This verse, Matthew 22:30, is Jesus' response to a question from the Sadducees, a Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They presented a hypothetical scenario about a woman who married seven brothers, one after the other, as was required by the Law in order to provide an heir for the deceased brother. They then asked: "In the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven?"
Jesus' answer, "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven," has several key implications:
Marriage is not a permanent institution extending into the resurrected life: Jesus states explicitly that marriage as we understand it on Earth will not exist in the resurrection. The relationships and responsibilities tied to marriage, such as procreation and familial duties, will no longer be relevant. This doesn't necessarily mean that relationships will be abolished; rather, the focus shifts to a different kind of communion and relationship with God and one another.
A New Kind of Existence: The resurrected state will be fundamentally different from our current earthly existence. The physical and biological needs that marriage addresses (e.g., procreation) will no longer be present. This suggests a transformation of our bodies and our way of relating to each other.
Comparison to Angels: Jesus compares the resurrected to "God's angels in heaven," suggesting a spiritualized or ethereal existence. Angels are generally understood as spiritual beings who do not procreate or marry. This simile implies that those in the resurrection will have a different kind of being and purpose than those who are in earthly life. Some interpret this as a statement about immortality and the absence of physical needs.
In summary:
The verse means that the institution of marriage is specific to earthly life and will not continue in the resurrection. In the resurrected state, people will have a different kind of existence, free from the limitations and needs of earthly life, resembling the spiritual nature of angels. This implies a transformed relationship with God and with one another, beyond the bonds of marriage as we know it.
It is important to note that different denominations and theologians have interpreted this verse in various ways. Some focus on the cessation of earthly institutions, while others emphasize the transformation of human nature and the quality of relationships in the resurrected life.
This verse, Matthew 22:30, is Jesus' response to a question from the Sadducees, a Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They presented a hypothetical scenario about a woman who married seven brothers, one after the other, as was required by the Law in order to provide an heir for the deceased brother. They then asked: "In the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven?"
Jesus' answer, "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven," has several key implications:
Marriage is not a permanent institution extending into the resurrected life: Jesus states explicitly that marriage as we understand it on Earth will not exist in the resurrection. The relationships and responsibilities tied to marriage, such as procreation and familial duties, will no longer be relevant. This doesn't necessarily mean that relationships will be abolished; rather, the focus shifts to a different kind of communion and relationship with God and one another.
A New Kind of Existence: The resurrected state will be fundamentally different from our current earthly existence. The physical and biological needs that marriage addresses (e.g., procreation) will no longer be present. This suggests a transformation of our bodies and our way of relating to each other.
Comparison to Angels: Jesus compares the resurrected to "God's angels in heaven," suggesting a spiritualized or ethereal existence. Angels are generally understood as spiritual beings who do not procreate or marry. This simile implies that those in the resurrection will have a different kind of being and purpose than those who are in earthly life. Some interpret this as a statement about immortality and the absence of physical needs.
In summary:
The verse means that the institution of marriage is specific to earthly life and will not continue in the resurrection. In the resurrected state, people will have a different kind of existence, free from the limitations and needs of earthly life, resembling the spiritual nature of angels. This implies a transformed relationship with God and with one another, beyond the bonds of marriage as we know it.
It is important to note that different denominations and theologians have interpreted this verse in various ways. Some focus on the cessation of earthly institutions, while others emphasize the transformation of human nature and the quality of relationships in the resurrected life.