Will we be able to be together with our wife after death?

Good health! Your question is about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and I will begin my answer with the words of the holy Apostle Paul: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; But when that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease. When I was a baby, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child; and when he became a husband, he left behind his children. Now we see as if through a dark glass, fortune-telling, but then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known” (1 Cor. 13:9-12).

What do we know in part? That there will be a resurrection of the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but will pass from death to life” (John 5:24). “Those who have done good will go forth into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29).

Our faith is fundamentally different from the belief in reincarnation. In this regard, I can recommend to you the book of the New Believer Bishop Alexander (Mileant) (1938-2005) “On the threshold of life and death,” which contains a good and comprehensive criticism of the doctrine of reincarnation.

“In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). With these words, Christ gives us the promise of a spiritual way of life after death and resurrection. After all, the purpose of marriage is the unity of two people. And in the Kingdom of Heaven our unity will be in Christ. But at the same time: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

In any case, we can say with confidence that after death you can only be with your spouse in Christ Jesus. So pursue God together, and He will give you life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).

As for knowing God, no one can “understand the essence of God.” The Divine is ineffable and incomprehensible. There is a wonderful parable about this from the life of St. Augustine. One day the saint was walking along the seashore, reflecting on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and saw a boy who dug a hole in the sand and poured water into it, which he scooped up from the sea with a shell. St. Augustine asked why he was doing this. The boy answered him:

“I want to scoop the whole sea into this hole!”

Augustine grinned and said that this was impossible. To which the boy said to him:

“How are you trying to exhaust the inexhaustible mystery of the Lord with your mind?”

And then the boy disappeared.

But at the same time, the Lord gives us the opportunity to comprehend Him and draw closer to Him, be with Him and glorify Him. In His revelation, given to us in the Holy Scriptures and church tradition, He reveals to us the truths of existence and the knowledge of God that we can comprehend. You are right, indeed, God is love (1 John 4:8). But your further theses that “love and compassion exist in every person - this is God” are no longer indisputable and require clarification and explanation.

I advise you to read the Gospel and study your Orthodox faith more deeply. Accept the Christian faith with all your heart, with all your mind, delve into the world of holy Orthodoxy, study it not only in letter, study it through life itself, fulfilling the Gospel commandments. This knowledge is the most valuable wealth, having acquired which a person begins to despise everything as some kind of rubbish in order to gain Christ and achieve His Kingdom (Phil. 3:8,11). The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for good pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold everything he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45-46).

Will we meet our spouses after death?

Companions of Man in Paradise

People often wonder about relationships in Paradise. Who will be their companion, will they be lonely, is it possible not to be in Paradise with a spouse who was unpleasant in earthly life. Scholars answer these questions by referring to verses and hadiths.

The Koran says: “(And it will be said to them): “Enter Paradise, you and your wives, (so that you) may be pleased (there!" (Sura al-Zukhruf, “Ornaments”, verse 70)

Scholars emphasize the importance of marital relationships, saying that this is the first relationship established by the Almighty. Even parent-child relationships were established later than marital ones. The first relationship is that of Adam and Chava. Referring to the hadith in which they are mentioned, scholars claim that a person will not be alone in Paradise. As stated in the hadith: “No one will be alone in Paradise. Chava was sent to Adam, peace be upon him, and whoever enters Paradise will have a spouse (companion).”

But who will this satellite be?

The Koran speaks of houris for men, but sisters often wonder who is destined for them. To this, scientists answer that Paradise is a place of pleasure and happiness, so the fact that male companions in Paradise are not mentioned does not mean that women will be lonely. Again, scientists refer to the hadith, which says that in Paradise no one will be burdened with loneliness.

Some married Muslims are alarmed because, in their opinion, “if they are in Paradise with their current spouses, then it will no longer be Paradise for them.” Is it possible to be in Paradise without your husband/wife, to have a separate place so as not to meet with them, etc. To this, scientists remind us that Paradise is a place where people will be happy, which means they will not have to experience unpleasant feelings, face “earthly” problems again, or suffer from the shortcomings of their spouses.

A person will love his companion, regardless of whether he is an earthly person or a “heavenly satellite.” There is also a hadith that says that every time a husband and wife look at each other, they will become more beautiful. Surprised by these changes, they will say to each other: “You have become even more beautiful than (then when I saw you) last time” and “You have become even more beautiful than (then when) I saw you last time "

The essence of these hadiths and the answers of scientists comes down to the fact that a person will not be alone in Paradise. His partner will be either a person who was married to him in earthly life, or a “paradise” companion given to him by the Almighty. If a person ends up in Paradise with his earthly spouse, then each time the Almighty will make them more attractive, pleasant and beautiful to each other. Their love will not fade, and the relationship will only grow stronger and give them more pleasure.

