A View I Never Considered?

[Selah7]

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Here are my thoughts, brother.

Don't be worried; I believe this is the topic of chapter 14.  

Jesus is assuring us that if we trust in and love the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't need to worry about anything. He promises that He will give us rest.

The Greek word for "mansions" in the original text is "mone," which is #3438 in the Strong's Greek dictionary. It implies a peaceful location (an abode) where one can relax and abide.  Christ's shed blood serves as our haven of rest.

We know the way—the way is the Cross.

[Dennis1209]

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

All right, let us simplify this a bit. In the verses above, which do you believe Jesus is talking about?

A.    The New Jerusalem.

B.    Our new heavenly bodies.

C.    Both.

Jesus stated, “In my Fathers house are many mansions:” In Jesus’ day, this presupposes these mansions already existed. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” [emphasis added]

By the vocabulary, when Jesus walked the earth, it sounds like "our place" does not exist yet; it must be something new, a new abode. Perhaps I am seeing something that is not there.

What is your opinion @AdHoc?

[Mr. M]

2 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

I have always considered this to refer to the New Jerusalem, our eternal dwelling place on earth. With further study and exchanging thoughts with some experts, I am unsure now, and I now suspect it could allude to our heavenly (glorified) bodies. What are your thoughts?

The following are some condensed commentary:

What I was after in my original reply was that there might be some other line of thinking in regards to the "room" that Jesus mentions in John 14:1-3. Too often we get stuck on the KJV or NKJV translation "mansions." That really is a poor translation for our contemporary audience. If we skip the KJV and go straight to the Greek, we see that the word is "dwelling places." 

I brought up 2 Cor 5 because Paul is discussing his new glorified body or "dwelling places" (not made with hands which is eternal in the heavens). Paul was alive at the time, but was talking about his new glorified body (building) already existing in the heavens!

We might ask, "What do you mean, Paul? How is your new eternal body existing right now in the heavens?" I think the answer would be when Jesus said He was going to prepare a "dwelling for us" (John 14:2-3), He was really referencing not a mansion, but He was going to heaven to prepare our NEW BODIES for us so that when He returns at the rapture/resurrection, we will get those new bodies in which we will dwell and live forever.

We can show this further because 2 Cor 5:1-2 is showing a contrast between our earthly tent (current weak body) and the new building (eternal) .... where? In the heavens! Something to at least ponder. :)

Blessings to you!

I go to prepare a place for you: Love prepares a welcome. With love, expectant parents prepare a room for the baby. With love, the hostess prepares for her guests. Jesus prepares a place for His people because He loves them and is confident of their arrival.[ii]

 

 

 

---

Mondo Gonzales (Prophecy Watchers)

[ii] 2018 David Guzik

 

 

Possibly related.

Ephesians 2:

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

(by grace you have been saved),

 6 and raised us up together, and

made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

[Michael37]

3 hours ago, Mr. M said:

made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

No waiting rooms I'm hoping. Do not like them.

[Mr. M]

3 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

No waiting rooms I'm hoping. Do not like them.

Always bring the "Good Book" and you won't be

stuck with old magazines!

[com7fy8]

4 hours ago, Mr. M said:

 

Ephesians 2:

6 and raised us up together, and

made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I thought of this.

So, Jesus went to prepare our place, and we are here, by being "in Christ Jesus".

now

How?

By being in His grace which is in Jesus who is now in Heaven.

By being in God's love which is Heaven's love in Heaven's Holy Spirit >

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

But I would say Heaven and we are developing now for how we will become for being in the New Jerusalem which will be the Bride descending to the new earth > Revelation 21:2.

So, may be it could be like how an unborn is in mommy's tummy, at first, yet is in the family and so loved. But the unborn one has not developed into relating with everyone and having his or her place and roles in the house. However . . . outside the mother, there is preparation of the place of the child. Then out comes the baby, and "having a baby changes everything!"

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by com7fy8

[Marilyn C]

9 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

I have always considered this to refer to the New Jerusalem, our eternal dwelling place on earth. With further study and exchanging thoughts with some experts, I am unsure now, and I now suspect it could allude to our heavenly (glorified) bodies. What are your thoughts?

The following are some condensed commentary:

What I was after in my original reply was that there might be some other line of thinking in regards to the "room" that Jesus mentions in John 14:1-3. Too often we get stuck on the KJV or NKJV translation "mansions." That really is a poor translation for our contemporary audience. If we skip the KJV and go straight to the Greek, we see that the word is "dwelling places." 

