This is something that I've mulled around in my mind for a long time. To give a you a simple speculation from my ponderings, Joecool, our joy will be so full that being single or formerly married will no longer be something that we consider in our existence. We are with God. Nothing could be better than that. As Mike pointed out, there will no longer be marrying or giving in marriage.
So there is the question of, 'what if my spouse/child doesn't believe?' Well, first of all, if they don't believe now, then they won't be raptured, right? That doesn't necessarily mean the end for them, though. They would be going through the tribulation which hopefully will change their mind. Then there is the Great White Throne judgement. Do unbelievers get a second chance then? I like to believe they do. It's hard for us to think of loved ones as wicked, but simply put, if they don't believe in God(by choice) then they are one of the "wicked". So what happens to the wicked?
"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:14-15
Pretty cut and dried.
KJS said, "Then some how our memory of certain people will be missing -- so we would not miss them ......"
“Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out,
and the flame of his fire does not shine…
His memory perishes from the earth,
and he has no name in the street.”Job 18:5,17
“those who rebel…The murderer…the adulterer…The womb forgets them;
the worm finds them sweet;
they are no longer remembered,
so wickedness is broken like a tree.’ Job 24:13,14,15,20
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth. Ps. 34:16
Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! Ps.109:15
The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot. Prov.10:7
The depths and heights of God's mercy are immeasurable. My wife still struggles at times with the thought of 'what if one or all of our kids don't believe'. Well first, I'm pretty sure that if they see us 'disappear' and they don't, we have told them what has happened(my oldest, right now, thinks we're nuts). Second, I'm fairly sure they will turn to each other and realize what they have to do from what we've taught them. And finally, as strange as it is to type this out, if one or all resist to the end and refuse to believe, God, in His boundless mercy, will remove all memory of them. I know, for myself, I would not want to exist in eternity remembering I had a child that is no longer with me/us.
Also, on another note, I'd like to point something out that I found interesting. In Rev. 20:10 seems to show that when Satan is thrown into the lake of Fire at the end of the thousand years, the Beast and the False Prophet are there and they are all tormented for eternity.
BUT, it doesn't actually say that in the Greek.
"And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Rev. 20:10
The term 'they will be tormented' is simply 'basanizó', which means 'to torture', in this context would be 'to be tortured'. There is no 'they'. Also, in the sentence preceding, it says, 'into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown'. Other versions say, 'were thrown'. All past tense. Now couple that with what the Lake of Fire does. It consumes, or 'κατεσθίει' From kata and esthio (including its alternate); to eat down, i.e. Devour (literally or figuratively) -- devour. Also, God is described in Hebrews 12:29 as an all consuming fire. 'καταναλίσκον' or 'to use up', and 'πῦρ', fire. This tells me that anyone thrown into the Lake of Fire is consumed completely until nothing is left to consume, except for Satan, of course, as he will be tormented day and night forever. He has already been found guilty because his sentence is spelled out for us. What about the Beast and the False Prophet? As has been discussed in these threads, they are human, are they not? They are consumed just like everyone else that are thrown into the Lake of Fire. Are they possessed by demons or fallen angels? Probably. So what about those entities?
"Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!" 1 Cor. 6:3
Perhaps that is one of our first tasks as Kings and Priests in service to our King, Jesus Christ!
I hope the word studies that I struggle with are a help and a comfort to anyone who reads them.
May Jesus our Lord guide and strengthen everyone of you!!