Listen: 69 Question 3

To begin with, let’s look at the instance in Scripture of the Lord being transfigured in the presence of some of His disciples.  Matthew 17:1-5 says, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”  We learn so much from this portion.  Here we have the Lord seen in His glory.  Also, there is Moses as a representative of those who passed through death to enter Glory, and Elias as a representative to those who pass into glory without first experiencing death.

The point I’d like to notice here is that Peter, James, and John recognized Moses and Elias.  Of course, they naturally had no way of knowing who these two men were.  There is much more to be learned from this incident, but I use it as a way of showing that those saints that had passed on many years before were known by the disciples.

On the occasion of the death of his young son, King David acknowledged that he would one day be reunited with his son.  He said in 2 Samuel 12:23, “But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”  David showed knowledge of life after death.  He realized that he would be alive after his earthly body perished, and he also realized that he would see his son.  Although his son was dead, yet he was alive in Heaven.

Let’s consider the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote in Ephesians 3:14-16, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”  Paul here speaks of the family of God, both in Heaven and on the earth.  As a family, surely we will know one another.

The Apostle John, speaks of us having perfect knowledge in Heaven as he writes in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Although it certainly appears that we will recognize and know everyone in Heaven, let’s consider the words of the Lord in Isaiah 65:16-17, “That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”  How blessed it is to know that we will not remember, or call to mind, the troubles we experience while living here on the earth.  It’s good to realize that we will not recall the bad incidents that others may have caused us.  That would detract from enjoying the presence of the Lord and all our fellow saints.  (69.3)