Week 2
Day 4

    Listen:

Luke 20‒21

“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Luke 20

27 But certain of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
28 saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if someone’s brother should die having a wife, and he die childless, his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brothers, and the first took a wife, and died childless.
30 And the second took the wife, and he died childless.
31 And the third took her, and likewise the seven also, and they left no children, and died.
32 And last of all the woman died also.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of them is she? for the seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus answering said to them, The sons of this age wed and are given to be wed;
35 but they who shall be held worthy to attain to that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither wed nor are given to be wed.
36 For they cannot die anymore, for they are equal to the angels, and are the sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bramble, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;⁶
38 and He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.
39 And some of the scribes, answering, said, Teacher, Thou hast well said.
40 And after that they no longer dared to question Him about anything.

AC 1200. When a man is such that he does not believe that he will live after death, he also disbelieves that there is anything internal which is spiritual and celestial; and such are they who live in mere cupidities [or lusts], because they live a mere life of the body and of the world; especially those who are immersed in loathsome avarice.

HH 382 [b]. Marriages in heaven differ from marriages on the earth in that the procreation of offspring is another purpose of marriages on the earth, but not of marriages in heaven, since in heaven the procreation of good and truth takes the place of procreation of offspring.... Marriage in heaven is a marriage of good and truth...; and as in that marriage good and truth and their conjunction are loved above all things, so these are what are propagated by marriages in heaven. And because of this, in the Word... sons and daughters signify the truths and goods that are procreated.... All this makes clear that marriages in heaven are not like marriages on earth. In heaven marryings are spiritual, and cannot properly be called marryings, but conjunctions of minds from the conjunction of good and truth. But on earth there are marryings, because these are not of the spirit alone but also of the flesh. And as there are no marryings in heaven, consorts there are not called husband and wife; but from the angelic idea of the joining of two minds into one, each consort designates the other by a name signifying one’s own, mutually and reciprocally. This shows how the Lord’s words in regard to marrying and giving in marriage (Luke 20:35, 36), are to be understood.

CL 41. That spiritual nuptials are meant by the Lord’s words, that after the resurrection they are not given in marriage.

There are two things which the Lord taught by these words: First, that man rises again after death; and second, that in heaven they are not given in marriage. That man rises again after death, He taught by saying, that God is not the God of the dead but of the living, and that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living....

[2] The second point, that in heaven they are not given in marriage, He taught by the statement that those who are accounted worthy to attain to another age neither marry nor are given in marriage. That here no other nuptials are meant than spiritual nuptials is very evident from the words which immediately follow: that they cannot die anymore because they are like angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. By spiritual nuptials is meant conjunction with the Lord. Conjunction with the Lord is effected [or takes place] on earth, and when effected on earth, it is effected in heaven also. Therefore, in the heavens they are not again married and given in marriage. This is also meant by the words, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but they who are accounted worthy to attain to another age, neither marry nor are given in marriage.” They are also called by the Lord... angels, sons of God, and sons of the resurrection....

⁶ Exodus 3:1-6, 15

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