In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (Jn 14:2-3)
 
John 14:1-14 is part of the larger text traditionally known as the farewell discourse which begins at the Last Supper event up to his arrest in the garden.
 
My essay here focuses on Jn 14:2-3 where Jesus talked about the Father's house having many rooms and him going to prepare a place for the disciples and coming back to take them to himself.
 
The text was popularly read as Jesus going to a spiritual disembodied heaven somewhere and prepare a place for us and will in the future come and bring us there to live forever.
 
From my own reflection of this passage, I humbly offer an alternative to the popular reading. I believe my proposed reading remains faithful to the text and theology of the Bible. My purpose is to invite further studies and discussion on this topic as part of our effort to understand god's word and participate in god's work.
 
 
Let's Listen to the Language
 
Every time we read the scripture, we risked two things. One, we may read our own interpretation into the text without allowing the text to speak from its own horizon. And second, when we allow the text to speak from its own horizon, we may end up feeling lost because of the strangeness of the actors of the story in the text and their alien culture.
 
I believe we have experienced both in our reading of John, especially in our present text in Jn 14.
 
Therefore, I propose that we must be willing to let John be John (whoever he/she/they is/are), a person/s living and writing this gospel at the closing of the 1st century. And that he is writing within and for a jewish context, whether he is a jew or not. His subject matters were jewish, his audience were probably mostly jews. This means, understanding these issues will help us to appreciate what John was writing instead of feeling lost at the (sometimes) strangeness of his text.
 
I cannot possibly explore these crucial and tremendously huge preliminary themes here, but I would like to invite us to consider an important element: how John employ his words in writing his gospel before I construct a reading of John 14:2-3. I believe this is the main key to at least understanding our text if not the whole of John's gospel.
 
House-Temple Language
 
I believe John was using a familiar metaphorical language when he had Jesus talk about "my Father's house". This was the standard term for the Temple; god's house, god's dwelling place, all these are temple imagery used since the Old Testament book of Genesis, noted in Jewish tradition by even having places named Bethel - hebrew: House of God -  (cf. Gen 28:10-22). The tradition continued in the giving of the laws in Exodus and Deutoronomy where offerings were made in the presence of god at the house of YAHWEH (cf. Ex 23:19; 34:26; Deu 28:18) and finally culminated in god moving David to build a house for Him (2 Sam 7:4-5) and Solomon completing and dedicating the Temple as the House of YAHWEH (1 King 6:14).
 
The house-temple does not necesary mean a place which god lives in literally for even "heaven and the highest heaven" cannot contain god (1 King 8:27). It was instead perceived as the meeting place between the god and man, the gate of heaven itself (Gen 28:17 - the story of Jacob's vision of the ladder best describe this meeting point).
 
Of course, heaven here can mean two things, one is the space above the earth,  the other is the dimension where god lives. So instead of literally being contained in a building, the Temple, god designated or set apart (or consecrated) a place where his presence will meet his people in an unmistakeable manner.
 
And the Jews knew this. It was not a new innovation in first century talk, but a tradition as old as Judaism itself, it's in the Chronicler, it's in the Prophets, it's in the Psalms, it's in the Sapential Writings, the imagery of temple being god's house or god's dwelling place.
 
The New Testament, not least the gospels, made use of this term when speaking of the Temple (especially recorded as Jesus referring to the Temple, cf. Mat 12:4 and Mat 21:13 and parallels), notably in Luke, the boy Jesus claimed that he ought to be in "his Father's house" refering to the Temple when he was left behind during a Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem (2:49). 
 
Spirit Dwelling and Life After Death
 
After speaking about himself going away to his Father's house, Jesus went on to talk about the very immanent event of the coming of god's Spirit who will indwell the disciples and then about the world not seeing him any longer but that the disciples will see him.
...the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live (Jn 14:16-19)
For he dwells with you and will be in you. Perhaps the disciples did not understand this idea of god's spirit indwelling his people the way christians today do. But one thing for sure, this is again a temple language and they knew it - it's in their bones, it's in their literature, its in their scripture. Where does the spirit of YAHWEH dwell? Where else, but the temple?
 
