Christ did not speak of returning to Heaven as to a place, He spoke of returning to His Father as to a Person. Heaven is not the goal of the Christian pilgrimage, the Father Himself is our Goal. It makes a practical difference in our life whether we choose Heaven or choose God as our goal.

Christ declared that He was going to the Father:

. . . I go unto the Father: . . . . (John 14:28)

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. (John 16:28)

Notice:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

"No man cometh unto the Father "!

The context of the "many mansions" is not Heaven, it is our abiding in Christ and He in us. We abide in Christ who abides in the Father who abides in Christ who abides in us. This is the Kingdom of God.

Christ is preparing a place for us in God.

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. (Psalms 90:1)

Chapter 14 of John has to do with our becoming an abiding place in the Father's house. The theme of this part of the Scripture is, "Abide in me, and I in you." The verb abide (John 15:4) is related to the Greek noun translated mansions, in John 14:2. Both words come from the same root.

Heaven is God's throne . Nebuchadnezzar was instructed that "the heavens do rule" (Daniel 4:26).

The Scriptures do not refer to Heaven as the house of God. The eternal House, the Temple, of God is our Lord Jesus Christ.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)

Under the old covenant, God dwelled in the Tabernacle of the Congregation and then in Solomon's Temple. Under the new covenant, God finds His resting place only in people.

God will dwell only in Christ. Christ was not formed in any individual until after His resurrection from the dead. Therefore God did not abide in any believer under the old covenant.

God abides in every member of the Body of Christ. This is one of the principal differences between the old covenant and the new covenant. This is the reason he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than any of the prophets of Israel (Luke 7:28).

The "mystery" of Christ in you was suggested briefly in the Old Testament:

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)

Why does the God of Heaven need a house, a place of rest? Here is a mystery.

The Spirit of God asked the question again—this time through Stephen:

But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? (Acts 7:47-49)

As we have stated, God will dwell only in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ has been formed in us and is abiding in us through the Spirit, we become a room in the Temple of God.

To be continued.