Eternal Homes, Faith's Reward

He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' "Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' "So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.

(Luke 16:1-9)

In the above passage of Scripture, our Lord Jesus provides a disturbing insight regarding the residences of the saints in the New Jerusalem. The passage describes how the unfaithful steward loses everything, including his home, due to his unfaithfulness. It then explains how he shrewdly compensates for this loss by being welcomed into the homes of others. Our Lord concludes His teaching by implying that some saints, due to their unfaithfulness in this life, will forfeit their eternal residences in the New Jerusalem. In other words, they will be in the city but have no homes of their own. The Apostle Paul also refers to such an individual, describing one whose works are burned up, suffering the loss of their eternal inheritance, yet remaining saved (1 Corinthians 3:15). In the above passage, our Lord advises us to use mammon in this life to bless others, so that if we fail, those individuals may welcome us to stay in their homes in the New Jerusalem. Thus, it is possible that some saints will be homeless in the New Jerusalem. Some might argue that this problem is solved because, as our Lord taught, they can live in a fellow saint’s home. While true, imagine living in someone else’s home for eternity. Such individuals will lack the freedom to invite others for meals whenever they choose, as they will not be living in their own residences.

 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(Galatians 5:19-21)

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.

(Ephesians 5:2-7)

The forfeiture of one’s eternal inheritance due to a chosen lifestyle is a serious issue. In the above three passages of Scripture, the Holy Spirit warns the saints about this matter, as all these passages are addressed to believers, not unbelievers. In each, the Holy Spirit cautions that saints who choose to practice the lifestyles mentioned will have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. They may still be saved, as they have not committed the sin unto death (i.e., denying the Lord Jesus), but they will have no inheritance. As noted earlier, part of our inheritance is a home in the New Jerusalem. Saints who ignore the Holy Spirit’s warning and persist in a lifestyle of sin will effectively be homeless in the New Jerusalem, relying on the goodwill of fellow believers to take them into their homes in the age to come. What a tragic outcome for those saints. No wonder God will need to wipe away their tears on their day of judgment when they realize the loss they will suffer (Revelation 7:17).

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

(Mark 12:25)

Another truth about our residences in the New Jerusalem is revealed in the comment made by the Lord Jesus in the above passage of Scripture. In context, the Sadducees questioned the Lord about the status of husbands and wives in the age to come. Jesus answered that there will be no marriage in the age to come. Most believers understand this, but the teaching extends further. Our Lord stated that the saints would be like angels in heaven. What does this mean? Most interpret this to mean that, since angels do not marry, there will be no marriages among the saints in the age to come. This is correct, but there is an additional detail: angels in heaven also have no families, meaning no spouses, siblings, children, or parents. Thus, our Lord was indicating that the saints in the age to come will similarly have no spouses, siblings, children, or parents. All saints will be brothers and sisters in Christ, with one Father, God.

How does this concept impact residences in the New Jerusalem? As shown earlier, certain saints will reside closer to the throne than others, depending on their walk as believers in this age. To illustrate, consider Moses and his wife Zipporah. Moses, as one of the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of all the earth, will have his residence very close to the throne of God. However, Scripture strongly suggests that Zipporah was not an exemplary godly woman. Thus, her residence will likely be relatively far from the throne. In other words, Zipporah will not reside near the throne simply because she was married to Moses in this life. Although both will live in the same city, they will not reside together. This principle applies to all believing families in this life. Sons and daughters may live closer to the throne than their parents if they led more godly lives, and vice versa. Similarly, husbands or wives may reside closer to the throne than their spouses based on their godliness. Thus, in the New Jerusalem, saints will not live together in family units as they do in this life.

Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord Speak, saying, "The Lord has utterly separated me from His people"; nor let the eunuch say, "Here I am, a dry tree." For thus says the Lord: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.

(Isaiah 56:3-5)

This brings us to the final point: each saint will reside in their own home and not share it with others. To clarify, saints will have fellowship with one another, inviting each other for meals, as mentioned earlier. However, aside from the angels who reside with them to serve them, each saint will live alone in their own residence. In the above passage of Scripture, God confirms that the residence He gives each saint within the city walls of the New Jerusalem will be better than that of sons and daughters, meaning better than natural family units.

Michael E.B. Maher

The End of the Age

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