My Father's House

In the previous "Left Behind" study, Jesus met His disciples privately on the Mount of Olives and instructed them concerning the sign of His coming. Jesus didn't tell His disciples they would be raptured into heaven, but they will see Him appear "after the tribulation." And then He will send His angels with a loud trumpet to gather the elect. And the disciples were instructed by Jesus before His ascension:

Jesus commanded his disciples to make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded them. This includes the instructions He gave them in Matthew chapters 24 and 25.

In the above verse, pre-tribbers claim Jesus will go back into in heaven at His Father's house to build mansions for His believers. And when He finishes, He will come before the tribulation to rapture His believers into heaven, or His Father's house. As we have noticed, a few days before, Jesus told His disciples they will be going through the tribulation. And in John Chapter 14, the night of betrayal, according to the pre-tribbers, Jesus tells His disciples He will rapture them into heaven before the tribulation. If this is true, Jesus contradicts Himself. And He contradicts His prayer to the Father in the Garden:

There is a remedy, however. Pre-tribbers claim the disciples in Matthew verses represent the "tribulation saints," or the "Jewish remnant" during the tribulation period. And in John chapter 14, the disciples represent the church. As we see Pre-tribbers apply a double-standard of interpreting scriptures. (First of all, nowhere in scripture can they prove their point of view, and second, it seems illogical for Jesus to tell them one thing and then another.) After all, in both instances, Jesus is talking to the disciples and He tells them (at His ascension) to make disciples and "teach them to observe everything" He commanded them. Therefore there is an inconstancy how pre-tribbers apply their "literal interpretation" of scripture to fit their own means.

Before we draw any conclusions, we need to examine verses two and three further. Jesus said:

As we look at verses two and three, Does Jesus say he is going back into heaven to "build mansions? When Jesus spoke to His disciples, He used the word "are," as in the present tense when He said "in My Father's house are many mansions." And He didn't say "My father's house will have many mansions." So then "mansions" were in His Father's house as He spoke.

We look into the book of Acts after Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection. While Stephen was about to be stoned by the angry mob, Luke gives us this account:

Notice Luke wrote that Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen didn't see Jesus building mansions "in His Father's house." The writer of Hebrews said after Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins, He "SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD." He didn't say Jesus was building mansions in the sky:

In John 14 verse 3, Does Jesus say He coming again before the tribulation to "receive you unto myself?" Jesus doesn't say He is coming before the tribulation. Therefore we cannot conclude it will happen then. And Matthew chapter 24 and in John Chapter 17 verse 15, (the gathering of the disciples "after the tribulation") stands correct.

Notice of Interest

Pre-tribbers claim the words "I will come and receive you unto myself" refers to the pre-trib rapture because of the verses used in Matthew 24 and the verses Luke 17or vice versa:

"...On that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left; There will be two women at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken one will be left.

Luke 34-36 NASB

Pre-tribbers view of the one taken in the above verse comes from the Greek "paralambano," Which means "to take with one’s self." The same words Jesus uses in John chapter 14 verse 3. For a further examination of their viewpoint, please refer to the previous article Left Behind: A Study in Matthew Chapter 24, and and article from the same series Take to One's Self .

If we apply this to a post-tribulational setting, is Jesus going back into heaven with the church to dwell in Heaven after the tribulation? Remember, Jesus will descend from heaven to earth to rule for a thousand years. So we must remember from that point on, when Jesus says " where I am, there ye may be also," then we will be forever with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17c). Therefore we will be here during the Lord's reign.

When does this setting take place when we live in the Father's mansions? Since there is a possibility the new Jerusalem descends from heaven to the new earth, then we could live in "mansions" at that time.

However, we must also look at the setting of this verse. Jesus was in the upper room with His disciples moments before His arrest. How was Jesus going to prepare a place for His disciples? He was on his way to the cross. He Had to die and rise from the dead or else all hope is gone, and all of us would be destined to spend eternity in hell. This preparation had to be on the cross, the sacrifice in which His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Could there be a misunderstanding in this passage how we view the Father's House? Is there anywhere in scripture that says the Father's house is in heaven? Or, could the Father's house be somewhere other than Heaven?

In Genesis, while Jacob went on a journey from Beersheeba toward Haran, he had a dream. After Jacob had the dream, he was afraid and said:

"How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven...And he called the name of that place Bethel (i.e., the house of God)...And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house..."

Genesis 27:17b, 19a, 22a NASB

In first Samuel, year after year Hannah

"Went up to the House of the Lord..."

