The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Lorraine Hannaford of Ontario, Canada from the tape, GC 1301-L, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 14."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1980. All Rights Reserved.

Question

In regards to the Millennium. I’ve often been asked and I don’t know how to answer this question, when we’re raptured, from the time we’re raptured and we come back and we live in the Millennium, will we be living with our families like with our children, or what kind of change will take place?

Answer

Well, when we’re in the church and at the rapture we go to heaven, there will be the disillusion of all human relationships as we know them. Okay? Because there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage in heaven. But we’re like the angels, so there’s no more that kind of thing. But it is not going to be the loss of the uniqueness of that relationship, but rather everything that an intimate, loving relationship could be and more than we can dream, will be true with everybody. In other words there will be no reason to have families, because there will be one family. If you can imagine what it’s like to loved by your child or to be loved by your wife or to know the fulfillment of loving your wife and loving your children, then you will only have a small comprehension of what it will be like to be loved and to love in exchange in an infinite capacity with everybody who exists in God’s dominion. It’s just the full explosion of all the potentialities of love in relationships. So it isn’t the loss of anything it’s the gaining of everything in that sense.

But there won’t be anymore families as such so you won’t be living with your [earthly family]…you might as well make the most of it while you’re here. I think we’ll be friends in heaven and we’ll have a great time.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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