Stephen Jones — Eschatologie
b3 — Secrets of Time
Sabbat-Millennium en Drievoudige Tijdperkstructuur
Jones beschrijft een drievoudige tijdstructuur die uitmondt in het Sabbat-Millennium als eschatologisch hoogtepunt:
“We stand today at the threshold of the Tabernacles Age. The Passover Age began with Israel’s Exodus from Egypt on the day of Passover and ended at the Cross. The Pentecost Age began in the 2nd chapter of Acts and ended 40 Jubilees later on the day of Pentecost, May 30, 1993. We are now in the transition into the great Tabernacles Age, which will last a thousand years. It is the great Rest Year, the Sabbath Millennium.” (Secrets of Time, Voorwoord, dr. Stephen E. Jones, 17 april 1996)
Interpretatie: Jones positioneert zijn millenniumvisie als premillennieel, maar gefundeerd in de feestendagen van Israël, niet in futuristisch dispensationalisme. Zijn Sabbat-Millennium is de Loofhuttenstijd, geen aparte dispensationele periode.
Over het einde van de Pinksterijdperk:
“The Pentecost Age lasted 40 Jubilees (1960 years), extending from 33 A.D. to 1993 A.D. At the end of that time, we entered into the transition into the Tabernacles Age.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 11)
“There is still another outpouring of the Spirit that remains for us at the end of the Age of Pentecost. It is manifested by the third feast day of Israel, the Feast of Tabernacles. Those in the Old Testament under Moses were incapable of bringing forth the Fruits of the Kingdom under the anointing of Passover… Likewise, we in the Pentecost Age have likewise been incapable of bringing forth the Fruits of the Kingdom under our Pentecostal anointing. Good as it is, it is not enough to bring us to Perfection, because it is a leavened feast.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 11)
Profetische Tijdlijn: 120 Jubileeën
Jones verbindt de Noachische Vloed met een grotere profetische cyclus van 120 Jubileeën:
“The Flood of water occurred after 120 years; the Flood of the Spirit occurs after 120 Jubilees.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
“The year 1986 is the 120th Jubilee from Adam; but 1993 was the 40th Jubilee of the Church. […] God planned this discrepancy in order to delay the fullness of the Spirit from coming ahead of schedule.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Over Mozes als profetisch type van de 120 Jubileeën:
“In fact, the life of Moses is one of the most profound and striking prophecies of the 120 Jubilees of history leading up to 1986 A.D. […] Moses lived through three distinct phases in his life, each of which was 40 years. Finally, he died at the age of 120.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
“Even as Moses led ‘the church in the wilderness’ (Acts 7:38) for 40 years, so also did Jesus lead the New Testament Church into the wilderness for a period of 40 Jubilees. So also in our day, after 40 more Jubilees, Jesus (whose Hebrew name is Joshua) will lead us into the greater promise of the inheritance lost by Adam at the beginning.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Over de Opstanding na twee dagen (Hos. 6:2):
“Hosea 6:2 indicates that the resurrection would occur ‘after two days,’ that is, after 2,000 years.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Sleuteldatum 1999:
“In other words, this event could not take place prior to September of 1999 A.D., which was 2,000 years after Jesus’ birth. Other time cycles do not conclude until the year 2006 A.D.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Loofhuttenfeest als Eschatologisch Hoogtepunt: De Derde Duif
Jones beschrijft het Loofhuttenfeest typologisch aan de hand van de drie duiven die Noach uitzond:
“Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles correlates with Noah’s third dove. It is the last anointing, for it represents the fullness of the Spirit poured out, wherein we see the redemption of the body (Rom. 8:23). At this outpouring, you receive the true inheritance that was lost in Adam: the glorified body.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
“God chose to retain those garments in heaven, Paul says, until the Feast of Tabernacles is fulfilled. The Spirit is God’s pledge until Tabernacles is fulfilled.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Over de geboorte van het Mannelijk Kind (Mans-kind) als eschatologisch doel:
“The earth is now lawfully eligible to be impregnated a third time—and this time the earth will bring forth the Manchild, the corporate body of the Sons of God who are spiritually perfected and in the full image and likeness of God.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
“Now it is time for the birth of the Manchild—the Son who is truly in the full likeness and image of Christ.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Over verheerlijking als Loofhuttenfeest-ervaring:
“We are now coming to the Tabernacles Age, when the glory that will be ours will never fade. This is a transfiguration experience, for when we see His face, we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2). We shall be even as Moses when he came down from the Mount with his face glowing with the presence of God (Ex. 34:29).” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
Over de “ware Israëlieten” in de Loofhuttenstijd:
“there are no true Israelites as of this writing, for a true Israelite is one who has a new immortal body (Tabernacle) that manifests Christ in the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
