When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like angels in heaven.
Mark 12:25

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I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
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* Their friends
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* The sick
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Don't you love thinking about heaven? I do. The Bible tells us quite a bit about heaven, but there is still a lot about the place that stirs our imagination.

The Sadducees were teachers of the law and liked to debate issues amongst themselves. I imagine they were the closest thing we might find to a debating club in the First Century. It didn't matter what the issue, there was always a lot to discuss. Who were the Sadducees? They didn't believe in the resurrection, so that made them sad, you see? One day a group of these super intellectuals approached Jesus and asked him a hypothetical question about the law and heaven.

The law said that a man who died before he and his wife had a child, would obligate his older brother to give his widow a child. The Sadducees asked Jesus, "What if." (Don't you hate those two words?) "What if none of eight brothers could give a child to a widow before dying. When the woman died childless and arrived in heaven, who among the eight brothers would be her husband according to the law? (Mk 12:18-23)

They were sure their question would snag Jesus in a mistake. They had no idea that the law was irrelevant in heaven having been disarmed by Grace at the foot of the cross. Jesus told them something about which they had no idea. He said, "Not only will there be no marriage in heaven, there'll be no need for the law." I would have asked them if they'd like to rephrase their question so as to avoid appearing ignorant? But not Jesus. He probably just looked at them and smiled.

Heaven is the term Jesus used to describe what the Jews called "Paradise." They expected to die, be buried and rot. But most hoped for a general resurrection when they would rise from the dead to be reconstructed and given reign over the Messianic kingdom for 1,000 years.

The sons of Korah wrote about Paradise in Psalm 49:15: " God will redeem my soul from the grave; he will surely take me to himself." If you have questions about heaven, listen to the sons of Korah.

You may not know where heaven is or know when or how you'll get there. But if you have faith in Jesus Christ, you can know for certain that it's wherever Jesus is and when you die, you will immediately be with Him. You can know that because Jesus IS the Resurrection and the Life. Thank, you Jesus!

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Nm. 4:1-5:31 Mk. 12:18-37 Ps. 48:1-14 Pr. 10:26 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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