Asya Gagieva

Love doesn't die after death

“Don’t be afraid, I’m not dead. We will, of course, meet in the spring. Green grass will sprout, and with it I will come to your home.”

Love is a terrible force. Love guides us, commands us. Love determines our actions and our desires. In the name of love, both heroic deeds and the most base deeds were performed. The lovers vow to each other to be together. Always. Love before death and after death. This is the kind of love that my next story is about. About love and ghosts.

This story happened fourteen years ago. Fourteen years is a very long time, and in fourteen years something could have been forgotten, some details could have appeared somewhere, and therefore this story can be considered both a real story and an urban legend.

On a frosty February evening, Ella was returning home from work, and the full moon illuminated her path. She was in a great mood, Ella worked as a school music teacher, and this was her favorite job. Since childhood, she dreamed of teaching children. The mood was also lifted by the fact that her beloved man, Yuri, also a teacher from the same school, invited her to a restaurant yesterday and proposed his hand in marriage to her over dinner.

Behind such wonderful thoughts, the woman did not notice how she reached her home. After standing at the entrance for a minute, she took out the keys and, looking with a smile at the moon, the queen of the night and the patroness of lovers, said:

- May all my dreams come true!

Ella unlocked the door and entered the entrance. Arriving home, Ella felt slightly unwell, but at first she did not pay attention to it. After dinner, the woman decided to water the flowers standing on the windowsill. Taking the decanter and going to the windowsill, Ella felt very dizzy. Having placed the decanter on the windowsill, she turned to the cabinet to take the medicine, but her legs gave way, she fell, and the last thing the woman felt was a strong blow to her head. Ella fell and hit her head on the corner of the table. Immediate death. The teacher lived alone and even if she had not died immediately, there would have been no one to help her.

The guard sat at his post and waited for his partner to finish walking around the area. In connection with the terrorist attacks that occurred at the end of 1999, in many schools and other similar institutions, paramilitary guards began to appear instead of guards. That's how it was at this school. Security guard Stepan had a strong feeling that he was not alone in the building.

“Sasha,” he called the second guard.

The answer was silence. Only a few light bulbs on the ground floor were lit, and light from the street lamps poured through the window.

Stepan brought the walkie-talkie to his lips:

- Sash, where are you? “The answer was only the crackle of statistical noise. - Sasha, answer me!

Stepan tapped the radio with his palm, but to no avail. The guard heard footsteps at the end of the corridor, where the light from the bulbs did not reach. Turning on the flashlight, the man decided to look around the corridor and, approaching the classrooms, he saw that one of the classrooms was open. Music room.

“What the hell?” Stepan clearly remembered that all the offices on the first floor were closed. No one could enter the building unnoticed. Or could he? Returning to duty, the guard opened the key locker. All the keys were in place, but there seemed to be no other keys in nature. Taking the key, the guard locked the office, and on the way back he almost collided with Sashka.

- Crap! – Stepan shouted. - How you scared me! By the way, my radio is broken, there is only interference.

“Let’s check,” suggested Sasha.

The men went to different ends of the corridor, and Stepan tried to call Sasha, the walkie-talkie worked perfectly. The men learned the news that the teacher died that night only the next day. In the evening.

Yuri woke up early in the morning from a strange sound, like something falling. Turning on the light, he looked around the room and saw what had fallen. A frame with a photograph hanging on the wall fell, showing a smiling Yuri hugging a happy Ella. The glass shattered, the frame broke, and the photograph fell to the floor. Yuri felt very worried. He went to the phone to call his beloved, but looking at the clock, which showed 4:30, he decided not to do this. You never know why she fell, and it’s not good to wake Ella. The man decided to lie down a little longer and fell asleep unnoticed.

He dreamed of Ella, she looked at him sadly and said:

- I will always be with you.

Ella didn’t come to work at eight or ten, poor Yuri tried in vain to call his beloved, in vain tried to knock on her door. Only Ella’s mother, coming to her daughter in the evening, discovered a terrible discovery.

Spring came. Young, green grass came out of the ground. Forty days have already passed since Ella was buried. Yuri came to her grave one spring day; after her death, Yuri visited the cemetery as soon as he had free time. Having laid down the flowers, Yuri looked at the photo on the monument and saw that changes had occurred in the photo. Previously, the photo showed Ella with a serious face, but now she was smiling. Yura shook his head, and the obsession passed, the photograph was the same as before.