I brought up 2 Cor 5 because Paul is discussing his new glorified body or "dwelling places" (not made with hands which is eternal in the heavens). Paul was alive at the time, but was talking about his new glorified body (building) already existing in the heavens!

We might ask, "What do you mean, Paul? How is your new eternal body existing right now in the heavens?" I think the answer would be when Jesus said He was going to prepare a "dwelling for us" (John 14:2-3), He was really referencing not a mansion, but He was going to heaven to prepare our NEW BODIES for us so that when He returns at the rapture/resurrection, we will get those new bodies in which we will dwell and live forever.

We can show this further because 2 Cor 5:1-2 is showing a contrast between our earthly tent (current weak body) and the new building (eternal) .... where? In the heavens! Something to at least ponder. :)

Blessings to you!

I go to prepare a place for you: Love prepares a welcome. With love, expectant parents prepare a room for the baby. With love, the hostess prepares for her guests. Jesus prepares a place for His people because He loves them and is confident of their arrival.[ii]

 

 

 

---

Mondo Gonzales (Prophecy Watchers)

[ii] 2018 David Guzik

 

Hi Dennis,

This is similar to my view. Now we know that the Lord promised the 12 disciples that they would rule over the 12 tribes of Israel, (Matt. 19: 28) & that will be in the New Jerusalem, (Rev. 21: 14) The Old Testament saints were also promised the city, (Heb. 11: 16)

As for us, the Body of Christ we are promised to be kingpriests on the Lord`s very own throne in the highest, (Rev. 1: 6,  3: 21) And that will be in our new bodies. What do we need - a lounge, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom etc. These are for our earthly pilgrimage, and not needed in a spiritual body. So let us -

`.... press towards the goal for the prize of the on top call of God in Christ Jesus. `(Phil. 3: 14)

[Marilyn C]

6 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

All right, let us simplify this a bit. In the verses above, which do you believe Jesus is talking about?

A.    The New Jerusalem.

B.    Our new heavenly bodies.

C.    Both.

Jesus stated, “In my Fathers house are many mansions:” In Jesus’ day, this presupposes these mansions already existed. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” [emphasis added]

By the vocabulary, when Jesus walked the earth, it sounds like "our place" does not exist yet; it must be something new, a new abode. Perhaps I am seeing something that is not there.

What is your opinion @AdHoc?

Hi Dennis,

Remember that Jesus was speaking to the 12 disciples there who have a different inheritance from us. And the New Jerusalem was built by God in heaven, and comes down to the lower heavens to rule over the earth. (Heb. 11: 10,  Rev. 21: 2)

The Body of Christ however is located on `mount Zion, ` the symbolic rulership position in the third heaven. (Heb. 12: 22)

[AnOrangeCat]

10 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

I brought up 2 Cor 5 because Paul is discussing his new glorified body or "dwelling places" (not made with hands which is eternal in the heavens). Paul was alive at the time, but was talking about his new glorified body (building) already existing in the heavens!

We might ask, "What do you mean, Paul? How is your new eternal body existing right now in the heavens?" I think the answer would be when Jesus said He was going to prepare a "dwelling for us" (John 14:2-3), He was really referencing not a mansion, but He was going to heaven to prepare our NEW BODIES for us so that when He returns at the rapture/resurrection, we will get those new bodies in which we will dwell and live forever.

This is interesting, especially the point about the word meaning dwelling places. Without any further research I agree with William that both a literal abode in the sense of some little corner of Heaven where we focus whatever tasks we have and the new body are in the picture. I feel like Heaven is going to be a really mind blowing experience that may well defy our expectations and earthly understanding.

It's been a while since I've gone through John, and I probably will relatively soon, but I'll bring this up for consideration. The earthly writers of scripture definitely add their own unique touches to the inspired Word. Despite largely covering the same events the Gospels have different tones and points of focus and stylistic elements. So to really dig into question I think we'd also need to look at Jesus Himself. He was certainly no stranger to figurative speech, symbolism, and metaphor so something not intended to be taken at face value seems entirely plausible.

[Selah7]

1 hour ago, AnOrangeCat said:

I feel like Heaven is going to be a really mind blowing experience that may well defy our expectations and earthly understanding.

I can’t wait! 

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

- 1 Corinthians 2:9