Is marriage really a "foretaste of heaven"?

[Lovette]

Since you say you are not married, everything you say about marriage is hearsay. Unless you are divorced. Are you divorced?

I'm just gonna answer with these two quotes:

"Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from others' mistakes. "
"Intellects solve problems, geniuses prevent them."

 

[Lovette]

My review of the OP as a married person is that the general overview (unless i'm missing something) of the message is good.
Marriage is a taste of Heaven if you're in love with someone.
I'm also adding a lot of cultural context here.
Marriage where i come from, has been historically as some sort of contract. Sort of like the Indian culture a bit. You're marrying because of family ties etc and you're marrying into classes of society a bit. So love is never into equation. Because of this i vowed to never marry because i don't want to marry someone i don't love to complete a side-project for my family who wants me to get married. Nope. Never gonna happen.

But God had other plans for me and i've been happily married since high school with an angel. So yes, having an angel besides you all day is a taste of Heaven.

I think we can agree that marriage in general is a blessing, as it is written, "he who finds a wife is a good thing." However, in reality it varies from culture to culture and from person to person, it shouldn't be idolized as a token of faith, proof of your salvation or a magic fix for all your problems.

 

[Lovette]

The more you talk, the more you sound like somebody who used to be here. Like, the similarity is becoming very, very, VERY pronounced.

Look, I don't know who you're talking about, the real topic I intend to explore is whether "two become one flesh" is an essential experience every human being was designed to experience. According to OT and most churches, the answer's yes, "two become one flesh" is interpreted in its literal sense; but according to NT, no, it's interpreted as a spiritual sense between Christ and his church, the NT is all about Christ and his church, civil marriage is just a side note. And also according to early church and medieval history, civil marriage was for the laity, celibacy was for the clergy, serving the Lord in a monastery or a convent was THE alternative to marriage, especially for women.

 

[memberofthebride]

Christ is absolutely physical, in fact it is THE rule of thumb that distinguishes false doctrines and false teachers from true doctrines and true teachers. All will be resurrected in flesh and blood, as much as Christ was resurrected in flesh and blood. But that's another topic.

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh ... (Rom. 1:1-3)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 Jn. 4:1-4)

Satan's has deceived the entire world and that includes the 45,000 so called christian churches.
Satan's deception is now complete, the time of Jacob's Trouble is upon us.

 

[Eli1]

I think we can agree that marriage in general is a blessing, as it is written, "he who finds a wife is a good thing." However, in reality it varies from culture to culture and from person to person, it shouldn't be idolized as a token of faith, proof of your salvation or a magic fix for all your problems.

Agreed and welcome to the site.

 

[Suze]

Marriage as a "foretaste of heaven", an earthly reflection of our relationship with Jesus, is a common doctrine taught in all nearly all churches, but upon close examination, it doesn't seem to hold water:

1. The "match in heaven" in Revelation 21 is the union of Christ and his people, which marks the completion of salvation. The bride is the Great Multitude, the whole church of Christ in a collective sense, not any individual in particular;
2. As a historical fact, Lord Jesus himself was never married, he didn't even have any intimate relationship with any woman during his ministry; so was Paul, Timothy, numerous OT prophets like Isaiah, and generations of most devoted church fathers and mothers, abbesses, priests and missionaries, serving in the ministry is marriage with the Lord;
3. Paul taught in 1 Cor. 7 that we should be eschatalogically minded on the things of God (1 Cor. 7:29-31), marriage is merely a concession (1 Cor. 7:6), it's a burden (1 Cor. 7:28) and a distraction (1 Cor. 7:35); Jesus taught that celibacy is a gift, especially for those who choose celibacy for kingdom's sake (Matt. 19:12)
4. Ironically, it was the Sedduccees who couldn't comprehend resurrection, they tried to ridicule Jesus with their absurd hypothesis based on their projection of marriage into the afterlife; Jesus schooled them with a real preview of heaven: "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." (Matt. 22:30). Therefore, shouldn't a real foretaste of heaven be singlehood, i.e. "neither marry nor are given in marriage"?
5. During the early church period, marriage was merely a cultural norm, the early hermits and monks were all single like Paul, they abstained from marriage as a part of their ascetic pratice to evade worldly corruption. Even for some who did marry for economic and social reason, they remained celibate during their marriage, chastity was equated with spiritual purity. Only did marriage offically become a sacrament in late 12th century and early 13th century, then it was a major political move to forge unions and acquire properties, a climb on the social ladder into a higher class.

Another enormous game-changer is the prosperity after WWII, marriage rate once reached an abnormal peak of over 90% of the adult population, that's when the prosperity gospel began to take flight, marriage a pillar of this properity. Afterward was the hippie movement and sexual revolution, "purity culture" began to emerge as a countermeasure to that, marriage a license to sex; fast forward to today's hyper polarized political climate, marriage is further elevated by the conservatives as the saving grace to boost the declining birth rate, make America great again and save the decaying western civilization. It has gone so far that it has become an indicator of your political leaning, if you're married, you're suspected to be a right wing supporter.

