Why won't we marry/given in marriage in the Resurrection?

[Michelle]

Also, if marriage does exist after death, theoretically speaking; I would say the woman would be married to the last man. Reason being: The Law says it's alright.

Do you think that everyon will be married for eternity to the last person they were married to? Wouldn't that be a little confusing?

One of my best friends, Joyce, died in the spring of 2007. This week I got the announcement that her husband, Gary, had remarried. Let's say he dies before his new wife, Kim, does and she marries again. The last person Joyce was married to was Gary, but the last person Gary was married to was Kim, but the last person she was married to was someone else, not to mention the fact that I don't know who she was married to before now. Perhaps his last wife was Kim as well.

Everything's gonna be okay.

Yep, that's what I think, too.

When the New Creation/New Heavens and New Earth fully arrive with God Himself:

Rev 21 (NASB)
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,

4and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

[darinhouston]

However, it was AFTER Adam and Eve sinned, that the first person was born.

Do you find it odd that the bible speaks of Eve's pain in childbirth being "increased?" If they had no children, what would have been the frame of reference?

[TK]

good question darin.

perhaps God's intention was for Eve to recall these words when she was giving birth for the first time.

TK

[SamIam]

I am presuming that the angels are non-reproductive, consequently a-sexual.

I also presume that we will be non-reproductive and a-sexual in the resurrection.

As I recall, the whole point about brothers taking their dead brothers widows as wives was to reproduce and produce an heir for their brother.

Sex causes way too much trouble this side of the resurrection, we're probably better off without it on that side.

[RickC]

Hi Michelle

Also, if marriage does exist after death, theoretically speaking; I would say the woman would be married to the last man. Reason being: The Law says it's alright.
You replied:
Do you think that everyone will be married for eternity to the last person they were married to? Wouldn't that be a little confusing?

No, I don't think {know} if people who were married more than once will be married to the last person they were married to. If they will be, I don't know.

But if marriage does continue to exist after this life {I'm speaking hypothetically only}; the last marriage would be the one that would appear to be in effect. God's Law frees a widow or widower to remarry. This being so, new marriages in these cases, are sanctioned by God.

I can see that if marriage does exist in the hereafter, how people might look at it now as "confusing" if they had more than one spouse. That's understandable because people can get jealous. Even of former spouses who have died. Also, deceased spouses can still be loved and missed, even after one remarries...and happily remarries.

Continuing with this imaginary scenario; I assume jealousy, confusion, and grief won't be in the afterlife: These are forms of pain.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, Michelle.
And please see my reply to Sam, below.

1. I am presuming that the angels are non-reproductive, consequently a-sexual.

2. I also presume that we will be non-reproductive and a-sexual in the resurrection.

3. As I recall, the whole point about brothers taking their dead brothers widows as wives was to reproduce and produce an heir for their brother.

Hello Sam

Our text for context.

Matt 22 (NIV)
23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24"Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"

29Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

1. Yes. The angels of God in heaven do not reproduce.

2. Yes. This age is the age of human reproduction.

3. Yes. The Jewish practice of a brother marrying the wife of his deceased brother was the 'case scenario' the Sadducees brought up. Of course, this practice is foreign to our culture. The Sadducees were using a 'real life situation' in order to try to trip up Jesus.

If there is marriage in the afterlife, and I don't know if there will be, it would seem it have to be the continuance of a God sanctioned marriage that existed on earth. As before, this would be the last one of this type.

This is only a theoretical possibility that Jesus didn't directly address in this text.

Jesus makes it clear that there won't be remarriage to spouses that had deceased in the afterlife. Then no one will "marry" at all {probably referring to grooms} or be "given in marriage" {probably refers to parents giving their daughters as brides}.

Whether God ordained marriages 'continue' in any sense in the afterlife or not...I can't say. I do know that deceased spouses will gladly welcome and love new spouses, if their former spouses remarried: without any jealousy, pain, or confusion, at all....

Thanks,

[Michelle]

If there is marriage in the afterlife, and I don't know if there will be, it would seem it have to be the continuance of a God sanctioned marriage that existed on earth. As before, this would be the last one of this type.

This is only a theoretical possibility that Jesus didn't directly address in this text.

Jesus makes it clear that there won't be remarriage to spouses that had deceased in the afterlife. Then no one will "marry" at all {probably referring to grooms} or be "given in marriage" {probably refers to parents giving their daughters as brides}.

Whether God ordained marriages 'continue' in any sense in the afterlife or not...I can't say. I do know that deceased spouses will gladly welcome and love new spouses, if their former spouses remarried: without any jealousy, pain, or confusion, at all....

Sorry, Rick, I just can't follow your train of thought. You keep saying that the last acceptable marriage would be the one that, if there is marriage in eternity, would exist. I still don't see how that would work out unless each partner had only married one spouse. I guess it really doesn't matter since you said several times that you were only theorizing, and so am I.

I'm pretty sure that we won't be married in heaven. I think the whole point that a surviving spouse was free to remarry is that death ends marriage. I guess that sounds harsh to the loving spouse who wishes to be married for eternity, or the grieving spouse who longs to be reunited and still married to the one who has preceded them in death, but it makes the most logical and biblical sense to me.

[RickC]

Michelle,

It seems we both agree that: No one will get married in the next world.

Other than that...I guess we'll just have to wait & see what happens, what things are like....

Thanks for your reply,

[darinhouston]

Michelle,

1. Yes. The angels of God in heaven do not reproduce.

2. Yes. This age is the age of human reproduction.

How do you prove these from Scripture?

Also, any idea what Scripture Jesus was referring to here, or how the power of God is relevant to the topic in this discourse?

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.

[Suzana]

Also, any idea what Scripture Jesus was referring to here, or how the power of God is relevant to the topic in this discourse?

Matt 22 (NASB)
29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.

My own understanding is that in this statement, Jesus is mainly referring to the reality of the resurrection - (that was what the Sadducees were questioning anyway. I think what Jesus said about the angels etc. was new information, kind of just thrown in for good measure).
I think God's power Jesus referred to was ability to raise the dead, and the scriptures referred to, are as Jesus quoted them, to prove that these scriptures point to the resurrection by implication.

Matt 22 (NIV)
23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question....

29Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

[darinhouston]

I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

But, (like the Sadducees, I guess) I don't see how this speaks to the resurrection or His power over death.