Children in Heaven

[Gerald Spear]

What will be the age of children in Heaven?

[Brad Mercer]

Interesting question, but I can't imagine a source of information that would allow anyone any basis at all for hazarding an answer.

Brad

[Paul Whitaker]

I have often thought that we will have celestial bodies. We could all be the same size and shape.

However, I don't think God/Jesus would have us all relatively identical.

Just look at how diverse he made the animals.

I expect to be able to see my grandchild in heaven althought he left us soon after birth. I do believe that he will be able to discern that we are his.

[Hans Deventer]

Gerald,

I don't think age will be an issue in heaven. What is age anyway when you talk about eternal life? It will be more about spiritual maturity.

My guess!

[Brad Mercer]

I'll have the maturity and understanding that I hope to have in another 20 years, and the hair that I had 20 years ago. It'll be great. ;-)

And everyone I've ever loved and/or admired will be gathered around me in one place.

And I won't care anymore about any of the answers to my questions, but the answers will be there.

And gathering around the throne to shout "worthy is the lamb" forever will turn out not to be boring, after all, but rather will feel like the reason I was born, and an exhilarating reason, at that.

Brad

[Marg Webb]

Over our years of trying to have a family, we lost five babies at seven weeks. I have always wondered how the Lord will arrange that for us. I have always hoped they were real children and also boys.
Now I have been more personal than usual to you all, but that has been my DESIRE.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER THERE TOO THAT LEFT AT FIFTEEN.
Surely we are not going to be something that just floats around smiling. How boring.
I plan on really talking to St.Paul. Can you imagine riding along and 'WHAM', YOU ARE OUT LIKE A LIGHT AND THEN COME TO WITH SOMEONE TALKING TO YOU.
Also petting a Lion and all of my old pet's.
Skinnying dipping in your own private lake.!!! Just so many little things, that do not seem important to other's but our Father knows us and will do for us as we think.
Oh and I expect to have a few "hole in one" also.
Maybe I am "to earthly bound to be no heavenly good":):) But I do not think so.:):)

[Meghan Schoonover]

I am reading a great book right now called, well, "Heaven," by Randy Alcorn. It's really challenging my thinking about Heaven...particularly about the bodily ressurection, and the "intermediate heaven" (which is what we mean mostly when we talk about "Heaven"). I was also intrigued by a recent article in Holiness Today about the bodily resurrection.

All that to say I haven't got to that part in the book yet, re: the original post. I will try to find this thread when I do get there, as I've wondered that myself, and should be finding five brothers and sisters there...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0842379428/sr=8-1/qid=1153724634/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0350048-5152135?ie=UTF8

[Wanda Van Winkle]

Meghan,

Thanks for the book recommendation. I listen to audiobooks at work and am always looking for more. This one's at the library and I've reserved it.

Do you know we have a book reviews forum on NazNet? I have read several books recommended there, and appreciate all the input.


Wanda

[Gerald Spear]

Hans,

I do not think you thought about your answer before you posted.

What about the aborted fetus? Will it still be 1 day of age?

[Doris Grant]

I have no idea, I know that however it is, it will be prefect. But in my human mind I want to see Catrina, my 1-year-old daughter and Eli, my 5-year-old grandson, as they were when they went to be with Jesus and scoop them up in my arms. My human side will be disappointed if they are adults (or have grown-up bodies) and I wasn't there to see them grow-up. Is that how it probably will know, probably not. I just know that however they are I won't care, I'll just be glad we are all together again and in the same place.

Doris

[Hans Deventer]

Hans,

I do not think you thought about your answer before you posted.

What about the aborted fetus? Will it still be 1 day of age?

Actually, I did. But I might have stated it more clearly even. I actually think the very question is wrong. Heaven is a totally different dimension, and your question belongs to an earthly frame of reference. It's like the one Jesus had to answer about the widow of seven brothers.

Learning has first of all to do with asking the right questions, only secondly about finding the answers. Barbara Moulton's tagline is a great one in that respect.

