🧩 Introduction: A Statement That Raises Questions
One of the most discussed statements of Yeshua is found in:
Gospel of Matthew 22:30
Gospel of Mark 12:25
Gospel of Luke 20:34–36
“In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.”
This statement has led to several assumptions:
That marriage no longer exists in the world to come
That human relationships are dissolved
That angels cannot marry at all
That this contradicts texts like the Book of Enoch
But when read in full context, the meaning is much more precise—and much less speculative.
⚖️ 1. The Context: A Sadducean Challenge
The statement is not random. It is a direct response to a challenge from the Sadducees.
The Sadducees:
denied the resurrection
used the Torah to argue against it
They present a case based on:
👉 Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5–10)
A woman marries seven brothers successively, each dying without children.
Their question:
“In the resurrection, whose wife will she be?”
This is not a genuine inquiry. It is a reductio argument—an attempt to make resurrection appear incoherent.
🧠 2. Yeshua’s Correction: Two Errors
Yeshua answers:
“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Two problems are identified:
- Misunderstanding the Scriptures
- Misunderstanding the nature of resurrection
🔍 3. The Key Statement Interpreted by Luke
The clearest explanation comes from Luke:
Gospel of Luke 20:36
“They can no longer die… therefore they are like the angels.”
This is decisive.
👉 The comparison to angels is tied to immortality, not ontology.
Greek Insight
The phrase:
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀποθανεῖν ἔτι δύνανται
(oude gar apothanein eti dynantai)
= “for they are no longer able to die”
This defines the entire analogy.
🧱 4. Marriage in the Torah: Why It Exists
To understand Yeshua’s answer, we must understand the function of marriage in Torah.
Marriage is tied to:
life continuation
inheritance
covenant lineage
Especially in:
Book of Deuteronomy 25:5–10
Levirate marriage exists because death interrupts lineage.
🔑 Key Principle
Marriage in Torah is not only relational—it is structural, tied to mortality.
🔄 5. Remove Death → Remove the Structure
Yeshua’s logic is simple but often overlooked:
In this age → people die → marriage sustains lineage
In the resurrection → people do not die
👉 Therefore:
No death
No need for lineage continuation
No marrying / giving in marriage
❗ 6. What the Text Does NOT Say
The text does NOT say:
People lose identity
People forget their families
Relationships are erased
It only states:
👉 The institution of marriage, as it functions now, does not continue in the same way.
🌍 7. Olam Haba (עולם הבא) Framework
Within a Hebraic framework:
This age (עולם הזה) → mortal, cyclical, generational
Olam Haba (עולם הבא) → transformed, incorruptible
Yeshua’s statement aligns with this:
👉 Resurrection life is not governed by the same conditions as present life.
👶 8. Are There Children in the Resurrection?
The text strongly implies:
👉 No new births
Why?
Because:
reproduction addresses mortality
resurrection removes mortality
This aligns with later Jewish reflection:
“In the world to come… no procreation” (Berakhot 17a conceptually)
- “Like the Angels” — What It Means (and Does NOT Mean)
The phrase:
“like the angels in heaven”
is often misread.
What it means:
immortal
not subject to death
not participating in marriage
What it does NOT mean:
angels are incapable of rebellion
angels never acted outside their order
📚 10. Does This Contradict the Book of Enoch?
Book of Enoch states:
“They took wives for themselves…” (1 Enoch 6)
Key distinction:
Yeshua: 👉 describes angels in heaven (proper order)
Enoch: 👉 describes angels who left heaven (rebellion)
Supported by:
Jude 1:6
2 Peter 2:4
👉 Angels abandoned their proper domain
Conclusion:
No contradiction exists.
Yeshua → describes order
Enoch → describes violation of that order
📖 11. The Real Issue: Resurrection
The passage is not about angels.
It is about:
👉 the nature of resurrection life
The Sadducees assumed:
resurrection = continuation of present structures
Yeshua corrects them:
resurrection = transformed existence
🔥 12. Torah-Based Proof of Resurrection
Yeshua then proves resurrection from Torah:
Book of Exodus 3:6
“I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”
His conclusion:
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
👉 Therefore:
the patriarchs must live again
🧠 Final Synthesis
Concept Textual Conclusion
Marriage tied to mortality
Resurrection removes death
Angels comparison about immortality
Enoch describes rebellion, not norm
Olam Haba not structured like this age
🔒 Final Conclusion
Yeshua is not redefining marriage.
He is redefining expectations about the resurrection.
Resurrection is not the continuation of this life—it is the transformation of it.
🧭 Closing Thought
The mistake is not believing in resurrection.
The mistake is imagining it without transformation.