Will we actually recognize our friends and relations who have accepted Christ and died before us on this earth. I am not sure of the biblical teaching on this point, I have asked several people and have got differing answers.

The following are examples from the Bible showing the reasons I believe we will be able to recognize and be known of others after we die.

1. Ability to recognize people we’ve never met. In Luke 9:28-33 [28] And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. [29] And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. [30] And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: [31] Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. [32] But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. [33] And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
   See All... Peter, James and John are with the Lord when Moses and Elijah appear. From the Apostles’ reaction they seem to have no trouble identifying them even though they had never met before. In another instance the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 [19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. [25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. [26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. [27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: [28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. [29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. [30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. [31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
   See All... is able to discern who Abraham is without previously meeting him. I would also venture to assume that those Jews who were in Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s resurrection had no trouble identifying the saints who arose from their graves also (Matthew 27:52-53 [52] And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, [53] And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
   See All...). Could you imagine a large group of strangers just showing up and wandering around a Jewish city in a Roman controlled territory and no one being a little suspicious of them if they didn’t know who they were?
2. The Bible’s promise of comfort to the believer. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
   See All... Paul is consoling the Christians in regard to their loved ones who have died in the Lord. Verse 13 reads, “But, I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, as others which have no hope.” We know that our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
   See All...) is the Lord Jesus Christ but I believe the hope Paul is referring to here also is the hope of these believers being reunited with their saved loved ones; “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…” (1 Thessalonians 4:17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
   See All...). So there for he can say in verse 18,  “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” In another instance (2 Samuel 12:23But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
   See All...) we see David consoling himself with the fact that he would be reunited with his deceased son. If we cannot recognize our saved loved ones and friends from this life where would the comfort be in that?
3. The make up of our eternal souls. Since man is a triune being created in the image of God (1 Thessalonians 5:23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
   See All..., Genesis 1:26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
   See All...), he has a spirit (albeit a dead one until quickened by God’s Spirit), a soul and, of course, a body. The soul, I believe, is composed of your will, mind, emotion, personality, etc. I believe your soul also includes your memory. In the Bible there are several instances where after death the individual still has the capacity for the memories of their former life. In Luke 16:19-31 [19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. [25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. [26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. [27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: [28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. [29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. [30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. [31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
   See All..., Abraham admonishes the rich man in hell by reminding him of his prosperity on Earth. The rich man also remembers his brothers who are still alive. He also recognizes who Lazarus is from their previous life together. In Revelation 6:9-10 [9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
   See All... the souls in Heaven that were slain during the tribulation recall those that murdered them when they dwelt in the Earth. From the following it appears possible that others in hell will still have their memories along with the ability to recognize others from this life (Ezekiel 32:17-31 [17] It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, [18] Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. [19] Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. [20] They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes. [21] The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. [22] Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword: [23] Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living. [24] There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. [25] They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain. [26] There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. [27] And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. [28] Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword. [29] There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit. [30] There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit. [31] Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
   See All... and Isaiah 14:9-16 [9] Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. [10] All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? [11] Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. [12] How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! [13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: [14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. [15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. [16] They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
   See All...).
4. The promise of our glorified bodies. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
   See All..., “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” “Face to face” in the Bible means to come together in person with nothing between (2 John 12, 3 John 13, 14). As stated above I believe that a person’s soul is the “real you” and is what differentiates us from one another. Just as our fingerprints, DNA, personalities, etc., make people distinct and identifiable in these present bodies, I feel our souls will have similar, distinguishable traits. With this corrupt flesh and our fallen nature completely done away with I believe that we will be able to know each other just like we do now but on a spiritual plane. Again, Paul writes concerning these bodies in 2 Corinthians 3:18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.
   See All..., “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Note the phrase “open face” which once again implies that with these bodies there will be nothing to cover, hinder or obstruct our person. As our Lord was recognizable in his glorified body I have no doubt that we too shall be recognizable. In addition, with these new bodies we will have the capability to know and be known as our Lord does and will have no trouble-recognizing saints from the ages past. From my study along with these verses it seems to me that death in the Bible does not mask the identity of believers.