[Meghan Schoonover]

Meghan,

Thanks for the book recommendation. I listen to audiobooks at work and am always looking for more. This one's at the library and I've reserved it.

Do you know we have a book reviews forum on NazNet? I have read several books recommended there, and appreciate all the input.


Wanda

Thank you! I found that after I posted. :o Hopefully it's still pertinent to the conversation since it goes into great detail and I'm sure covers the issue of children. I hope you enjoy it! I found on amazon last night there's a workbook, so I am bought that.

[Barbara Moulton]

Actually, I did. But I might have stated it more clearly even. I actually think the very question is wrong. Heaven is a totally different dimension, and your question belongs to an earthly frame of reference. It's like the one Jesus had to answer about the widow of seven brothers.

Learning has first of all to do with asking the right questions, only secondly about finding the answers. Barbara Moulton's tagline is a great one in that respect.


Thanks for the endorsement Hans.

As to the topic under discussion. I am not sure what heaven will be like. But I will say that I don't picture myself having reunions with my family members at the age they were when they died.

When I look in the mirror today and see a middle aged woman, I am always a wee bit surprised. Because the "me" inside, although wiser does not feel older. It transcends my physical age. Perhaps this is a small clue to whatever our state of existence will be in heaven. I believe that it will be a manifestation of the true person inside, but as was always meant to be. Undamaged by sin. Restored by God's grace.

It won't be restricted by the age that we were when we died. It won't be restricted by emotional, phsycial and mental infirmities that were part of our time here on earth. Somehow, what we truly are, in God's eyes, is what we will be in heaven.

This leads to the question of course, will we know each other in heaven? Will I be able to recognize my brother's child who died before she was born? I never knew her. How about those who I only knew here on earth when they were mentally challenged?

I believe that all is necessary for complete joy will be in heaven. If it is important for me to know my loved ones, I will be able to make that connection.

But I somehow think that when we are released to experience the fullness of God's glory, many of the things we wonder now about heaven, will fade away.

[Brad Mercer]

Okay, for what it's worth, I consider this a great answer. Thanks.

Brad

Thanks for the endorsement Hans.

As to the topic under discussion. I am not sure what heaven will be like. But I will say that I don't picture myself having reunions with my family members at the age they were when they died.

When I look in the mirror today and see a middle aged woman, I am always a wee bit surprised. Because the "me" inside, although wiser does not feel older. It transcends my physical age. Perhaps this is a small clue to whatever our state of existence will be in heaven. I believe that it will be a manifestation of the true person inside, but as was always meant to be. Undamaged by sin. Restored by God's grace.

It won't be restricted by the age that we were when we died. It won't be restricted by emotional, phsycial and mental infirmities that were part of our time here on earth. Somehow, what we truly are, in God's eyes, is what we will be in heaven.

This leads to the question of course, will we know each other in heaven? Will I be able to recognize my brother's child who died before she was born? I never knew her. How about those who I only knew here on earth when they were mentally challenged?

I believe that all is necessary for complete joy will be in heaven. If it is important for me to know my loved ones, I will be able to make that connection.

But I somehow think that when we are released to experience the fullness of God's glory, many of the things we wonder now about heaven, will fade away.

[Roland Hearn]

The only scripture that I think may in anyway address this would be, "but then shall I know even as also I am known." Somehow we will be identifiable then as we are identifialbe now. In other words there will not be a loss of identity but our individuality will be preserved. Whenever I come up to questions like this I simply satisfy myself that God will do a really good job of meeting all the needs and desires expressed in these posts.

And gathering around the throne to shout "worthy is the lamb" forever will turn out not to be boring, after all, but rather will feel like the reason I was born, and an exhilarating reason, at that.

Brad
There was a politician here in Australia that was rocketed to some level of significance because she was very representative of the working class. She owned a fish and chip shop in a blue collar community. She was once asked if she was xenophobic. She looked at the reporter with a glare that could have cut right through her and with a sharp clipped voice said, "please explain." I think you are going to have to explain a little more for that statement to mean something. Living in eternity can't involve a lobotomy, shouting "worthy is the lamb" forever is going to have to have a figurative quality to it for it to mean an addition to life not a subtraction.

