Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 19:2 (Fall 2022)
Article: Heaven Or "Halakha": John 14:1–3 Re-Examined
Author: Andrea L. Robinson

Heaven Or Halakha: John 14:1–3 Re-Examined

Andrea L. Robinson

Andrea L. Robinson serves as associate pastor of Building Church in Madison, Alabama.

Abstract: John 14:1–3 is a passage often referenced to support the notion of “going to heaven.” Yet, Christ’s message in John 14:1–3 is one of exhortation, by which the Lord urges his followers to emulate his pattern of obedience. An analysis of significant Greek terms in the immediate context as well as the wider context of the Bible and Second Temple period literature suggests that “the Father’s house” is not a designation for heaven, but a reference to Jesus Christ as the new temple. Similarly, the “prepared place” is a reconceptualization of temple imagery, in which the preparation consists of Jesus’s obedience, crucifixion, and resurrection, which makes the presence of God accessible for all believers. As Christ walked in obedience to the Father, he modeled a new halakha—one based on personal, relational faith.

Key Words: John, halakha, heaven, temple, parousia, Father’s house, prepared place

Introduction

The promise of a paradisal dwelling in the afterlife is a hope most Christians embrace. One only need glance through traditional hymnals to encounter lines such as “In the mansions bright and blessed, He’ll prepare for us a place. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!”1 However, the idea of an otherworldly heaven as the eternal dwelling place of redeemed believers has come under increasing scrutiny. J. Richard Middleton asserts that focusing expectations “on an otherworldly salvation has the potential to dissipate our resistance to societal evil and the dedication needed to work for the redemptive transformation of

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this world.”2 N. T. Wright similarly laments that many Christians have settled for a “truncated and distorted version” of the greatest of all biblical expectations.3

John 14:1–3 is a passage often referenced to support the notion of “going to heaven.” In the familiar pericope, John recounts Jesus’s encouraging words to the disciples just prior to his crucifixion:

¹ Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, also believe in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many rooms; unless it were so, would I say to you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if...