"But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
2 Samuel 12:23

I wish to confine myself to one single point of deep and momentous interest to us, and that is, “Shall we know one another in heaven?” Now, what does the Scripture say on this subject? I grant freely that there are not many texts in the Bible which touch the subject at all. I admit fully that pious and learned divines are not of one mind with me about the matter in hand. But in theology, I dare not call any man master and father. My only aim and desire is to find out what the Bible says, and to take my stand upon its teaching.

Let us hear what David said when his child was dead. “But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." What can these words mean but that David hoped to see his child and meet him again in another world? This was evidently the hope that cheered him and made him dry his tears. The separation would not be forever.

Let us hear what St. Paul said to the Thessalonians. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” These words must surely mean that the apostle expected to recognize his beloved Thessalonian converts in the day of Christ’s second advent. He rejoiced in the thought that he would see them face to face at the last day, would stand side by side with them before the throne, and would be able to say, “Here am I, and the seals which thou did give to my ministry.”

Paul says again, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." There would be no point in these words of consolation if they did not imply the mutual recognition of saints. The hope with which he cheers wearied Christians is the hope of meeting their beloved friends again. He does not merely say, “Sorrow not, for they are at rest—they are happy—they are free from pain and trouble—they are better off than they would be here below.” No! he goes a step further. He says, “God shall bring them with Christ, when he brings them back to the world. You are not parted forever. You will meet again.”

I commend these three passages to the reader’s attentive consideration. To my eye, they all seem to point to only one conclusion. They all imply the same great truth, that saints in heaven shall know one another. They shall have the same body and the same character that they had on earth, but a body perfected and transformed like Christ’s in his transfiguration and a character perfected and purified from all sin. In the moment that we meet our several friends in heaven, we shall at once know them, and they will at once know us.

There is something to my mind unspeakably glorious in this prospect. Heaven will be no strange place to us when we get there. We shall feel at home. We shall see all of whom we read in Scripture and know them all, and mark the peculiar graces of each. We shall see Noah and remember his witness for God in ungodly times. We shall see Abraham and remember his faith, Isaac and remember his meekness, Moses and remember his patience, David and remember all his troubles. We shall sit down with Peter, James, John, and Paul, and remember all their toil when they laid the foundations of the Church. If it is pleasant to know one or two saints and meet them occasionally now, what will it be to know them all and to dwell with them forever!