DO DEPARTED LOVED ONES WATCH FROM HEAVEN?
An expression intimating that the departed loved one is now watching over you from heaven is often given with consoling hugs. As time goes on, the loved one sometimes see "little signs from their departed loved one" which gives them hope and a belief that their loved one is communicating with them in some manner. Is this true? Can departed loved ones actually see from Heaven?
What does the Bible tell us? Let us check this out and look at some of the verses and stories that you are familiar with.
CAN A SPIRIT RETURN TO A LOVED ONE FROM HEAVEN? The first story is the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Jesus tells of two departed souls that are in the afterlife. Both are in Hades, one in Hell and the other in Abraham's Bosom.
Luke 16: 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:
(T)he rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. KJV
Abraham's Bosom was a place set aside in Hades (spiritual underworld for the dead) for believers before the death and resurrection of Jesus. From Hell, which is also in Hades, the rich man sees Lazarus and Abraham. The rich man, although he sees Lazarus, does not speak to him, instead he asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to his brothers.
From Abraham's response we learn that spirits cannot go from Hell to Abraham's Bosom, or back again. We also see that the rich man's spirit was not able to leave Hell to go back to earth. That the rich man, at that moment of eternity, understood that the only power that could send someone back to earth is though the power of God. The prophet Abraham was his hoped for intermediary to God's power.
IS PARADISE NOW STILL IN HADES UNTIL JUDGMENT DAY, OR IS IT NOW IN HEAVEN? After Jesus defeated death and arose, resurrected in body and soul, He ascended to Heaven. He delivered us out of Hades, we now go to be with the Lord. Paul speaks of life after death, and it was to be with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. KJV
2 Corinthians12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in thebody, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Philippians 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: KJV
DO THE DEAD HAVE KNOWLEGE OF EARTHLY HAPPENINGS? Let us look at the Old Testament story of Saul and the witch of Endor. Saul was the king of Israel and he was in trouble for disobeying God. He sought God for help, but God was no longer with him.
Samuel, the last judge of Israel, was a great Prophet of the Lord. It was the Prophet Samuel who anointed Saul as king, when the People of Israel asked for a king. Now Saul, desperately needed advice from the Lord. In these verses he disguised himself and went to find the Witch of Endor to bring Samuel the Prophet to him.
1 Samuel 28: 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?
And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. 19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. KJV
Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?KJV
Revelation 6, also, is sometimes, also, believed and interpreted by some to confirm that the saints on earth know what is happening.
Revelation 6: 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. KJV
DOES ALL OF HEAVEN AND THE DEPARTED IN HEAVEN REJOICE OVER EVERY SAVED SINNER? Let's look at verses where Heaven is rejoicing over a lost sinner.
Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. KJV
Above, we see that the angels have knowledge of the saving of a lost sinner, but there is no mention of all the departed having knowledge of this happening. The verse does not say if all the angels in Heaven know. Angels are not omnipresent, they are ministering angels, messengers, or whatever it is that God sends them out for, and that they always see the face of God who is in Heaven.
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. KJV
When the guardian angel rejoices with the once lost sinner that has repented, that angel is in the presence of God. The Joy of the Lord will be with them. We are not told that all of Heaven is watching us.
ARE WE ABLE TO SEE SPIRITS OF THE DEPARTED? Jesus and His disciples go up on a mountain and there they see the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of both the Prophet Moses and the Prophet Elijah.
Matthew17 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. KJV
The disciples saw the glory of God on the face of Jesus. The spirits of the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and talked with Him. After the cloud of Heaven came down, God spoke from it and the men fell to their faces. When they looked back up, the vision was gone.
The disciples had witnessed two of the departed prophets stand with Jesus. The appearance was with the power of God, they were with God. Both of these prophets were departed from this life. Elijah was taken alive up to Heaven, and Moses was buried by the Hand of God. We do not know if these two prophets had resurrected bodies, or if they were in spirit. We do know that they came from Heaven and were witnessed by the called disciples.
