Mark 12 25

Mark 12:25 kjv

For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Mark 12:25 nkjv

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Mark 12:25 niv

When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

Mark 12:25 esv

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Mark 12:25 nlt

For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

Mark 12 verses

Mark 12 25 Meaning

Mark 12:25 directly addresses the Sadducees' theological challenge regarding the resurrection and marriage. Jesus teaches that in the resurrected state, the structures and purposes of earthly marriage—procreation, companionship as understood presently—will no longer apply. Those who rise from the dead will live in a transformed reality, where they will exist "like the angels," indicating a spiritualized existence free from the need or function of marital bonds. This means that while individual identities remain, the nature of human relationship to one another and to God is perfected and transformed, moving beyond earthly societal constructs.

Mark 12 25 Context

Mark 12:25 is part of a series of confrontations between Jesus and various religious authorities in the temple just before His crucifixion. This particular interaction, found in Mark 12:18-27, is a direct challenge from the Sadducees. The Sadducees were a Jewish sect who rejected the concept of the resurrection, the existence of angels, and an afterlife, holding only to the written Torah (first five books of Moses). They posed a hypothetical scenario based on the Mosaic law of levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), where a woman married seven brothers consecutively after each one died childless. They intended to expose the absurdity, as they perceived it, of resurrection. Jesus' response corrects their flawed understanding, demonstrating their ignorance of both Scripture and the power of God. He transcends their earthly-minded framework to describe a future spiritual reality.

Mark 12 25 Word analysis

• For when they shall rise (ὅταν γὰρ ἀναστῶσιν, hotan gar anastōsin):
  • ὅταν (hotan): A temporal conjunction, "whenever," "when," indicating a definite future event.
  • γὰρ (gar): "For," indicating a reason or explanation for Jesus' previous statement.
  • ἀναστῶσιν (anastōsin): Aorist active subjunctive of ἀνίστημι (anistēmi), meaning "to raise up," "to stand again," referring to the act of resurrection. This verb strongly affirms a bodily resurrection, not merely a spiritual existence, but one transformed.
• from the dead (ἐκ νεκρῶν, ek nekrōn):
  • ἐκ (ek): "Out of," "from," emphasizing the source from which they arise – the state of death.
  • νεκρῶν (nekrōn): Genitive plural of νεκρός (nekros), "dead ones." Specifies that actual deceased persons will be raised.
• they neither marry, nor are given in marriage (οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίζονται, oute gamousin oute gamizontai):
  • οὔτε... οὔτε... (oute... oute...): "Neither... nor...", an emphatic negation.
  • γαμοῦσιν (gamounsin): Present active indicative of γαμέω (gameō), "to marry" (active, usually men marrying women).
  • γαμίζονται (gamizontai): Present passive indicative of γαμίζω (gamizō), "to be given in marriage" (passive, usually women being given in marriage). This use of both active and passive voices covers both sides of the marital relationship, emphatically declaring that no one, male or female, will participate in marriage in the resurrection. This signifies the cessation of marriage as an institution in the new state of being.
• but are as the angels (ἀλλ' ὡς ἄγγελοι, all’ hōs angeloi):
  • ἀλλ' (all’): "But," indicating a strong contrast to the preceding statement.
  • ὡς (hōs): "As," "like," indicating a comparison or likeness. The resurrected are like angels, not become angels. The specific likeness being referred to is the angels' non-involvement in marriage and procreation.
  • ἄγγελοι (angeloi): Plural of ἄγγελος (angelos), "messenger," referring to celestial beings. Their nature does not include marriage or procreation, thus highlighting the cessation of these activities for the resurrected.
• which are in heaven (ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, en tois ouranois):
  • ἐν (en): "In," indicating location.
  • τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (tois ouranois): "The heavens," referring to the abode of God and angels, indicating a spiritual, heavenly reality distinct from earthly existence. This location grounds the angelic nature and implies the perfected, transcendent nature of resurrected life.

Mark 12 25 Bonus section

The teaching in Mark 12:25 clarifies that the transformation in resurrection is profound, not merely a continuation of current life. While marriage is a blessed institution on earth, serving crucial purposes such as procreation, mutual companionship, and modeling Christ's relationship with the Church (Eph 5:31-32), these earthly functions give way to higher, perfected realities in eternity. The concept of "no marriage" does not negate relationships; rather, it suggests an ultimate intimacy and community in the presence of God that surpasses the needs and limitations of earthly unions. The focus in eternity shifts entirely from temporal means of procreation or earthly companionship to the eternal enjoyment of God's presence and perfected fellowship among the saints, all within a spiritual body fit for the eternal heavens.

Mark 12 25 Commentary

Mark 12:25 provides a pivotal theological insight into the nature of resurrection and eternity. Jesus corrects the Sadducees' earthly, materialistic understanding of the afterlife, where they projected present human conditions onto eternal existence. By declaring that the resurrected will "neither marry nor be given in marriage," He asserts that the purpose and form of human relationships are profoundly transformed in the new creation. Marriage, designed for procreation and companionship in this present age (Gen 1:28; 2:24), will have fulfilled its purpose.

The comparison to being "as the angels which are in heaven" is not meant to imply that resurrected humans lose their distinct identity or become non-human. Rather, it specifically highlights their spiritualized and perfected state, where the reproductive and relational functions unique to earthly marriage no longer apply. Angels do not procreate or form marital bonds; their existence is one of ministering to God. Similarly, the resurrected will share in a new, direct, and perfected relationship with God and with one another that transcends earthly categories. This truth alleviates the Sadducees' false dilemma and points to a glorious, transformed reality far beyond our current comprehension, centered not on temporal familial ties but on eternal communion with God.