The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Jubilee

Theology Typologies
#1

I said I would post something regarding this topic and had intended writing something out myself about it but realised that I would just embark on a rambling and incoherent set of half-understoodisms which would help nobody.

I first came to the concept of the Jubilee and its relationship to UR through the free writings of Dr. Stephen Jones of God’s Kingdom Ministries. That link points to a full e-book titled ‘Creation’s Jubilee’ (it is easy to navigate to his home page and his other resources from there).

That is a lot of chapters to read so I have found a pdf (attached) in which he gives a precis of the law of Jubilee and its shadowing of the universal redemption of creation through the work of Jesus seen as kinsman-redeemer.
law_of_jubilee.pdf (141 KB)

Ruth
#2

kewl! will study… :smiley:

#3

So much for that then :wink:

#4

Not at all; I’ve just been too sick and/or recovering to do much reading (much less much commenting).

#5

Not aimed at you Jason as I knew you would respond when time and health allow :slight_smile: but others had expressed an interest.

#6

Jeff,
I’ve read a good bit of Creation’s Jubilee, although it has been awhile. Great stuff!
I highly recommend it for the “universalist’s reading list”.

It seems from what I remember of it that it would be a good intro to the concept of universalism from an OT typological angle. Potentially very useful for getting that foot in the door with more traditional folk who are into OT Typologies.
We actually have a couple of teachers at our church that are all over OT (especially temple) typologies, even though they hold to a more (although not entirely) “traditional” eschatological view (at least currently). I’d like to get a copy of that into their hands. I should probably just e-mail them the link.

#7

Melchi - sorry I didn’t get to see your reply until today. For me Creation’s Jubilee started to tie together many concepts that seemed disparate in the Bible into a more coherent whole. You could download it chapter by chapter and then copy and paste into a document I suppose - there again it’s orderable for $15.

#8

Here is another article about Jubilee for your perusal:

kingdombiblestudies.org/savior/SOW13.htm

#9

Thank you Dondi - it is one of the most persuasive arguments to me for UR.

#10

Hey, no problem Jeff.

I first found it (in PDF form?) through a link from savior-of-all.com/

It’s a link on one of the links pages, IIRC.

#11

Thanks,

The book is still available as a pdf from there - I think I will download and read again.

#12

If you or anyone else has trouble getting a PDF copy of this for whatever reason, I have a copy on my hard drive that I should be able to attach to an e-mail. Just let me know if you need it. :ugeek:

#13

Thank you for the link! I had never considered the possibility of symbolism in the OT sacrifices (other than foreshadowing Christ) until I read a bit of Andrew Jukes a few years ago. I just downloaded Creation’s Jubilee, and look forward to reading it.

Sonia

#14

Sonia,

When I was part of literalist chapel (born and bred in one until 20 years of age) the Old Testament was rarely tied in with the New except for a few places like Daniel’s prophecies and the suffering servant parts of Isaiah. Mostly the OT provided colourful stories for Sunday School (Noah, David and Goliath, Jonah etc…). Creation’s Jubilee (apart from making UR a distinct possibility) for the first time made me feel that there was more than a passing connection between the 2.

I’m not sure about some of Dr Jones’ stuff like the way at the moment he’s convinced that the current financial situation is exactly foretold in Revelation (the fall of mystery Babylon) but that’s a minor quibble :smiley:

#15

I’m there with you on that one, Jeff. I think mystery babylon is something else entirely. I can’t remember,does he get into that in Creation’s Jubilee?

#16

Melchi,
Thanks for giving me an opportunity to actually be able to post something :smiley: (I think I’ve been really good in sticking to my resolution to back out of certain other threads)

I don’t see too much of that sort of thing in Creation’s Jubilee because it was written before the current financial situation. But now in his blog he sees the fulfillment of a lot of Revelation in the meltdown - as well as things like the Haiti earthquake (because Haiti was founded on a pact with the Devil it seems :unamused: ) and other natural disasters. He even believes that hurricanes have changed their course after his intercessionary prayers. I am VERY uncomfortable with tying natural disasters to God’s judgement on the wicked (e.g. Katrina) particularly as it seems the wicked always seem to live where natural disasters naturally occur. Now if a major city in the UK were levelled by a mega-quake I’d really sit up and take notice :smiley:

#17

Well, Jeff, I got around to reading the whole article and was quite impressed with the explanation. Though it is not surprising that what we find in the OT would have vast implications in understanding the NT. Hebrews 8:5 informs us that the priests and the tabernacle ‘serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things’, which I take that everything which took place in the OT has a spirtual equivalent in the presence of God. (And if you really want to get into a comprehensive study, take a close look at the tabernacle, and how it relates to ‘a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands’ (Hebrews 9:7), and that ‘therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these’ (Hebrews 9:23)).

So everything has a far-reaching significance and studies like this bring the OT to life in the heart of the believer. Insofar as Jubilee, the very name ‘yowbel’ meaning ‘ram’s horn’, reminicient of the last trump, (and having the primitive root of ‘yabal’ meaning ‘to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along’), Israel went into Babylon captivity for the very fact that they didn’t observe the Sabbath and rest, so God in His Mercy allowed the land to lay desolate for 70 years to make up for it. One wonders if the captivity could equate for the period of time we didn’t allow our ‘land’ to rest as the period of time we would have to endure in death until the final trump when the Kinsman-Redeemer fully purchases us.

Incidently, there are amazing parallels in the story of Ruth related to this, which I might start another thread for.

Interestingly enough, the next Jubilee year of the Jewish calender is 2045/2046. Just saying.

#18

That’s very interesting Dondi - and I would love to read anything you’d like to post about Ruth.

#19

I still have only barely started getting into Jubilee studies; so I appreciate this thread continuing to remind me about it. :smiley: :laughing:

I can’t say I’ve run across anything I would outright disagree with (not so far); but then I still have practically everything to learn about the topic, too. Looking forward to it though (however it might turn out)!

#20

Jones has written some marvelous articles and books but his blog is very megalomaniacal. He has also gotten into date setting which I have never seen work for anyone but rather end in humiliation. If you like sensationalized doom and gloom, lots of Old Testament type judgements, governmental and banking conspiracies mixed with a heap full of megalamania, Stephen Jones’ blog is a block buster. And don’t believe the doctorate, it came from a Chrsitian paper mill, The latter may explain the waywardness this man has taken. It always catches up with you when you sacrifice integrity to be recognized. Unfair Judgement? No, a lesson to be gleaned as Jones plays his role out perfectly.

John