“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
Throughout all eternity you are going to remember the moment you were saved by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You will remember forever why those scars are in His hands, feet and side. Certain prayers that were answered, times when the Almighty revealed a truth to you from His Word, moments of joy that you experienced that in heaven you will know eternally will be brought to your mind thousands of years from today.
We may even remember times of sadness, but will shed no tears over them.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)
But you are not going to remember what you had for lunch yesterday, and any of those other innocuous, temporal, carnal things. They will never be brought to mind again.
Those who say that our memories of everything here will be wiped clean are incorrect, those first few sentences stand as a truth, if you meet someone that believes that all past memories will be wiped clean in heaven, then ask them about those they loved that have gone on to glory before them, ask them if they will recognize them.
Ask them about the nail prints in the Savior’s hands.
I believe everything written here so far is truth, what follows next is conjecture, but seems as truth to me.
All those in hell today, all those that will be cast into the eternally burning Lake of Fire will retain throughout all eternity a perfect memory. Perhaps not every moment of every day, but it would not surprise me if that was a truthful statement as well. As we who are hid in Christ will always remember why we are in heaven, they will always remember why they are not.
“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:44)
All any of us know about hell is what is revealed to us in the Scriptures, so I take my conjecture points, in part, from the words of the rich man, who asked that someone would be sent back to the land of the living, those still alive, so to speak, to warn them of that place of pain. He remembered them.
I do not know if an angel is sent to each person when they open their eyes in hell a few moments after their death to explain to them where they are and why, or if they “just know.” I do believe though that they are never going to be allowed to forget the reason why, ever. There would be, again in my own personal opinion, no reason for the Almighty to punish them eternally unless they know why they are being punished.
As for our memories of loved ones who will reside in that place of torment, I cannot say. It seems difficult to comprehend at this moment, but if we do remember them, we will feel no pity for them, they have received and will continue to receive throughout all eternity what they deserved.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)
Now and forevermore.
I am not going to say, “unless you talk to them, plead with them,” their salvation is in their hands.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)
But I will say this, if even the smallest part of my conjectures are correct, and you happen to be looking over the edge of hell one day and see one you loved there, you will plead for the day when He wipes all tears away.
