Dispensationalism

The point of this article is to show how the Dispensational understanding can help us better understand the prophecies of the Endtimes. 

In our Statement of Faith you will find a traditional definition of Dispensationalism, but as it relates to Endtimes prophecy, and the idea of Dispensational Premillennialism, allow me to start with the following statements from Lewis Sperry Chafer:

  • Any person is a dispensationalist who trusts the blood of Christ rather than bringing an animal sacrifice.
  • Any person is a dispensationalist who disclaims any right or title to the land which God covenanted to Israel for an everlasting inheritance.
  • Any person is a dispensationalist who observes the first day of the week rather than the seventh

 

The simple reveal here is that most Christians already understand that the Jews were God’s chosen people, and as such, they had the blessing of the scriptures along with the detailed requirements of God explained in the Torah. (the first five books of the Bible.) As Christians we see clearly and intuitively that God worked in a special way with the Jews, and that the New Testament Church is something new and different. It is NOT a morphed version of Israel. The Church is NOT God’s Plan B, as if the Jews didn’t work out.

 

Here it is then —  Israel lived in the Dispensation of the Mosaic Law.

Surely it can’t be that simple can it? Not quite, but it helps to cut through any confusion or fear that this is too complicated to understand.

 

The next hint before reading the definition is to note that the following statements come from Observations made during Bible study. It is not a man-made or manufactured idea. Dispensationalism is a term to describe what we see in the Bible at a macro high-level view, while the above quote contains the more simplified thoughts. Others might interpret the Bible through the lens of the Covenants. 

From our Statement of Faith…

“We believe that the dispensations are stewardships by which God administers His purpose on the earth through man under varying responsibilities.

We believe that the changes in the dispensational dealings of God with man depend on changed conditions or situations in which man is successively found with relation to God, and that these changes are the result of the failures of man and the judgments of God.

We believe that different administrative responsibilities of this character are manifest in the biblical record, that they span the entire history of mankind, and that each ends in the failure of man under the respective test and in an ensuing judgment from God.

We believe that three of these dispensations or rules of life are the subject of extended revelation in the Scriptures, viz., the dispensation of the Mosaic law, the present dispensation of grace, and the future dispensation of the millennial kingdom.

We believe that these are distinct and are not to be intermingled or confused, as they are chronologically successive.”

 

 

Dispensationalism is distinguished by three key principles.

  1. A clear distinction between God’s program for Israel and God’s program for the Church.
  2. A consistent and regular use of a literal principle of interpretation
  3. The understanding of the purpose of God as His own glory rather than the salvation of mankind.

 

The Church has not replaced Israel

God is not finished with Israel. Israel’s rejection of the Messiah led to their judgement (Titus 70 A.D.), and caused Israel to be set aside temporarily, thus validating the blessing promise made to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant.

In the Endtimes Israel are to be brought back to the promised land, cleansed, and given a new heart. (Gen 12, Deut 30, 2 Sam 7, Jer 31)

Romans 11 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26and so all Israel will be saved

 

Israel’s place of honor in the Foundation of the New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:12 – It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

Revelation 21:14 – And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 

Conclusion

The Literal-Grammatical Historical method of interpretation is key. Using this method of interpretation for the OT covenants and prophecy leads to a specific set of core beliefs about God’s kingdom program, and what the future will hold for ethnic Israel and for the Church. We therefore recognize a distinction between Israel and the Church, and a promised future earthly reign of Christ on the throne of David – as the Jews understood it, and as the literal reading makes clear. This leads to a more careful view of the Endtimes, especially as it relates to the Purpose and People of the Endtimes.

  • Israel must be re-gathered to their land as promised by God. (Against all odds this happened in 1948)
  • Daniel’s seventieth week prophecy specifically refers to the purging of the nation Israel, and not the Church. These were the clear words spoken to Daniel. The church doesn’t need purging from sin. It is already clean.
  • Some of the warnings in Matthew 24 are directed at the Jews, and not the Church (since God will be finishing His plan with national Israel)
  • A Pretribulation rapture – Israel is seen in the book of Daniel as the focus during the tribulation, not the Church. God removes the elect when he brings judgment on the world. i.e. (Noah, John 14, 1 Thess 4:16.)
  • Premillennialism – A literal 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, where Christ returns before the Millennium starts. Revelation 20 doesn’t give us a reason to interpret the 1000 years as symbolic. Also, we see the promised literal reign of Christ in the OT. Note the chronological order of events between Revelation 19-21.

