Heaven - it really is a larger place than we imagine

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples in a comforting way. Casually mentioning His Father's house here there is no real emphasis eluded to except that the house (God's) in reference was massive and had room for many mansions. Let's think about what God's Word says with just a little extra thought.

In Revelation 21:9 toward the end of the verse we read an angel is saying to John, 'Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lambs wife'. Described as 'new heaven and new earth' it's very exciting to think about coming to the culmination of God's plan and His divine Will becoming reality. In similar contrast to the garden of Eden we will be participants in the euphoric atmosphere Adam and Eve enjoyed. The difference though is there will never again be a tempter. That old serpent, the Devil is forever in the lake of fire and expelled forever. Then in the spirit John is carried away and there is revealed to him that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. The wall, gates and foundations of the City are expanded upon through vs 15 but then in vs 16 we are given it's dimensions or size. The City lies foursquare. The length, breadth and height are equal each 12,000 furlongs. The massiveness of the bride, the Lamb's wife is so overwhelming to John's flesh it is revealed in Revelation 22:8 he fell to worship at the angelic messenger's feet.

For some perspective dealing with the City's size, consider now this detailed description using a simple example and numbers.

Remember the puzzle game 'Rubik Cube'? Lets consider the total number of squares in one of these simple puzzles. Visualize now with me this square made up of smaller squares. We have on any side 3x3 = 9 small squares. Then we take the 9 and move through the entire area which is 3 again and arrive with 9x3 = 27 total small squares in the traditional Rubiks Cube puzzle. Consider now the truly awesome size of this City of God given us in our study as we use the same technique as our scaled down comparison example with Rubik cube.

One furlong by definition is equal to 660 ft.

12,000 x 660 = 7,920,000 ft. Remember this is for each of this City's four sides, length breadth and height.

7,920,000' divided by 5,280 (ft per mile) = 1500 miles. Length, breadth, height each one 1500 square miles.

Now taking one end we have 1500 x 1500 = 2,250,000 miles.

Again as before we move through the entire area. 2,250,000 x 1500 = 3,375,000,000 square miles.

Three billion with a B, three hundred and seventy five million square miles.

Now let's consider some time factors. Calendarly speaking I am sure while thousands of years have come and gone there is most likely discreprencies of some varying degrees prevalent. The following thoughts allow for these imperfections and while even our calendar may be years off even if so, even a number of years will not affect much at all the following demonstration of time as we know it factoring into the above stated size of the City of God from Revelation 21.

Duly noted is that the current year is 2021. 2021 AD (Anno Domini) referring to the year of Christ's birth. Upon reaching his (probably) 33rd birthday this was his last before the crucifixion. We can now determine a number from an equation. Our year 2021 minus 33 equals 1988 years. This number, 1988 gives us close proximity to (again a year or few is of little consequence) how long since the cross.

Simple time facts are 24 hrs in a day. Our common calendar has 365.24 days per year. Hours in a year, 24 x 365.24 rounds out to 8766.

8766 hours in one calendar year.

The number of years (appx) since the cross equals 1988. 1988 years x 8766 hours in a year equals 17,426,808. Seventeen million, four hundred twenty six thousand, eight hundred and eight hours (appx) since the cross. 17,426,808 hours x 2 equals to 34,853,616 HALF hours since the cross.

If it were possible to begin when Jesus breathed those final words, 'it is finished' (John 19:30) and we were able to enter the gates to the City of God described in Revelation 21. The City remember is 3,375,000,000 square miles in size.

If you entered square mile #1 when Jesus uttered those words and stayed for one HALF hour before moving to square mile #2. Then again staying one HALF hour before proceeding to square mile #3 etc etc etc.

If were possible to continue NON STOP 24/7 SINCE THE CROSS VISITING SQUARE MILE BY SQUARE MILE, spending one half hour with each square mile you would have now visited 34,853,616 square miles. Thirty four million, eight hundred fifty three thousand, six hundred and sixteen square miles would have been visited.

That sounds like a lot and it is, but consider 3,375,000,000, the total square miles of the City of God minus 34,853,616 equals 3,340,146,384 square miles left yet to visit !!!!!!! We haven't scratched the surface of visiting the City of God even by visiting each one square mile room nonstop every thirty minutes since Christ's crucifixion.

Referencing a square mile as we now comprehend is comprised only of land mass. The Holy City of God comprises also one square mile straight up of air space.

When Jesus said in John 14:2 'in my Father's house are many mansions our finite minds tend to conjure up the best definition we have seen maybe of high profile people (million, billionaires) and their dwellings. Totally laughable to call anything on this earthly side a mansion with comparison to our Father's House comprised of many mansions.