In Heaven, Will We Remember Our Life on Earth?

A Christian friend asked me this question.

She suspected that the Bible may not contain a clear-cut “yes” or “no” answer, so she asked for my opinion.

That was a reminder to myself that God commissioned me to teach and answer questions such as this – see the Great commission that Jesus gave in Matthew 22:19, 20.

I also remember that the Bible warns of strict judgment for intentionally altering, adding to, or twisting God’s words, with punishments ranging from personal rebuke to severe curses and eternal consequences. Key warnings are found in Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4:2, and Deuteronomy 18:20-22. And James 3:1 warns:

”Yes or “No

As Paul said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

People through the centuries have wrestled with this question.  And Paul admitted there is much they didn’t know, even those who lived with and followed Jesus.

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he didn’t see clearly about these things in this world, he only knew some of the truth and not until he would be with the Lord would he know the full truth about these things (1 Corinthians 13:12).  In other words, no living person has the definitive truth on this question.

Maybe “Yes”

However, the Bible does indicate that in heaven we will have some remembrance of what we did during our time on earth. For one thing, someday we will stand before God to give an account of our lives and our faithfulness to Christ. Jesus warned, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). The Bible also says that “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight … to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

But we know Christ came to take away our sins, and when we commit our lives to Him in faith and trust, He cleanses us of every sin. And we know in heaven, our sins will be revealed — but so will Christ’s love and forgiveness.

Luke reminds us that Jesus himself told us to make friends here on earth so that in the future they may welcome their benefactors into heaven. (Luke 16:9)

How can those friends recognize us and welcome us as benefactors if they have no memory of their life on earth?

That seems to imply, in my opinion, that yes, we will recall this lifetime in heaven and be grateful for those earthly blessings.

We know from scripture, that even Jesus will still have the scars in his hands and feet from his time on earth. Jesus showed Timothy those scars a week after His ascension to heaven (John 20:4-28). But He isn’t dwelling on that – rather He is empowered from His resurrection to be Lord over all.  This principle will also apply to us.  While we may still carry scars and memories of both the good and bad from this life into eternity; what will direct out lives in eternity will be the holiness and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So it seems to me, for as much as we can know on this side of eternity, that we will remember our life on earth when we are in heaven.  The good things will always be a source of joy; while the bad things that produced scars upon us, will have little impact in the light of the glory and presence of the Lord.

Maybe “No, but”

Many clergy teach, and many people believe, that we will not remember anything about this life once we leave this world.  They base this on many different passages of scripture, often using Revelation 21:4 as a reference.

But, this passage isn’t saying that we will have a memory lapse or that our brain literally blocks out the experiences. Nor is this passage referring to someone suppressing or repressing negative feelings or emotions.

Rather, it refers to the truth that the new order or the new world that God will eventually bring into reality will be so awesome and overwhelming that it will fill our minds and emotions with such awe and joy, that we won’t have much energy to spend on past negative pains or experiences.

Even in this life, the experience of having just an awful day that totally drained us and left us feeling we could never forget it will eventually fade away as we get on with our lives.  And after a period of time, the sting of that day will become a distant memory and have little impact on us.  Especially as our mind becomes filled with other day to day things, and especially as many of them are much more pleasant.

In heaven, the thoughts and emotions we will be experiencing will flood our minds and hearts so much that even when we think of our time on this earth and the people we loved and lived with, it will be mostly, if not completely, positive thoughts.

While we may not forget our life on planet earth (because even though we become a “new” person in terms of attitudes and righteous and holy state with the Lord, we are still the same person God originally created), it will fail in comparison to the greatness of heaven because we will be in the full presence of the Lord.

We’ll Remember Nothing on Earth, But

Isaiah 65:17 records God saying, For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. (NASB)

– less accurate translations say “we’ll remember nothing on earth.”

No, this verse does not mean there are no memories at all in heaven and in the age to come.

If you put it back into the context it was written, you should notice the parallel between “former things” in verse 17 and “former troubles” in verse 16. Verse 16 says, “He who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.”

The close parallel between “former troubles” in verse 16 and “former things” in verse 17 means that “former things” does not mean all things, but things that, if we remembered them would trouble us. And we will not be troubled in the age to come. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

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While God will wipe away the tears and sorrow attached to this world, the drama of God’s work in human history will not be erased from our minds. (Revelation 21:4) Heaven’s happiness will not be dependent on our ignorance of what really happened on earth. Rather, it will be greatly enhanced by our informed appreciation of God’s glorious grace and justice in what really happened on earth.

And here’s a catch. The crucifixion of the Lamb was one of the troubles of the world. It was horrific. So it seems to be in the class of things that should be remembered no more—it was so full of pain.

So, what we will forget and what we will remember is not a simple class of bad and good. Rather we will forget and remember things in accord with what will maximize our enjoyment of God. If remembering something enhances our worship, we will remember it. If it would hinder our worship we might forget it.

As an analogy consider this. In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul says, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” So Paul seems to commend “forgetting” the past. But in Ephesians 2:11-12 he says, “Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh…were at that time separated from Christ.”

So again, to discern what should be remembered and what should be forgotten, I submit: Remember whatever deepens your love to Christ and zeal to obey, and forget whatever would paralyze your will to follow him with joy.

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