END TIME PROPHECY: A MANSION IN THE LIFE TO COME

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come . . . Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. (13:33,36-38)

Where was Jesus going? Why could Peter only go with Him later and not now? Why was Peter mystified?

Perhaps, Peter was greatly discouraged after being informed that he would not only fail to give his life but he would actually deny knowing Jesus. For Jesus said to him, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1).

Then Jesus continued, "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" (14:2-3).

Peter may have been discouraged over Jesus’ statement, but he could take hope because there was a mansion, the place Jesus was going to take him. What does it mean, however? Perhaps, it is the word mansions that has caused so many to stumble at the understanding of this passage.

The original word translated mansions in 14:2 was used by John one other time in Chapter 14: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (14:23). The exact original word that was translated mansions in 14:2 is translated abode in 14:23.

Moreover, the root of the word translated mansions, is used forty times by John and it is translated abide twenty-four of those forty times. In the next chapter, Jesus stated,

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (15:4,5)

In fact, Jesus used the word abide eight times in the first ten verses of Chapter 15.

Jesus said, "In my Father s house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you" (14:2). Where Jesus went was to prepare a place for Peter and all believers. The place He prepared for his disciples was the "stayings," which is the literal translation of the word translated mansions by the KJV.

Paul said the same thing to the Ephesian saints when he wrote to them concerning this mystery of life:

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. (1:9,10)

Jesus said to Peter, "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 14:3). He also said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit . . ." (15:5). Again, He stated, ". . . if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (14:23). Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension prepared a mansion for every believer. The mansion is the "staying" of the believer in Jesus, the "oneness" of being set with God.

Jesus also said to His disciples in the context of the same message: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you . . . ." It is unfortunate that most of Christianity today regard ordained as being "invest[ed] with the office of minister, priest, or rabbi."  The word ordain, however, in this statement of Jesus is a reference to the place that Jesus said He was going to prepare for Peter and all other disciples.

The actual word that is translated ordained contains the essence of "the mystery of His will," the mystery of the mansion. It is the underlying teaching and truth of Jesus Christ as recorded in John 13-15. The word ordain means "to place (in a passive, horizontal position as opposed to an active, vertical posture)."

Jesus said to Peter and to all of His disciples that they had been chosen to be placed, horizontally and passive, in a place He was going to prepare. They could not go until He had gone. However, He would come again and take them.

They would be taken to the place that Paul referred to as oneness ("gather together in one"). Jesus called it a staying ("in my Father's house are many mansions"). They would be taken to the secret dwelling place of the Most High God.

In addition, Paul stated that it would be a place where the believer would experience "all spiritual blessings" (Eph. 1:3). Jesus referred to it as the place (15:5) where much fruit would come forth (15:5). Not only would this abiding place bring forth fruit, the fruit would remain (15:16). Plus, ". . . whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (15:16).

Is it any wonder the translators of the King James Version would call this staying a mansion? It is the place where all the blessings of God are experienced.

Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (15:16). Notice, the way the word that is used three times in this dynamic statement of what it means to be Christian. It gives the verse a sequential order in its fulfillment, a sequential order to the outworking of the gospel, Jesus Christ.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that . . . ." The choosing and the ordaining by Jesus produce something. It produces "that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that [this second "that" is italicized in KJV, meaning it is not in the original] your fruit should remain." The going, the bring forth fruit, and the your fruit should remain are products of being chosen and ordained. They do not produce themselves.

Moreover, the going, the bring[ing] fruit, and the fruit remaining produce something. They produce "that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." The "whatsoever ye shall ask . . . [and it shall be given you]" occurs out of the fruit remaining, the bring[ing] fruit, and the going. Although the ingredients of the verse may not be fully understood yet, it can be seen they are sequential in their order, sequential in how they occur in one’s life.

Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go . . . ." It would seem that the going would be the activity of doing something for God: preaching, teaching, evangelizing, or some other good deed. However, the word translated go in this verse is not the usual word translated go with it s common meaning "to traverse."

In this powerful statement of what it means to be Christian, it is revealed that each believer is chosen and ordained "to be led under, i.e. withdrawn or retired (as if sinking out of sight) [literal meaning of the word translated go]." It is the part the believer plays in what it means to be Christian. It is the part each believer plays in experiencing the place that Jesus prepared.

What a marvelous revelation to understand that the first product of being chosen and ordained by Jesus is to be led out of sight. To the world’s way of thinking, it seems foolish to expect life to be found in sinking out of sight. To those who have experienced the Jesus life, however, it is the wisdom of God. It is the power of God at work in the life of the believer.

Notice, how similar this definition of "to lead under, withdraw or retire" is to Paul's statement to the Philippians:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things [Paul became willing to give up his baking and tree making], and do count them but dung . . . that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (3:8,10,11)

"To withdraw, retire, be taken out of sight" is "the loss of all things." It is to be "made conformable unto his death." It is to experience the dying-off. It is to sink out of sight. It is to experience the life of Jesus Christ.

Why was Paul willing to lose all things and count them as refuse? He gave the answer, ". . . that I may win Christ, And be found in him . . ." (3:8,9).

Why did Paul want to win Christ and be found in Him? Again, he said, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." (3:10).

Why did Paul want to be "made conformable unto his death?" Why did Paul want to experience this death? In order that he "might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." In order that his mortality might be swallowed up by the life of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:4).

Life is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ; therefore, man must continually experience the dying-off of his life to experience the life of Christ. Man must continually die to his own living to experience the life of Jesus. Amazingly, man must even die to his own deeds for God to experience the working of God in his life.

In summary, when Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go . . . ." He is stating that the believer has been chosen and ordained to go to the place that Jesus has prepared. The believer has been chosen and ordained to be taken to the staying. The believer has been chosen and ordained to experience the reality of oneness in Christ, the reality of the Jesus life.

This staying is a place of absolute mystery to man for it proclaims that man lives only when he dies. Jesus told Peter, "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards" (John 13:36). He also told him,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee [sounds like Paul s "being made conformable unto his death"], and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God . . . . (John 21:18,19)

Peter could not go to the place Jesus was going until Jesus had been there and returned to do the same work in Peter. Peter's religious zeal led him to make bold statements of commitment and dedication, ". . . Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake" (13:37). He thought he was willing to die for Jesus. At this point in his life, however, Jesus said, ". . . Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice" (13:38). The rooster will always crow before man, in himself, can go to the place where Jesus went.

No man can or will go to that place in himself. Peter would get there, but it would be because "another [would] gird [him]." Paul would get there, but it would be because he was "made conformable unto [Jesus ] death." All men can get there, but they can only get there by Jesus. Jesus has prepared a mansion for every believer.