LITTLE ROCK — DEAR REV. GRAHAM: My friend recently lost her third husband (all of them by death), and she asked me the other day which one she’d be married to in heaven. I didn’t know how to answer, but I could tell this concerns her.
- M.W.
DEAR M.W.: One day, Jesus was asked almost the same question (although by people who were just trying to trick him). His reply was clear: In heaven, we won’t be married the way we are in this life. He said, “At the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
Does this mean we won’t recognize our wives or husbands in heaven? No, absolutely not. Instead, we’ll know each other in a far deeper and better way, for all the barriers between us will be completely erased. We’ll also have new bodies - bodies like the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. Although we can’t fully imagine what this will be like, you can be sure heaven will be fi lled with joy and celebration.
Every good thing we experience on earth is only a foretaste of what we’ll experience in heaven. In other words, in heaven we’ll enjoy in a far greater way every good thing we enjoy right now. All evil will be destroyed, and even this earth will be renewed and become part of our heavenly experience. The Bible says, “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
The most important truth about heaven is that we can go there! By his death and resurrection Jesus opened heaven’s door for us. Have you opened your heart to him?
Write to Billy Graham in care of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C. 28201 or visit the website at billygraham.org
Weekend, Pages 40 on 11/08/2012