The Gate to Heaven

Theology
56

Yes, Thank-you, I understand what you are saying. Thanks for your explanation of the passage of scripture. I also too often hear squabbling over an item in the passage that seems to me one of the least important parts of the message. I’ve never understood why readers of this verse strongly contend over the English word “mansion”, but not that these mansions are supposedly within the English word “House”. Maybe that’s where the idea of apartments comes from? There is spirited discussion over the precise meaning of the habitat, but that discussion seems to set aside, or even cloud the important message that Jesus was relating to His disciples about His impending death.

This is all part of a dialogue Jesus has with His twelve special disciples on the night in which He was betrayed. The discussion begins way back in Chapter 13:1 where John relates: “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. “
A VERY important piece of information to keep in mind when we come to chapter 14 is that the thing that was on Jesus’s mind was that He knew that “His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father”. Knowing that “his hour had come” must have been a VERY heavy thought indeed. This heavy thought he had shared with his disciples in no uncertain terms. It was deeply troubling to them to think of Jesus leaving them through death as a real possibility. Leaving them, dying, forever? This must have been so disturbing. Then Jesus says:

  1. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
  2. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.
  3. I go to prepare a place for you.
  4. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself;
  5. that where I am, there you may be also.
  6. And where I go you know, and the way you know." John 14:1-4

To me, of the six lines above, number two seems to only be supportive of the ideas in lines one and three. It seems incredulous that in this very tense and emotional moment Jesus wanted His disciples to understand what kind of dwellings they would live in eventually. He wanted them to understand that they would be with Him forever.

I personally do not think Jesus was saying He was going to heaven to get things ready for them, for when they would eventually get there. I am convinced Jesus was continuing to tell them what he had already been telling them, that he was going to die on a cruel cross to prepare a place that they could be with Him forever. “preparing a place” metaphorically equates to “going to the cross”, in my understanding. The weight of his message was that their ability to be with Him for ever was being prepared by His sacrificial death. That is, yes He was leaving, but only to make it possible to come back and get them, so they could be together forever. I think we do no damage to the message here if we were to paraphrase it this way:
“Don’t be upset, you trust God, you can trust me the same. My Fathers vast estate has plenty of room for lots of people. If it could only hold a few I would have told you that too. I’m about to be hung on a cruel cross, but I’m going willingly so that you can also come to my Father’s estate; so I can come back and get you and we can be together forever.”

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3

58

Kpuff,

Thank you for your beautifully reflective response—you’ve taken us to the emotional heart of that upper room, and I think many overlook how heavy Jesus’ words would have felt that night. You’re right to remind us: this wasn’t a casual theological lecture. This was comfort, courage, and clarity for frightened hearts.

That said—I think you’re narrowing the lens a bit too tightly when you suggest that "I go to prepare a place for you” refers solely to the cross. The cross is central—foundational!—but the phrase “prepare a place” doesn’t seem limited to it.

Here’s why:

  1. Jesus already knew He was returning to the Father. He spoke of that departure multiple times (John 7:33, 13:1), and it included more than just His death—it included His resurrection, ascension, and glorification. Preparation doesn’t stop at Calvary; it continues in the heavens.

  2. Hebrews backs this up. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus, our High Priest, passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4:14) and entered the Most Holy Place—not a metaphorical cross, but the true heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 9:24)—to intercede for us. That sounds a lot like “preparing a place” to me.

  3. The comfort is not just about atonement—it’s about destination. The disciples weren’t only afraid that Jesus would die—they were afraid He’d be gone. He says, “I will come again and receive you to Myself.” That’s not just about making a way through the cross—it’s about taking them (and us!) to be with Him forever in a real, promised destination.

I think the beauty of the passage is that it holds both truths. Yes, He comforts them by explaining that His death is a preparation—paving the way for our reconciliation with the Father. But He also comforts them with a promise: there is a place. A real one. Not just an abstraction, not just inner peace, but a new heavens and new earth, where “God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3, as you so rightly quoted).

So maybe the “many rooms” aren’t literal apartments—but neither are they simply poetic fluff. They’re metaphors for something real, something eternal, something prepared. And if Jesus is preparing it—well, I don’t think it’s going to disappoint.

