“I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop, in that
bright land where we’ll never grow old….” Chances are you have sung this hymn
before, or at least heard it. Preachers preach of a mansion Jesus is preparing
for us in Heaven. It makes for exciting preaching, and hey, who wouldn’t want
one, right? The problem is that Scripture doesn’t teach the concept of mansions
in Heaven. The misconception is from Jesus’ famous leaving speech in John
chapter 14. “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 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…..” You
probably remember the rest by heart. It is truly one of the most comforting
beautiful passages in Scripture. I myself have used this very passage in too
many funerals to count.
The King James rendering of this passage has led
many to a wrong interpretation of the passage and a false concept of Heaven in
general. We first must understand the language with which we are dealing. 1611
old English is very archaic and can be difficult to understand; it’s the
language of Shakespeare. For those who are already jumping up in anger that I
would be denying accuracy and inerrancy of scripture, let me say that, in 1611
an in 1611 English, the passage is completely accurate. We are tripped up
though when we do not recognize changes in language word meanings. In 1611 the
term mansion simply meant a dwelling place. It is where we derive our word
manor. It is a far cry from what we now consider a mansion, like Trump, or one
of the Hollywood stars, or a world leader would live in. It well could have
been a one room apartment on the cheap side of town. This is why most all of
the modern translations of Scripture have replaced “mansions” with rooms or
abiding places. I certainly would ascribe to the idea that heaven will be
beautiful, likened unto living in a mansion.
Allow me to further blow your mind when I tell you
that Scripture never suggests that we will live eternally in the place above
the clouds that we envision as heaven, hanging out with the angels. Micah in
chapter 4 talks about our future home as a place where every man has his own
vineyard, there is no more war, etc. but does leave the impression that we are here
on earth. In Revelation 21:1 and following we are given the explicit
description of the abode. Yes friend there certainly is a Heaven up there where
our saved loved ones are. However, we all wait on our eternal home which are a
new Heaven and a new earth, and we will go in and out of the new City Jerusalem
which is the place Jesus is preparing.
So then, what is the message of John 14? It is never
meant to be a description of heaven. It is the message of comfort, knowing
this, there is plenty of room. To paraphrase, Jesus said I am going to prepare
a place and there is plenty of room there. Would you like to know that when you
die you can go to Heaven? There is plenty of room for you. Got a lost friend,
family member, or loved one? Plead with them. Beg them, Witness to them. There
is still plenty of room for them too.
