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Fall/Winter 2003
Putting
the Mainstream Prophetic Press John
13:20
You can study world history with the study method’s sound principles, including your local newspaper. And you can study Milton’s Paradise Lost (so as to not get lost in it). But the inductive study method is particularly suited for studying Scripture because of the many different audiences and messages God breathed into His text. Context is the foundation on which the house of biblical hermeneutics rests. (See “Interpreting the Rules of Revelation” and “Hunting for Key Words the Inductive Way” in ET). Who was being spoken to, what was being said, when and where it was said, and why it was said are the “rightly dividing” measure rods (2 Tim. 2:15) for serious Bible students. Key words, key events, general and local truth, and the anointing of God’s Spirit are all key ingredients in the interpretive process. The rejection of these foundational principles is the reason the mainstream prophetic press has flourished for so long. Want to know what’s happening in the world? You need to read too. Just because a talking head on television reports something as news doesn’t necessarily make it truth. The same is true with prophetic news. You can take the mainstream prophetic press’ “expert positions” as gospel (as too many do without studying the matter out for themselves). Or you can study other resources to weigh the accuracy of his or her truth. There aren’t too many places you can do that. So Eschatology Today is here to help you gather some facts. Those who’ve read through my stuff understand a literal interpretation of Scripture is what Eschatology Today regards as newsworthy, prophetic fact. Working hand in hand with Scripture and prophetic world events, Eschatology Today can equip you to discern your last days place. And I'll tell you right now, it's not hunkered down in some church house bunker, waiting for escape. In this article I offer a hermeneutic look at one of the prophetic mainstream press’ biggest whoppers: Jesus’ alleged rapture teaching in John 14. We all want to be raptured. I certainly do. But the interpretation of Jesus’ rapture teaching in this passage isn’t just simply wrong. It shrouds the most impacting New Testament revelation Jesus disclosed in the Gospels; the incarnation of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s born-again church. When John 14 is taught, the Rapture is the emphasis, not this most important of all New Testament truths. And all because of a foundational lack of hermeneutics. Let’s take a look. John
14:2-3 The popular rapture teaching based on this ethereal passage is commonly taught with the King James translation of “mansion,” which literally means, dwelling place. And it is commonly interpreted like this: “Don’t be troubled, church, easy street is waiting for you in heaven. I’m returning there to make ready your millionaire-like mansion, so when I return, I can rapture you to be with me there.” The Who, What, Where, When, and Why’s of Biblical Hermeneutics I like the idea of going home to be with Jesus as much as the next Christian. But a hermeneutic study of John 14 doesn’t prove this out. Remembering the five W’s of hermeneutics (who, what, when, where, why), applied to this passage: Who Jesus was speaking to in John 14 were His disciples. What was being said was His return to be the Father. When was on the eve of His crucifixion. Where, was at the Last Supper. The when and where’s of this chapter’s revelation are its real interpretive zingers. Considering the local truth[1] of the setting: Jesus the Passover Lamb was celebrating Passover with His Passover people in the Passover city. Ten hours later He would suffer on the cross for your and my sins. The local truth of Jesus’ suffering that would begin the next morning at the hands of His executioners. The suffering He would endure in the bowels of Hades as mankind’s perfect sin and burnt offering. His resurrection that would take place three days later—were all focused issues on our Lord’s mind at that time, with one end in mind: the spiritual birth of His New Covenant Church. This is the local truth of this passage, and we are unskilled as biblical expositors to neglect its account. (Take a few minutes right now to read chapters 12 and 13 and come to your own conclusion.) Many Mansions…There are also a number of Greek words to consider when studying John’s chapter 14 text, especially the word translated, “mansion.” The King James Version’s popular use of the word in this chapter has etched the idea of millionaire-like heavenly mansions perpetually in Christian thought. Mone[2] is the Greek word translated, which actually means, “dwelling place.” It is used twice in Jesus’ John 14 message (vvs. 2 and 23) and would quite frankly undo the “prophetically correct” rapture message in this passage if honestly interpreted in context. John
14:2 John
14:23 In My Father’s House…
2 “In My Father's family are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. I Go to Prepare A Place…The third key word in John 14:3, “place,” topos, can mean “a spot, location” or figuratively, condition, opportunity.” Demonstrated by the worship practice in the Hebrew tabernacle, there was a place for man in God’s presence, one time annually (Lev. 16; Heb. 9:7). Taking into account the local truth of this passage, a new place had to be prepared for mankind’s restoration into God’s presence, and Jesus was on His way to provide it. Heb
10:19-26 Hagion, the neuter of hagios; a sacred thing (i.e. spot) is the word used in this passage. It is not the same Greek word used in John 14, but is translated place in the NAS in context of Jesus’ redemptive ministry.