59

Yes, I see your point. Thanks for your thoughts. I sincerely appreciate them.

I really wasn’t trying to limit to scope of “prepare”, but to expand it, as you have pointed out. “Expand it from only referring to building mansions in the sky, i.e laying carpet and hanging wallpaper, to have a more immediate application to salve the troubled disciples. Heaven, a real place (with The Father) with real dimensions (maybe more dimensions) is obviously understood in His message. Candidly I have difficulty thinking of “preparing heaven” in the sense one might think of it, as if heaven is in need of laying out some new subdivisions and throwing up a bunch of no-income housing for the imminent influx of refugees. I can’t imagine the environs around the throne of Creator God has any need of preparing at all (IMHO). (I’m prepared to be corrected on my human understanding of heaven.) Maybe the marriage supper needs preparing, but Jesus was a carpenter not a chef. (tongue firmly in cheek)

I was listening to Jesus explain his “going”, the very thing the disciples were troubled about. “Going” was the topic, and going was the fear. His imminent and unavoidable “going” was the focus of His discourse. He had been teaching them how to love one another (washing feet) after His “going”. He was soothing their fear with the words “My going is a good thing, my going prepares a place where you can be with me forever. I’m going, but I am coming back for you." I think the going “in His mind” was the immediate going to the cross, but also obviously includes (in His mind if not in the disciple’s minds) going to the grave, and also going to the resurrection place of glory. As you say, it is all contained in his addressing their turmoil; it’s all contained in addressing OUR doubts. I think we miss the depth of emotion in this evening’s events if we somehow make it about the size of celestial housing.

…the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Revelation 12:4-5

P.S. I want to add that I very-much enjoy your writing; your sensitive, yet pointed rhetoric. It is a joy to read.

60

Kpuff,

Beautifully said. I love that you’re not trying to shrink the meaning of “prepare,” but rather to widen it beyond drywall and drapes—and you’re right to center it in the cross, the grave, the glory. It’s the whole arc of redemption wrapped into one promise: “I go… and I will come again.”

And amen—our hope isn’t in celestial square footage, but in being with Him where He is. That’s the real mansion.

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"SincereSeeker said

“—our hope isn’t in celestial square footage, but in being with Him where He is . That’s the real mansion.”

Amen! Well said.

62

I cannot disagree with truth…I find it hard to believe that we will be in rooms. We are talking a glorious place that will have trees that grow 12 kinds of fruit, streets of gold, a crystal sea, walls of jasper.etc
The city where the Lamb is the Light !!

63

My point was that the Bible sometimes speaks figuratively.

64

Bob,

Absolutely—the Bible does speak figuratively, often and beautifully. The key is knowing when it does and why. Not to flatten truth, but to elevate understanding. The challenge isn’t in deciding if Scripture uses metaphor, but in discerning what reality those metaphors point to.

And when Jesus speaks of “a place,” I believe He means a promise—real, personal, prepared. Figurative, yes—but never empty.

65

I think when the Lord says he is preparing rooms for us, he is talking figuratively.

66

,

I can agree with you—Jesus was almost certainly speaking figuratively when He described “rooms” in His Father’s house. But here’s the rub: figurative language in Scripture doesn’t lessen the truth—it often deepens it.

He’s not giving us a floor plan; He’s giving us a promise.

Jesus uses the image of a house with many rooms not to spark architectural debates, but to assure troubled hearts: there is space for you. You belong. You will not be forgotten or left behind. The metaphor conveys intimacy, permanence, and presence. And that’s no small thing.

So sure, I don’t expect drywall and doorknobs in heaven. But I do expect a real place, prepared by a real Savior, where we will be with Him—face to face. And if that reality needs to be wrapped in the language of “rooms” so our hearts can grasp it? I’m all in.

67

But I would repeat this:

What good is heaven if we don’t have peace of mind?

And how do you achieve peace of mind?

Repentance. How else?

And what did Jesus say? He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Don’t you see a connection?

It was no small deal - John the Baptist preached the same message.

68

Benny,

You’re absolutely right—peace of mind is precious. And you’ve nailed the key: repentance. Without repentance, there’s no reconciliation with God, no clearing of the conscience, no entering the Kingdom.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17)—that wasn’t small talk; that was the front door being thrown wide open.