[Marilyn Lawson]

I am not sure - as long as I get to see my girl when I get there and the rest of my family, I will be very happy!!!!

Marilyn

[Brad Mercer]

There was a politician here in Australia that was rocketed to some level of significance because she was very representative of the working class. She owned a fish and chip shop in a blue collar community. She was once asked if she was xenophobic. She looked at the reporter with a glare that could have cut right through her and with a sharp clipped voice said, "please explain." I think you are going to have to explain a little more for that statement to mean something. Living in eternity can't involve a lobotomy, shouting "worthy is the lamb" forever is going to have to have a figurative quality to it for it to mean an addition to life not a subtraction.

Okay, I was laughing out loud by the time I finished the second sentence in the above paragraph. I thought: "wow, I just cannot WAIT to see how he brings this back around to the subject at hand, but I know he will." Very good.

Okay, I realize now that the sentence you're responding to was hopelessly obscure because it was a reference to a single very personal spiritual experience of my own several years ago. For most of my life, my own religious experience tended to be a lot more about the head than about the heart. Heaven seemed primarily interesting to me, therefore, as an opportunity for the endless, first-hand acquisition of more facts. I could talk directly to every great or famous or wise person who ever lived, as long as I liked. I never saw any appeal in standing around the throne casting crowns and singing worthy is the lamb, or whatever they do in that scene in Revelation, whether for all eternity or just for 20 minutes. However briefly we would be required to do that, it seemed like an interruption of the good stuff, sort of the price of admission.

Then one morning on the train during my morning commute from the suburbs to my office downtown, I was having my daily devotions, reading through the Bible. I had arrived at Revelation, and I came to that passage. Sometimes having devotions on the train worked, and sometimes, most times, I was just going through the motions trying to hurry up and finish reading through the Bible one more time.

On this occasion, however, that scene hit me with full force like I think it must have been experienced by the apostle John when he saw it in his vision. Suddenly it didn't feel like the action of a zombie or someone who had been lobotomized. I was ushered into that scene and it was an act of lavish, reckless love, completely oblivious to everything else, just enraptured by the face of my lover, and by my lover's love for me. It was complete adoration of the utterly adorable. As I sat there in my business suit on the commuter train with my briefcase in my lap, trying to look like a real, serious, stable grownup on his way to a real job, tears streamed down my face.

In that moment, I wanted to be in that place, before the throne, lost in the eyes of the lover of my soul, forever. I wanted my heart enlarged and my body, adrenal glands and all, perfected so they could sustain and endure this forever. It was knowing even as we also are known, it was seeing face to face. It was the intimacy of the bride of Christ with the Groom. I think because God is a relational God who assures us that loving our neighbor intimately is innately, necessarily tied to loving him, that we will, indeed, in heaven be self-aware individuals with the opportunity to be engaged in deep, deliriously satisfying relationship with each other and our loved ones who have gone before.

But I think we'll want to see Jesus most of all.

That's what I meant, it just took a lot longer to say it that way. Does that make more sense?

Love,
Brad

[Paul Whitaker]

"And I shall see him face to face ...

[Roland Hearn]

Yes of course that makes sense and I am there with you. I do think there is something of a both and situation that eternal communion in the presence of Christ living and breathing His love and loving Him with a depth we could never imagine will be our ever present experience while we catch up with Moses, CS Lewis and Johnny Cash and put the theory of relativity to the test.
:-)

[Brad Mercer]

Yes of course that makes sense and I am there with you. I do think there is something of a both and situation that eternal communion in the presence of Christ living and breathing His love and loving Him with a depth we could never imagine will be our ever present experience while we catch up with Moses, CS Lewis and Johnny Cash and put the theory of relativity to the test.
:-)

Okay, that would really, really work for me. ;-)

Brad