Luke 20:27-38 comments: they are equal to the angels

    20:27 ¶  Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, 28  Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 29  There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. 30  And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. 31  And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. 32  Last of all the woman died also. 33  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. 34  And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: 35  But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 

36  Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. 37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

The Sadducees would be very understandable to us today. They were spiritual without believing in the supernatural. They acknowledged nothing that ordinary Christians today would acknowledge.

Acts 23:8  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

There are many philosophical Christians today who think there is a value in the fellowship of church, who acknowledge an idea of God, perhaps even view Christ as a great teacher, even calling Him a savior, but they disregard the teaching of the Bible as superstitious, quaint, and archaic. Christianity, for them, is a cultural icon and a refuge in times of grief and stress but they would reject the clear statements about the six days of creation, the parting of the Red Sea, and perhaps even Christ’s resurrection from the dead and still think of themselves as Christians.

The Sadducees are trying to trick Jesus into saying something irrational or foolish but He puts a fact of Heaven to them that they did not have a smart reply for. In Heaven the institutions and physical facts of marriage and procreation will not be necessary. Spiritual beings do not experience physical childbirth or conjugal sex. Whether you regard this as a disaster or not is irrelevant. We will know each other in a more complete and important way than the physical act of sex or the social requirement of marriage. All believers, I feel confident, will be united in Christ in a way more profound that the conjugal relationship of an existence in mortal flesh although I sincerely hope and pray that my wife and I will always know and love each other in a special way in eternity.  God made our marriage possible and sustained it against all odds.  A marriage between a man and a woman is to be like Christ and His church so we will see what God has in store for us.

Here, Christ says that there is no death in Heaven.

Revelation 21:4  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.

What does it mean to be equal unto the angels?

John 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

An angel is the presence of someone or something that is somewhere else.

Isaiah 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Acts 12:13  And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14  And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15  And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16  But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

For all intents and purposes it is that individual.

Judges 2:1 ¶  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Judges 13:21  But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22  And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

Daniel 9:21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Luke 1:26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Galatians 4:14  And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

Revelation 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Revelation 21:17  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Angels are the spirits of people made perfect and complete by the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith in Him in a spiritual body that can never die.

Hebrews 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

In this passage Jesus says the children of the resurrection are the children of God. Only those who are His can consider themselves His children. As a spiritual body cannot die this suggests something, that those suffering in the lake of fire in eternity will have an eternally dying and suffering physical body.

Isaiah 66:24  And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

God’s children can never die, even though their flesh perishes because we are not what our physical body is.

Job 19:26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins [internal organs and experience of emotions and passion] be consumed within me.

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.