John 14:2 (In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you) has puzzled me ever since I became a Christian in 2002. I asked my favorite Sunday School teacher the meaning of this scripture, and he said it had to do with permanence. But that still doesn’t explain Jesus’ reference to “many rooms” (or “mansions” in some translations). What are these rooms?
The Greek word translated “mansions” in the KJV of John 14:2 doesn’t appear any place else in the Bible. It comes from a root meaning to remain or abide. What the verse means is that there are many dwelling places in God’s Kingdom, so there’s room for all of us. It was originally translated as “mansions” to imply that each of us will have a richly appointed and spacious dwelling in “Heaven” such as a very wealthy person would have on Earth.