Back to: Heaven: Alcorn
Mansions, Rooms, or Dwelling Places?
If you’re like me, I used to look at this passage as referring to literal mansions – brick & mortar (albeit ‘heavenly’) houses & buildings. Which didn’t make much sense in the context of a perfect ecosystem and sinless environment.
I mean, why would I need a house, or shelter in Heaven?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that literal buildings will absolutely NOT be in Heaven. Nor am I absolutely stating that we won’t be living in buildings. After all, we’re told that there are cities and walls and streets in Heaven, so buildings would logically be part of this environment.
But let’s do a little inductive study and take a closer look at what Jesus & Paul were saying about the place or location, when talking about living in eternity. What were the actual words used, and in what other contexts can we find them in scripture?
Note: all the Greek definitions given in this section are taken from Strong’s Concordance NASB from my Tecarta Bible app. A free online version is also available at BibleHub.com
Jesus
John 14:2 NASBS In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
(Father’s) ‘house’
| Strong’s Number | Original Word | Transliterated Word | Phonetic Spelling | Parts of Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3614 | οἰκία | oikia | oy-kee’-ah | Noun Feminine |
Strong’s Definition
From G3624; properly residence (abstractly) but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively); by implication a family (especially domestics): – home house (-hold).
Thayer’s Definition
- a house
- an inhabited edifice, a dwelling
- the inmates of a house, the family
- property, wealth, goods
Usage by Word
house (66), houses (7), home (6), household (5), households (1)
Usage by Book
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, 1 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, 2 John
‘dwelling’ (places)
Often translated ‘rooms’ or ‘mansions’ but the word ‘monē‘ is actually ‘dwelling (places)’ and ONLY used 2x in all of scripture. The other spot is in John 14:3 where Jesus says He and the Father will make their abode (monē) with him.
John 14:23 NASBS Jesus answered and said to 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 abode with him.
| Strong’s Number | Original Word | Transliterated Word | Phonetic Spelling | Parts of Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3438 | μονή | monē | mon-ay’ | Noun Feminine |
Strong’s Definition
From G3306; a staying that is residence (the act or the place): – abode mansion.
Thayer’s Definition
- a staying, abiding, dwelling, abode
- to make an (one’s) abode
- metaph. of the God the Holy Spirit indwelling believers
Usage by Word
places (1), dwelling (1), abode (1)
Usage by Book
John
Paul: Our bodies as dwelling places.
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NASBS For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [2] For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, [3] inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. [4] For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. [5] Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
‘earthly tent’
| Strong’s Number | Original Word | Transliterated Word | Phonetic Spelling | Parts of Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4636 | σκῆνος | skēnos | skay’-nos | Noun Neuter |
Strong’s Definition
From G4633; a hut or temporary residence that is (figuratively) the human body (as the abode of the spirit): – tabernacle.
Thayer’s Definition
- a tabernacle, a tent
- metaph. of the human body, in which the soul dwells as in a tent, and which is taken down at death
Usage by Word
tent (2)
Usage by Book
2 Corinthians
‘house’
| Strong’s Number | Original Word | Transliterated Word | Phonetic Spelling | Parts of Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3624 | οἶκος | oikos | oy’-kos | Noun Masculine |
Strong’s Definition
Of uncertain affinity; a dwelling (more or less extensive literally or figuratively); by implication a family (more or less related literally or figuratively): – home house (-hold) temple.
Thayer’s Definition
- a house
- an inhabited house, home
- any building whatever
- of a palace
- the house of God, the tabernacle
- any dwelling place
- of the human body as the abode of demons that possess it
- of tents, and huts, and later, of the nests, stalls, lairs, of animals
- the place where one has fixed his residence, one’s settled abode, domicile
- the inmates of a house, all the persons forming one family, a household
- the family of God, of the Christian Church, of the church of the Old and New Testaments a. 2.
- stock, family, descendants of one
Usage by Word
house (68), home (18), household (14), homes (2), place (1), palaces (1), itself (1), households (1), family (1), families (1), descendants (1)
Usage by Book
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, 1
‘building’
| Strong’s Number | Original Word | Transliterated Word | Phonetic Spelling | Parts of Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3619 | οἰκοδομή | oikodomē | oy-kod-om-ay’ | Noun Masculine |
Strong’s Definition
Feminine (abstraction) of a compound of G3624 and the base of G1430; architecture that is (concretely) a structure; figuratively confirmation: – building edify (-ication -ing).
Thayer’s Definition
- (the act of) building, building up
- metaph. edifying, edification
- the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness
- a building (i.e. the thing built, edifice) 3.
Usage by Word
building (8), edification (5), buildings (3), upbuilding (1), edifying (1)
Usage by Book
Matthew, Mark, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians
Putting it all together
Now that we’ve exegeted these passages, go back and read these verses (matbe in different versions) and substitute the greek word in their respective places.
Does this change the meaning of these verses from how you understood them in the past?