Do We Recognize Each Other in Heaven?

Q. I attended a funeral service for an 86-year-old lady who is a Christian. During the service, their children said they wished to meet their mom in Heaven soon. This raised a question in my mind. The question is: do we recognize each other in Heaven? For example, will that lady recognize her children in Heaven when they meet again?

There is no direct statement in the Bible to that effect, but lots of indirect evidence points to the conclusion that we will recognize each other in Heaven. For us to recognize each other, we must retain our identity and have the memory to recall it as the same person. Let us take a look at some cases in the Bible:

• Saul and the medium at Endor (1 Sam 28:3-19). Saul asked the medium to conjure up Samuel. When the woman brought up a divine being, Saul knew it was Samuel (v 14) and asked him what he should do (v 15).

• David and his infant son (2 Sam 12:13-23). The Lord struck David and Bathsheba’s son with illness (v 15) because of his adultery and murder of Uriah, and the child died. Initially, David fasted and wept to plead with God. But after the child’s death, David worshipped and stopped fasting because he knew he could not bring the child back, but he will go to him (v 23). The Lord has taken away David’s sin (v 13), so he knew he would not be banished to hell. He expected to see and recognize his son in Heaven.

• Jesus’ Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-8, Mk 9:2-8, Lk 9:28-36). Jesustook Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and was transfigured before them. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus (Mt 17:3). Moses lived at least 1391-1271 BC, some historians suggesting even earlier. Elijah was born about 900 BC and taken up to Heaven. There was no way that the disciples could have seen them, yet Peter recognized who they were without Jesus introducing them. We may recognize people intuitively in Heaven.

• The rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). In Hades, the rich man lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus (v 23) with him. All the individuals retained their identities and communicated with each other. Abraham reminded the rich man of his former life; he even remembered his five brothers. Since there is recognition in Hades, and Heaven is incomparably better, there is recognition in Heaven.

• Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances (Jn 20:19-29). Jesus appeared to His disciples for the first time on Easter Sunday (v 19) without Thomas, then again eight days later with Thomas (v 26). Both times they recognized Him.

• Paul’s consolation to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 4:13-18). Paul comforted the Thessalonians that when the Lord returns there will be a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ (v 15). This will be followed by the rapture of those alive in Christ (v 17), to be always with the Lord. These would not be words of comfort for those who have lost loved ones if we will not recognize each other in Heaven.

There are other passages, but these give us sufficient evidence to believe that we will know each other in Heaven.

Spiritual Body

Q. Would you give me some bible references as I would like to study the nature of our spiritual being when we leave this earth?

Sure. The nature of our being will depend on when we leave this earth:

• If we die before Christ returns:
  • Eccle 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Our physical body (the dust) will return to the earth and decompose. Our soul (the spirit) will return to God to face judgment. Then we will be resurrected (raised) when Christ returns.

• If Christ returns before we die:
  • 1 Co 15:51-53 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

If we are alive (not having fallen asleep), our bodies will be changed from perishable to imperishable, from mortal to immortal.

Paul wrote about our resurrection body earlier:

• 1 Co 15:42-44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Our resurrection body will be:

1. Imperishable – incorruptible, perpetual,
2. Immortal – undying, everlasting,
3. Glorious – bright, holy,
4. Powerful – strong, able,
5. Spiritual – obedient to the Holy Spirit.

It will not be subject to aging and diseases, nor the limitations we encounter in our physical body. For example, it can enter rooms when the doors are shut (Jn 20:19, 26) and vanish from sight (Lk 24:31). In short, it will be a transformed body as God planned it.

J’s Baptism

I baptized our daughter’s father-in-law with both joy and sadness. We are joyful because:

• Lk 15:7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

J had been angry with God since his first wife died from cancer. We tried to share the good news with him, but he declined and asked us not to talk to him about it again.

We are sad because he was diagnosed with cancer last year but decided against chemotherapy due to his age. Initially, he was mobile, but his condition deteriorated rapidly over the last couple of months. Last week our son-in-law Chris visited him and shared the gospel with him. God softened his heart, and he received Christ as his Lord and Savior. Chris asked if he likes to be baptized, to which he agreed. Since he was confined to his bed, I confirmed his faith and administered baptism by sprinkling. His daughter cried joyful tears as she witnessed her dad’s confession of faith.

All of us have only one life to live. Some live to their eighties and nineties, while others have only a short sojourn on earth. But all of us, without exception, eventually pass away. Some are wise to recognize that the visible is only temporary:

• 2 Co 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

They realize that their decisions in this life affect not just the here and now but have eternal consequences too. They choose to put their trust in Jesus like J and are received into His kingdom.

Unfortunately, despite their being smart in worldly things, others reject the invitations from their Christian friends and relatives to follow Christ. They ignore the only way that would save them from eternal punishment. J repented in time, but some of our family members, friends, classmates, and former colleagues have yet to do so. God is gracious and gives opportunity after opportunity, but only during this lifetime. I pray that it will not be too late for them.