hey cy..yup this is a tricky one and yet is one of the few subjects that there has been no new light on..no flip flops..just consistently the same answer...no marraige for ressurected ones...which is interesting on two counts.....1..whilst accepting everything else the gb says as gospel many faithful jws cannot accept this and stay unmarried now adopting a wait and see attitude....2..when we meet someone in the ministry who has lost a spouse we promise them that they will be reunited in the ressurection...here is some info on the subject
w87 6/1 pp. 30-31 Questions From Readers ***
Questions From Readers
ยท Is it wise for a Christian whose mate has died to remain single in the hope of being reunited in the future?
How fine it is that a Christian should feel love for his or her mate even after that one has died! Some in this situation have remained single, not because of being content with singleness, but in hopes of resuming the marriage after the resurrection. While not being insensitive to the human feelings behind those hopes, we encourage such ones to consider some Biblical points.For instance, bearing on the matter are the apostle Paul?s words: "A wife is bound during all the time her husband is alive. But if her husband should fall asleep in death, she is free to be married to whom she wants, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is." (1 Corinthians 7:39, 40) This shows that the marital bond ends when one?s mate dies. It was a kindness for God to inform Christians of this, for thus widows and widowers can weigh their emotional and other needs in deciding whether to remarry; they are not bound to the deceased.?1 Corinthians 7:8, 9.
Does the Bible, though, indicate whether resurrected ones will be able to marry or to resume a previous marriage that was ended by a death? One account seems to bear on this question. It involved Sadducees who, while not even believing in the resurrection, came to Jesus trying to entrap him. They presented this problem involving brother-in-law marriage: "There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless. So the second, and the third took her. Likewise even the seven: they did not leave children behind, but died off. Lastly, the woman also died. Consequently, in the resurrection, of which one of them does she become the wife?"?Luke 20:27-33; Matthew 22:23-28.
Christians are not under the Law, but a similar difficulty could be raised concerning them. For example: Brother and Sister C?? were married and had two children. Then he died. Sister C?? loved and deeply missed him, but she felt a need for companionship, financial support, sexual expression, and help with the children. So she married Brother M??, which union was as Scriptural as the first. Later he became ill and died. If the former mates were resurrected and marriage were possible, whom might she marry?
Consider Jesus? response to the Sadducees: "The children of this system of things marry and are given in marriage, but those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In fact, neither can they die anymore, for they are like the angels, and they are God?s children by being children of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised up even Moses disclosed . . . when he calls Jehovah ?the God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob.? He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him."?Luke 20:34-38; Matthew 22:29-32.
Some have felt that Jesus was here referring to the heavenly resurrection, yet there are reasons to believe that his reply was about the earthly resurrection in the coming "system of things." What reasons underlie this view? Those questioning Jesus did not believe in him or know about a heavenly resurrection. They asked about a Jewish family under the Law. In reply Jesus referred to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men who hoped for life again on earth. (Genesis 42:38; Job 14:13-15; compare Hebrews 11:19.) Those patriarchs, and millions of others, who are raised on earth and who prove faithful will be "like the angels." Though mortal, they will not die once God has declared them righteous for endless life.
Human emotions today might make this a difficult conclusion to accept. But it is to be noted that nowhere does the Bible say that God?s resurrecting the faithful means restoring their marital status. Hence, no one believes that if Aquila and Priscilla have gained life in heaven, they have resumed their marriage. (Acts 18:2) And Joseph and Mary will evidently live in different realms?he on earth and she in heaven. (John 19:26; Acts 1:13, 14) Since none of us have lived in heaven, we cannot say what feelings Aquila, Priscilla, and Mary might have there, yet we can be sure of their finding full contentment in their heavenly service.
Similarly, we have never lived as perfect humans. Thus we cannot be sure how we will feel about past relationships if and when we gain perfect human life in a paradise. It is good for us to remember that when Jesus made that statement he was a perfect human and therefore in a better position than we to appreciate the feelings of those who are "counted worthy of gaining that system of things." We can also trust that Jesus is able to ?sympathize with our present weaknesses.? (Hebrews 4:15) So if a Christian finds it hard to accept the conclusion that resurrected ones will not marry, he can be sure that God and Christ are understanding. And he can simply wait to see what occurs.
There is no reason now to overemphasize this matter. The psalmist wrote: "Know that Jehovah is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasturage . . . Give thanks to him, bless his name. For Jehovah is good." (Psalm 100:3-5) Our good God will certainly provide amply for our true needs if we are "counted worthy of gaining that system of things."?Job 34:10-12; Psalm 104:28; 107:9.God?s goodness is reflected also in his informing us that the death of a mate concludes the marriage. (Romans 7:2) Thus anyone who has lost a mate can know that he or she is free to remarry now if that seems needed or best. Some have remarried, thereby helping to fill their own present needs and those of their family. (1 Corinthians 7:36-38; Ephesians 6:1-4) Consequently, a Christian whose mate has died should not feel obliged to remain mateless now out of an expectation that former marriage mates will be reunited in the resurrection to life here on earth in the coming system.
CONFIDENCE
IN WHAT HE PROVIDES 22
The Bible does not provide full details about the resurrection. It does not, for example, say with whom resurrected ones will live or where. So it is wisdom on our part not to speculate on such matters and perhaps disturb ourselves and others. Rather, we can, with confidence in God, simply wait and see.
23
The Bible, though, makes some comment on the question of marriage. Once some Jewish religious leaders, who knew nothing about a resurrection to life in heaven, posed a question about a Jewish woman under the Mosaic law who had had seven husbands. They asked whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus replied:
"The children of this system of things marry and are given in marriage, but those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In fact, neither can they die anymore, for they are like the angels, and they are God?s children by being children of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised up even Moses disclosed, in the account about the thornbush, when he calls Jehovah ?the God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob.? He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him."?Luke 20:34-38; Matt. 22:29-32.
