Many dwelling places in the Father's House

[Eucharisted]

Luke 14
2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

Revelations 21
10 He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
11 It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal.
12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, (the names) of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.
13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west.
14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The one who spoke to me held a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16 The city was square, its length the same as (also) its width. He measured the city with the rod and found it fifteen hundred miles in length and width and height.
17 He also measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits according to the standard unit of measurement the angel used.
18 The wall was constructed of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.
19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone; the first course of stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.
22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
23 The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and to it the kings of the earth will bring their treasure.
25 During the day its gates will never be shut, and there will be no night there.
26 The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there,
27 but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any (one) who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The Father’s House was the Temple in Jerusalem and the dwelling places which Jesus spoke of were the rooms where the priests stayed, which were adjoined to the side of the Temple. It was a desire amongst some Jews of that time to dwell as closely to the Temple as possibly, so as to be nearest to the Lord, just as some Christians wish to have homes as close to the churches as possible, so as to be nearest to Christ. So when Jesus told His Apostles there were many dwelling places in the Temple, He was telling them that they would go to Heaven and they would not need to fear about not having a place in God’s House.

In the vision of the New Jerusalem, we find that there is no Temple, because its temple was Jesus Christ. This shows how close man will be to God in Heaven. But it also shows something else, if you go back to first verses of the Gospel of John. There you will find that God has pitched His tent amongst us. The pitching of the tent, in John’s time, meant the Tabernacle, the dwelling-place of the Lord in the desert. John was saying that God has assumed human nature and come into the world; the literal meaning of his words, though, is that God pitched a tent made of human flesh for Himself, and this “obscene” imagery is meant to convey the reality of the Incarnation, that Jesus is true God and true Man, not a ghost or apparition, and, in Him, God is united to man and man is united to God.

 

[Convert66]

If only the “symbolism alone” crowd (while busy interpreting the literal meaning of Scripture Alone) could put down their skepticism and believe. . .

What you have presented so well regarding the Incarnation points my mind directly to the Sacraments; especially, the Eucharist, where Christ “tabernacles” with us all over again.

People look at this Dogma from the wrong side, in my opinion, if they begin their looking from the vantage point of their own reason. It strikes me as being ironic that Protestants, despite the sincere and devotional attachment to Jesus they may form in their lives, speak of faith when it comes to salvation, but a sort of “rational naturalism” when it comes to the Eucharist.

Luther’s rebellion shifted the focus of faith from God’s trustworthiness (and the gates of hell will not prevail . . .; this is my body . . .) to each mans own understanding, (the Church is corrupt . . .The Eucharist is only a symbol). This necessarily leads to the relativism of a million individual “apostles” interpretations . . .a billion. Rationalism in it’s modern form. That’s your opinion.

The reason (pun intended) that faith must come before reason is that it is the only ground unassailable to the tyranny of opinions: of our own muddled thinking and opinions and the muddled thinking and opinions of others who are smarter than we are (and there’s always another). Faith is the fortress that sane and rational men are perpetually a day or two away from conquering once and for all. But man, who is contingent and finite, can never assail an Eternal fortress . . . and faith, I am told by it’s critics, is nothing if not invincibly ignorant. But the doubter is ignorant too. He is ignorant of faith, and therefore invincible in his doubt.

The appearance of bread and wine is sufficient because it is the “tent” that is pitched in which Christ dwells among us. Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the “form” of bread and wine, just as Christ, " . . .being found in the form of a slave" suffered death and resurrection in His body.

Protestants, with their symbolism, have denied that Christ (who is God) is truly Present in matter under the appearance of bread and wine. They have unwittingly joined the ranks of the “scoffers” who denied in the Scriptures (and still deny) that “. . .Christ has come in the flesh.” In both cases of doubt what is missing is faith in the Incarnation. Christ, “tabernacling” amongst us . . .

All my best . . .

 

[Eucharisted]

If only the “symbolism alone” crowd (while busy interpreting the literal meaning of Scripture Alone) could put down their skepticism and believe. . .

What you have presented so well regarding the Incarnation points my mind directly to the Sacraments; especially, the Eucharist, where Christ “tabernacles” with us all over again.

People look at this Dogma from the wrong side, in my opinion, if they begin their looking from the vantage point of their own reason. It strikes me as being ironic that Protestants, despite the sincere and devotional attachment to Jesus they may form in their lives, speak of faith when it comes to salvation, but a sort of “rational naturalism” when it comes to the Eucharist.

Luther’s rebellion shifted the focus of faith from God’s trustworthiness (and the gates of hell will not prevail . . .; this is my body . . .) to each mans own understanding, (the Church is corrupt . . .The Eucharist is only a symbol). This necessarily leads to the relativism of a million individual “apostles” interpretations . . .a billion. Rationalism in it’s modern form. That’s your opinion.

The reason (pun intended) that faith must come before reason is that it is the only ground unassailable to the tyranny of opinions: of our own muddled thinking and opinions and the muddled thinking and opinions of others who are smarter than we are (and there’s always another). Faith is the fortress that sane and rational men are perpetually a day or two away from conquering once and for all. But man, who is contingent and finite, can never assail an Eternal fortress . . . and faith, I am told by it’s critics, is nothing if not invincibly ignorant. But the doubter is ignorant too. He is ignorant of faith, and therefore invincible in his doubt.

The appearance of bread and wine is sufficient because it is the “tent” that is pitched in which Christ dwells among us. Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the “form” of bread and wine, just as Christ, " . . .being found in the form of a slave" suffered death and resurrection in His body.

Protestants, with their symbolism, have denied that Christ (who is God) is truly Present in matter under the appearance of bread and wine. They have unwittingly joined the ranks of the “scoffers” who denied in the Scriptures (and still deny) that “. . .Christ has come in the flesh.” In both cases of doubt what is missing is faith in the Incarnation. Christ, “tabernacling” amongst us . . .

All my best . . .

Yes, it is sad that men no longer trust in God. He is the Truth itself. He cannot decieve nor be deceived. Let us pray for them.