Marriage and Singleness in the Heavenly Realm
In the heavenly realm, the institution of marriage as it is known on earth will not exist. Jesus directly addressed this question when challenged by the Sadducees regarding a woman who had been married to seven brothers in succession. He stated, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven" (Matthew 22:30) [6]. This teaching indicates a fundamental change in human relationships in the resurrected state.
The earthly ordinance of marriage was established in Paradise (Genesis 2:24) and sanctioned by Christ (Matthew 19:4-6) [1]. While monogamy was the original design, polygamy became prevalent in Jewish history, regulated but not prohibited by Mosaic law [1]. Marriage in this life involves specific legal rights and duties for wives (Exodus 21:10; Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Timothy 5:14) and the possibility of divorce in certain cases (Deuteronomy 22:13-21) [1]. These aspects of earthly marriage, including procreation and the formation of family units, are understood to be temporal.
The New Testament also presents singleness as a valid and sometimes preferred state for believers in this life. Paul expresses a preference for singleness, recognizing that both marriage and the single life are gifts from God given to different individuals (1 Corinthians 7:6-7) [7]. This perspective aligns with the understanding that the ultimate purpose of human existence transcends the marital state.
The concept of marriage is often used metaphorically in scripture to describe the relationship between Christ and the Church. For instance, the propagation of the Church from Christ is likened to the spiritual marriage, with Christ leaving the Father's bosom to "woo to Himself the Church out of a lost world" (Ephesians 5:31-32) [4]. The "Kingdom of Heaven" is also compared to a wedding feast for the king's son (Matthew 22:1-14; 25:1) [2, 5]. These metaphors highlight the profound spiritual union believers share with Christ, which is the ultimate reality foreshadowed by earthly marriage. In the resurrection, believers will be claimed by Christ, and through Him, by God (1 Corinthians 3:23) [3].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Wife — The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued to prevail all down through Jewish history. The law of Moses regulated but did not prohibit polygamy. A man might have a plurality of wives, but a wife could have only one husband. A wife's legal rights (Ex. 21:10) and her duties (Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim. 5:14) are specified. She could be divorced in special cases (Deut. 22:13-21), but could not divorce her husband. Divorce wa”
- Matthew ““Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. -- Matthew 25:1”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 3:23: 3:23 Just as they may now claim everything as their own, so Christ has claimed them for himself (see Rom 14:7-9), and in Christ they are ultimately claimed by God (see 1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:23).”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:31: For--The propagation of the Church from Christ, as that of Eve from Adam, is the foundation of the spiritual marriage. The natural marriage, wherein "a man leaves father and mother (the oldest manuscripts omit 'his') and is joined unto his wife," is not the principal thing meant here, but the spiritual marriage represented by it, and on which it rests, whereby Christ left the Father's bosom to woo to Himself the Church out of a lost world: Eph 5:32 proves this: His earthly mother as such, also, He holds in secondary account as compared with His spir”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 22 (introduction): PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING'S SON. (Mat 22:1-14) The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son--"In this parable," as TRENCH admirably remarks, "we see how the Lord is revealing Himself in ever clearer light as the central Person of the kingdom, giving here a far plainer hint than in the last parable of the nobility of His descent. There He was indeed the Son, the only and beloved one (Mar 12:6), of the Householder; but here His race is royal, and He appears as Himself at once the King and t”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 22:27: For in the resurrection,.... At the time of the resurrection, and in that state; when the bodies and souls of men shall be reunited, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; neither the men marry wives, nor are the women given in marriage to men, which is done by their parents here, generally speaking, they having the right of disposing of children in marriage: but, as Luke says, "they which shall be accounted worthy"; not through their own works of righteousness, but through the grace of God and righteousness of Christ, "to obtain the world", the world to c”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 7:6: 7:6-7 Paul’s preference is singleness, but he recognizes that both marriage and the single life are among the gifts that God gives to various people.”