Jakobs Benauwdheid: Patroon en Nationale Toepassing
Jones analyseert Jer. 30:6-9 als structuurgevend patroon:
“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bands, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him; But they shall serve the Lord their God; and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.” (Jones citeert Jer. 30:6-9, Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
Over de twee persoonlijke benauwdheidstijdperken van Jakob (elk 21 jaar):
“Jacob had two times of trouble. Both were 21 years long. His first time of trouble began when he fled from Esau and went to Haran, where he worked for his uncle Laban for 20 years (Gen. 31:41).” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
“Jacob’s second time of trouble began when Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him as a slave and he was taken to Egypt. The brothers covered their tracks… Jacob mourned for his lost son for 21 years before God reunited them.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
Over de cyclus van 210 jaar (= 21 x 10) als nationaal patroon:
“Israel’s first 210-year time of trouble as a corporate nation directly parallels Jacob’s 21-year time of trouble. Since we are dealing with a time of trouble on a greater level of fulfillment, the time frame is longer, but it is still characterized by the number 21.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
“Finally, as we will see, the House of Israel was brought into a long, 2,520-year time of bondage (12 x 210 years).” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
“We have been subject to death for nearly 6,000 years of history and are now nearing the first of Creation’s great Rest Years, when the first great Release will be declared, according to the law of Exodus 21:2.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
Jakobs Benauwdheid in Moderne Naties (Amerika en Brittannië)
Jones identificeert de westerse naties als typologische naties die Jakobs benauwdheid uitbeelden:
“This, then, is why God picked America and Britain to reenact the time of Jacob’s trouble from 1776 to 1986/96.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
“The year 1986 was the end of 13 periods of 210 years.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
“Because God turned the clock back ten years in 1996, the time of Jacob’s trouble may be extended until 2006, but even so, the final 210-220 year patterns of Biblical history have nearly run their course.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
Over het typologisch karakter van de Europese naties als zonen van Jakob:
“In the great parable of the nations, we see the European nations representing the sons of Jacob. Britain stands at the head of those nations, geographically pictured as Jacob himself. In fact, their flag is called the ‘Union Jack.’ Jack is a shortened form for Jacob.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
“The land of Joseph itself in this parable became two nations, Canada and the United States, even as Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
Interpretatie: Jones’ Israel-identificatie is onderdeel van de Christian Identity-stroming. Dit is een controversieel theologisch standpunt; de citaten worden opgenomen als primaire bronmaterialen en weergeven de positie van de auteur, niet de positie van de redacteur.
Wederkomst als Jozef-Werk (Twee Werken van Christus)
Jones beschrijft twee werken van Christus als twee afzonderlijke komsten met verschillende doelen:
“Jesus came as the Lion of the tribe of Judah the first time, in order to secure His throne rights as the Messiah. He comes the second time to the tribes of Joseph in order to secure His birthright, which is His Kingdom.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
“Jesus’ second work is a Joseph work. He comes to receive the birthright of Joseph, which is a work of Sonship. That work has yet to be done. Joseph is still ‘lost.’ The Jacobites yet believe him dead. But there is coming a day when the world will recognize what God has been doing on both a political and a spiritual level.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
Over de twee werken als basis voor de eenherstel van Juda en Jozef (Ez. 37):
“The sticks of Judah and Joseph must be reunited in the hand of ‘David My servant’ (Ezek. 37:24). This is a reference not to David but to Jesus, who was the ‘son of David’ (Matt. 1:1). Jesus is the Repairer of the Breach. He came the first time of the lineage of Judah—specifically of David’s line—to secure for Himself His throne rights. The second time He comes to do a Joseph work, to secure His birthright (the Kingdom).” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
“This is why Micah 5:2 says He was to be born in Bethlehem Ephrata. He was born in Bethlehem first; and He comes through Ephraim (plural of Ephrata) the second time.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
Over de voltooiing van het koninkrijk als doel van de wederkomst:
“When both are secured, the King and His Kingdom are reunited, and the Manchild can be brought to birth.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
[SPANNING met eerdere bron] In b1 (Creation’s Jubilee) beschrijft Jones de wederkomst in termen van de Loofhuttenstijd en drie opstandingen. In b3 (Secrets of Time) wordt de wederkomst typologisch uitgewerkt als Jozef-werk: Christus komt terug voor het geboorterecht (het Koninkrijk), niet alleen voor het troonrecht (de Messias-lijn). Dit is een specifiekere en complexere wederkomstleer.
