A PREPARED PLACE
John 13:36 ¶ Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
John 14:1 ¶ Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
The Greek word, here translated, “prepared” is listed in Luke 1:17 as “make ready.” Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
The Lord has also “made ready” an eternal place for both the redeemed of God, and for the devil and all the fallen angels. And it is into their prepared place which those who reject Christ shall intrude. Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
And the Lord states that this prepared place for the redeemed included “many mansions.” This refers to many “dwelling places.” And we know that this includes a vast amount of dwelling places as Abraham’s seed, which is Christ’s, was said to be of a vast amount! Genesis 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
For Christ’s atonement is said to “justify many.” Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
And where was he going in order to prepare this place? Most certainly not “to heaven” to start a construction site in order to build houses! He was going to the cross to destroy Satan and his power of death, and thereby to deliver all the elect people of God! Hebrews 2:14 ¶ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
We have a more extensive picture of this in the twelfth chapter of the Revelation. Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
The woman is none other than the redeemed church; the Bride of Christ! She is clothed in the righteousness of Christ, pictured as the sun, the center of the universe. And she identifies with the moon which reflects the light of Christ into the dark world. And her tiara is the ministering stars of the gospel which Christ has given her as his gift. Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels (ministers) of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
And we read in verse six that the woman flees into the wilderness where she has “a place prepared.” The Israelite considered everything outside the bounds of national Israel as being the wilderness. The 1260 days just represents the entirety of the church age.
Then in verses seven through twelve of this Revelation chapter we have described for us the spiritual battle which took place at the cross! The prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) is cast out of his usurped authority, wherein he assumed that he would “be like the Most High.” Then Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This is clearly revealed as verse ten proclaims “Now is come salvation!” Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Yet in verse twelve we are informed as to the conditions that shall abide in the 1,260 days of the church age. Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
For those redeemed who sit in heavenly places, as they live their daily lives are told to rejoice as the Lord Jesus has defeated their foe. Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Yet those not born again by the Holy Spirit are identified as “inhabiters of the earth,” and have a “Woe” pronounced upon their situation. 1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy: the second man (Christ) is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we (who are born again) have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Then in verse three of our John 14 passage we read the Lord stating, “that where I am, there ye may be also.” And just where was this? Where was he going? He was going to recover the glory which sin had lost. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
For this was the intention of God from the beginning. Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Then in verse 22 the question is asked, since the gospel is to be publicly preached, just how will all this be kept from the world? Jesus’ answer was that the world would not believe in the Holy Spirit which they could not see. But the believers gift of faith would evidence things not seen! Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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