Stephen Jones — Pneumatology
Introduction
Dr. Stephen E. Jones develops a coherent pneumatology organized around the three Hebrew feasts (Passover → Pentecost → Tabernacles). His central thesis: at Pentecost the Church received only an earnest or down payment of the Holy Spirit; the fullness of the Spirit is poured out only at the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. The ultimate horizon of this redemptive-historical process is “God all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28) — the Holy Spirit dwelling in the entire creation.
1. The Spirit Withdrawn at the Flood, Restored at Pentecost (Gen. 6:3)
Jones situates the history of the Holy Spirit at Genesis 6:3:
“During the flood, the Holy Spirit left the earth in a general sense, and this state of absence lasted until the Feast of Pentecost described in the second chapter of Acts. At this event the Church received a down payment (a portion) of the Spirit. The history of the Holy Spirit begins in Genesis 6:3.” — [b1, §1]
The Hebrew ruach carries a double pneumatological meaning:
“The Hebrew word for breath is ruach. This word has a double meaning. It means both ‘breath’ and ‘spirit.’ Therefore, lifting the text to a higher level, the Spirit of God was also removed from humankind for an ‘eon,’ that is, an age. Looking back at that event, we know that as a result, the Holy Spirit was sent back to the earth to dwell in us on the day of Pentecost. On that day God once again breathed life into the Church — the life that was taken from the Church in the time of Noah.” — [b1, §1]
2. Three Anointings: Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles
Jones describes three stages of spiritual growth corresponding to the three feasts:
“The three feasts are prophetic in many respects. They contain three stages of development of the Kingdom of God on earth. They speak of three anointings or manifestations of the Spirit corresponding to each stage of the Kingdom.” — [b1, §2]
Jones’ own summary formula:
“Personally, Passover means Justification from the life of sin (‘Egypt’). Pentecost means our Sanctification by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Tabernacles means our Glorification with the ‘redemption of our body’ (Romans 8:23), when we will inherit the Promised Land.” — [b1, §2]
Pentecost: sanctification
“The Feast of Pentecost does not deal with our justification, but our sanctification (consecration). It is the feast where we learn obedience and how to be led by the Spirit during our wanderings in the wilderness.” — [b1, §2]
Tabernacles: glorification through the fullness
“The Feast of Tabernacles is the final step in our life with God. At this feast we receive the fullness of the Spirit, which brings us fully into the promise and ultimate fellowship with Him.” — [b1, §2]
3. Earnest vs. Fullness — Eph. 1:13-14, 2 Cor. 1:22, Rom. 8:23
This is the core pneumatological theme of Creation’s Jubilee. Jones consistently uses the Pauline concepts ἀρραβών (arraboon, earnest/guarantee) and ἀπαρχή (aparche, firstfruits/down payment).
“But even Paul confessed three times that this was merely an EARNEST of the Spirit, a down payment of something better that was yet to come. He looked forward to a Tabernacles age in which the FULLNESS of the Spirit would be poured out.” — [b1, §4]
Ephesians 1:13-14
“Pentecost gives us only a ‘down payment’ of the Spirit, an earnest rather than the fullness. Ephesians 1:13 and 14 says: ‘In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.‘” — [b1, §4]
2 Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5
“This is confirmed in 2 Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5. The consequence is that we now live in an age of leaven, an age with an imperfect kingdom of priests who do not have the fullness to bring the kingdom to perfection.” — [b1, §4]
Romans 8:23
“‘And not only that, but we ourselves, who have the Spirit as a first installment, also groan inwardly while we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.‘” — [b1, §4, citing Rom. 8:23]
4. Spirit WITH → IN → FULLY: Three Redemptive-Historical Ages
Jones distinguishes three ages corresponding to three stages of the Spirit’s indwelling:
“It was an era where the Holy Spirit was WITH the people, but did not dwell IN the people. The second Church is the Church of the Pentecost age that began seven weeks after Jesus rose, when the Holy Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost. On this day God renewed the Kingdom by giving it a more prominent place with more power and by having the Holy Spirit dwell in people.” — [b1, §5]
The third age (Tabernacles) brings the fullness:
“Level Three: The third Church is the Church of the Tabernacles age. At the beginning of this age, God will pour out His Spirit in all His fullness upon the overcomers.” — [b1, §3]
5. Baptism with Fire as Purification
Jones links the baptism with fire not to destruction but to purification. He cites John the Baptist (Matt. 3:11-12):
