Dear Pastor Gallups, among my acquaintances are people who are widowed. They refuse to have relationships with anyone of the opposite sex. They believe their dead spouses are in Heaven looking through a window spying on them. What does the Bible say about this?. Also, are some in heaven suffering over the hardships that their love ones are having done here? C.D. Milton

Dear C.D.,

The Bible does not support the notion that loved ones who have died and gone to Heaven (and sadly, not ALL go to Heaven, don’t forget!) are looking down on us and particularly they are not “spying” on us. It is this very belief that causes some to seek out necromancers or other occultic mediums in order to make contact with their dead loved ones. The Bible strictly warns us and prohibits God’s children from participating in this demonic charade.

There is a passage in Hebrews 12:1 that refers to us as being surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses”. Many mistake this passage to mean that we are being “spied” on by those in heaven. The context, however, of “witnesses” is that of those who have gone BEFORE us in the faith and who risked or even given their lives for the sake of the Gospel. They stand as witnesses, examples and inspiration for us to do the same thing.

We know from the Bible, that of course, The Lord and his Holy Angels know all that is happening on earth. But again, C.D., there is no Biblical support that those in Heaven know the details of what is occurring in our lives.

I guess this would also help to answer your second question. I doubt if they know of specific suffering or anything else specific about us. Heaven is a “glorified” state of life. It is not simply an extension of earth life. The Bible says that we will have a completely different perspective on all of life when we are with Him.

If a Christian person is widowed, the scripture says that they are free to re-marry as long as they re-marry a believer. Perhaps this will help you and your friends C.D.