Question: Will we know our loved ones in heaven? (Mo.)

Answer: This question has probably occupied the mind of every person who has lost loved ones. The prospect of being reunited in heaven gives us hope and cheer in one of earth's darkest hours. While there are many unanswered questions about future life and our relationship to each other in that state, I believe the scriptures furnish us with sufficient evidence to indicate that we will know one another in heaven. Following are some of the reasons I so believe: In Gen 25:8 we are told "And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people." The phrase "He was gathered to his people" is used a number of times in the O.T., (Gen 25:17, Gen 49:29,33, Deut 32:50, Deut 34:6), and is very significant. Moses, for example "was gathered to his people", however, he was not buried in the sepulcher of his fathers, but in an unknown place. This being the case, we conclude that the phrase must refer to the reunion of the spirit with those who had died before rather than the burial of the body. When David lost his child he said "Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" 2 Sam 12:23 Obviously David believed he would someday go and be with his child.

Paul wrote the Corinthians "...we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus" 2 Cor 1:14. Again he wrote "knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you" 2 Cor 4:14; then to the Thessalonians, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?" All these verses point to times of future rejoicing and glorying. It seems only reasonable, therefore; that Paul is referring to the day when Jesus returns and judges the world. Paul and these Christians will be in each other's presence at that time.

Other scriptures which convey the idea of future recognition are Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8; Lk 9:28-36. In this transfiguration scene both Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus and appeared to the disciples. They were both recognized even though Moses had been dead for nearly fifteen hundred years, and his earthly body lay in an unknown grave, and Elijah had been taken up into heaven by a whirlwind. The fact that they both had different bodies than the ones they had on earth did not prevent their being recognized by the Lord and his disciples.

In Luke 16:19-31 we read of the rich man and Lazarus. Some believe this to be a parable, but even if it is, a parable is designed to represent a reality and therefore changes nothing so far as our purpose is concerned. The point is, the rich man recognized Lazarus and Abraham in the unseen world. He possessed memory, was told to remember, and requested that his five brothers, still living, be warned not to come to "this place of torment." Finally, we learn from 1 Cor. 15 that our mortal body will be changed to an immortal body. Our spirit will not be changed. I will still be the same person I have always been. So will you. I will know who I am. You will know who you are. Death will not change this. Our new body will be fashioned by God. John tells us that "Beloved, now are we children of god, and it is not yet manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him, for we shall see him even as he is." 1 Jn. 3.2 If we shall recognize God in his manifested form, does it not appear reasonable that we shall recognize one another in whatever likeness he shall prepare for us? I believe it does. Yes, there shall be recognition in heaven, thank God for that. Won't that be a wonderful meeting? What a glad day when we all get home. (Send all questions to Ronny E. Wade, P.O. Box 10811, Springfield, Mo. 65808)