Concerning John 14:1-6

 

Quote:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:1-6)

In these verses, Jesus says absolutely nothing about the disciples going to Heaven!!
What Jesus said was ... He is going to prepare a place for his disciples
Then he said he would come hence "he will return"

At his coming, it is THEN that he will receive his disciples unto himself.
So that, "where I am, there ye may be also!!"

The question is then, where will Jesus be?
In John 14, Jesus says nothing about doing a U-turn!
He does NOT say he will come down from Heaven and THEN receive the saints into Heaven!
Therefore, we ought to allow scripture to interpret scripture.
May I therefore suggest the following ...

• (Dan 7:13-14) I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
• Daniel foresees the Messiah, the Son of man, receiving the Kingdom!
  Daniel tells us more about this Kingdom
• (Dan 2:35) Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
• (Dan 2:44) And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
• Therefore, this Kingdom will fill the whole earth! There's more ...
• (Dan 7:27) And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
• You see ... the Kingdom of GOD is the Kingdom OF Heaven, not the Kingdom IN Heaven. It will come from Heaven i.e. come from GOD.
  However, when it comes (at Christ's coming) it will be the Kingdom under the whole heaven and will fill the whole earth.
• This Kingdom will have a capital city ... hint:
  (Mat 5:35) ... the city of the great King.
• (Luke 19:11-12) And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman [i.e. Jesus the Messiah] went into a far country [i.e. Heaven] to receive for himself a kingdom [cp. Dan 7.13-14], and to return.
• When you read the rest of the parable which is being used to illustrate what will happen at Christ's return; it is AFTER his return that he rewards his faithful servants. Why did he give the parable? Because he was near Jerusalem, the literal, historical capital city of the Kingdom of YAHWEH as shown in the OT! And his disciples, therefore, thought the Kingdom was to immediately appear; that is, since Christ, the designated king of the Kingdom, was travelling towards Jerusalem, the capital city of the Kingdom; they assumed that Christ was about to establish the Kingdom, right there and NOW!
• Remember, the apostles' later question (recorded by the same writer, Luke, who isn't going to contradict himself);
  (Acts 1:6) When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Hence, WHEN are you going to restore the Kingdom?
It was never a question of IF you going to restore ... it was always a question of WHEN!

Restore what?
The Davidic Kingdom of YAHWEH whereby instead of David or Solomon, it would be the King Messiah who would be enthroned [Luke 1.32-33].

It was never about Heaven! The Kingdom of YAHWEH in the OT

[1 Chr 28.5, 2 Chr 13.8] was the Kingdom that GOD established through David according to His covenant with David (2 Sam 7:11ff).
Therefore, it was ...

A literal Kingdom with a literal king ruling from a literal city upon a literal throne.

We ought to pray for its coming [Luke 11.2];
its restoration. [Acts 3.21]
It is THEN that GOD's will, will be done upon the earth even as it is done in Heaven. Its Capital City will be Jerusalem. The Kingdom will be situated in the Land promised to Abraham; however its power and influence will fill the whole earth under the whole heaven! Remember, Abraham was promised the world. [Rom 4.13]

In conclusion, then, the Scriptures tells us ...

• that the Messiah will not return empty-handed [Rev 22.12];
• it tell us that all eyes will see his return
  [Rev 1.7 no secret rapture here!!]
• The Messiah has been promised the throne of David
  [Luke 1.32-33];
• Christ says, at his return he will THEN be seated ...
  (Matt 25:31) When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
• Therefore, rewards are given at his return ... his return is linked geographically with Jerusalem
  [Luke 19:11ff]
• It is therefore at his return, that saints shall be rewarded with authority over nations [Luke 19:16ff, Rev 2.26-27]; it is then that they shall reign with Christ
  [2 Tim 2.12, Rev 5.9-10] ...
  we shall reign on the earth.
  It is then, therefore, the saints shall occupy mansions

Therefore, where Christ is, is where the saints will be!!
Christ will return to Earth with the Kingdom of GOD!
Therefore at Christ's coming ...
Why would anybody therefore, want to go to Heaven??
CHRIST IS NOT GOING TO BE THERE!!!