A PLACE FOR YOU

Tuesday 26 November

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. 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. John 14:2-3

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3)

How can many mansions be in one house? Does that even make sense to you? This statement seems to defy logic. There are those that have preached about visions they had about God showing them their mansion that was either constructed or undergoing construction in heaven somewhere over the rainbow. Y’know, where blue birds fly? Seriously though, is this what Jesus was talking about? Think about this. Why would you even need a mansion in a place where there is no night and nobody sleeps? Let’s investigate further.

The answer lies in understanding two words in the Greek. ‘House’ and ‘mansions’.

‘Oikia’ for house actually means family or household.

We are of the HOUSEHOLD of faith.(Galatians 6:10b)

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ upon whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth is named.(Ephesians 3:14)

‘Mone’ the Greek word for ‘mansions’ means residences, abodes and dwellings.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God DWELLS in you? )1 Corinthians 3:16)

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives (RESIDES) in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our ABODE with him (John 14:23).

To paraphrase John 14:2 Jesus was essentially saying ‘in my Father’s family or household there are many dwellings or residences. He then continues to say he is going to do 3 things. Prepare a place, come again and receive you to myself. Why? So where I am you may be also. Some believe this means a mansion, the second coming and someday going to heaven but this is not the case.

The place that Jesus said He was going to prepare for us has been prepared. That place is us in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and Christ in us (Colossians 1:27b.) He has come again in the Holy Spirit. John 14:28 corroborates John 14:3, it says ‘You have heard Me say to you, I am going away and coming back to you’. It has already happened. Jesus has come back in the Holy Spirit.

The last part of John 14:3 says ‘that where I am you may be also. Where is Jesus? In the believer. Where are you? One new creation in Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says ‘he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit.’

So where is heaven? Answer. Wherever Jesus is. By the way, No where does the Bible mention anyone going to heaven. Heaven came to earth through Jesus Christ and we have become the ‘heaven and earth’ of God as according to Genesis 1:1b. The bad news is you don’t get a mansion. The good news is you’ve got something far greater: the unsearchable riches of Christ!

APPLICATION

Live with the consciousness that all of the works of the New Testament were completed by Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and operate in the light of this reality.