That night, guards Leonid and Ivan were on duty at the school. Security guards have completed their inspection of the area and building. Everything was in its place, everything was going as it should. Every hour, the guards took turns walking around the territory. Ivan left, and Leonid heard some strange sounds. Music, sounds of piano. Leonid tried to call Ivan, but there was only a crackling sound on the radio.

The guard waited for his partner to return and then asked:

- Do you hear?

- What?

- Listen.

-Where does this music come from? – Ivan asked.

Ivan took the key, and Leonid took out a pistol, and they went towards the classrooms. Music, a waltz, came from the corresponding office. Ivan tried the door handle: the office was locked. Leonid flicked the switch: it didn’t work. The men clearly heard the sounds of a waltz. Ivan directed a beam of light from a flashlight to the keyhole and inserted a key into this very hole, and Leonid took the pistol at the ready. Ivan turned the key and pushed the door, the flashlight beam cut through the darkness. The music immediately stopped, the piano lid was open, and the classroom was completely empty. The windows were closed from the inside; no one could get in. The guards felt uneasy, and they spent the rest of their shift on watch, trying to convince themselves that it was their imagination. Both.

Several more days passed. It was early morning, but the sun was already shining; at the end of April it dawns early. Eighth-grader Gleb came to school earlier than the rest of the students. The school was still half empty. The boy was changing clothes in the wardrobe when he saw a woman in a dress walk by. She seemed familiar to the boy, Gleb came out of the wardrobe and saw Ella. She taught him once. The boy's eyes widened. How? After all, she died! Her photograph with a black ribbon is still on the table on the first floor.

“Ella Nikolaevna,” the boy said in a broken voice.

The woman turned around and disappeared. She just disappeared, disappeared into the air like fog. The boy, wearing only one shoe, ran out into the street, where he stayed until the school became crowded.

The next night the ghost appeared to Yuri. Yuri saw Ella in his dreams every night: in his dreams they walked, laughed and enjoyed life. In the dream they were together. In his dream, Yuri felt truly happy. Waking up in the middle of the night, the man saw that his beloved was sitting on his bed and looking at him. Yuri was scared, but overcame his fear. Ella smiled at him and left the room, Yuri rushed after her, but there was no one in the hallway.

Warm May has arrived. One night, Sasha and Stepan were on duty at school again; they already knew that some strange things were happening at school at night. And not just at night. According to the instructions, one guard was supposed to stay at the school, and the other was to inspect the territory, but contrary to the instructions, they walked everywhere together, without separating. It was really scary to be alone in these dark corridors. While passing the time talking, they heard extraneous sounds.

The sounds of a waltz, and then the words of the song:

“Spring of 1945, How the blue Danube waited for you. The hot, sunny May brought freedom to the peoples of Europe.”

The men felt uneasy, and the hair on their heads stood on end. Sasha offered to see what kind of nonsense was there, but Stepan refused to rise from the table at all. Then Sasha stood up and flicked the switch. Surprisingly, the lights in the school hallway turned on.

This gave the men confidence, turning on the lights wherever possible, they reached the music room. The door was open, although Styopa personally checked it as soon as he started his shift. Turning on the light in the office, the men saw where the song was coming from. Music and song came from an old turntable with vinyl records. “Maybe one of the teachers forgot to turn it off from the network, and due to power surges the device turned on,” Sasha thought, walked over and pulled out the plug. The song immediately stopped. Leaving the office, the men heard again:

“Vienna remembers, the Alps and Danube remember that blooming and singing bright May. Whirlwinds of the Viennese in the Russian waltz through the years The heart remembers, will never forget"

Styopa and Sasha, eyes wide, looked towards the player. The light in the office was on, and they saw that the fork was lying on the floor. The player worked while unplugged. The guards gave me such a rush as they had never given me in my life. And they sat on the threshold of the school until the morning, not daring to return. The next day, both guards quit.

And literally a few days later Leonid also met the ghost. When the last teachers and students left the school, Leonid locked the door from the inside and went to check the floors. This time he was alone; his partner did not go to work due to illness. Entering the third floor, the guard saw a woman in a dress. Oddly enough, Leonid did not immediately understand who he had met, because it was still light.

“I thought that everyone had already left,” said Leonid.

The woman ignored him. The thought that he knew her stuck in Leonid’s head like a hot needle. This is... Ella, or what? The man, losing his head with fear, tried to grab her, but his hands passed through the ghost, and the guard felt an unnatural cold, as if he had hugged a snowman. But there was no one there, the ghost disappeared. Just like Stepan and Alexander, Leonid spent the night on the street and quit the next morning.

After this incident, the school administration decided to invite a priest, and after the consecration of the school, the ghost no longer appeared; he left the school forever. But that's not the end of the story.

