Hi, I was wanting to know if my wife and I will still be married in heaven?  I have been taught in the past that the Bible says you will know as you are known.  I always thought that meant that I would still be married to her, and I would still know my family because I know her as my wife.  Please tell me what you think and explain it to me!  Please respond ASAP.  God Bless!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,
A Married Man

Dear A Married Man,

You will not be married to your wife in heaven… but that doesn’t mean you won’t know her.  Even those in torments know those who are in Paradise (the rich man knew Lazarus – Lk 16:24).  You will know your spouse in heaven, but you definitely will not be married to her.  Jesus makes that very clear in Matt 22:30.  There is no marriage in heaven.

I am looking for a lesson on the authority of worshipping on Sunday as opposed to serving the Lord on Saturday.  After reading about the Council of Laodicea and seeing that after Christ died 300 plus years later, the church seemed to take a change.  Although I have heard lessons on this subject, it has been some time, and unfortunately, I need a refresher.

Sincerely,
Ready For The Weekend

Dear Ready For The Weekend,

Christians have always worshipped God on Sunday.  The easiest place to see this in Acts 20:7 where Paul met with a congregation to worship on Sunday.  Furthermore, local congregations are commanded to gather together and take up a collection on Sundays (1 Cor 16:1-2).  The pattern of the church meeting on Sundays is established very early in the New Testament.  Sunday worship is the Biblical pattern of worship – not Saturdays.

What are the keys to the kingdom?

Sincerely,
Locked In Confusion

Dear Locked In Confusion,

The keys to the kingdom are the teachings that provide access to salvation (which is only found in the church).  In Matt 16:13-15, Jesus asked His disciples who He was.  Peter told Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16-17).  After that statement, Jesus tells Peter that His church (which is the kingdom – Col 1:13) will be built upon the foundational rock of Peter’s statement that Jesus was the Christ (Matt 16:18).

After that statement, Jesus tells the apostles that they will be given the keys to the kingdom/church (Matt 16:19).  Keys provide access.  If you have the keys to a house – you can get in.  Keys to the car – you can drive it.  Keys to the kingdom – you know how to get into the church.  Jesus told the apostles that they would receive that key knowledge when the Holy Spirit came (Jhn 14:26).  The Holy Spirit gave the miraculous knowledge to the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Consequently, the apostles have written down this knowledge for us to read (Eph 3:4)… so that we can have the keys to the kingdom, too.

What happens to the pre-church saints at the rapture, and are there any references for this?

Sincerely,
Rapt Attention

Dear Rapt Attention,

The millennial rapture doctrine is a widely taught, but false, concept.  The Scriptures never describe a millennial kingdom or a worldwide event where all of the faithful are caught up to heaven before a great tribulation.  Pre-millenialism is a teaching that comes from taking parts of the book of Revelation out of context as well as misusing parts of the book of Matthew.  It is a very common teaching, but that doesn’t make it accurate.  We recommend reading “Left Behind”, “Tripping Over Tribulations”, and “I Was Told There’d Be Dragons” for further information on that topic.  If you are really interested, feel free to check out a series of classes one of our AYP writers taught on the book of Revelation.

As for what will happen to all the faithful who died before Christ came to this earth, they will be saved just like us.  Christ’s blood paid for the sins of those who had made animal sacrifices for their sins – Jesus paid the price those animals never could (Heb 10:1-5).  Jesus became the living sacrifice that the faithful of all ages depended upon.  Those who died before Christ lived faithfully under the Old Testament, trusting in the Savior who was to come (Heb 11:13), and they receive salvation as much as those who live under the New Testament.

Where in the Bible does it explain pre-creation events: fallen angels, rebellion, that sort of thing?

Sincerely,
Angelic Interests

Dear Angelic Interests,

The rebellion of the angels is not necessarily a pre-creation event.  The Scriptures never directly tell us when the angels were created – they may very well have been created during the six days of creation (Gen 1:1-31).  Having said that, the Bible gives very few details regarding the spiritual battle happening in the spiritual realm.  There is no one area of the Bible that addresses the topic.  Instead, we have a smattering of verses sprinkled throughout the Text that give us a glimpse into the heavenly realm.  Here are a few:

1. The devil has angels that follow him (Matt 25:41)
2. The devil and his angels have been banished from God’s presence by Christ’s sacrifice (Rev 12:9-11)
3. The devil’s angels are also called ‘demons’ (Lk 11:15-18)
4. Satan pretends to be an “angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14)
5. These sinful angels will not be spared by God (2 Pet 2:4)

Those are a few of the more noteworthy passages on the topic.  God gives us a minimal view into the heavenly battle over mankind, but what He does show us is exceedingly impressive.