"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:3

"I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." What is this part all about? What is Jesus really saying? Is it some type of symbolic riddle for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us, or is it something that can be taken literally ... at face value? The "gracie groups" believe & proclaim that Jesus has already came again, etc. BUT, has He really came again and received us unto himself? Are we already where He is? I ask because, this is my MAJOR heart's cry. To be where ever He is, continuously, at all times. So, help me if you know. Anonymous

The thing that has made this so difficult to understand is from the fact that the totally wrong meaning has been etched into our theology and into our religious mindsets. Heck, even those who don't believe would assume the usual meaning we have come to accept.

Well, I agree with those you refer to as the "gracie groups" on the reality that Jesus has already fulfilled this promise he made to the disciples. Don't you realize that he IS with us and that we are with him NOW? You gotta remember how the disciples were impacted by the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Read what they wrote and said AFTER that happened and you'll realize that they understood that he had come again, because for them HE LEFT them beginning with the death and resurrection. After he rose from the dead they still saw him but something just wasn't right (remember Peter's whole shame issue?). Then he left them for sure when he floated away into the clouds. When they got hit with the Spirit THEN THEY UNDERSTOOD.

Peter was no longer shamed when he wrote about being "PARTAKERS of the divine nature." He understood the reality of being a LIVING stone within the CORNERSTONE.

So, to your question - can it be taken literally - the answer is YES. Just because you can see this return with your eyes don't write it off as being symbolic. And don't be afraid that this takes away from the reality we will SEE when we die, because it will blow away any of our speculations about our pagan ideas of "heaven". Heck, most of our "heaven" ideas come more from a blending of Bible verses with Greek and Roman mythology and very little from the Bible itself.

Love, Jim