Jesus said in John 14:2-3.....

"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."

Now...a lot of Preachers have been preaching lately about all these mansions that we're suppose to receive when we get to Heaven. The problem is...there are no mansions there, at least not what a majority of Preachers are preaching anyways. In order for a person to understand what I am about to explain to you, you must get your heart in a position to receive what God truly has for you in this article, because this is going to go against probably everything that you've been taught possibly all your life!

I'm going to start by explaining some things that come out of paganism, and show you how that Christianity has been infiltrated by the same ideology today. Hang on, because this is going to be a bumpy ride into reality!

In the muslim religion, many Christians find the religion itself to be outlandish and extreme. Many Christians cannot comprehend why that so many are willing to become martyrs in their own right. The reasons for this are several, but I'll just give a few; First, many Muslims believe that America is a wicked, wicked nation. Why? Because, according to biblical principles (or even Quran), we allow and practice pagan rituals (even some in Christianity!) such as pagan holidays (Holy-days) pagan rituals that were adopted by pagans as far back as the reign of Constantine the Great (who was a pagan who "converted" to Christianity), and later, many of these pagan rituals were adopted and still practiced by the Roman Catholic church, the nation also accepts many things that the Bible (even the Quran) teach against such as all manner of sexual sin, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, murder, liars, etc. So, many believe that we are a nation that speak one thing, and live another!

Another reason is because they also believe that if they eliminate the evil in the world, they are doing a holy thing. If they are killed or "martyred" in the process, they will receive the reward of 72 virgins in paradise! Imagine that! 72 virgins? WOW! Sounds great, doesn't it? But take this ideology, and see something a bit deeper here, shall we?

72 Virgins...hmm...

What is the root of this ideology? Who is the one responsible for this ideology? I'll answer the first question, and then we'll look into the second. One of the quickest ways to find out if something is of God, or something that is presented as something that is of God but is not, is simply looking at the fruits of it:

Jesus said: "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit."

We know that a tree that is not of the regenerate nature (Spirit, Holy Ghost), is a dead tree, right? Then, any tree that is not of God (who is life) is dead. This also stands true in their teachings as well! Whatsoever is not of the Spirit (God) then it is considered a teaching that is to be accursed, and should be done away with.

Galatians 1:8-12

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be ed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

We have to learn to discern between that which is of the flesh (devil), and that which is of the Spirit (God). Paul wrote to the Corinthian church:

2Corinthians 4:4

In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

We see here that Satan blinds people to believe a lie that seems to be the truth, yet is fallible in its origin. Paul also wrote:

1Corinthians 3:19

"For the wisdom of this world (carnal teachings) is foolishness with God For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."

In other words, when you take Preachers/Teachers who teach things that are based on fleshly (carnal) desires, they are foolishness, and are of no substance for spiritual growth and maturity for the body of Christ. This is a great problem in most churches today!

This brings me back to the 72 virgins. Virgins are of a sexual nature. Although God commands us to stay virgins until the day of marriage, God never promises us sexual pleasure in Heaven. This is of a carnal nature. Sex has nothing to do with eternal life, yet the muslim religion "promises" this to all who follow it's teachings and adhere to it! Who is the author of this ideology? The god of this world! Satan himself! The one who blinds the truth from the follower of this teaching. The carnal-minded!

Hinduism believes in reincarnation. The ideology that when you die, you reincarnate into something else of a higher state of being, involving the evolvement of your "spiritual" nature. My question is, "Why would I continue to live on this planet as something else?" After all, with all the things going on, and the earth itself getting worse and worse, who in their right mind would do this? That's OK...I'll pass, no thanks! Once again. It seems "spiritual", but is carnal in nature.

So, what about them mansions in heaven?

Preachers have outlandishly taught that mansions are in heaven. They teach that there is one for every believer that graces the streets of heaven. I've heard them get on TV and even give specific details about their mansion in heaven and going as far as to explain what kind of furniture they have in them! I've heard it time and time again, and even heard the songs they sing, "I've got a mansion, just over the hilltop..." All of this is of a carnal nature, and is not the truth! Let me ask you a simple question:

"Since we're in the Spiritual realm, then why do we need physical mansions to live in?"