DOES HEBREWS 12 TELL US THAT OUR LOVED ONES ARE IN HEAVEN WATCHING US? In Hebrews 12 we are told that we are "surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses." Some believe this Bible chapter proves that are our loved ones can see what is happening in our lives. However, in reading Hebrews 11, the chapter before Chapter 12, Paul speaks of Abel, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Sarah, Isaac, Esau, Moses, Rehab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets and all the saints persecuted for their faith and their testimony. Hebrews 12:1 starts out "Therefore, we also," cannot refer to loved ones watching us from Heaven, but rather of all the prophets and people of God in the Bible, who were witnesses of God.
Hebrews 12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. KJV
IN SUMMARY, we are told that the departed cannot come back from the dead, or have knowledge of what is happening on earth, unless by the Power of God.
God knows our most innermost self, He knows our prayers, our hopes and those we loved.
Psalm 37:4Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. KJV
Not finding any such passage, or reference to the departed seeing their loved one on earth, we will have to believe that only God and the angels can see from Heaven.
When little things happen that trigger memories of a loved one, thank the Lord for His comfort. The departed in Heaven are in the Peace of the Lord, they will not be interacting with happenings on earth. Perhaps messages would be at the hand of the loved one's angel reminding you of the departed one's love. Only God can tell us.
Do they sit up in Heaven watching and cheering us on? It seems pretty safe to say that the answer is no, in that regards. Stay in your walk with the Lord, and when the Joy of saving Grace comes to you, may that Heavenly Joy be known by your departed loved one in Heaven.
________________________
MY WITNESS: A verse that Jesus spoke has kept me from speaking of some of the things I saw, although I have shared with some.
"Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."KJV
Jesus tells us not to waste our time and the Holy Word of God on those who reject God and His Word. You have the Bible, the precious Word of God, follow and believe it. This message is for those who are believers and those who seek the Truth. It is a witness that God is with us.
My witness is of a vision that happened to me in church one day. I was walking down the aisle and met a man who was coming toward me on his scooter. Knowing he was a godly man, I had a lot of respect for him and his walk with God, in spite of his burdens. I reached out to shake the hand he offered. The moment I met his eyes and touched his hand, I instantly found myself in a cloud in heaven. I was aware there had been some kind of noise that came down, but only for a instant.
The cloud had a walled courtyard type of "cloud" fence, but it was not tall. I was awestruck by the Peace and contentment that was with me. I was, also, aware of others, but they were more inside the courtyard. Looking over the wall I could see the earth far below. I could not see people, but only what looked like little bolts of electricity going to and fro and covering the earth. The next moment the vision was gone and I was standing in front of my church friend, shaking his hand.
MY WITNESS: A verse that Jesus spoke has kept me from speaking of some of the things I saw, although I have shared with some.
"Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."KJV
Jesus tells us not to waste our time and the Holy Word of God on those who reject God and His Word. You have the Bible, the precious Word of God, follow and believe it. This message is for those who are believers and those who seek the Truth. It is a witness that God is with us.
My witness is of a vision that happened to me in church one day, the date was somewhere between 2002-2003. I was walking down the aisle and met a man who was coming toward me on his scooter. Knowing he was a godly man, I had a lot of respect for him and his walk with God, in spite of his burdens. I reached out to shake the hand he offered. The moment I met his eyes and touched his hand, I instantly found myself in a cloud in heaven. I was aware there had been some kind of noise that came down, but only for a instant.
The cloud had a walled courtyard type of "cloud" fence, but it was not tall. I was awestruck by the Peace and contentment that was with me. I was, also, aware of others, but they were more inside the courtyard. Looking over the wall I could see the earth far below. I could not see people, but only what looked like little bolts of electricity going to and fro and covering the earth. The next moment the vision was gone and I was standing in front of my church friend, shaking his hand.