Because I live, you also will live. Whenever "being alive" or "live" is used, more often than not the authors of the Bible, intended their readers to understand that it's not about the disembodied spirit living somewhere in heaven after death, but rather, a life with a material body in the sense of Genesis when god blew the breath of life into Adam's nostril, and Adam becaming a "living being" (Gen 2). To be alive or to live has the connotation of having the complete element of body and mind, not disembodied immortality. 
 
In the biblical worldview, while death is seen as falling asleep, to speak of someone living again after death is to rise up bodily from the dead, not living an immaterial spiritual form in heaven. Isaiah saw the hope of god's people who will live (even though they die) and this is done not by god rapturing their spirit into heaven, but by god's power raising dead bodies to life (Isa  26:19). 
 
In John 11, when Jesus said that Lazarus will rise again, immediately, Martha understood that it is about coming back to life in some sort of material bodily form, though her idea was that the dead will only live again (or rise up) on the last day. Neither Jesus nor Martha had any primary concern about Lazarus having the sort of "life after death" in a disembodied form. Instead of reassuring the bereaved family of Lazarus that now he (in spirit form) is living in the bosom of Abraham with god in heaven,
 
Jesus, and Martha, and Mary knew that a disembodied existence after death is not the ultimate, not the ideal. The ultimate and the ideal, the true hope of god's people was reinforced in a familar yet fresh revelation at the climax of the whole drama when Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life". Jesus reassured the people of the hope of resurrection, but instead of the resurrection being an event in the future (Martha in Jn 11:24), Jesus gave a fresh twist to this hope, it is a Person in the present.
 
Woman Giving Birth
 
In John 16, Jesus sort of repeated the whole message in a different manner. The author of John is a master in using repetition as a literary tool to bring the readers' focus to a particular theme, but in John 16:6, the "A little while..." and the "ask of the Father in my name..." reminds the reader of John 14. This time, he indicated that the disciples too will see him no longer for a short time, and then they will see him again. This of course, provoke the disciples' commotion among themselves as to the meaning of his cryptic words and John used that as an opportunity to allow Jesus to provide a commentary to the true meaning of those strange words,
 
"A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me." So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about."
 
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'?
 
Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  (Jn 16:16-24)
Jesus said that there will be a separation which will bring sorrow to the disciples (and a triumphant joy to the world), but the sorrow will turn into joy and he used the imagery of a woman giving birth.
 
The woman going into labour imagery is again a well-known and taken-for-granted language in biblical texts. Most probably originating from Genesis 3:16 where labour pain was the result of the Fall, this imagery is almost always used to describe the great anguish caused by eschatological tribulation when god's judgement came upon the world after which there will be joy of healing and restoration (OT: Isa 13:8, 26:17, 42:14; Jer 4:31, 6:24, 22:23, 48:41. 49:22; Mic 4:9; NT Mat 24:8 and parallels; 1 The 5:3; Rev 12). 
 
It is the picture of judgement which will preceed a time of happiness. John 16 seemed to suspiciously echo Paul in Romans 8 where similar themes were employed; of birth pang and of the disciples' (christians') eager longing for the blessings in store after the tribulations are over.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom 8:22-23)
Heavenly House, Labour Pain, Shaken Together and Press Down
 
Except that Paul was clear that the blessing in store in the aftermath of god's restorative judgement is the "redemption of our bodies": resurrection, the healing re-animation of the material realm, not least the human body.
 
Consider Paul once again in 2 Corinthian 4:16-5:10
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 
For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
 
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.   
Paul refered to our present body as our earthly home and we groan, longing for something else. Interestingly the "something else", called our heaveny home, refers to the glorified body, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, which is to be put on. The strangeness is getting stranger, the heavenly home is a something which we put on, rather than a somewhere which we go to? And in all these, the Spirit was given as a guarantee god's promised completion of his work.
 
