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What Does the Bible Say About..Recognizing Others in Heaven?

I know there wont be sadness in heaven. Therefore we wont miss anyone not there. But will we know, recognize, fellowship with our loved ones in heaven. When my wife or I finally pass into eternity will those last seconds in this life be the last time we are really together? Will we remember the joyous times? Will we reflect on our life together? Not just a "I think I've seen you somewhere.." but a "I'm glad to see you.." Thank you.

Answer

There is a lot we don't know about heaven, and probably won't know until we get there. The answer to your question may be one of those things.

There is one scripture that might apply here. There is some disagreement whether it is a true picture of heaven, a picture of some "waiting area" before people get to heaven, or just a story Jesus made up to illustrate a point. The passage is Luke 16:19-31, commonly called the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. After the principal characters die, the rich man is in "torment" and Lazarus is in "Abraham's Bosom." The rich man recognizes Lazarus. There's a lot more to the story, the point of which appears to be that the Old Testament scriptures pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. But for the purposes of your question, it appears people will recognize each other after death, whatever their final destination.

Whether we will spend any of eternity reflecting on our lives together, with spouses or friends, is not stated. If Revelation 7 gives us a partial picture of heaven, then we will spend some of eternity singing and praising God. Beyond that, nobody knows for sure what we will be doing there. If, on the other hand, we are in torment, we will be weeping, but whether we will reminisce about good times is also not stated.