“‘He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire; his winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.‘” — [b1, §6, citing Matt. 3:11-12]
Jones’ interpretation:
“Pentecost is an encounter with divine fire, for it is baptism with fire, established to purify people by destroying the flesh. It is not established to destroy the person himself, but to free people from bondage to their fleshly desires.” — [b1, §6]
The Flood–Lake of Fire symmetry:
“The flood was the earth’s baptism with water; the Lake of Fire will be the earth’s baptism with fire. Both have the purpose of cleansing and purifying.” — [b1, §1]
6. God All in All (1 Cor. 15:28)
The ultimate pneumatological horizon for Jones is the indwelling of the Spirit throughout all creation:
“This means that the fullness of the Holy Spirit will dwell in all people — NOT a little in all or everything in some, but ‘all in all’ (1 Cor. 15:28).” — [b1, §5]
“The fire that will come upon the earth is the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which will cleanse the earth and bring all of creation into harmony with God’s purpose.” — [b1, §1]
“For this reason, all creation eagerly awaits the revelation of God’s children (Romans 8:19–21), knowing that these children are the firstfruits of creation (James 1:18). Paul says that the firstfruits sanctify the entire harvest.” — [b1, §5]
7. 1 Cor. 12:3 as Foundation for Universal Confession at the Great White Throne
In The Restoration of All Things, Jones makes a direct link between pneumatology and eschatological judgment. He connects Phil. 2:10-11 to 1 Cor. 12:3:
“It is true that a man must die once, and that judgment will follow when they rise before the Great White Throne. But Paul says that ‘every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ In 1 Cor. 12:3 Paul says: ‘No one can ever say: “Jesus is the Lord,” except through the working of the Holy Spirit.’ Remember, therefore, that no one can bear witness without being touched by the Holy Spirit.” — [b2, §7]
Jones cites Rom. 10:9 in support:
“‘If your mouth confesses that Jesus is the Lord and your heart believes that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.‘” — [b2, §7, citing Rom. 10:9]
The judgment itself operates as a pneumatological action:
“It is to the glory of God — accomplished by the divine law — that every tongue on that day will confess that He is Lord. When they give this testimony, it proceeds from faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is inconceivable that anyone would want or be able to resist the full power and majesty of God when confronted with it. There have been many revivals on earth where people fell to the ground and confessed their sins because of the unsearchable working of the Holy Spirit. How much more will this happen at the Judgment of the Great White Throne?” — [b2, §7]
8. The Holy Spirit as Guide to Truth (John 16:13)
Jones describes the Spirit as the indispensable partner alongside Scripture study:
“Half of this training consists of studying the Word. The other half is obtained by developing spiritual gifts, primarily the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment (1 Cor. 12:8–10). It is important to study the Scripture (2 Tim. 2:15) in our quest for truth. But this is not enough. We also have a spiritual side that must be developed, because it is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all the truth (John 16:13).” — [b2, §8]
Jones calls for a balance between Scripture study and spiritual gifts:
“We must praise and worship Him in BOTH — spirit and truth. Many groups specialize in Bible study to learn the truth, but they neglect the spiritual gifts. Others focus so much on experiencing spiritual gifts that they neglect the study of Scripture. The winning combination is a balance between both spirit and truth.” — [b2, §8]
Judgment from discernment of the Spirit
“Jesus’ statement was a warning not to judge from one’s own personal opinion, but from discernment of the Spirit. In that way our judgment will not be our own, but the Father’s.” — [b2, §8]
Summary of Jones’ Pneumatology
| Theme | Key Claim | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit and the Flood | Spirit withdrawn at Flood (Gen. 6:3), returned at Pentecost | b1, §1 |
| Three anointings | Passover = justification; Pentecost = sanctification; Tabernacles = glorification | b1, §2 |
| Earnest (arraboon / aparche) | Pentecost gives deposit, not fullness — Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:22; Rom. 8:23 | b1, §4 |
| Three ages | Spirit WITH → IN → FULLY | b1, §5 |
| Baptism with fire | Purifying, not destructive — Matt. 3:11-12 | b1, §6 |
| God all in all | Fullness of Spirit in all creation — 1 Cor. 15:28 | b1, §5 |
| Universal confession | 1 Cor. 12:3 + Phil. 2:10-11: no one can say “Jesus is Lord” apart from the Spirit | b2, §7 |
| Spirit and truth | Balance of Scripture + spiritual gifts — John 16:13 | b2, §8 |