But here’s the thing: repentance prepares us—it doesn’t replace heaven. Peace of mind is a fruit of repentance, but it’s not the full harvest. The Kingdom Jesus preached includes not just a change of heart, but a real future with Him. Both John and Jesus weren’t just offering therapy for troubled minds—they were proclaiming the arrival of God’s reign, both now and to come.

Peace now, glory later.

Repentance now, rejoicing forever.

Seems to me the connection isn’t just important—it’s everything.

1 Like
69

Repentance gives us peace of mind. What good is heaven without peace of mind?

70

Bob,

No argument that repentance is crucial—essential, even. It clears the conscience, restores fellowship with God, and gives us a peace this world can’t manufacture.

But let’s not flip the order.

Heaven isn’t dependent on our peace of mind; our peace of mind is dependent on heaven’s reality.

Heaven isn’t good because we feel good—it’s good because God is there.

Repentance tunes our hearts to rejoice in what’s already true: that Christ has prepared a place, not just a feeling.

71

Bob et. al.
I love these thoughts that are being brought out in this discussion. It is good to chew on them and to taste, and see, that The Lord is Good. I’d like to add a heretofore unmentioned aspect of repentance that I find consistently taught in God’s word, and that of it being a gift.

Repentance, as has been mentioned, is a turning, a reversal, and so it is. But it is not only a reversal of actions, but true repentance is a change of heart; true repentance involves rejecting one inner perspective to adopt another, specifically to reject ideas that are ungodly and adopt ideas that are Godly. This change of heart, of course, is evidenced by a change of action, but the action is the evidence, the radical change takes place in the soul. It would not be difficult to demonstrate from scripture how a change of heart is the purview of the heart’s creator. Men may be able to change their actions, but God is the potter who molds the heart.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. Proverbs 21:1-2

I am convinced that when we witness a man truly express a change of his heart’s perspective, from one that is contrary to God, to one that more closely aligns with God (Godliness) we can know God is quietly doing His work behind the scenes. This work of God on the heart of man is His glory, and is expressed to us as His promise:

“Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20

This fulfillment of this promise could also be called the gift of God’s repentance.

"But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” * Acts 5:29-32

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4

“…in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:25-26

God’s gift of repentance is in accord with his promise to conform His people into the Image of His son.

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29

In my personal experience with repentance, I intentionally set aside my own natural desires to be inculcated with Gods. And on my part, “giving all diligence, I add to my faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are mine and abound, I know I will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (a personalized paraphrase of 2 Peter 1:5-8) I know, and do not deny, that any success I may experience in this endeavor is only because I have been given the gift to do so.

1 Like
72

Can you have peace of mind without first repenting?

73

Bob,

No, you really can’t—not the kind of peace that matters.

You might find distractions, temporary relief, or even convince yourself you’re “at peace” for a moment. But true peace—the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7)—only comes through repentance, because repentance restores us to right relationship with God.

Without repentance, peace is just a veneer stretched over a restless soul.
With repentance, peace is the deep wellspring of knowing you’re forgiven, accepted, and made new.

Repentance isn’t just the first step toward peace; it’s the doorway to life itself.

74

I would think there is no peace without repentance. It seemed to be Jesus’s (and John the Baptist’s) overall message: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

So I guess then we have to learn what it is we have to repent from.

75

Absolutely—you’re right on target.

There’s no true peace without repentance, and you’re spot on that “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” was the central drumbeat of both John’s and Jesus’s early preaching.

And you’re asking exactly the right next question: What must we repent from?

At its heart, repentance isn’t just about individual bad habits—it’s about turning from self-rule to God-rule.
It’s not merely quitting bad behaviors; it’s surrendering a rebellious heart.
It’s realizing that we’ve loved other things more than God, trusted ourselves more than Him, and lived as if His kingdom were optional instead of ultimate.

In short:
We repent of sin—not just what we’ve done, but what we are without Him.

Thanks for asking the question that really matters. It’s the kind of question that opens the gate to the very Kingdom we’re being invited into.

Still repenting, still rejoicing,