Will we know each other in Heaven? This is an interesting question that I have been asked a number of times over the years and one that only an examination of the scriptures can shed light on since it deals with truth that occurs after individuals leave this life. These are questions that only God can answer and for which answers can be found in the holy Scriptures. To get a good understanding on this, we need to look at several passages. We will be looking at these in relationship to the above question, so we will not explain all the details of every reference, but just how it relates to “Will we know each other in Heaven?”
Our first passage that we will examine is a found in the book of Luke, chapter 16. Here we find the Lord Jesus Christ in the middle of sharing a series of parables outlining various truths for the future earthly kingdom. I personally see this as a true story of individuals that the members of the crowd (including some rejecting Pharisees) would have known, a clear warning to what awaits those who reject Christ’s message. However, regardless of your take on this passage, whether a true story or parable, it, by its nature must be sharing truth about what happens after death for those that reject Christ and those that receive Christ at that time. Hell and Heaven are dispensation topics, to be sure and what happens to the lost does change through time. For instance, even Hell itself was not created for unsaved man, but for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 24:51). Individuals that die in their sins, without receiving the righteousness of God through Christ through belief in His atoning work for them through faith, they will spend eternity separated from God in the only place where God is not, Hell, and then later the Lake of Fire. Well that’s another study. So let’s glean some truth from this passage on “Will we know each other in Heaven?”
Luke 16: 19 – 31
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
From just this passage alone we see that the answer is clearly ‘yes!’ We will without question know each other in Heaven.
First, after one dies there is consciousness. Both those in paradise and in Hell are very much aware of what is going on around them. We see the rich man in hell crying out and making a request of Abraham who is in paradise, a place of comfort. It is clear that the rich man, Abraham and Lazarus are very much aware of their surroundings. They are conscious and alert and interacting with their surroundings as well.
Second, individuals have the ability to see, hear, taste, touch, smell…even those in Hell. The rich man sees Lazarus, and even recognizes him. As well, he amazingly knows Abraham (who he had never met in his actual lifetime.) If a lost person can know, see and recognize, we would expect at least the same, and maybe even more ability for a saved person, a believer, for instance Abraham in this passage. Notice that the rich man feels pain as he is in anguish in torments and the flame. He is thirsty and desires relief. Lazarus is in a place of real comfort; Abraham’s bosom it is called. He is at ease, and as well has the ability to move about (since the rich man wants him to come to him with even a drop of water from his finger).
Third, individuals have the ability to remember. Notice that Abraham states “son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” The rich man remembers his five brethren and is concerned for them. He even requests that Lazarus (whom from the context his five brethren knew) be raised from the dead and go to them. He is remorseful, but it is too late for the rich man as well. Decisions affecting where we go after this life are made in this life time, based not on remorse, but on belief in the truth of saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8,9; Rom 4:4,5; Rom 6:19; Rom 10:8,9, 13)
Fourth, individuals in paradise or Hell have the ability to recognize one another. We are not wispy, ghostly vaporous, gassy spirits with no form after death. Even though our bodies go to the physical grave as clearly the passage states, we, that is our souls, have a bodily shape with fingers, mouths, hearing, feeling, faces, voices…we are who we are and are very recognizable to all. We still have our memories, our thoughts, our personalities which make us who we are, as well as a recognizable form. The truth also still remains as well that the believer, the child of God, will receive a new body at the rapture, the believer’s resurrection at the end of this age of Grace. Phil 3:20,21; I Cor 15:51,52; I Thes 4:13-18
Fifth, this passage immediately indicates that we are individuals, different and unique, not only in this life, but even after death. We are who we are, even when we close our eyes in this life and open them in the next. Lazarus was Lazarus, Abraham was Abraham and the rich man was still the rich man by name and by every measure of what defines us as a person.
Thus, we see from this one passage, Luke 16:19-31, the answer is yes. We will know each other in Heaven. Revelation 6:9 –11 further supports this conclusion.
