Renewed Eschatology - "What About John 14?"

When I first heard of renewed eschatology, I was extremely skeptical. I just knew it couldn’t be true because there were so many verses and passages that, in my mind, completely disproved it. And since coming to believe renewed eschatology, I’ve had many people approach me with those same verses and passages. Upon introducing my eschatological beliefs to them, many have responded to me with the same question that I once asked, “What about John 14?”

To me, this passage presented an insurmountable barrier to renewed eschatology. I thought, “It’s so simple! You would have to rip this passage out of your Bible in order to believe that Jesus isn’t going to take us to heaven with Him when He returns.” In case you’re unfamiliar with the passage of which I’m speaking, it’s the first 3 verses of John 14.

John 14:1–3 (NASB95)

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

When read by itself, this passage seems to paint a clear picture. Let’s break it down piece by piece. Jesus tells His disciples:

to trust Him

there is plenty of room in His Father’s house

He is going to prepare a place for them

He is going to return to them so that they can be with Him

If His “Father’s house” and the “place” Jesus is going to prepare for the disciples is taken to mean “heaven”, then one could easily assume that Jesus is going to take us to heaven whenever He returns. From my experience, that is the most common interpretation of this passage. But, is it correct? Is it possible we could be making several faulty assumptions to come to that conclusion?

Context, Context, Context!

Without looking at your Bible, if I were to ask you what the literary context of John 14:1-3 is, would you be able to tell me? What was happening before Jesus spoke those words? (Where was He? Who was He speaking to? What were they speaking about?) What happened after Jesus spoke those words? (What did Jesus go on to talk about afterward?) If you aren’t quite sure, don’t beat yourself up. Had you asked me those same questions 4 years ago, I would have responded by blankly staring into space.

One of our most destructive tendencies when studying the Scriptures is neglecting the context. Far too often, we cherry-pick verses without considering their context, and we interpret those isolated verses based upon what they seem to be saying. That’s an easy habit to fall into whenever we approach the Scriptures with preconceived ideas and biases (which we all do). But this almost always leads to a misunderstanding of what the authors actually intended.

This passage is no different. Whenever we try to interpret John 14:1-3 without considering its context, we run the risk of missing some important details that may greatly impact what Jesus was attempting to communicate to His disciples. So, let’s consider the context.

“Lord, where are You going?”

John 13 begins with Jesus washing His disciples’ feet before they celebrate the Passover together (John 13:1-17). Then Judas leaves the feast after Jesus predicts that he will betray Him (John 13:18-30). After Judas leaves the room, Jesus begins to speak to the remaining disciples. What He says to them is directly related to John 14:1-3. He tells them that His time to be glorified has come (John 13:31-32). The glorification Jesus was referring to was His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Then He says:

John 13:33 (NASB95)

“Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

Jesus then goes on to give the disciples a new command: to love one another as He had loved them. But Peter, disregarding this new command, immediately asks, “Lord, where are You going?” (John 13:36) Peter’s question gives us a crucial clue into better understanding Jesus’ words in John 14:1-3. The apostles desperately wanted to be with Jesus, but now they are being told they only have a short time remaining with Him. They are deeply troubled by this information, which is why Jesus will go on to say, “Do not let your heart be troubled; trust God and trust Me.” John 14-16 are words of comfort from Jesus to His disciples.

Where is Jesus “going” that Peter and the Apostles cannot come? Jesus gives us a hint in verse 33: “as I said to the Jews”. He had already told the Jews where He was going in John 7:33-34.

33 Therefore Jesus said, “For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 “You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

A number of other times in John’s gospel, Jesus uses similar words and phrases in reference to His going back to the Father (John 8:14-24; 13:3; 14:28; 16:5-22). So, it’s obvious that Jesus is “going” to the Father, but even that concept is a little ambiguous. Is He referring to His ascension to heaven or His death? The more I study, the more I believe the answer to that question is “Yes.” In John’s gospel, the two don’t seem to be mutually exclusive. Sometimes He seems to be speaking of His ascension (when He goes to the Father He will send the Holy Spirit [John 16:7]), and other times He seems to be speaking of His death (He tells Peter that at a later time he will follow Him where He is going [death/crucifixion - John 13:36]; His disciples will be sorrowful when He goes to the Father, but they will see Him again soon [after His resurrection] and be filled with joy [John 16:16-22]). We know that Jesus is going to the Father, that much is clear. But as for when that will take place, there seems to be some ambiguity (possibly deliberate).

