What do you think this really means?
"IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE are many mansions"
by journey-on 6 Replies latest watchtower bible
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JCanon
This relates to Jesus' words about him going to "prepare a place for you" and how they could not get sealed into the Kingdom until Satan was kicked out.
Hmmmm. Maybe the vacated mansions are those of the demons that will now be free for the anointed to move into when they go up to Heaven!
Interesting, Jehovah specifically protects the anointed from direct contact with Satan, so perhaps something about Satan and the demons are unholy and the anointed are holy so Satan is not allowed to pollute them.
The idea that there are nice abodes in heaven for us is a nice thought!!
I don't have anything further though, other than the direct statement here.
JC
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journey-on
Thanks for replying, JCanon. I thought my thread had died on the vine. I had some thoughts about this scripture,
but since nobody is interested, I just nixed it.
BTW, did you see my comment on your recent thread about the fist to the heart in the pic you posted of the Ethiopian eunuch getting
baptized? If you did, what, if anything, do you think this means? I thought it was an odd hand position to hold to baptize someone.
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Narkissos
This passage must be read in context (John 14), I think: it is the starting point of the discussion, and as such it expresses a "common" (i.e. not specifically Johannine) eschatological view -- the "mansions," abodes or dwelling places of the righteous in the so-called "intermediate state" or in the "world to come" are a common feature of Jewish and Christian apocalyptical literature... so is the theme of Jesus going to heaven, returning and taking his elect with him in early Christianity.
From there the Johannine reinterpretation actually starts, and consistently reverses the perspective from the "heavenly" and "future" to the "here and now".
You know the way to the Father -> I am the way / You have seen the Father.
I'm coming back indeed -> to be in you forever.
The same pattern is applied to the dwelling places: In my Father's house there are many dwelling places (monai) -> we will come to them and make our home (monè)with them.
Btw, these are the two only occurrences of monè in the whole NT (although the related verb is a keyword of Johannine theology, cf. "dwell in" Jesus / God / love and reciprocal statements).
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JosephMalik
1 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.
journey-on,
The expression "And whither I go"(hupago) which means 1) to lead under, bring under 2) to withdraw one’s self, to go away, depart. Is the only way to obtain official residence in such a mansion and the Kingdom promises that our Father and now our Lord offers to the human race. This involves faithfulness unto death and the assurance of a resurrection from death that would follow. This was the way our Lord chose and this is what we now choose for ourselves as followers of Him. This is a promise that involves waiting in such death until our Lord returns here to earth once again which is where our Lord will be at this prophecies fulfillment. (Acts 1:11). It does not involve going someplace else to live in such mansions in this Kingdom since those that will administrator it will exist here on earth with Him at this time.
Joseph
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Perry
I believe he meant exactly what he said.
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bigdreaux
the movie "zeitgeist" takes an interesting position on it. it's worth checking out.