p. 6 | My Father's House by Mrs. H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 2, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 22.

My Father's House

By Mrs. H. A. St. John

In the course of Jesus’ talk with His disciples at the last supper, among the many comforting things He said were these words: “In My Father’s house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare a place for you.” Since “the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call,” you, dear reader, and I may appropriate this promise and repeat to others, “In my Father’s house are many mansions.”

The same Father who loved Jesus so dearly, is my loving Father. Soon after His resurrection Jesus said, “I ascend unto My Father, and your Father.” Still more precious is the thought expressed in the Lord’s prayer (John 17) that the Father loves those who believe on the Saviour as He has loved His only begotten Son. In connection with an exhortation elsewhere to separate ourselves from sin, the encouraging promise is given, “I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

It is not, “In My Father’s house” are thousands and thousands of rooms, but, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” My Father’s house is composed of many houses, and it may sound stranger still to say that house is to be occupied by “a house;” yes, one built up here on this earth, the erection of which Jesus, the Master builder, is superintending. Jesus Himself is the chief corner-stone, “whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” So, while according to His promise Jesus is preparing a place, He is preparing a people also for those heavenly mansions.

He ascended to Jerusalem, which is above, and there entered upon His mediatorial work, our great High Priest, “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Moreover, “He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

As one has put it, God has in His great government a bureau of salvation. The Lord Jesus is at the head of this bureau, and His office is a most glorious temple in the house of God. The throne of the Father is there, Jesus is at His right hand, and the counsel

of peace is between them both. Our Lord and Saviour is there in the presence of the Father for us. It is from that glorious center of the universe that the Holy Spirit and holy angels go forth to this lost and sinful world upon errands of mercy, love, and salvation. They are cheerfully obedient to their exalted Head, our glorified Redeemer.

Eden Transplanted

After the fall, the lovely Garden of Eden was transplanted there in that city of our God. How appropriate that the same delightful Eden, the home of the first Adam and his beautiful wife, should now be in the Father’s house, where the second Adam is occupied in the stupendous work of redemption! He bought the original Paradise and already has that in His possession. He has bought the human race, and is now engaged in redeeming all that will accept of the great salvation provided. The earth, also, is His purchased possession, and the day is coming when He shall have redeemed the whole earth to the praise of His glory.

Jesus has greatly enlarged and beautified our Father’s house and is now preparing to receive and grandly entertain all His dear people when they shall be glorified and go home with Him to that “inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” for them.

The saints enjoy a residence of a thousand years in this celestial home before its location is changed to a place prepared for it on this terrestrial sphere. I have no doubt the attractions and glories of the city will be greatly enhanced, at any rate not one whit diminished, when placed in that new setting, the glorious new earth, rejoicing and blossoming as a rose. Higher than the beautiful hills thereof will be the situation of my Father’s house, wherein is still the throne of God and the Lamb. Mountains will be leveled, and thus on the “top of the mountains” the holy city will rest, a flood of light and gorgeous colors emanating therefrom to all parts of the new earth, and constituting a medium through which the city may be seen in its dazzling splendor by all its inhabitants, the twelve tribes of the redeemed hosts.

The sweet singer of Israel says, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.” Ps. 122:1-4. In like manner the saints in all the new earth will be glad when they say one to another, “Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord.”

Then will all the redeemed of the Lord return and “come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.” Her gates will never be closed, and so easy of access will be the loved city that all nations are said to flow into it, or we might say fly, for they will be equal and like unto the angels. “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.” Isa. 40:31.

Dear reader, when our feet enter through the gates into that city, when we occupy one of those mansions, magnificent and sumptuous beyond description, we shall feel that we have a perfect right there. Rev. 22:14. Being adopted as sons and daughters of God, we are heirs, “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” It is our inheritance, and the dear Lord will conduct us into the full possession of it in His own good time. All praise and glory be to His blessed name forever and forever!

MRS. H. A. ST. JOHN.