Usually when an adolescent leaves home to attend university or to begin a new life, what is left behind is an empty room. Otherwise, oftentimes a room becomes empty when a family member passes on. In yet another situation, at all times when a patient leaves the hospital, a room becomes vacant. But, seldom do we hear of a room waiting for a certain individual who, for some reason or other, never shows up -- never in an eternity. But this can and does occur. Heaven knows for sure.
In John 14:2 Jesus says, "In my Father's house are many rooms...I am going there to prepare a place for you." For any who have become followers of Christ, their rooms are indeed readied in heaven, though they will remain empty but for a short time. James 4:14 says that life is but a "vapour that appears for a little time and vanishes away." For that reason, in the overall scheme of what is everlasting, the heaven-bound will, as though in the twinkling of an eye, soon each occupy their rooms. Jesus promises in John 14:3 saying, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." You see, Jesus does take care of his friends, those who do what he commands them (John 15:14). Nevertheless, doing what Jesus commands conflicts with what the average person wants to do. If you happen to be one of those average persons, you might say, "I will do what I want to do when I want to do it and when I feel good and ready to do it. So there!"
The "so-there" people are discussed in Revelations 13:8. It speaks of all "whose names (which) have not been written in the book of life" and how they will not even see the Father's house, let alone a room in it for them In Revelations 3:5 Jesus says "I will confess his name before my Father..." that is, the name written in the book of life. As Matthew 10:32 states, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him or her will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." In other words, do for Jesus on earth as you would have him do for you in heaven.
Yet there will be more than the occasional empty room in heaven. Although Jesus says in Revelations 3:5, "I will never blot out his name from the book of life..." perhaps that a name can be removed from the book of life will speak to any who might have scheduled an eternal visit but have since cancelled it. "Better to play now and pay later," the epicureans might rationalize. Not having one's name written in the book of life and not arriving in heaven does have a down side. Revelations 20:15 says that "...all whose names are not found in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire." Despite that, each person has a choice as to (1) whether a room will be built in the first place, (2) whether a room will be empty just until his/her time of arrival, (3) or whether the room will be empty forever due to his/her cancellation. http://www. geocities. Com/ baba labean. Also on 106.9 fm on chrq Sundays at 8 a.m. Sponsored by CFP Concepts, Inc., C'ton, NB