18a And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. 18b And they asked him a question, saying, 19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” (Mark 12:18-27)
In our previous look at this passage, Jesus addressed why the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection or any life after death, were wrong in proposing this hypothetical scenario - they didn’t know the power of God.
Let’s address Jesus' teaching on marriage in heaven and then consider the other reason Jesus said they were wrong -- they didn’t know the Scripture.
Marriage in Heaven
First, note that he said we would be like angels in heaven (25). Like. In this one category of marriage we will be like the angels.
The Bible never teaches we'll become angels when we are resurrected. You won't get your wings.
The Bible does teach that we are inferior to angels today (Hebrews 1:7, 2:5-9), but will judge them in the future (1 Corinthians 6:3). We will become superior to the angelic realm at the resurrection.
But one way we'll be like the angels in heaven is that we won't marry or procreate.
I don't want to go too far with Jesus' words. I don't think it's right to conclude from his statement that there will be no gender, no intimate or important relationships, and no recollection at all of the earthly life when in heaven. On the contrary, there are indications that family relationships will be known in heaven (Luke 16:27-28).
But why won't there be marriage in heaven?
For one, there will be no need for procreation in heaven. Today, we are meant to fill the earth and subdue it. And many believe that for a population to thrive, it has to, at a minimum, replace its current population. Some worry about this in our time. Americans -- and nations like France, Germany, Japan, and the UK -- are not repopulating at a replacement rate. Many speculate this will have long term impacts on the economy, old age, and immigration. But in heaven, we won't have such worries. The population will be fixed because no one will die.
Additionally, in heaven, there won't be any need to raise young believers. In marriage on earth, God is looking for "godly offspring" (Malachi 2:15). And couples who can should raise kids for God's glory. But in heaven, we will all be godly and mature. There will be no need to raise a new generation of believers. So no need for procreation.
Secondly, in heaven, there won't be any sin, so every relationship will be operating at its healthiest level. On earth today, we require special relationships to get us through, whether with a spouse or friendships or both. But, in heaven, the entire community will be in community with each other. The need for companionship, a major reason God created marriage in the first place, will be solved for everyone in eternity.
And thirdly, there will be a marriage in heaven. The Bible says that marriage today is meant to be a metaphor for Christ's marriage to his church. As Paul wrote,
"This mystery [about oneness in marriage] is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:32, ESV)
This means married couples today are meant to model Jesus' marriage to his bride. Husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church. And wives are to follow their husbands like the church is supposed to follow Christ.
But, even at their best, earthly marriages are a mere shadow. One day, in heaven, the ultimate marriage will occur, and we will all be one with God.
They Didn't Know the Scriptures
Remember, Jesus had said the Sadducees didn't know the power of God or the Scriptures. When he talked about heaven, he showed them how they didn't understand the power of God to raise people to a new life, one that didn't require marriage.
Here, Jesus demonstrated how they didn't know the Scriptures. He brought them back to Exodus 3-4, but he called it the passage about the bush, referring to the burning bush that Moses saw in the wilderness before he was called to go to deliver Israel from Egypt.
In that passage, one the Sadducees said was authoritative because it was in Exodus, God referred to himself by saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (26). This was an important statement for every Israelite, including the Sadducees.
Jesus' point was that God didn't say, "I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they are dead now." No, Jesus said! God is not God of the dead, but of the living (27).
Even though Abraham had died centuries before Moses, Abraham was alive when God spoke to Moses, so he said "I am the God of Abraham " (26). Isaac was alive, so God said "I am the God of Isaac " (26). And Jacob was alive too. All three -- though they'd been dead for years -- are alive.
Jesus' statement is so wise and perceptive -- no shocker there. He understood the word because he wrote the word. And his words are a corrective against even many modern theologians who say the Old Testament saints had no idea about the afterlife. Even all the way back in Exodus, God talked about being the current God of men who walked with him on earth many centuries earlier.
So Jesus combatted their erroneous ideas about the resurrection, about life after death, with a true interpretation of the Bible.
Know Your Bible
Know your Bible. Let it be a regular part of your life. You cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). We need to read the word. We need to know the word.
Get a Bible reading calendar plan if you need to, but be constant in the consumption of Scripture. Listen to my Through-the-Bible podcast series. Be in the word!
And as you read and study the word, respect the word:
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)