Will we know our loved ones in heaven?

Q. Will we know our loved ones in heaven? Where can I find scriptures to support it?

(Submitted by: H. L. H.)

A. Your question presumes that we will be "going to heaven." The scriptures teach that at least part of heaven is going to come to the earth:

"Then I saw a new heaven [this refers to the sky surrounding the earth] and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven [this "heaven" is the abode of God] from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4, NIV)

For the first 1,000 years (however long that is in God's terms) we will live on this earth and no doubt, know each other.

" I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls [remember that "soul" is not the same thing as "spirit". Soul is a "living, breathing creature".] of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. " (Revelation 20:4-6, NIV)

Although they were a bit confused at first, the disciples recognized Jesus after He was resurrected:

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20, NIV)

"After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." (Acts 1:3-4, NIV)

In my humble opinion, the best proof that we will know each other in the afterlife was given by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the church in Corinth:

"But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.

"All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. " (1Corinthians 15:35-44, NIV)

Paul's analogy comparing the body to a seed is meaningful to me. If you plant a seed of corn, you will recognize what grows from that to be corn; plant a rose, and your will recognize what grows from that to be a rose. It follows that if Clay Willis is planted, what will come from that will be recognized as Clay Willis. He tells us plainly that, "if there is a natural, i.e., physical, body, there is also a spiritual body." There is every reason to believe that spiritual bodies will be recognized by those who knew the physical body. The spiritual body will be perfect, not flawed as are all physical bodies, but certainly those who knew the physical body will be able, perhaps after a little confusion, to recognize the spiritual body of our loved one.