Isaiah 65:17 says, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a
new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Some
interpret Isaiah 65:17 as saying that we will have no memory of our earthly
lives in heaven. However, one verse earlier in Isaiah 65:16, the Bible says,
“For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.” It is likely
only our “past troubles” will be forgotten, not all of our memories. Our
memories will eventually be cleansed, redeemed, healed, and restored, not
erased. There is no reason why we could not possess many memories from our
earthly lives. The memories that will be cleansed are the ones that involve
sin, pain, and sadness. Revelation 21:4 declares, “He will wipe every tear from
their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the
old order of things has passed away.”
The fact that the former things will not come to mind does
not mean that our memories will be wiped clean. The prophecy could be
suggesting the wondrous quality of our new environment. The new earth will be
so spectacular, so mind-blowing, that everyone will quite forget the drudgery
and sin of the current earth. A child who is scared of the shadows in his room
at night completely forgets his nocturnal fear the next day on the playground.
It’s not that the memories have been wiped out, only that, in the sunshine,
they don’t come to mind.
Also, it’s important to make a distinction between the
eternal state and the current heaven. When a believer dies, he or she goes to
heaven, but that is not our final destination. The Bible speaks of “a new
heaven and a new earth” as our eternal, permanent home. Both passages quoted
above (Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1) refer to the eternal state, not the
current heaven. The promise of wiping away every tear does not come until after
the tribulation, after the final judgment, and after the re-creation of the
universe.
In his apocalyptic vision, John sees sorrow in heaven: “I
saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word
of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice,
‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of
the earth and avenge our blood?’” (Revelation 6:9–10). John is obviously in
heaven (Revelation 4:1–2), and he sees and hears those who obviously remember
the injustice done to them. Their loud calls for vengeance indicate that, in
the current heaven, we will remember our lives on earth, including the bad
things. The current heaven of Revelation 6 is temporary, though, giving way to
the eternal state in Revelation 21.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19–31) is
further proof that the dead remember their earthly lives. The rich man in hell
asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn the rich man’s brothers of
the fate awaiting the unrighteous (verses 27–28). The rich man obviously
remembers his relatives. He also remembers his own life of self-serving and
sinful comfort (verse 25). The memories of the rich man in hell become part of
his misery. The story does not mention whether or not Lazarus has memories, but
Abraham has definite knowledge of goings-on on earth (verse 25). It’s not until
we reach the eternal state that the righteous will leave all sorrow behind.
Recommended Resource: Heaven by Randy Alcorn
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