Much is talked about Heaven, but the Bible does not describe it so we can get a clear picture of it. However, when contemplating our future home, I was reminded of the mansions awaiting some in Glory Land.
“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.” John 14:2
When thinking about the Christian’s heavenly home, I was somewhat confused that “mansions” was only mentioned once in the New Testament. I know that one should never base a biblical teaching on one verse, so I was perplexed.
After searching and reading what others assumed about Heaven’s treasures, I examined “mansions” another way. Although I only know the Greek of the New Testament (The King James New Testament was originally written in Greek) found in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, I wanted to see if the Greek word for mansions in John 14 appeared elsewhere in the New Testament. It was.
The Greek word for mansions, “meno,” did appear elsewhere, but it was used to describe something other than a mansion as we know it. Some of the uses were found translated to:
- “tarry ye” in Mat. 26:30, Mark 14:34…
- “remain” in Luke 10:7, John 1:33…
- “abide” in Mark 6:10, Luke 19:5…
- “dwelleth thou” in John 1:38, John 5:36
- “they continued” in John 2:12
- “abide” in Mark 6:10, Luke 19:5…
- “abode” in Luke 1:56, Luke 8:27…
- “it would have remained,” in Mat. 11:23
- “abideth” in John 3:35-36
- “abiding” in John 5:38
- “continue” in John 8:31 & John 15:9
- “dwelt” in Acts 28:30
- “that he would tarry” in John 4:40
- “endureth” in John 6:27
- “should abode” in John 12:46
- “which remained” in II Cor. 3:11
All those various usages of the Greek word defining “mansions” confused me further. However, after examining all the different uses, I saw a pattern that made“mansions” more descriptive and clear. They were all used to describe a situation where people would live permanently. Here on Earth, our abodes are only “pup tents”; they are only temporary places to live as we await our permanent home with the Lord!
Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, written to better understand biblical words, clarifies that a “mansion” is a place of “residence, a house, habitation, the house of the lord of a manor, residence, and abode.” Webster’s definition and the Greek usages revealed that the awaiting mansions are where many will live permanently with the Lord.