After all, there is no night there, so we never sleep. We don't need the sleep...we're spirits, people! What about the furniture? Do I need a la-z-boy? What about a big screen HD-TV? Do I get to pick out my FORD F350 Heavy Duty truck? Can I have a blue one? I'd like to have leather furniture as well. Some with that "velvet" feel to it too, if possible, right? Carnal people.....this is carnal!

All this is not what this passage of scripture is talking about! Let me show you something that you may have never seen before. Let's look at what this scripture translates in the original Greek:

John 14:2 "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. 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. "

In my Father's House translates: Where my Father dwells.

are many mansions translates: are many rooms, or room.

Prepare a place translates: I go to secure a position (place) for you.

I will come again translates: Jesus will come again, that where I am there ye may be also.

Jesus (in John 14:2) is not even talking about "mansions", he's talking about our position as one with him in heavenly places! What he was saying is that we are already in heavenly places with Christ. When he said he was going to prepare us a "place", he had to die. Once he died and ascended into heaven, then all was done for us that needed to be done! As Christians, we share in his triumph and authority in the earth. Therefore we are one in him, and we have every bit of authority that Christ had upon the earth. Unless you see this for it's full intent, you will never walk in the authority granted you through the atonement of Christ.

"Mansions" in this passage also refers to us as dwelling places for God, as if to say, "We are the temple (or dwelling place) of the Holy Ghost" according to 1 Corinthians 6:19. But this could not have been possible without first Christ dying on the cross, and ascending into heaven. This was done to establish the right for us to be with Him in heavenly places positionally!

We are one with Christ. We are joint heirs with Christ. But none of this could've been possible without Christ 'preparing us a place with him! Don't let these Preachers that teach doctrines that fulfil the flesh of this world, to detour you from the truth! God has much more for you, and don't settle for second best...settle for the absolute truth!

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MANSIONS IN HEAVEN
(...take 2)

 

By Ted Montgomery

 

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—KJV)

People generally conceive of a "mansion" as a giant home, in which is located everything we ever could want or need. Ideally, it would be a place of ultimate contentment and fulfilment. Many people actually spend years—or sometimes the rest of their lives—in their mansions without ever leaving them.

If the "mansions" of which Jesus spoke are physical structures, then it might seem, to some, that all the believers who have died are dwelling in them right now in heaven. And it also might seem that those who are resurrected and/or caught up at the Rapture event would be dwelling in them, in heaven, through the remainder of the 70th Week, until the second advent (bodily descent) of Jesus back to earth.

However, Jesus indicated that wherever He is, we would be in the "place" He has prepared for each of us. After He returns back to earth, to rule and reign, then how could we be in our "mansions" in heaven if He is on the earth, yet we are to be wherever He is?

I do not believe that our "mansions" are great big physical structures, which will be brought to earth when we return with Him from heaven, at His second advent. I believe that they are "heavenly" only in the sense that they have been (or will be) manufactured in heaven and will be located in heaven until He appears in the clouds.

Now consider the following description by Paul:

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)

This seems to indicate that each of us actually will be clothed with our own "eternal house" or "heavenly dwelling," which now is in heaven, but which Jesus will bring with Him when He comes in the clouds. It will not be a structure that we will enter and exit as we would a building, such as the home in which we live here on earth. Rather, it will be something that will be with us all the time.

In the same passage, Paul also spoke of an "earthly tent" in which we presently live. He noted that after it is destroyed, then we will have a "building" from God, our "eternal house." What, then, could our "earthly tents" be other than our bodies of flesh and bones, within which our spirits and souls presently dwell? Do not our physical bodies clothe our spirits and souls? I believe they do.

Describing what will occur at the Rapture event, Paul wrote,

'For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."' (1 Corinthians 15:52b-54)

I believe that the "eternal house" of a believer will be the glorified, imperishable, immortal body which will "clothe" the believer's spirit and soul for eternity. A believer's present "body of death" (Romans 7:24b), indeed, will be transformed into, or "swallowed up" by (1 Corinthians 15:54; 2 Corinthians 5:4), his/her resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

That everlasting body will be at least as much superior to a physical, earthly body as a mansion is greater than a tent. It will be a perfect, glorious body, made in heaven, with which each of us will be clothed, and in which we will dwell, happily serving God eternally.