The Narrow Path Ministries

Steve, I've heard you say that John 14:1-2 don't refer to God's house being in heaven. While I agree that we living believers are the house of God, what about those who have died in Christ? My question is mainly about your statement that the fathers house was the physical temple and is now the temple of the church (body of Christ) and not a reference to heaven.

In that case, what do you make of these passages:

2Co 5:1 For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,
2Co 5:3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
2Co 5:5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
2Co 5:6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
2Co 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
2Co 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.


And...

Heb 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Rev 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

It's seems like God's "house" or dwelling and the place God has prepared for us is in heaven, and this is the heavenly country God has prepared for us. That is, until the new heavens and new earth when we are resurrected.

Am I understanding your view on this correctly?

Hi Sean,

I think I understand these things as you do.

My comments were not intended to deny the reality of heaven, the presence of the souls of deceased Christians in heaven, nor the existence of a temple (Gr."naos"—technically, the holy of holies) in heaven.

My point is that heaven is never referred to as God's "house" in scripture. That expression is reserved for references to the earthly tabernacle and temple (in the Old Testament) and to the corporate Body of Christ (in the New).

This observation simply allows us to understand what it is and what it is not that Jesus is discussing in John 14:1-2. He is talking about His dwelling in the company of believers (partially on earth and partially promoted to heaven). He is not talking about building mansions in heaven for us to dwell in, but is rather talking about God's dwelling in many abodes (us) in His house (the church universal).

Our inheritance and our post-mortum home are presently in heaven—in Christ, who is Himself in heaven—until the return of Christ to earth, the resurrection of the dead and the renewal of all things.

It sounds to me as if this is also what you believe. My comments apply only to the interpretation of Jesus' upper-room remarks.