The revelation contained in this invaluable book also sheds some light on the concept of God’s oikos house: Heb
3:6 Understanding
this great blood redemption truth (Eph 2:13,18) can also clarify the where of
Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question in John 13:36: 36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later.” Where was Jesus about to go? To the Cross. In a few hours He would be sweating blood in agony over its coming. The crucifying acceptance of its life-giving salvation must precede the coming of His Spirit in every repentant heart. It is the place where self must die before God imparts life, and Peter would soon face it. But again, the real kicker in rightly dividing this passage is the word mone; “dwelling place.” Jesus was still talking in context the second time He used it when completing His “in that day” prophecy in verses 20-23. John 14:20 Notice Jesus’ declaration in verse 20. In "that day" Jesus was looking toward in verse 20 the disciples would know Jesus was in the Father, that they were in Jesus, and Jesus in them. John
14:23 Now notice the action in verse 23. The coming or going is done by Jesus and the Father, to make their mone (dwelling place, mansion, abode) in those who love Jesus and keep His word. Why the New American Standard version scholars didn’t transfer mone either “dwelling place” or “abode” consistently in vvs. 2 and 23 is beyond me. What is consistent is the prophecy of a dwelling place located in the believer where Jesus and the Father would take up residence. (Do an “I, Me, He” key word search in John 14 and your mind will boggle as you see how easily Jesus went from first, to second, to third person singular in describing the indwelling presence of the Trinity.) This is incarnation (indwelling), not rapture (second coming), talk. And there’s even more in succeeding chapters that strengthens this local truth. Continuing His incarnation teaching in chapter 15, Jesus used the parabolic language of a vineyard. I’m A Vine, You’re Branches John
15:1,2
“Okay men,” Jesus said as they walked on in John 15 to their campsite for the night. “I know this is a hard teaching for you right now. So look at it this way: The Father is a farmer, I’m His vine, and you're vine branches. Without our life presence living in you, you will wither and die like a dead, crumpled branch. Those of you who live, get ready for some pruning, because in you, My Father and I will perform and continue My work. In chapter 16 Jesus prophesied the coming of His Holy Spirit. John
16:13 Then, finally, in chapter 17, He prayed for our joint incarnation with the Father as one with them. Notice within the context of this prayer how Jesus didn’t pray to take His disciples out of the world to be with Him in heaven, but to empower them to live victoriously on earth. John
17:15,21 The concept of Christ’s body enjoining many human members is “the” astounding revelation of the New Testament Church. Without Paul’s writings we wouldn’t understand it. Without Jesus’ life and teaching, we couldn’t apprehend it. Was Jesus really interested in a heavenly event He knew would take place two millennia from that time? Or was He concerned with the culmination of His first coming that would give spiritual birth to His church? You decide. Keep looking up! Mark [1] See Interpreting the Rules of Revelation, in ET links. [2] If you don’t have them get Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Conconordance and Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Greek Words to open the original language of God’s book. |
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ermeneutics;
ahh…the art and science of biblical interpretation…the sound of rational
comprehension. 
Hermeneutics
also forces us to stop and look at the where of
these dwelling places. Jesus located them in “My Father’s House.” The
Greek word translated house, oikia, in
this passage means a residence,
and by implication a family. Understanding the meaning, therefore,
of three of the four key words in this key gospel passage: “mansion”:
(mone) “dwelling place”;
and “house”: (oikos) “a
family, a residence”; you could honestly transliterate verse 2 like
this:
2 “Every
branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch
that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.