 

Charles Ryrie in his book Dispensationalism points out that some Christians have actually called Dispensationalism heretical. Whether a person believes in a literal future Millennial Kingdom is not essential Christian doctrine, however, the distinction described here between Israel and the Church are critical to a more clear understand of Endtimes prophecy.

 

Dispensationalism – Lewis Sperry Chafer
Dispensationalism – Charles Ryrie
 

 

 

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What are Dispensations?

The key to Dispensationalism is not in the recognition of a specific number of dispensations. This is a misunderstanding of the opponents of Dispensationalism. Almost all theologians will recognize that God worked differently through the Law than He did through Grace. That is not to say that salvation was attained in a different manner, but that the responsibilities given to man by God were different during the time of Adam and Eve than they were for the Jews after the giving of the Law, and clearly different during the Church age. The Jews, for example were to show their true faith by doing what God had commanded in the law, even though they couldn’t keep the moral Law.

The animal sacrifices offered a way of forgiveness of sins, while picturing the sacrifice of the Son of God. The temporary system of sacrifices foreshadowed the more perfect eternal reality of Jesus sacrifice on the cross. When the apostle Paul said that as to the Law he was blameless, he didn’t mean that he never sinned, but that he obeyed God by following the guidelines of the Law when he did sin, and animal sacrifices were offered for his sins by the priests in the temple. Salvation came not by keeping the law, but by seeing its true purpose in exposing sin, and turning to God for salvation. The Jews weren’t saved based on how well they kept the law, as many thought. That would be salvation by works. They were saved through faith in God, and the work of Christ on the cross was counted for them, even though it hadn’t happened yet. In God’s mind and sense of judgment, the redemption of the cross of Jesus was sure and binding from before the foundation of the world.

 

Dispensationalism has influenced the doctrinal beliefs of many churches, including the Baptist church, the Bible churches, the Pentecostal churches, and many other non-denominational Evangelical churches. 

The view of Dispensationalism is that God is working with man in a progressive way. At each stage man has failed to be obedient to the responsibilities set forth by God. The method of salvation, justification by faith alone, never changes through the dispensations. The responsibilities God gives to man does change however. The Jews were to be obedient to the Law if they wished God’s blessing of Land. If they were disobedient, they would be scattered. However, God promises to always bring them back to the land promised to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant. After the cross, believers no longer need the Mosaic Law, which pointed to Christ as the one that would take away sin through his perfect sacrifice. (Heb 10) We are under a new Law, the Law of Grace. We have more revelation about God, and are no longer required to keep ceremonial laws given to the Jews. The moral law is always in effect as a guide, but we are no longer condemned by it, since we have a savior that has overcome for us. (Romans 8:1 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus)

The History of Dispensationalism

While the opponents of Dispensationalism will point out that as a system of theology it is relatively new, it is notable that there is evidence from the early church writers that there was clearly an understanding that God dealt with His people differently in progressive dispensations, and that Israel wasn’t seen as replaced by the Church. A small reference to some of these writings is found in ‘The Moody Handbook of Theology” by Paul Enns. He mentions the following Christians as being in the history of the development of Dispensationalism.

  • Justin Martyr (A.D. 110-165)
  • Iranaeus (A.D. 130-200)
  • Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150-220)
  • Augustine (A.D. 354-430)

 

Of the above Ryrie says “It is not suggested nor should it be inferred that these early Church Fathers were dispensationalists in the modern sense of the word. But it is true that some of them enunciated principles which later developed into Dispensationalism, and it may be rightly said that they held primitive or early dispensational concepts.” With this understanding, the following have written in support of some or all dispensational principles.

 

Some Dispensational writers

  • Pierre Poiret (1646-1719)
  • John Edwards (1637-1716)
  • Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
  • John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
  • C.I. Scofield (1843-1921)
  • Lewis Sperry Chafer
  • Charles Ryrie
  • Dwight Pentecost
  • John Walvoord