Opname-Kritiek
Jones verwerpt de populaire dispensationalistische opname-verwachting:
“He was expecting the Jews to become Christians en masse at the time of the ‘rapture’ in 1988. But all of these things were assumptions not based upon biblical facts. In order to understand modern prophetic fulfillment, we must go back to the Scriptures and trace the historic roots of the Israeli state.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 11)
“The Christian world immediately threw their support behind that state and boldly proclaimed that the rapture would take place any moment now, the tribulation was nigh, and the Jews were soon to be all converted to Christ. Obviously, this did not take place.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 14)
Interpretatie: Jones verwerpt de pre-tribulatieopname-leer en koppelt dit aan een onjuiste identificatie van de Israëlische staat met het bijbelse Israël.
Tijden en Seizoenen — Openbaring van Timing
Jones verdedigt de mogelijkheid van profetische tijdkennis op grond van Deut. 29:29 en Amos 3:7:
“Most Christians have been taught that it is not possible to know anything about times and seasons. Whenever there is any revelation of timing, there are always those who quote Jesus’ words in Acts 1:7, saying, ‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which God hath put in His own power.’ […] However, the verse only tells us that we are not to know the things ‘which God has put in His own power,’ those things which are none of our business.” (Secrets of Time, bijlage C)
“Amos 3:7 (NASV) tells us: ‘Surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.‘” (Secrets of Time, bijlage C)
Over de broeders die de tijden wél kennen (1 Tess. 5:1-4):
“But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. […] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (Jones citeert 1 Tess. 5:1-4, Secrets of Time, bijlage C)
Over de mannen van Issaschar (1 Kr. 12:32):
“The chronology tells us that David was crowned king on the 59th Jubilee from Adam. I believe the children of Issachar knew this either by divine revelation or by their own study of chronology. They saw that Saul had been crowned king on the day of Pentecost, and now they saw that David was to be crowned on the Jubilee. They understood the times.” (Secrets of Time, bijlage C)
Nieuwe Schepping en Herstel van Alle Dingen
Jones verbindt de nieuwe schepping met het tweevoudige-getuigenismodel (Jes. 65:17-18):
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create.” (Jones citeert Jes. 65:17-18, Secrets of Time, bijlage C)
Over de vereiste van tweevoudig getuigenis voor de nieuwe schepping:
“when representatives on earth bear witness to the divine Word, and they speak with one voice as one body, saying with their whole heart, ‘Amen! Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty!’ […] then and only then will the new heavens and the new earth begin its process of development until God fills all in all.” (Secrets of Time, bijlage C)
Over de herstel van de schepping via de Geestesuitstorting:
“As He resuscitates the whole earth by breathing into their nostrils the breath of life once again, we are brought into Immortality and Perfection, as at the beginning. Eden and more is restored.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 3)
Over apokatastasis als universeel doel (1 Kor. 15:28):
“He is the Unifier of all peoples, the Repairer of the Breach, and the Restorer of all Creation. The day comes when He will be ‘all in all’ (1 Cor. 15:28).” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
“In time, the nations will begin to be transformed into truly Christian nations, with Jesus as our only King and His law our only law and constitution. The Word of the Kingdom will ultimately go forth as a witness into all nations, which will (after a time) bring all things under His feet.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)
[SPANNING met eerdere bron] In b1 en b2 fundeert Jones de apokatastasis juridisch (Jubeljaarwet, Kinsman-Redeemer). In b3 fundeert hij dezelfde apokatastasis chronologisch (via de profetische tijdlijn van 120 Jubileeën) en typologisch (via Noach’s duiven en Loofhuttenfeest). Beide argumentatielijnen zijn complementair.
Over de Overwinnaars en het herstel van de scheur:
“With the Overcomers’ declaration of the Jubilee in the autumn of 1996, the breach began to be repaired.” (Secrets of Time, hfst. 15)