If one think it was only Paul speaking in this sort of strangeness, consider Jesus in Jn 14:23:
Jesus answered 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 home with him
We must note that earlier in the chapter, vv 2-3, which is our study text, Jesus was saying that he is going to his Father's house. Now, Jesus explained that this house, the home where the Father and him dwell, is not a location in heaven somewhere, but, to our surprise and utter confusion, is the disciples themselves. Temple and dwelling, God and his people, this again brings us back to Paul:
 
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:19-20)
 
The temple language, God's dwelling place, a spiritual gift (though "material" in form) from god, is our body. And this body, this newly animated body is already a new Creation, and the work of restoration and healing will continue until one day, when all the dead in Christ shall be resurrected, the process will complete with the body upgraded into a glorifed material, but material nontheless.
 
New Temple and Little Temples
 
Dense and confusing,, but allow me to shake them together and press down for you by way of a proposed reading of John 14:2-3:
 
I believe Jesus was in fact speaking of his impending death, which he sees as taking up on himself god's eschatological judgement, but this judgment is not merely punitive, it is also restorative. It is best captured by Isaiah 40
 
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
   and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
   that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
   double for all her sins. (Isa 40:1-2)
There is a sense of the storm cloud clearing and the bright morning as come, to quote Tom Wright's description of Handel's Messiah (which incidentally had Isa 40:1-2 as it's opening). After the anguish of the birth pang, there is joy and relieve of a new life being borned.
 
Yes, new life, that's the theme of Jesus' ministry and more especially so portrayed in the gospel of John (read the audience with Pilate, crucifixion, tomb and resurrection with Gen 1 in mind). In giving up his life, he will receive it back again. He will be raised, remember John 2:19, Jesus said, "destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days".
 
The other gospels did record this saying, but only John accompanied it with a short commentary, "the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said" (Jn 2:21-22).
 
And they did remember, John in the step of this remembered tradition had Jesus speaking about the temple - his Father's house. He will be the new temple abrogating the authority and power of the old temple system. And when he had built the temple (resurrection), he will also enable his disciples to be "little temples" (to bring them to himself - to empower them to be like him) where Jesus and the Father will come to make home in them through the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth), given as a guarantee to the future and final wrap up of god's good work.
 
Which Is Why...
 
I believe that ultimate goal of Christianity is not to go to a disembodied heaven somewhere but to look forward to future resurrection where not only humanity is renewed but the whole cosmos, the whole Creation is transformed from corruptible to incorruptible. This is a theology especially prevalent in Paul and also in the book of revelation, and is expressed in our text in John's gospel. I conclude with an extract of an article I wrote sometime ago (because I think the thought is worth repeating!):
Paul tells us that the Creator god has not abandoned the world! He tells us that not only man and woman, but the WHOLE Creation is longing for god's redemption (Rom 8:18-25). If god did not plan to redeem Creation, the holy writers will not say so. Or else, the Creation groan in vain! No, and indeed Paul himself told us that in Jesus Christ, god has reconciled the world, man and woman and the WHOLE Creation to himself (2 Cor 5:18-19; Col 1:19-20)
 
...
Finally, John the Seer tells us what god ultimately meant to do, no it is not bringing people up to a disembodied heaven somewhere. No, there is no white robed winged angels on harps flying slowly across the clouds and the redeemed eating heavenly grapes all day long singing boring slow songs. No! There will be blood - see the lamb who was slained. There will be a choir, a loud choir! There will be a war and yes, there will be resurrection - of the body! We will be given back this flesh, this body, redeemed, but flesh and body nonetheless - like Jesus on Easter morning. And there is the finale of the great city coming down to earth, a picture of heaven and earth united, not the one destroying the other. May I sum up what the prophet Isaiah said about the redeemed Creation in a poem I wrote some time back:
 
A Spectre is haunting the world
To rule with iron fist and band
With mercy great, justice unnegotiable
To create a classless land
Where nations shall not rise against nations
Where the people live in peace
The lambs shall lie with the lions
The tigers amongst the kids
 
Forgive me for using Communist terms, but the redeemed world will be a world of land and farm and nations and people and animals. Just like what we have today, only much much much better. (From Babel to Pentecost, http://jack.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2007/5/26/2975348.html )