into glory, then we will know and remember.
Marriage and family are a divine institution given by God to perpetuate the human race so that trillions of people from Adam until the end of time could have opportunity to be saved. When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden they were cursed with a human nature and expelled from the Garden (Genesis chapter three). God also gave Moses and all mankind the Ten Commandants so we would not destroy ourselves and the human race could survive. We will not be father and mother, sister, brother, in Heaven because there is no need for that type relationship. Because there is no sin in Heaven there is no need to be family as we know it in this life.
We are all children of God now (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26) and adopted by God because of Christ, forever (Romans 8:15-18). We will know each other because we will all be citizens of Heaven “our names are written in Heaven right now as believers” (Luke 10:20; Ephesians 2:13,19; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 20:15). At salvation, we are transferred from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God’s own Son (Colossians 1:13). We will be one big wonderful happy family in heaven. No need to worry about anything.
When you learn more and more about God you will worry less and less about many things that may bother you now. Just trust God and allow the Lord to fill you with His knowledge and his Grace. His Grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:91).
There are many other Scriptures referring to Salvation and eternal security and eternal life. You may want to look at a few:
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-21;15: 42-58.
- Study also the entire book of Ephesians.
- 2 Timothy 1:7-14; 4:1-8.
- Hebrews 1:1 through 6:20; 12:1,2.
- 1 Peter 2:1-16,24; 5:1-10.
“Be anxious for nothing (don’t be impatient or worried), but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Philippians 4:7,8).
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:6,7)
C. S. Craig
November 2000