Revelation 6:19-31
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Again we see that they each remember, even to the point of how they left the earth by death. They are unique and they see each other as fellowservants and brethren, as recognizable individuals. Additionally, they feel the passing of time and have voices and speech and can even wear robes. A nuance additional truth is that they are told to rest yet for a little season, implying that they will not rest for ever. They will be working for the Lord in the future, carrying out jobs serving our Lord and Saviour.
These truths are further demonstrated in the following passages which we will briefly highlight:
I Thes 4:13-18; I Cor 15:48-54; Phil 3:20,21; John 20:24-28 and Rom 14:8,9. There are other passages to be sure, but these should be sufficient to validate that we will know each other in Heaven.
Before moving on, it is interesting to note that Luke 16:19-31 also provides insight into the state of the individual during the period of time between death and the resurrection. For the believer today, we know that there is time between death and the rapture, which is our resurrection day and the Blessed Hope. II Corinthians 5:8 shares the blessed truth that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For the believer, upon death, we immediately enter into the presence of our Lord and Saviour. And we will be who we are with one major change though. We will leave that old sin nature behind, our old flesh. And then we will be perfect, who we ought to be. But until the rapture, we will not have our new body, so it will be somewhat like what is found in the passage in Luke 16. We will be in comfort, paradise, fellowshipping with our Lord and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will be recognized, know people that we have never met. We will converse, share memories, create new memories, move about, all while awaiting the rapture as well. This is affirmed in I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
I Thessalonians 4:13 – 18
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
In the case of those already in the Lord’s presence, the Lord will bring them with Him at the rapture, and they will receive their new body first, and then we which are alive and remain, will be caught up together with them…and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wow, what a glorious day! We clearly learn from this passage that those that had died that the Thessalonians’ knew and were concerned about, they will meet them again at the rapture. They will meet them again and know them, they will fellowship with them! They will meet the whole person, not some shell or something less. They will know those that they have loved and they will spend eternity with them. What an amazing and great comfort for the believing child of God.
Of course the focus in this passage is really on spending eternity with the Lord and being in His presence. Yet, the truth is true for us also. We will meet each other and the Lord and spend eternity with each other. We are to comfort ourselves with this truth, since we will spend eternity with our loved ones, those that even have already died in the Lord, individuals that we will continue to know and fellowship with forever! And the fellowship and love will be even more sweet as we will be in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever more.
Ahhh, the great resurrection chapter I Corinthians 15 speaks volumes about the resurrection and what awaits the children of God.
I Corinthians 15:42-54
“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Wow, we will bear the image of the heavenly. A heavenly body, capable of getting around in heavenly places. Our bodies will be changed, “this mortal must put on immortality, this corruptible must put on incorruption.” It will be a glorious body, a spiritual body, powerful and incorruptible. Paul in Phil 3:20,21 says this: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Our new body will enable us to carry out God’s will throughout all eternity in the heavenly places. Our bodies will be changed, and fashioned like unto His glorious body. Our new bodies will have capabilities and capacities like the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection body. It does not mean that we will all have bodies that look just like the Lord’s. Just as He is unique, so we will be unique. Each of us with our memories, with physical recognizable features and knowable to each other. I am sure you remember the Apostle Thomas, aka doubting Thomas. In John 20:24-28, we see this account.
John 20:24-28
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ had recognizable features in His resurrection body from His crucifixion. Thomas saw Christ, heard his voice, recognized Him and believed. He was different in His resurrection appearance for sure, but yet still had recognizable features. There was no doubt! So we too, in the resurrection will have much different bodies, but we too will resemble ourselves and be recognizable to all, it is evident.
In summary, we see that we shall exist as individuals, unique and recognizable, with memory, with capabilities and we will stand before the Lord. You see, our Lord is both the Lord of the dead and the living. Romans 14:8,9 “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.” Just as the Lord is Lord of the living, and we are individuals, knowing each other, communicating, sharing with each other as the living, we will also do the same when we die and are in the presence of the Lord. Truth is that we will do far more than just know each other in Heaven. We will share with one another, work together, serve our Lord together, love one another, communicate with one another, create new memories and more. And in the ages to come (Ephesians 2:7), He (God) will show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards US through Christ Jesus. US…each of us. What an awesome truth.
Till we meet in His presence,
Dr. John Harris
Bible Teacher