Commentaries:
God has ways of causing us to yield so that He can mold and shape us into what He desires. Because of this, we will be ready for our "place" when the Kingdom comes. God not only has power, but He also always has alternatives to ensure that His will is done without taking our free moral agency from us. He has another option we may not want to consider: If we will not cooperate by using our free moral agency for right purposes, He can always replace us with somebody better. We are, after all, the weak of the world. We have every reason to be encouraged, however. He will use every means at His disposal to prepare and save those called into His purpose on schedule with the return of Jesus Christ.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sovereignty of God: Part Four
Many Protestants try to use these verses to "prove" that the saints go to heaven. Here, too, they make assumptions, such as understanding "house" only as a dwelling, rather than as a family or dynasty. Thus, they narrowly define place as "an ornate abode, a mansion or palace" instead of a "position," "office," "role," or "spot."
They gloss over the fact that Jesus says directly in this context that He would "come again." Where? To earth! He then says He will receive the saints to Himself. If He remains on earth to rule the nations, then the saints will rule with Him on the earth! Many scriptures show very plainly that God's Kingdom will be on the earth (Psalm 2:6-8; Jeremiah 23:5; Daniel 2:35, 44-45; 7:27; Zechariah 9:9-10; Revelation 11:15).
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Caught Up in the Rapture
"Mansions" is an improper translation. The correct rendering is "abodes" or "dwelling places." In this case, the abodes refer to rooms in the "Father's house" or God's Temple. In Old Testament times, the rooms in the Temple were occupied by God's priests. These rooms represent positions of authority—those positions which the saints will be given in God's ruling Kingdom at Christ's return (Revelation 5:10)!
These positions will not be in heaven. Christ plainly said He was going to heaven to "prepare" a position of authority for each Christian, but it is only when He comes to earth again that these positions will be awarded.
When Jesus returns to this earth, as King of kings, He will tell the saints: "Come, ye blessed . . . inherit the Kingdom, prepared for you" (Matthew 25:34). The Scriptures declare that they will rule all nations here on earth, having positions of authority in God's Kingdom!
Will You Go to Heaven?
It is the night before the crucifixion. Jesus knows what is going to happen, so He prepares His disciples by telling them that He is leaving to travel, as it were, somewhere else. When He gets there, He will prepare a place for them.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace and Law (Part 2)
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 23:42-43
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