Shall we know and have hereafter the love of those we have loved on earth? I ask the question, because I lost my wife when we had been married only three months...so you will understand that it is no idle question, but one that I have sought the Scriptures for an answer to many a time.
I quite believe that heaven will be joy to those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb; but I think that meeting some dearly loved one will be one of its greatest joys. I cannot think that God would plant a seed of love in our hearts for someone, ruthlessly to pluck it out again in a short time.
I Have often heard the question asked, "Shall we know one another in the world to come?" when it seemed to me to be so idle as scarcely to merit attention; but your letter, with all the details that you have mentioned, shows me that the question comes from a burdened heart seeking relief, and I gladly offer such as the Word of God authorizes me to give.
There are certainly many besides yourself, who are longing for the same information, and who do not know what the Bible teaches on this point. Let us first consider a case that is recorded in the Bible. When Christ was born, Herod was so anxious to kill Him that he "sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." (Matthew 2:16-18)
All are familiar with this story; but not all are so familiar with the words of comfort which God by the same prophet spoke to those sorrowing mothers, and so to all mothers mourning the loss of little ones. The words just quoted are found in Jeremiah 31:15, and immediately after them come these words: "Thus says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in your end, says the Lord, that your children shall come again to their own border." (Jeremiah 31:16-17)
Here is a distinct promise of the resurrection of those infants. They are to be brought from the land of the enemy,--death,--and restored to their mothers in their own land, the new earth, the heavenly Canaan.
This is the hope set before the mourning mothers; they are comforted by the Lord himself, with the promise that their children shall come to them again; but there certainly would be no comfort if they could not recognize them. That would be no restoration; it would be but to mock their grief, and leave them more desolate than before.
Reunion at Christ's Coming
Take again some words of comfort which the Lord charges His servants to speak to all whose Christian friends have been taken from them by death. The Apostle Paul writes: "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you 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 [go before, precede] 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." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Some people in Thessalonica were mourning their dead friends, whom they thought were forever lost to them. They knew of the coming of the Lord, but were imperfectly informed as to the resurrection. They had not yet been fully freed from the heathen idea that death is an eternal sleep.
The Apostle, by the direction of the Lord, tells them and us that although we live till the coming of the Lord we shall not enter into glory before our dead friends do; for just as surely as God raised up Jesus, will He also bring with Him from the dead all those who sleep in Him, and that when He comes the sleeping ones will be awakened to immortality before we are changed, and then both they and we shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord; and in this manner we all shall be together forever with the Lord.
As It Was in the Beginning
But what comfort would this be to the sorrowing ones, if they were not to know their loved ones when they meet them at the resurrection? The same "hope" is set before them that was given to the weeping mothers in Bethlehem,--the hope of resurrection at the appearing of Christ. We shall all know Him, and we shall also know each other. That will be the coming of that perfect day, when we shall know even as also we are known; when: "The loves and sympathies which God himself has planted in the soul shall find truest and sweetest expression."--Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 677.
Let us note a few passages of Scripture, which show that this must necessarily be the case. "Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh." (Matthew 19:4-6)
Note that man is essentially male and female; he was made so at the beginning. Thus we read again: "In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God He made him; Male and female He created them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam [man], in the day when they were created." (Genesis 5:1-2)
Adam was first created, then Eve; but the woman was taken out of the man, and was called woman for that reason, (Genesis 2:23) so that it plainly appears that Adam--man--is male and female. The two distinct persons are but a higher development, a more perfect manifestation of the perfect man.
The First Dominion Restored
Now read further: "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." (Genesis 1:27-28)
It was man--male and female--to whom God gave dominion over the earth in the beginning. The dominion has been lost: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
But "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law." (Galatians 3:13)
And in Him the dominion is restored to man; for it is written: "You are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:10) "And you, O Tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto you shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." (Micah 4:8)
This dominion every redeemed sinner has now in Christ, just to the extent that his faith intelligently grasps and appropriates the gift of Christ. The "new song" which God puts into our mouth even now, as soon as we are lifted out of "the horrible pit," (Psalm 40:2-3) is: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed [loosed] us from our sins in His own blood, And has made us kings and priests unto God." (Revelation 1:5-6) "He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill; That He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people." (Psalm 113:7-8) "And to make them inherit the throne of glory." (1 Samuel 2:8)
All this simply means the restoration of all things as they were at the beginning, but with enlarged dominion.
God's Work Eternal
Again: God built the rib which He took from the man into a woman, and "[He] brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." (Genesis 1:22-23) "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:6)
God himself will certainly not put asunder what He has joined together, thus undoing the work of His own hands; for: "I know that whatsoever God does, it shall be for ever." (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
False Ideas Corrected
Does someone tell you that the idea of the loves and sympathies and relationships of this life being continued in the world to come is dishonoring and degrading to heaven? that it is altogether too gross? Then may God pity and forgive him, and open his eyes to know the Divine love, which is the only true love, and to appreciate the expression of it through the human agent.
Right here it becomes apparent that the consideration of this question is a necessity, and is not by any means idle speculation upon things of the future, of which we shall know the certainty when the time comes. For it is this false, gross idea of love and the family relation, the conception of it as inconsistent with heaven's holiness, which has produced so much perversion of it in this life.
The truth that we have just had opened up to us from the Scriptures, does not degrade heaven, but exalts love. If it were seen and appreciated and held, it would make people far more considerate. There would be no such thing as "a hasty marriage." There would be no marriage formed except by God, and none which could not be continued throughout eternity; and there would be no act in the marriage state inconsistent with the holiness of the new earth.
There would be no such thing as "making love," for "God is love," (1 John 4:8) and the only real love that can exist among men is that which is eternal, and which is the manifestation of God's presence. That which was given to man in Eden at the beginning, will not be withheld as unworthy of the same Eden restored.
God's Children Spiritual
Remember that all God's true children are spiritual. "You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you shall die; but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:9-10,12-14)
Therefore: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)
Christ All and In All
One thing more: Do not fail to note that the comfort which we are commissioned to give to those who mourn, which assures them of reunion with departed loved ones, closes with the statement, "so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
It is the Lord's presence, not the presence of our loved ones alone, that will make heaven. If we were not with Him, if we did not see Him, there would be no joy, no happiness, no love, even in heaven. "The loves and sympathies which God himself has planted in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest expression."--Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 677
Because there Christ will be perfectly revealed and perfectly recognized in every soul. And just as His presence makes heaven, and brings out there the full truth and sweetness of the loves which He has planted in the soul, so it is He and His presence that sanctifies and makes perfect every relationship in this world, and which gives the true believer a heaven in which to go to heaven.
Ah, how little we have appreciated the rich gifts that God has provided for us, and which He leaves with us even in this sin cursed earth! "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
And the reason why this is so is that we have been so gross, so unspiritual, and have perverted them; but in His great mercy, "God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:10
May the love of God be perfected in us all, that, being "in Him that is true," (1 John 5:20) we may even now dwell in eternity.--Present Truth, November 15, 1900.
We have several questions on hand, which interested readers have sent in, and they will all receive attention as soon as possible. Let no one think that his case is forgotten, because an answer does not appear immediately.
Since beginning the "Editor's Private Corner" we have received more encouraging, appreciative words for the paper than ever before in the same length of time. To each one we would say, If you have received help, pass it on to some one else. That which does you good will be a blessing to another.
If each reader of Present Truth would secure one additional reader it would be a most practical way of showing thanks for blessings received.--Present Truth, November 15, 1900--Back Page.