“In My Father’s House are Many Dwelling Places”

Peter is determined to follow Jesus wherever He may go, even if He has to die in the process. But Jesus delivers the unfortunate news that Peter will, in fact, deny Him (John 13:37-38). Then Jesus immediately turns to all the disciples and speaks the words of John 14:1-3. In verse 2, He says, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places”. There are a few questions we need to ask of this statement.

What does Jesus mean by “My Father’s house”?

What does Jesus mean by “dwelling places”?

To begin answering the first question, we should recognize that this isn’t the first time in John’s gospel that Jesus speaks of “My Father’s house”. In John 2:16, Jesus speaks of “My Father’s house” in reference to the temple. Temples were places where a deity chose to dwell. From the beginning, God has always wanted to dwell with His people. After the fall, God gave Moses instructions to build a tabernacle so that God could dwell in the midst of His people. After Israel settled in the Promised Land, Solomon built a temple for God to dwell in. When Jesus came, God dwelt among us through Him, in the temple of His body (John 2:19-21; Matt. 1:23). So, “My Father’s house” is temple language that seems to refer to where God dwells. One could then assume that Jesus is speaking of heaven since He has already stated that He is going to the Father (whether in death or in His ascension or both).

Now, what about the “dwelling places” in the Father’s house? The Greek word for “dwelling places” is monē (denoting “a place to stay”). The only other time this exact word is found in the New Testament is a few verses down in John 14:23:

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

But, based upon the context (Jesus’ disciples desperately wanting to be with Him), it seems that the emphasis shouldn’t necessarily be placed on where His Father’s house is but on the fact that they will have a place in the Father’s house with Jesus (John 14:2-3).

Dwelling Places related to the Holy Spirit

Dwelling Places simply referring to the fact that there is plenty of space for Jesus’ disciples in His Father’s Presence. Jesus is going to the Father - They want to be with Jesus - There is plenty of room in the Father’s house for them to be with Jesus

Words Related to “Dwelling Places”

John 14:2 (NASB95)

2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:23 (NASB95)

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

John 14:10 (NASB95)

10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

John 14:17 (NASB95)

17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

John 14:23 (NASB95)

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

John 14:25 (NASB95)

25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.

John 15:4 (NASB95)

4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

John 15:5–10 (NASB95)

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:16 (NASB95)

16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

John 13:31 (NASB95)

31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;

John 7:39 (NASB95)

But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 13:31 (NASB95)

John 14:1 (NASB95)

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:27 (NASB95)

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

John 16:22 (NASB95)

“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

John 7:39 (NASB95)

“Come”

John 14:3 (NASB95)

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:18 (NASB95)

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:23 (NASB95)

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

John 14:28 (NASB95)

“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

John 15:26 (NASB95)

26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,

John 16:7–8 (NASB95)

7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

John 16:13 (NASB95)

13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

John 14:3 (NASB95)

3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 7:33–34 (NASB95)

John 12:26 (NASB95)

“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone 1serves Me, the Father will honor him.

John 14:1 (NASB95)

John 14:27 (NASB95)

John 16:22 (NASB95)

Words Related to “Dwelling Places”

John 14:2 (NASB95)

John 14:23 (NASB95)

John 14:10 (NASB95)

John 14:17 (NASB95)

John 14:25 (NASB95)

John 15:4 (NASB95)

John 15:5–10 (NASB95)

John 15:16 (NASB95)

“Come”

John 14:3 (NASB95)

John 14:18 (NASB95)

John 14:23 (NASB95)

John 14:28 (NASB95)

John 15:26 (NASB95)

John 16:7–8 (NASB95)

John 16:13 (NASB95)

John 14:3 (NASB95)

John 12:26 (NASB95)