First Samuel 1:7a NASB

After Hannah weaned Samuel,

"She took him up with her...and brought him to house of the Lord in Shiloh..."

First Samuel 1:24b NASB

Solomon arranged to have the Temple built in Jerusalem. It was called the house of the Lord.

So the great court all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams even as the inner court of the house of the Lord, and a porch of the house.

First Kings 3:12 NASB

When the Israelites returned from exile, there was a plan to rebuild the temple. Cyrus, the king of Persia sent a proclamation:

In The new testament, Jesus called the temple in Jerusalem "My Father's House." When He was twelve, Jesus went to Jerusalem with Mary for the Feast of the Passover. He went to the temple and Mary searched for Him for three days and found Him in the temple.

"...And His mother said to Him, 'Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.'

"And he said unto them, 'Why is that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be at My Father's house?' "

Luke 2:48-49 NASB

Early in the book of John, at the Passover, Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem. He again called the temple "My Father's house."

As we have seen in the above, The Father's was a place of worship in Bethany, the tabernacle in Shiloh, and the temple in Jerusalem. So, it is possible that the Father's house in John chapter 14 verse 2 is the Lord's temple in Jerusalem.

We will further examine the word for temple later, but turn our attention to the word mansion. The King James bible was translated in 1611 (mansion is used once in the entire translation). The word mansion had different meaning than it does today. In our culture, A mansion is a place where the rich live. We usually think of places like Beverley Hills, a city famous for millionaires. They live in mansions with many rooms, in a lavished environment. The word mansion was translated from the Greek "mone" meaning "abode." The more contemporary translations use different words for mone. See the table below.

Mone in John:14 is translated:		In the Following Versions:
Mansions		King James
Mansions		New King James Bible
Dwelling Places		New American Standard Bible
		Modern Language Bible
		Amplified Bible (uses homes in parentheses)
Rooms		New International Version
		Revised Standard Version
		Phillips Translation

In the table above, "dwelling places" and "rooms" are translated for the Greek mone. And Jesus could have referred to the dwelling places in the temple (His Father's House)!

Did Jesus refer to the temple in Jerusalem as His Father's House in John Chapter 14? Or, is there another example where temple is used? Earlier in John chapter 2, as Jesus cleansed the temple, the Jews asked him "What sign do You show to us, seeing that you do these things (verse 18)?" Jesus reply was

The Jews replied "It took forty years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?" John commented: "But He was speaking of the temple of His body" (verses 20-21). So, in this case, The temple Jesus was referring to was His Body.

NOTICE!

Temple (the temple in Jesus' body) in John 2:19 is translated from the Greek naos meaning "inner sanctuary" or "dwelling place."

The Greek naos is used for the temple in Jerusalem in the following verses:

Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke1:9, 22, 23:45

As we have seen in table above, temple can mean a dwelling place and it is used for the temple in Jerusalem and the temple of Jesus' body. And Jesus just told his disciples at His Father's house are many dwelling places. This was the night of Jesus' arrest. And earlier in his ministry, He said "Destroy this temple, and three days I will raise it up." Therefore, He was on His way to be crucified, and offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins ("I go and prepare a place for you"). To further illustrate that the Father's house is the temple of Jesus' body, Jesus explained to Philip:

Jesus said He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. He also said the Father dwells in Him. As we've seen above, Jesus referred to the temple of His body. And temple used in John 2:19 can mean a dwelling place."

Jesus further said "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come and receive you unto myself." If Jesus went to the cross to prepare a place for His disciples, when will He come to receive them to Himself? Remember at this time He didn't ascend to heaven. He came to them (after the resurrection) to receive them unto Himself, His Father's House. Notice, He did not say He was going to bring them back to heaven.

Mansion, or dwelling place in verse two comes from the Greek mone (meaning abode). And abode from verse 23 is also translated from mone and can also mean "a permanent place." Therefore, this is what Jesus referred to, The temple of Jesus' body is the dwelling place where the Father lives. And when a person loves the Son and keeps his word, The Son and the Father "comes to him" and makes Their abode with him.

Jesus gives the illustration of the vine and branches (His Father is the vinedresser). He speaks of the relationship between Himself and the believer "abide in Me, and I in You." and the believer needs to abide in Christ to bear much fruit. This a clear example of Jesus as the dwelling place in John 14 verses 2 and three. And not only do we dwell in Jesus, but He dwells in us as well.

This is the assurance that Jesus will be with us until the end, including the tribulation.