JEWISH BRIDERS
In my Father’s s house are many MANSIONS: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. -- John 14:2, 3
“Gentile, grace dispensation, saints who claim these ‘MANSIONS in the sky’ are ‘CLAIM JUMPERS’ and ‘LAND ROBBERS" --Bishop (his terminology) R.E. Stokes in the March 1988 Florida Fundamentalist
The good Bishop argues that Jesus is speaking to Jewish disciples and not to the church and that He is speaking to them in Jerusalem, at the Passover. Stokes insists that they are being promised a place ON EARTH in the New Jerusalem as opposed to heaven (Stokes, Ibid.). Bishop Stokes is affiliated with the new breed, hyperdispensationalist radicals, who have been doing all they can to make portions (non-Pauline) of the word of God "of none effect." Some theories have gone as far as to say that the new birth is Old Testament and that confession of sins is not for this dispensation. No doubt, the Post Millennial Reconstructionists and covenant theologians will gain much ammunition from these folks to use on premillennial, independent Baptist, dispensationalists.
It is embarrassing to have to deal with such a silly theory, but the gullibility and ignorance of many saints mandate an examination of new doctrines (or shall we say anti-doctrines) to see who the real robbers are (Jer. 23:30).
First, to where did Jesus go away? To heaven . . . of course! Second, where is the Father’s house? Heaven! Third, where are the mansions found? Heaven . . . naturally! Fourth, where is Jesus preparing the place? Heaven! Fifth, where is the New Jerusalem right now (if we should consider it)? You have it! Heaven!
If Jesus went to prepare them a place (in heaven) and conditioned ("if") His coming on preparing a place where they "may be also," that place would not be an earthly Jerusalem, at least not at first. If an earthly Jerusalem were meant, they would be receiving Him not He receiving them. If Bishop Stokes were right, Jesus would have said, "that where you are, there may I be also." The good Bishop is so engrossed in his own logic, tapes from Alabama, and wrongly dividing the word of truth that he can’t see the forest for the trees. It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who comes to Jerusalem and is received by Jews (John 14:17).
What Bishop Stokes Missed
The Bishop missed John 13:36, the contextual basis for John 14:1-3.
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterward. --John 13:36
We doubt seriously that Jesus was saying, "thou canst not follow me to Jerusalem now" or "thou shalt follow me to Jerusalem afterwards." Yes, Brother Stokes, "Be a Bible believer." -- Stokes, Ibid.
Stokes’ emphasis on the Passover’s relevance to John 14:1-3 falls apart with John 13:29 which records Judas’ departure. You see, what comes next, before John 14, is the Christian/Jewish Lord’s s Supper (Matt. 26:25,26), a thorn in any hyperdispensationalist’s side with blessings from the Pauline epistles. In the language of a Berean or Stamite, "What do non-Gentile, kingdom, Jews have to do with a Christian Lord’s Supper? Yes, they were Jews . . . believing Jews. Jews who had reward in—OF ALL PLACES—HEAVEN (Matt. 5:12)! Jews, who had their names written in—OF ALL PLACES—HEAVEN (Elk. 10:20)! Believers!
Last of all, Bishop Stokes tells that these Jews will be on earth, in the New Jerusalem, and the church will be seated in heavenly places, for our conversation is in heaven. But what about the New Jerusalem being the BRIDE? The LAMB’S WIFE (Rev. 21:2,9, 10? The good Bishop is a DISPENSATIONAL JEWISH BRIDER! Horrors!
--by Herb Evans