“Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (John 14:1-4)
The phrase "My Father's house" could better be translated "My Daddy's house". Father here is very official, but the original word meant something more endearing and loving. If any of us had a relationship with a parent or grandparent or an older adult that was loving and comforting, we understand the desire to go to that person's house and spend time with them. Sometimes we wouldn't even want to leave when we knew we had to.
The scripture teaches of three heavens. The first heaven is what we can see when we stand outside and look with our own eyes, atmospheric heaven: Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (Genesis 1:6-8)
The second heaven is what we cannot always see with our eye, but we do have the ability to see some of objects there, celestial heaven: Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19)
God's house is the third heaven: ...I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—...—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—...— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (II Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul speaking about his experience); I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book... Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” (Revelations 1:9-11, 10:4, John speaking about his experience)
What's so special about this third heaven, God's house...(continue)
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