Identities in the Afterlife: Will We Recognize Each Other?

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.” (1 John 3:2a)

IS IT REALLY YOU?

“Is that you?”

“Is it really you?”

Have you ever said that to somebody you hadn’t seen in a long time?

Maybe it was a friend from school that you met at a twenty-year reunion.

Or a neighbor that, either you or they moved from the neighborhood a while ago, but you happened to run into them again and, “Boy, have they changed!”

Of course, it’s never us who changes.

We can’t possibly look older (or rounder?), etc.

“I’m the same age (appearance-wise) and weight that I was on graduation day from high school.”

(We wish!)

I’m going somewhere with this.

WILL WE RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER IN HEAVEN?

Recognizing someone you haven’t seen in a while.

I was passed a question about this very thing.

The question was whether or not we’d be able to recognize each other in Heaven.

I mean, “Is that you, Kim (my wife)?”

“Or you, Kelly (my oldest daughter)?”

“Or you, Bob Wilson (one of my buddies)? Is it really you?”

Will we be able to tell on the other side?

Or will our identities be indistinguishable?

I believe the answer is both “Yes” and “No” at the same time.

YES, WE WILL RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER

Yes, we will be able to recognize each other in Heaven.

Elijah was caught away in a chariot to God’s throne. (2 Kings 2:11)

Moses had a different (and earlier) exit, dying on Mount Nebo. (Deuteronomy 34:1-5)

Hundreds of years later, they both appeared together with Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration.

And then Peter, of all people, recognized them! (Matthew 17:4)

Jesus didn’t say Peter was wrong.

I believe it’s pretty good evidence that we’ll have the ability to tell who each other is after this life is through.

(If Peter could tell Moses and Elijah, we’ll be able to tell each other!)

THE NO PART OF MY ANSWER

Beyond that, we’ll each be “much more” in Heaven than we are here on earth.

This is the “No” part of my answer based on the above verse in 1st John: “It has not appeared as yet what we shall be.”

This part of our individuality we won’t recognize because “now we only look through a glass darkly, but then face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12a; KJV)

I’m convinced on the other side we’ll look at each other, and it’ll have us rubbing our eyes, saying, “Wow! I know that’s you, Pastor Mike. But is it really you? Look at what you’ve become!”

This is the part of each of us that we won’t recognize or know until we get to Heaven.

What a surprise it’s gonna be!

(Elijah appeared at the Transfiguration of Jesus picture file above is in the public domain: click here.)

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