Austin's Blog

1-We will still be married in Heaven to our spouse.

Myth: You will be eternally married in Heaven.

Truth: Marriage is a temporal reality only meant for this life.

In Matthew 22:23-33, the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, present Jesus with a hypothetical scenario to challenge the concept of life after death. They describe a woman who was married successively to seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection. The goal is to affirm an absurdity like she’s concurrently married to multiple husbands or incest. Jesus effortlessly and wisely corrects their misunderstanding, explaining that in the resurrection, people will not marry but will be like angels in heaven. He then affirms the truth of the resurrection by citing Scripture, saying God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are living, not dead. His teaching astonishes the crowd and silences His challengers.

Marriage is a temporal reality of this age. Throughout the Scriptures, marriage is used as a metaphor for our relationship with God. Think about the nature of marriage. It is a relationship of complete and total giving, of trust, of transparency, and selfless love. In marriage, you seek the good of the other, accepting their good and bad, and working towards everything that would cause the other to flourish. Marriage is a parable, a metaphor, or an object lesson for our relationship with God. It is a signpost but once you have arrived at the destination, the signpost is no longer helpful or needed. We will of course know our spouses in Heaven, but we won’t know them as our spouses in Heaven.

2– There are no animals in Heaven.

Myth: Your pets will not be in Heaven because they have no soul.

Truth: Perhaps your pets will be in Heaven because it is a place where our deepest joys, desires, and loves are satisfied and enhanced.

The Bible mentions animals in heaven in ways that symbolize peace, restoration, and God’s creative beauty. Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a future of harmony where natural predators and prey—such as the wolf and lamb, leopard and goat, lion and calf—dwell together peacefully, reflecting God’s kingdom (See also Isa. 65:25). Revelation 19:11 speaks of Jesus riding a white horse, symbolizing victory and righteousness. While these references are often symbolic, they convey the hope of a renewed creation, suggesting that animals may have a place in God’s eternal kingdom, existing in perfect harmony with humanity and the Creator. All creation is destined for renewal and that includes animals.

Usually, people argue that animals don’t have souls and, therefore, they aren’t in Heaven. This is likely a misdirection. There are souls who won’t be in Heaven in the end and animals are described as having the breath of life (Gen. 1:30, 9:10; Job 12:10) within them, though they are never described as being made in God’s image like human beings. Will your pets be in Heaven? I don’t know. I do know that Heaven will be full of everything that enlivens, invigorates, and satisfies our hearts. It would seem within God’s character to allow our beloved pets to find their way in the New Heavens and the New Earth if it would bring us joy and delight. Randy Alcorn writes, “If the New Earth is all the best of the old earth and more, then we should expect it to contain animals.”

3-Everyone will look the same.

Myth: We will all look the same in the end.

Truth: Our uniqueness and individuality aren’t lost in the end.

Some have taught that we will all end up looking the same in the end. But, this does not make sense. God values us as individuals, as people, and as unique image-bearers. Revelation 7:9-11 describes people from every tribe, nation, and tongue on the planet around the throne worshipping God. We don’t lose who we are in the End. We become more fully ourselves and will be in “full bloom” after the resurrection. Erwin Lutzer writes, “We are… saplings here, but we shall be transported into our heavenly soil to grow in God’s light. Here our abilities are in blossom; there they shall burst forth with fruits of greater beauty. Our death is but the passing from one degree of loving service to another; the difference is like that of the unborn child and the one who has entered into the experiences of a new life. Our love for God will continue, but awakened with new purity and purposefulness.”

The Bible suggests that we will have transformed, glorified bodies after our resurrection, which may differ from our earthly ones in some ways while retaining continuity. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Paul describes the resurrection body as imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual, in contrast to our earthly, perishable bodies. Philippians 3:20-21 states that our resurrected bodies will be like Jesus’ glorious body. After His resurrection, Jesus was recognizable but also had new abilities, such as appearing in locked rooms (John 20:19) and ascending to heaven (Acts 1:9). This indicates that while our resurrected bodies will reflect our earthly selves, they will be transformed and perfected to fit the eternal, heavenly realm. Methodist Theologian Thomas Oden writes, “The glorified body is not a different body, but a different form of the same body.”