Summer has come. Yuri was returning home from the dacha. He was already approaching the city when it started pouring rain. Standing under a traffic light, Yuri looked at the sky and saw that the cloud was beginning to acquire a greenish tint, and a few seconds later a strong wind rose. A squall hit the city. Traffic jams formed on the main roads, visibility dropped, a wall of water poured from the sky, and the wind tore roofs off bus stops and knocked down billboards.

Yuri decided to drive along a secondary road at low speed. Suddenly, right in front of the car, a woman, Ella, appeared from the wall of water, Yura immediately recognized her. Hitting the brakes, he stopped his Volga, and a second later the tree growing on the side of the road could not withstand the wind and fell onto the road, exactly in the place where he would have been if he had continued driving. His car would simply be crushed. Standing in the pouring rain, Yuri looked around, but Ella was nowhere to be found.

August has arrived. And Yuri dreamed of Ella on a hot summer night. She told him: “Go to the left bank tomorrow at sunset, there you will find your happiness.” It was just a dream, but Yuri went. At sunset, after crossing a bridge, a man saw a motorcyclist cutting off a car driving in front. The driver of the car, trying to avoid hitting a motorcyclist, turned the steering wheel and, losing control, crashed into a pole. Yuri stopped on the side of the road, jumped out of the Volga, ran up to the car that had been involved in an accident to help the driver. There was a woman driving.

Yuri began dating the girl from the crashed car when she was discharged from the hospital. Her name was Irina, and a year later Yuri and Irina became husband and wife.

That, as they say, is the end of the story. Ella never appeared to anyone again, her soul calmed down forever.

Author: Sergey

Will marriage last forever?

Good afternoon, our dear visitors!
Will there be marriage in Eternity, and if so, what will it look like? There is an opinion of the Church that all “love partners” will meet at the Last Judgment as spouses. Is it so?

What does Christ’s answer mean that after death people “do not marry or be given in marriage, but remain, like the angels of God, in Heaven”? How does this relate to the continuation of marriage into eternity?

Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko answers these questions:

“ marital relationship will remain, but marriage in another world will be different. For example, there will be no intimate relationships, but the spiritual unity acquired over the years of living together, the unique kinship, and the joy of living together will not disappear.

On the contrary, love will reach a new, more perfect level. The Apostle wrote: “what is in part will cease.” That is, all imperfection and incompleteness will disappear.

Eternal life will be a celebration of love and unity. “Love,” the apostle promises us. Paul, “never ceases, although prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.” Hear this: love never fails!

– There is an opinion of the Church that all partners will meet at the Last Judgment as spouses. Is it so?

- Partners? No. The Church never said that sexual partners would be together in Eternity, but, on the contrary, it was said that loving spouses would meet in Eternity, because love is an indestructible feeling of the soul, it is an eternal value.

We can recall a whole series of Gospel expressions that tell us that there are certain values that will go with us into Eternity.

Remember: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break through and steal.”

These heavenly treasures are what belong to the soul. Such things as: kindness and nobility of the soul, inner beauty and purity, again, will, brought up in resisting earthly temptations and accustomed to goodness - all this is capital of such a quality that will never be taken away from a person. (Remember: “Mary chose the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”)

Love is a feeling of the same order. But what will not disappear, will not end, is love! “Love never ceases, although prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished... when that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease.

In eternity, marriage will not disappear. There will simply be no physiological (in our sense) processes in the Kingdom of Heaven. Reproduction, sex life, etc. But the love of spouses is not reducible to the communication of bodies. This is, first of all, a communication of souls. It is precisely this communication that will remain.

But in the Kingdom of God, a person will not suffer from a lack of sex life. I’ll give you an example, perhaps not entirely correct, the first thing that comes to mind. We know that in old age the sexual desires of spouses fade away. But love does not disappear. A person simply reaches another (not a higher, but simply another) level of existence.

But, you see, spouses who have lived together for 60 years are not sad that there is no sex in their lives now. This once happened, and thank God for it, but now a different time has come. They just feel good being together. Look after each other, walk, talk.

It’s the same in heavenly life. We will become so different when the world is transformed that we will experience happiness from this new experience of existence. This new thing will immeasurably surpass everything that happened before: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Is there love after death

Estimated reading time: less than a minute.

The famous writer Yulia Voznesenskaya wrote these letters to visitors to the Memoriam.ru forum, designed to support people who have lost their loved ones. Exactly a year ago, 74-year-old Yulia Nikolaevna died of cancer. But until her death, she did not stop helping site visitors overcome grief. We have collected several posts by Yulia Voznesenskaya, which she wrote on the forum and which were included in Mikhail Khasminsky’s “Memoriam of Yulia Voznesenskaya. Album of memory."

***