Mark 12:25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
There is another truth that we need to understand about our residences in the New Jerusalem, and we can pick up on that truth, in the comment made by the Lord Jesus in the above quoted passage of scripture. In context, the Sadducees had questioned the Lord about the status of husbands and wives in the age to come. Jesus answered their question, by explaining that there will be no such thing as husbands and wives in the age to come, because there will be no marriages. Most believers understand this concept, but it goes further than that, because our Lord went on to say that the saints would be like angels in heaven. So what does that mean? Most interpret our Lord’s comment, to mean that because angels do not marry that there will be no marriages among the saints in the age to come, and that would be a correct interpretation, except for one missing detail. That is that not only do angels not marry in heaven, but angels also have no families in heaven, i.e. angels do not have spouses, siblings, children or parents. And so, our Lord was telling us that the saints in the age to come will also not have spouses, siblings, children or parents. For all saints, will be brothers and sisters in Christ and all will have one Father, i.e. God. So, how will that concept impact on our residences in the New Jerusalem? We have shown earlier, that certain saints will reside closer to the throne than others, depending on their walk as believers in this age. And so, to explain the concept, let us use Moses and his wife Zipporah, as an example. Moses, as one of the two anointed ones that stand before the Lord of all the earth, will have his residence within very close proximity to the throne of God. On the other hand, scripture strongly implies that Zipporah his wife was not a very good example of how a godly woman should live. And so, it is very likely that her residence will be relatively far from the throne of God. In other words, Zipporah will not be close to the throne of God, simply because she happened to be married to Moses in this life. And so, although both will reside in the same city, they will not reside together. And so, that same principle will also be applicable to all believing families in this life. In other words, sons and daughters from the same family in this life will be living closer to the throne than their fathers and mothers, simply because they lived more godly lifestyles, and visa versa. Husbands will be living closer to the throne than their wives because they lived more godly lifestyles, and visa versa. And so, the point is very clear, that in the New Jerusalem, that the saints will not be living together in family units, as they do in this life.
Michael E.B. Maher
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