Bob Jones' Death: 'A Marker'
I just finished watching the memorial service held for Bob Jones--a leading prophet in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement who died Feb. 14.The service--held at the base of MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina--was broadcast worldwide by GOD TV. Watch it here.While watching the service, I was struck by two things.First, I was struck by Jones' influence in the NAR movement. I already wrote a post about the influence his dreams and visions had on Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri. But Bickle wasn't the only one. The memorial service brought together, in one room, NAR leaders from nearly the past four decades--many of whom received pivotal direction for their lives and ministries from Jones. And the fact that GOD TV broadcast the service is a further sign of the great number of followers Jones had.Second, I was struck by how NAR leaders, including prophet Rick Joyner, repeatedly described Jones' death as a "marker in time." They see it as a prophetic indicator that an event known as the "great, end-time harvest"--an event Jones prophesied about frequently--will soon occur.At the service, Joyner said God had sent Jones as a prophet to prepare the way for this great harvest. But what is the "great, end-time harvest"?It is an NAR teaching that, before Christ returns, the greatest number of people ever will be brought into the kingdom of God. And by "harvest," NAR leaders aren't speaking merely of people converting to belief in Christ. Rather, they are speaking of Christians attaining to full "maturity," including experiencing "intimacy" with God. And this harvest will happen, in large part, because of unprecedented miracles that will be worked by Christians who are equipped by NAR apostles and prophets.Jones prophesied that a billion souls would be brought into the kingdom during this harvest--a number many other NAR leaders now repeat.And because of his death, they believe that it is now upon us.-- By Holly Pivec