Identifying people in heaven

You know you recognize people even when you don’t know them personally, and when you get to heaven, you’re not going to need name tags; we’re going to know each other, says Richard Jordan.

Luke 9: [32] But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
[33] And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

You notice how Peter knew who Moses and Elijah were but no introductions had taken place? How in the world did he know? He never met them; he had read about them, studied about them, was taught about them, because they lived centuries before Peter did.

Here they are, appear before him, when the transfiguration is taking place. That is, Christ is carried to the position where His glorified humanity is put on display, and figures from the other side, as it were, appear with Him. Peter instinctively knows who they are.

It’s the same thing on the other side of the scope. Isaiah 14:9, talking about the Antichrist prophetically, says:

[9] Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
[10] All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

When that guy shows up in hell, they know who he is. They don’t look at him and say, “Agh, another one showed up.” When that guy shows up, all the kings of the earth who followed him identify him. They have a consciousness of who he is.

Can you imagine when the pope dies and goes to hell, the greeting he gets? You reckon when Mohammed went to hell, the guys down there said, “Boy, we’re glad to see you!”

You ever thought about that? They recognized him. You don’t go into hell incognito. If you die and go to hell, people say, “Well, I’ll have a lot of friends there.” There’s not a one of them going to be your friend when you get there.

They’re going to do like these guys do. They’re going to mock you for being the fools they were. They’re going to hate you for your influence on them that put them there. They’re going to know you.

In Luke 16, this guy dies and when he goes to hell he knows what’s going on.

Luke 16: [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Notice, he still had eyes. Your soul has a literal bodily shape inside of you. There’s a person inside of your body and it’s real.

[24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

How’d he know who father Abraham was? He never met him. You see how you know who they are? It’s not just being conscious of being in someone else’s presence; you can put a name to them and a face.

[25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
[26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

When you get there, you have memory. You remember the incidences and things that happened.

*****

Luke 23: 42] And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
[43] And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

When that guy goes there, you reckon he knew he was there? You reckon he knew who Jesus was? Every implication you have is that way.

II Corinthians 12: [1] It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
[2] I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
[3] And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
[4] How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

If this guy’s caught up into the third heaven and Paul says, “I can’t tell whether he’s still in his body or not,” when he wasn’t in his body, he must have still looked like he was.

He says, “By looking at the guy I can’t tell if he’s dead or alive.” He’s in the third heaven, though. What’s up in the third heaven? His soul. But what did he look like? Paul didn’t say, “Well, he died but I don’t know who he is.”

Out of the body he looked just like he looked IN the body.

Philippians 3: [20] For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
[21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Your vile body. The word vile means humiliating. That doesn’t mean it sags where it didn’t used to sag. Just don’t wash it for 3-4 days. It’s a body of corruption.

He’s going to change that vile body and fashion it like His glorious body. You’re literally going to share in the physical glorification of Jesus Christ in a body that reflects His glory.

I Corinthians 15:35: [35] But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

Some people have the idea that when you get your glorified body, we’re all just going to be carbon copies where every one of us is going to look exactly the same.

[36] Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
[37] And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
[38] But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

You know what you’re going to get in the resurrection? You’re going to get your own body; a body that bears your distinct identity. A body that you own out of which the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ will radiate. He’s going to be glorified in YOUR body.

By the way, if I have my own personal body with its own personal appearance, would that give people the capacity to recognize me as distinct from someone else?

I Thessalonians 2: 19 tells me something about the resurrected body: [19] For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
[20] For ye are our glory and joy.

Paul says, “You Thessalonians are going to be my joy and my crown.” Well, then he must know who they’re going to be! There must be a way for him to look at the Thessalonica saints and say, “You guys are it!”

There’s some saints that he would see there that aren’t going to be quite as ? for him. They’re going to be like those Corinthians in I Corinthians 13 that are “saved yet so as by fire.”

To use the expression in Job, they’re “saved by the skin of their teeth,”  and that’s not very thick.

But the Thessalonians, in their resurrected bodies, as they stand at the judgment seat of Christ, he’s going to be able to identify who they are.

Now, when you get to heaven, aren’t there some saved people you are a little embarrassed to be around right now? You got a little difference of opinion with them?

Paul says in Romans 7: [15] For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
[16] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
[17] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

He’s talking about the difference between your old man and your new man; your old nature and who you are in Adam and then who you are in Christ.

When you die, or at the resurrection, your inner man is removed from your outer man and it’s only your new man that goes into that new body.

So all those old-man problems are left behind and all the things that need to be judged and straightened out, worked on, that confront and confound and make you guilty, all that’s gone.

I think one of the great security blankets for the Believer is the Judgment Seat of Christ where all those works that are you and not Christ—what does he say happens to them in I Corinthians 3? They burn up and they’re gone.

Revelation 21:4: [4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

There’s things that have happened in your background and in your life—dastardly, evil things that have happened—and all that’s gone.

On the other side, there’s the things you’ve done to others that you bear the weight for. Those things that in a quiet moment of reflection come back to haunt you.

You see, when you wake up to your brothers and sisters on the streets of glory those things aren’t going to be the issue, not because you don’t recognize them and know who they are, but because you’re just going to know who they are in Christ.

You’ll say, “Hey, there’s Brother Rick!” and you’ll remember Christ in Brother Rick, and all that was “I” and not Christ will be gone. Blank pages.

Isiaah 65: [17] For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

What’s he talking about? [16] That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

That’s the former things. [18] But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

The blood of Jesus Christ is going to cover all that stuff.