The night before His death, Jesus taught, "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:2-3). The King James Version says, "In my Father's house are many mansions." Do Christians receive mansions in heaven?
The Greek word translated as mansion or house is monai, a word referring to a dwelling place. The Father's "house" is a form of oikos. It is the basic word for house in the Greek language. There is every indication that the believer's home will be good and even perfect, but there is nothing to indicate the exact nature of where believers will dwell. It could range from a simple home to an extravagant mansion or even heaven as "home." The type of dwelling believers will have in heaven is unclear in this passage.
In Middle Eastern culture, a father's house often included many built on additions where extended family members lived. The idea of the Father's house with plenty of room being prepared for His children would have been easily understood and would have resonated well with Jesus' hearers.
Another positive benefit of this understanding that we have dwelling places or rooms in the Father's house is that we will not live in separate locations; we will each dwell with the Father in heaven for eternity.
Interestingly, the descriptions of believers given in Revelation indicate people living together. There will be one heavenly city (Revelation 21—22) and believers from every people group, nation, and language worship the Lord together (Revelation 7:9). It may be that rather than individual homes, believers will all be "home" in the sense of being together with the Lord.
In 2 Corinthians 5:8-9, Paul also notes, "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." To Paul, being with the Lord was being "home" rather than a focus on a particular type of house or dwelling.
We can trust God has a perfect place prepared for each believer to dwell together with Him. The focus is not on whether there will be individual homes or the greatness of those homes but on the presence of the Lord and in living together with other believers in perfect glory for eternity.
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