Author: Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone wrote to me asking the question, if we will recognise our loved ones in Heaven and if those who are already there will recognise us.
I am going to name the person ‘Frances’
Someone seemingly told Frances, that we would not recognise each other and in other words would not love one another. In other words, certain people believe, your love for your children, or parents, or husband, or wife as examples will end here on earth.
I would like to share my answer to Frances with you – the way I see it through God’s Word:
I believe that we will certainly know each other and not just recognise each other and will have the same love for our loved ones as we had, but then – that love will be totally perfect.
You see –
Love never fails.
If our Lord says in His Word, never fails, then you can be assured – it shall never fails.
Let us read:
(I am going to refer to this section from time to time)
1COR 13:8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
It is written in the NLV as follows:
1COR 13:8-13 8Love never comes to an end. The gift of speaking God’s Word will come to an end. The gift of speaking in special sounds will be stopped. The gift of understanding will come to an end. 9For we only know a part now, and we speak only a part. 10When everything is perfect, then we will not need these gifts that are not perfect. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child. I thought like a child. I understood like a child. Now I am a man. I do not act like a child anymore. 12Now that which we see is as if we were looking in a broken mirror. But then we will see everything. Now I know only a part. But then I will know everything in a perfect way. That is how God knows me right now. 13And now we have these three: faith and hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
I know that Jesus says that we will not marry in Heaven but He does not say, according to my understanding, that we will not recognise each other and that we will not love each other.
Someone also said to Frances, that if we recognised each other in Heaven, then there would be chaos in Heaven.
Let me show you the following example from our Lord’s Word that, according to my understanding, we will certainly know who is who:
Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain.
MAT 17:1-8 The Transfiguration
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
It is totally unthinkable that Jesus was standing with Moses and Elijah talking, and Moses not knowing who Elijah is and Elijah not knowing who Moses is, and even worse, Jesus did not even introduce them to each other. Of course it was not necessary – because the two were old friends, but those people who had not already seen them, were made aware through the Holy Spirit, who these men were that was with Jesus, who were talking so kindly to each other and with Jesus.
The same Holy Spirit that was there that day when it made Moses and Elijah known to them, will also be in me and also in Heaven when I arrive there.
I do not know exactly how it will work, because my love for my wife and children as well as the other people I love and who I will come to love, will never go away. Our Lord says to us through His Word, that I must remember:
1COR 13:9-10 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
If I, with my childlike ignorance and my human mind, try to rationalise how it will work in Heaven, I must also remember what our Lord says to us through His Word:
1COR 13:8 Love never fails; …
He also says:
1COR 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
Now – As an adult child of our Lord, I must realise that while I am still on earth, I will never know everything and that I, with my human understanding, must not try to rationalise how it will work – but must just believe in God. If He says to me that true love which comes from God will never fail – never, never comes to an end.
Also in that section where He tells us about love which will never end, He makes me clearly understand that:
1COR 13:12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
All that I really know and which I can boldly say to you is: Your love for your loved ones and theirs for you will never fail and in my book this also includes in Heaven.
If someone makes you doubt that you will not recognise your loved ones, remember the transfiguration of Moses and Elijah on the mountain, and they did not even live in the same time on earth. They lived hundreds of years apart on earth.
Remember also how our Lord departed as shown in His Word, and of which we have been speaking.
Just look at how highly regarded love is, which never fails, which is shown by our Lord through the writings of His apostle:
1COR 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Other daily thoughts which I have written through the grace of our Lord about Heaven, which you may be interested in and what I with great love can send to you are:
- Die sigbare dinge is tydelik, maar die onsigbare ewig – What is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.
- Het diere siele en kan hulle hemel toe gaan
- Maak vir julle skatte bymekaar in die hemel l – But store up for yourself treasures in Heaven.
- Oor die derde hemel en ons loon – The third Heaven and our reward.
- Want aan sulkes behoort die koninkryk van die hemele – For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.
Some of the daily thoughts have been translated into English at this time, Should you wish to read of the others, please let me know so that I can prioritise the translation thereof. Please send me an email requesting the required daily thought.
Greetings,
Sakkie