Was Jesus talking about the heavenly resurrection? No, Jesus did not leave unanswered their question about the earthly resurrection; he answered it. He spoke of the resurrection to life on earth, such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will receive. Such faithful ones will not receive immortality, but will be like the angels. How so? In that the angels are mortal, but by remaining loyal to Jehovah they will never die. Being rewarded with the right to everlasting life, they cannot have their life taken away from them by anyone else without authorization from God. Endless life on earth is a blessing that only Jehovah can provide, and he will provide it and preserve it!
24
In giving that answer Jesus indicated that death dissolves the marriage bond, a fact that Paul later confirmed. (Rom. 7:3; 1 Cor. 7:39) So if a woman?s husband died, would she need to feel obliged to remain without a husband or a father for her children? No. And why do we know that? Because Jehovah kindly included this information in the Bible. Even though he was not attempting to provide us with full details about family arrangements in the New Order, he was thus helping to eliminate a possible problem for Christians yet in this system of things. Does not the fact that he would show such understanding and compassion add to our confidence that whatever arrangements He will make for us in the New Order will also reflect his love, compassion and wisdom?
25
Satan claimed that humans serve Jehovah only for what they can selfishly get out of it. But true Christians are not serving God primarily because of the blessings they receive now or because of what they expect to be given in the New Order. They are serving him out of genuine love and because of their privilege of sanctifying his name, and they are pleased to serve Jehovah both now and forever because of what he is. He is our Creator to whom we are grateful for life. (Ps. 100:3-5) He is also a God deserving our worship because of his very qualities and ways, "A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he."?Deut. 32:4. 26 Jehovah will never disappoint us. His righteous acts will move us to be ever grateful that He is our God. And the millennial rule by his Son, who "is the reflection of his glory and the exact representation of his very being," will be marked by the same righteousness and justice. (Heb. 1:3) The Bible describes his rule in this way: "To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this." (Isa. 9:7; 11:2-5) We can with full confidence look forward to such blessings from Jehovah God and his Son.
WHY
RESURRECTION HOLDS FORTH NO PROMISE OF MARRIAGE
On the basis of Jesus? answer to the Sadducees, some may be disturbed about his saying that there will be no marrying among those raised from the dead. They may even think that without marriage the resurrection is something undesirable, that it would not benefit them.
However, when reasoning on Jesus? reply, we do well to remember that we are imperfect. Our likes and dislikes are largely conditioned by the things to which we have become accustomed. So no one really has any basis for being sure that he would not like the future provisions that God will make for the resurrected ones. Then, too, not all the details have been provided. This has really been a kindness on God?s part. Why, as imperfect humans, we might at first react unfavorably to things that would actually fill our life with joy in a perfect state. Such details therefore might be beyond our present ability to receive. Christ Jesus showed awareness and consideration of the limitations of imperfect humans, as evident from what he said to his disciples on one occasion: "I have many things yet to say to you, but you are not able to bear them at present."?John 16:12.
Those who will attain a resurrection to immortal spirit life in the heavens have no concept of what it will be like. They cannot compare it with anything they know on earth. Their bodies will be completely different. All sex distinctions belonging to humans will be things of the past for them. So there can be no marrying among those raised to spirit life in the heavens because they all together as a body become the "bride" of Christ.
But what about those who are brought back from the dead to live on earth? Will they be reunited with former marriage mates? No statement in the Bible indicates that this will be the case. The Scriptures definitely show that death dissolves the marriage. Romans 7:2, 3 reads: "A married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law of her husband . . . so that she is not an adulteress if she becomes another man?s."
Hence, if a person chooses to remarry now, he does not have to worry about the effect this might have on a resurrected mate in the future. If singleness is not for him, he does not have to struggle to maintain it in the hope of being reunited in marriage with his former mate in the resurrection. Surely, then, it was a kindness on God?s part not to require former marriage relationships to be in force at the time of a person?s resurrection, as the Sadducees erroneously thought.
While we do not know where on earth or with whom the resurrected ones will live, we can rest assured that whatever arrangement exists will contribute to the happiness of the resurrected ones. God?s gifts, including the resurrection, will wholly satisfy the desires and needs of obedient mankind. His gifts are perfect, flawless. (James 1:17) The generous gifts that we have already received as expressions of his love convince us of that.
***
w59 7/1 p. 415 Questions from Readers ***Questions
from Readers?
When the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained says, on page 229, that faithful servants of Jehovah who die now "will be brought back in the ?resurrection of life? to get the same blessings that the people who live through Armageddon will receive," does it mean that they will marry and share in fulfilling the procreation mandate??F. B., U.S.A.The statement referred to, which speaks of the prospects that await dedicated, baptized and faithful witnesses of Jehovah who have the hope for life on earth, means that they will get the blessings that the Scriptures say they are entitled to. There is nothing in the Scriptures to indicate that they will marry and participate in fulfilling the procreation mandate. Jesus said, as recorded at Luke 20:35: "Those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage." This applies also to those who died before Christ appeared in the presence of God to present the value of his human sacrifice in behalf of his faithful followers here on earth; so it includes those faithful ones from Abel to John the Baptist.
Consequently a woman who has been made a widow by the death of her husband now before Armageddon is not obligated to wait for his resurrection from the dead after Armageddon. She is free to remarry whom she wants, only in the Lord, and to bring forth children by her new husband. Death dissolves the marriage tie, as Romans 7:1-3 shows.
