True Bible Teaching - About You and God and Your Hope of Salvation

“In My Father’s House are Many Mansions…”

This is a passage of Scripture, in John chapter 14 verse 2, which causes some people to believe that Jesus was offering a place in heaven but, as Mark Buckler explains, the Lord had something quite different in mind.

Jewish Book

Many of us easily forget, when we read the Bible, that it is a Jewish book, written mainly by Jewish writers about Jewish people.  It is so easy for us to read it with two thousand years of ideas and interpretations in our minds that we forget to ask a simple question:

What did the writers of this passage understand by it when they wrote it and what did their readers or hearers understand?

So, when Jesus talked about the many rooms in his Father’s house, what did he mean by this and what would his hearers have understood?

Incidentally, this is a passage that is often read in church funeral services and today it is thought to promise an inheritance with God in heaven.  Is that what Jesus meant?

God’s House

The expression “My Father’s house” as used in the gospels always refers to the Temple in Jerusalem.  For example, when Jesus visited the Temple as a boy of twelve, his comment to questioning parents was:

 “Why were you searching for me? … Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Or when Jesus cleansed the Temple, he said: “Get these out of here!  How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:16).

So Jesus was saying to his disciples, in John chapter 14, that there were many dwelling places in the Temple, and that he would come back and live with them on earth in a similar way to how the priests lived close to God, because they lived in His Temple – in God’s House.  But did they? Was the Temple a House for people, or just the House of God?

New Heavens and a New Earth?

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah once contrasted God’s accomplishments with all that mankind has ever achieved.

It was not a flattering comparison for he said that, compared with Almighty God, all nations are like the small dust on the scales (Isaiah 40:15) – like a bit of flour left on the scales after you’ve made a cake!

The apostle Paul looked at God’s immense power and drew a more comforting conclusion. His point was that when you think about God’s power you realise that nothing can withstand it and nobody can challenge it:

“I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).

First things First

But before you can take advantage of the wonderful care that God takes of His children, you have to become a member of His family. And before you decide to live a day at a time, with no fear about what tomorrow might bring, you have to do what Jesus told his followers to do. It’s a matter of putting first things first or, as Jesus said:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Once you’ve done that, there is nothing else to worry about. Leave the rest to God, who will sort everything out in His time.

Will the world ever end?

The chances are that if you plucked up the courage to ask your colleague about the protest march he was on – as I never did about the animal-rights activities – you would find out that he had religious views of one sort or another. In my time I have walked up and down roads with a placard that said much the same thing, so that people could do something about it – come to a talk, an exhibition, or read some literature, like this article. It’s the sort of thing you do if you feel that people need to think seriously about the way the world is going, and you know what the eventual end will be.

Not that the world itself is due to end, whatever scientists may predict. There is a set of data that far surpasses human calculation or human prediction. The God of the Universe has revealed His purpose and, as Maker and Creator, He should know if anyone does. So what does He say?

Here is a selection of encouraging passages that tell us about a better future for the earth and for all those inhabitants of the earth who make it through the difficult days we are now experiencing. They are part of a prophetic vision from just one Old Testament prophet – Isaiah – but you can find similar word pictures in many of the prophetic writings:

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain (Jerusalem), for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9);

The ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10);

Thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: ‘I am the LORD, and there is no other’ (Isaiah 45:18);

‘Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying … The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain (Jerusalem),’ says the LORD (Isaiah 65:17- 25).

God intends to transform society by making the world a place where people know God and worship Him. It follows that the earth will then be at peace – with God and between men and women. Those whom God has ransomed (or redeemed) will inhabit a world of “everlasting joy” (do you fancy that?).

“Joy and gladness” will be the order of the day – every day.

The earth will be inhabited by people who obey God because they want to, not because they are forced to. Old habits and bad experiences will be forgotten and a new order of things will exist. Mankind will live in harmony with the created earth: they will neither exploit it nor savage it and even animals will then be at peace with one another.

That would have pleased my pink-haired work colleague, if I had told her about it.

Signs which Jesus Gave

The Lord Jesus Christ gave various signs to help us identify the days immediately preceding his return to earth.  Many are contained in what is known as the Olivet Prophecy – recorded in Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21.

