Luke 20:33- 36 talks about there will be no marriage after the ressurection. My wife doesnt understand this and i know nothing about it. What is the wts stance on these verses? Anyone know?
marriage in the new system
by gringojj 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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tijkmo
*** w87 6/1 pp. 30-31 Questions From Readers ***
Questions
From Readers·
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.
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gringojj
Thanks my wife cant believe this right now.
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Balsam
Gringojj,
This is a painful teachings of the bible that is hard to wrap our minds around. The bible is rather unclear about it, and JW have put a particular spin on it to suit them. I suggest she get some bible commentaries and see what outside sources say about these scriptures.
Then the publications say that those resurrected will be free of all desire for marriage and copulation. That they will remain single people. I have always thought how can they live a normal life without these very basic desires of humans? The WTBTS says the have the inside scoop.
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Crumpet
Gringoj - I learnt this when I was only 7 years old and it was a stumbling block I never really got over.
There will be marriage as long as you have not been ressurected. I was terrified s a child that one of my parents would die and then we'd go to paradise and they'd be ressurected but they wouldnt live with us anymore and the parent who didnt die would marry someone else.
Its ironic - because we were often told how JW children don;t have the fear like worldly children of their parents divorcing. Well this was just as bad if not worse - paradise got a big cloud over it when I learnt this.
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Balsam
Crumpet,
My sons used to ask us questions about that when they were young too. Made them extra fearful of death, and losing their Mom or Dad. I didn't remember that until you mentioned it.
Balsam
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JH
No marriage for resurrected ones and no SEX.
Welcome to paradise
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Narkissos
This is where you get when "doctrinal consistency" holds you from reading the texts as they are.
Of course this text is teaching a sort of "spiritual resurrection," dismissing the Sadducees presentation as too materialistic.
Jesus says: "they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven".
But JWs actually mean: "they neither marry nor are given in marriage, although they are not like angels in heaven either."
The Lukan version is even worse to them: "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."
How come in JW doctrine the "great crowd" is "considered worthy of a place in that [system of things]", yet will "marry and be given in marriage"? Isn't it very clear that, in Luke's perspective, "that age" as a whole is understood as a spiritual frame, sex and marriage being no part of it?
The JW problem with this saying exists only in a JW's mind.
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gringojj
Now my wife is really confused and she realizes that if she passes throught to the new system without ressurection she will either have to marry a brother to raise our kids or stay single for eternity. If she dies before the big A she can never get married in the new system and will be a single mom for eternity.
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Will Power
quote from above:
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.
"some felt".... give me a break.....throughout the whole NT only ONE HOPE is discussed. It is the spiritual. To hope in the flesh & all its trappings and desires means death.
So do I have this right? by the JW thinking....if you are married AND a JW in good standing when their version of the Big A comes, your marriage will be in tact. But if you die before and have to be resurrected then sorry bout your luck?
"THOSE QUESTIONING JESUS" ...did not believe... like the modern day sadducces the GB of Brooklyn N.Y., USA, they have decided that they like their "view" of things better.
Besides, the script the WT loves in Rev. about the 144,000 has some other sentences around it....namely the ones where they are all men and ALL VIRGINS, what would they need marriage for?
Ugh
wp.