So, as you can see, the meaning of marriage evolves over time. By God's original design, it a turning point in your life journey, THE sign of your independence, as you leave your parents and start your own. However, in reality, the meaning of marriage slowly evolves, from a cultural norm to a socio-economic union, a holy sacrament, a means for upward mobility, a romanticized "happily ever after", a status symbol of persperity, a countermeasure against the sexual revolution, an indicator of ringwing political leaning. Even within the bible itself, marriage evoled from polygamy to bigamy to monogamy and "serial monogamy", as was the common practice of the Pharisees during Jesus's ministry. When Jesus confronted the Pharisees on that in Matt. 19, he schooled them with the original design of marriage, but he had no intention of restoring it to its original design, nor did he order it on his followers. Therefore, the doctrine of marriage as a "foretaste of heaven" was not gleaned from the Scripture, but political and cultural context.

For purpose of clarification, I'm only against the idolatry and the romanticization of marriage, not marriage itself. Most assuredly, marriage is a turning point in your life journey, a rite of passage that truly changes you, but for better or worse depends on whom you're married to, and whether you're joined by God or by your own desire. Not every one can find a comparable partner to marry, and not every one is capable of all the responsibilities in marriage. Paul taught that husband and wife ought to be "equally yoked" in spirit, a godly partner is a blessing, an ungodly partner would be a curse, and a godly man like Charlie Kirk or a godly woman like the one in Prov. 31 is extremely rare.

 

[Suze]

Enjoyed your post and thank you for it , Isaiah was married with children though .

 

[Lovette]

Enjoyed your post and thank you for it , Isaiah was married with children though .

Any evidence?

 

[Suze]

Any evidence?

Yep , Isaiah Ch 7 v 3 and Ch 8 v 3 .

 

[Lovette]

Yep , Isaiah Ch 7 v 3 and Ch 8 v 3 .

Just because he was married with kids doesn't mean he stayed married. When it came to Is. 20. he was wandering around buck naked, nowhere was his kids or woman ever mentioned again. Whether he was married or not no longer mattered when Israel was in crisis. If Isaiah doesn't make a good example, consider Elijah, he had definitionly never married.

In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia ....

 

[Suze]

I wasn't

Just because he was married with kids doesn't mean he stayed married. When it came to Is. 20. he was wandering around buck naked, nowhere was his kids or woman ever mentioned again. Whether he was married or not no longer mattered when Israel was in crisis. If Isaiah doesn't make a good example, consider Elijah, he had definitionly never married.

In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia ....[/QU

Just because he was married with kids doesn't mean he stayed married. When it came to Is. 20. he was wandering around buck naked, nowhere was his kids or woman ever mentioned again. Whether he was married or not no longer mattered when Israel was in crisis. If Isaiah doesn't make a good example, consider Elijah, he had definitionly never married.

In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia ....

I wasn't looking for an argument , about Isaiah or Elijah or anyone else . U made a mistake and I was just letting u know , then u asked for proof so I gave u proof from scripture . That's all .

 

[pinebeach]

If most people know a pastor, an influncer or any clergy that sells marriage, shames singles, urges the listeners to defy the odds and get married over other life pursuits, then most people know what I'm talking about.

Most people as in the rest of the world? You have no idea about most people and, let's face it, you are referencing the church and it seems the Catholic church at that. People in this thread represent a percentage of this forum and they have also not heard what you are talking about.

 

[pinebeach]

I'm just gonna answer with these two quotes:

"Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from others' mistakes. "
"Intellects solve problems, geniuses prevent them."

frankly, I think you are grinding a personal axe

 

[pinebeach]

Then have you ever heard of any sermon on this famous yet controversial passage about marital relationship? If yes, then you have heard that "doctrine" - earthly marriage between husband and wife a reflection of heavenly marriage between Christ and his church. "A foretaste of heaven" is just a sales pitch to spice it up for the hopeless - and hopeful - romantics.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. (Eph. 5:22-30)

Again, I doubt you are a Bible expositor and you sound somewhat bitter.

 

[pinebeach]

I don't know for sure if it is the same person. But the one I'm thinking of from before, it sure was fun to tie that person up in logic knots.

Yeah well this one is coming from a personal place IMO.

 

[pinebeach]

While this may be true, and extensively exploited in various Superman and Flash stories, you're still going to die if you hit a brick wall at 85 mph.

Humor again? I try not to fly at such high speeds when in the city.

 

[Lynx]

Humor again? I try not to fly at such high speeds when in the city.

Humor? From Lynx?! Say it ain't so!

That's pretty much my stock-in-trade.

 

[Lynx]

frankly, I think you are grinding a personal axe

Yes the sound of grinding axes is almost deafening in this thread.

It can be entertaining though, if you don't take it too seriously.

 

[pinebeach]

Humor? From Lynx?! Say it ain't so!

That's pretty much my stock-in-trade.

see? now I know you better

Yes the sound of grinding axes is almost deafening in this thread.

It can be entertaining though, if you don't take it too seriously.

well gotta make a point yah know

 

[Lovette]

Most people as in the rest of the world? You have no idea about most people and, let's face it, you are referencing the church and it seems the Catholic church at that. People in this thread represent a percentage of this forum and they have also not heard what you are talking about.

Put it in another way, if anyone knows a pastor, influencer or elder who preaches more about marriage and how critical it is, more often and more intense than Jesus, then they know what I'm talking about.