A Nation Reborn

Probably the greatest sign that Jesus gave concerned the rebirth of the nation of Israel.  This came to pass in 1948, after almost 2,000 years during which the Jewish people were dispersed among nations all over the earth.  Jesus predicted that dispersion when he warned that Jerusalem would be overthrown by the Romans.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near ... For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled … there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles...” (Luke 21:20–24).

The Fig Tree

Immediately after these prophetic words in the Olivet Prophecy we have these words:

Then he spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:29–33).

In Scripture, the fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel.  For example: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.  But they went to Baal Peor, and separated themselves to that shame; they became an abomination like the thing they loved (Hosea 9:10).

For a nation has come up against My land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a fierce lion.  He has laid waste My vine, and ruined My fig tree; he has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white (Joel 1:6–7).

Further, Jesus told another parable about the nation of Israel using the same metaphor of a fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) and acted out another parable to the same effect when he cursed a fig tree which had become unfruitful (Mark 11:12-14).  What Jesus was predicting was that the nation of Israel – pictured as a fig tree – would again revive, and would do so at a time when many other nations were also achieving independence. That is exactly what has now happened to the nation of Israel.

Believing the Seemingly Unbelievable

Imagine someone from 200 years ago visiting us today. They would know nothing of electricity, cars, aeroplanes, or mobile phones. How amazed would they be?  Now try to imagine someone in the

1800s describing our way of life to a friend. It would all seem incredible.

Godly faith has always required people to believe things that are well outside of their experience – things that seem incredible.

The Resurrection of Jesus

The apostle Paul, talking about the resurrection of Jesus, asked King Agrippa “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8). This was indeed a phenomenal miracle, because Jesus was not only brought back from the dead: he was raised to eternal life. In

one of his letters Paul says: ...Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him (Romans 6:9).

This had never, ever, been known before. Jesus had raised people from the dead and there are resurrections recorded in the Old Testament, but these resurrected people were not immortal – they died again in due course. Jesus was the first to be raised to immortality.

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep ... Christ the first fruits, afterward those that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20,23).

Jesus had no experience of people being raised to immortality. As he went willingly to his sacrificial death Jesus believed that his Father could and would raise him to eternal life.

Introduction

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

With these few short words the Bible introduces us to God. We learn that the God of the Bible is Creator — maker of heaven and earth, the giver of life, the giver of good. But the Bible shows us that God is much more than a creator. He is our heavenly Father.

God wants us to be His children. God wants to be our heavenly Father. In fact, this is one of the most powerful messages in the Bible. God is willing to make us part of His special family, but that does not happen automatically. We must enter His family in the special way He has prescribed. That way is summed up in these words:

"Yet to all who received Jesus, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1:12-13).

In this booklet we will learn about God our Father and how we can become His children.

Revelations of God in the Bible

The Bible provides us with a record of how God has revealed Himself to us. Over time, God has revealed Himself in many ways. He is the same God, but over time He has told us more about Himself. In one sense, the Bible is an extended record of those revelations.

Long after He made the earth God appeared to a special man, later named Abraham, speaking promises that surely seemed incredible (the first of these promises is recorded in Genesis 12). But Abraham believed God, and went to a place he did not know far away. God promised to Abraham that he would found a great nation, and that he would receive a magnificent inheritance, with eternal life. But last of all he made the greatest promise – "I will be your God" (Genesis 17:7). In making this promise, the Creator became the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He became the God of Jacob’s descendants, the nation of Israel.

Some four hundred years later, Abraham’s descendants hardly seemed to be God’s nation, for they were slaves in Egypt. But God had not forgotten His people. The Lord appeared to another special man - Moses. God told Moses that he had a great mission to complete. Moses was to deliver God’s people from their bondage. Moses asked the question that he had to know to begin his task — "WHO ARE YOU?"

A powerful voice gave the answer:

"I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14).

God revealed himself as "Yahweh" - a Hebrew name meaning "He who was, who is, and who will be" (compare Revelation 1:8). To Moses and to the nation of Israel, God showed Himself to be a God of power and deliverance, leading the nation out of slavery in Egypt through mighty displays of power.

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