The household
The Words of Jesus at the opening of John 14 are often misinterpreted by those holding various false doctrines. Some orthodox Christians believe that God’s house is in heaven, whilst others who believe that disciples now posses the Holy Spirit in some form do not understand properly that the Scriptural doctrine of the house or household refers to a collective household of all true believers of all ages. Instead of this they see each individual believer as “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19).
In fact, the Scriptures teach that the whole household of saints constitutes this temple, into which the Spirit or glory of God will enter in the Kingdom age when the household is complete, following the pattern of the entry of the glory of God into Solomon’s temple after the temple was finished. Certainly orthodox ‘Christians’ of all shades of opinion, from conservative Roman Catholics to evangelical ‘born-again Christians’, do not under-stand what the Scriptures teach concerning the house and the household.
At the creation of the heavens and the earth our Father Who created and sustains all things had a plan and a purpose for this earth ( see Num. 14:21 and Isa. 45:18). Sin intervened, however, and the fulfilment of that purpose necessitated the redemption of a faithful remnant from the mass of humanity. The Scriptures describe that body of people as a house or household (see Eph. 2:1922). These three passages describe a unified purpose on the part of the God of heaven.
That “the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” was God’s purpose in creation, and this is synonymous with God’s house or temple of saints in the future which is to be filled with God’s Spirit: “ye. . . are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). The great Architect has set out each portion of the house down to the last detail, and at the beginning the building work was set in motion by the creation of Adam and Eve. Possibly they knew nothing of the Lord’s desire to build a house, although they were almost certainly taught many things by the Elohim.
The first actual use of the word ‘house’ is in Genesis 7:1, where God says to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark”. The context shows that “house” is used here in the sense of ‘household’. Similarly, Abram was told to leave his father’s house, or household. And at Bethel Jacob said:
“this is none other but the house of God . . . and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house” (Gen. 28:17,22).
Paul confirms that the sense of “house” here is ‘household’ by his inspired allusion to this passage, in which he relates the house of God (Bethel) to the ecclesia. He refers to the behaviour of the brethren and sisters “in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
Thus the earliest Bible uses of the word’ house’ show that it relates, not to a physical building, nor to individual believers, but to a group of people, usually the true disciples.
Household and temple
David was given greater detail about the house of God in 2 Samuel 7:13. The key factor here is the “seed”, “which is Christ”. “He shall build an house for My name”, and in another place it is written: “I will settle him in Mine house and in My kingdom for ever” (1 Chron. 17:14). Clearly the seed relates also to the birth of a people “in Christ”, and also establishes a link with the foundation promises of Genesis. This link is then extended by the connection of “house” and “kingdom”, the latter by definition requiring a king, princes ( see Isa. 32:1) and a people to be ruled.
Solomon built a temple or house of God, but he must have known from his father that the seed of David was to build the true and eternal house of God at a time then still far in the future (see 2 Sam. 7:19: “Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come”). Perhaps he had this in mind when he said,
“But who is able to build Him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before Him?” (2 Chron. 2:6).
The Lord also appeared unto Solomon and said,
“For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there for ever: and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually” (2 Chron. 7:16).
This teaches us something else about God’s house. It is based upon and associated with sacrifice. This last point is reiterated by God Himself in verse 12: “and (I) have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice”.
To prepare a place
In the light of all this, what did Jesus mean by those well-known words,
“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” (Jno. 14:2,3)?
It seems that many brethren and sisters believe that Jesus Christ meant that he was going to the right hand of his Father in heaven to move and control individuals and nations until he comes again and takes the faithful to himself on earth. Indeed, Brother Thomas expounded this passage in this manner in Eureka in some detail. Whilst Jesus did go to heaven for this purpose I would suggest that it is not the meaning of our Lord’s words in this passage.
Before a decent house can be built it must have properly designed foundations, and they must be correctly laid before a house can be built upon them. In this case, Jesus, as the chief cornerstone, had to be laid first. But he was not in fact laid as the chief cornerstone until he had suffered terrible agony on the tree, and became the supreme sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. At the time when Christ uttered the words recorded in John 14 the only foundations that were actually laid were the prophets, John the Baptist being the last but one. The man who was prophet, priest and king was also the cornerstone, being laid as such at his resurrection.
Nor had the twelve disciples been set as foundation stones during the ministry of Christ. One was to betray him, and the others did not know what was going to happen, for they did not properly understand at that stage that Jesus had to be crucified. Certainly Jesus intended them to become foundation stones ultimately:
“I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me” (Lk. 22:29). But it was not until Pentecost that the twelve became foundation stones; and even then there was another stone to be laid, the Apostle Paul, chosen to be a foundation of the “court of the Gentiles”.
After Paul’s great work the whole foundation of the house of God was laid. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth (it is not yet finished) unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22).
I would therefore suggest that there is only one place to which our Lord could go to “prepare a place” for us, and that was to his crucifixion, his grave, and his resurrection. Without the cross there could be no cornerstone, no foundation stones, and no house.
The house complete
Now to become part of that house or household of God men must believe, repent and be baptised into that same death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3,4). There is no other way. Our Lord could not possibly go to his Father’s house “to prepare a place”, for that house was not, and still is not completely built. Consider how long it was before the Apostle John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ As far as we know it was the first time that the detail of God’s plan for the completion of His house was revealed to man, and written down for posterity.
It is not a simple word-picture, but the signs and symbols have to be searched diligently for answers. By the grace of God Brother Thomas and other brethren seem to have been used in the providence of God to supply answers by which the body of Christ could be built up in our era. One wonders if such a body as part of the house of God would have been built if based at all on present-day expositions of Revelation.
To return to the main thread of this article: when Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you”, I would suggest he was referring to his sacrificial work, and not to his ascension to God’s house in heaven. That work of preparation comprised his death and resurrection. Unfortunately for anyone who consults them, some modern translations, such as the NEB, totally obscure this sense of the opening of John 14, and proclaim an utterly false doctrine instead:
“There are many dwelling-places in my Father’s house; if it were not so! should have told you; for! am going there on purpose to prepare a place for you” (Jno.14:2, NEB).
This is an impossibility. God does not dwell in the confines of a house, and the house of which Jesus was speaking has even now to be completed, and will not be until “the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor. 15:24). Only then will the faithful hear “a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:3).
The completion of the building of the multitudinous household of God will then be finished. The glory of God will fill the house. The saints will be “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4), and the promise implicit in that glorious Name, Yahweh Elohim, “He who will be mighty ones”, will have become a present reality.
Editor’s note
Whilst concurring with Brother Padgett s exposition of the Scriptural doctrine concerning the house, that God’s house is not in heaven, but is a household of people which, when complete, will be on earth, there is another point about John 14 which perhaps ought to be made.
In referring to his going “to prepare a place” Jesus did not intend to convey to his disciples the meaning that he was going to his Father’s house. But it does not necessarily follow, as Brother Padgett seems to imply, that he was not referring to his going to heaven. The context can be interpreted as referring to heaven (but not the Father’s house in heaven). “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again” (Jno. 14:3). On Brother Padgett’s exposition this coming again would refer to the resurrection of Jesus; but as he immediately goes on to refer to receiving the disciples unto himself, it would seem to me more likely that this refers to his Second Coming. The work of preparation would then include the crucifixion, resurrection and the long period of intercessory work in heaven.
I would, however, freely acknowledge that this view also has its difficulties, not least of which is the fact that at the end of John 13 Jesus refers to his going which does seem to relate to his death, and was understood by Peter in this way (see vv. 36,37).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One