In my fathers house there are many mansion?

Question

ok I dont take this as literally as it sounds
but i know that many do
but this leads me to the question ...
it is known that the more spiritual one becomes , the less appeal material possesions have
why in the realms of spirit ... or heaven if you wish
would we have a mansion
why not a simple home , a little cottage , even a tent ?
why would we be promised wealth and possesions in a place where wealth and possesions mean nothing ?

Answer 1

It's just a figure of speech, really.
It was my own dad's favourite saying; he died 10 months ago.
To him it meant that there was room for everyone who had lead a good life; I don't think he took the "mansions" bit too seriously;
However, we have just put a headstone on his grave, and it has two quotes on it;
"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you"
and of course
"in my Father's house there are many mansions"
Maybe mansions was used as a descriptive word for a beautiful place; I don't know;
The wealth and possessions you describe is also a figure of speech - Jesus was trying to impress on his listeners that they could have their hearts desires in Heaven; perhaps his audience would have understood it better if he used everyday phrases to convey his meaning

Answer 2

Well that's how they expressed ideas to people BACK THEN.
Possibly, but unlikely, a Prophet would talk to us, in 2007, using mental pictures that connected to his audience in a more realistic manner. But that's thinking humanity has changed in 2000+ years.
"... why would we be promised wealth and possesions in a place where wealth and possesions mean nothing?" Greed and the other seven deadly sins hold no power over humanity any longer? I did not know this. I have two nightmares - no food or housing for my family, nothing is scarier, for me.

Answer 3

Take the context of the writing, and the historical time site. of the word Mansion, I believe is the word used to indicate very large, and in the case of heaven, uncountable, room (s). I have believed that it is a way to convey the vastnes, the forever room available. There will not be a problem of "no room at the inn" in God's shelter for us. The idea of riches, possessions, etc are based on that word "mansions" .
How else could the early (and one may find the same erroneous intrpretations today ) prophets/ etc convince the uneducated of the value of heaven? Humans tend to equate good life a rich life with the material. If that is the impetus to achieving heaven I predict one of 2outcomes. 1) they won't get thre 2)they will be very suprised

Answer 4

You answered your own question. With streets of gold and gates of pearls where material wealth means nothing the only possible homes are mansions - wealthy homes. The Father is not slack toward us, therefore the billionaire that has the mansion and the wealthy possessions may want a little cabin in the woods and God will make sure he has the desires of his heart. For sure in heaven the billionaire will have no need to worry about holding onto his money.

Answer 5

Well first off there are several meanings for the word mansion. And one definition is that a mansion is a dwelling place. And all the descriptions of heaven is to show people how beautiful heaven is. I mean how beautiful does a tent sound?

Answer 6

It simply means that we will have a place in heaven, better than we could possibly imagine. The streets lined with gold just show that material things mean nothing - streets here are made of dirt or oil by-products or rocks - gold with have no value, just as dirt and rock have no value. Material objects will have no value in heaven. We will have everything we need and desire - however, our desires will change so that wealth and the attainment of power and so forth will have no meaning or worth.

Answer 7

Heaven is a world inhabited by spirits who have direct and unrestricted access to the power of GOD. These spirits first, must inhabit the Spirit of GOD so that they can do the will of GOD. As Peter puts it in 2 Peter 1:4, they participate in the divine nature. In the parlance of Jesus Christ, these spirits are born of Spirit. John 3:5&6.

In heaven, you do not expend labor of any kind or spend any money to achieve your heart's desire. Of course, there is no commerce or economy of any kind. Everything comes easily and best.

Answer 8

We miss many things in translation and through not understanding the culture of the time. In this particular passage Jesus was referring to the custom of the bridegroom leaving the bride at her father's home for a period between betrothal and marriage while he in turn went to his father's house to prepare a home for her. It is, therefore, purely allegorical. His disciples would have understood the references in those terms. He, the bridegroom, was leaving the bride (the Church) for a period until He would finally return in a triumphal procession to claim the bride as His own and take her to His Father's house to live there permanently with Him. In those days the period of absence was a year: nowadays in Orthodox Judaism it has been reduced to a week! The Church has been waiting for a couple of thousand years for the return of Christ, but knows that He will be coming soon to take His bride to the home which He has so lovingly prepared to receive her.

Answer 9

Why do you think God wouldn't want to give us material things? Think about God's creation of the earth. He gave us beautiful flowers to enjoy, beautiful stars to gaze at.
As far as material posessions in heaven, like homes and other things, I believe we will have joy because those things are gifts lavished on us by our Heavenly Father.
It isn't a matter of wealth. There is no greed in heaven for wealth. Only a Heavenly Father who thoroughly enjoys gift giving to His beloved children!!

Answer 10

not to bash others religious thinking, but i would be happy to sweep the sidewalks in heaven, or do dishes, the mansions
and all that, are of no importance to me. to be allowed to be in heaven would be the wealth and worldly possessions i would want, just to be allowed into heaven by the grace of God.
i cant quote the bible, but im sure that it said something in there, that God would provide for you and you shall not want for anything,
some people may have added wealth and possessions to that statement.
the wealth is the everlasting life and love, and the possessions
is all the love and acceptance and happiness and joy one soul could ever dream of. is what it means to me.

when man has an abundance of love, he is rich beyong money.