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DISPENSATIONALism = = = = = = = = = = = = = = It’s
Effect Upon Your Faith prepared by LandMark Ministries PREFACE
As I have embarked
upon this small study of Dispensationalism, it quickly became apparent to me of
all the good things that have been absorbed into my life from the
Dispensational fountain. As it progressed, I thought of all the
friends, brothers, sisters and ministers in the family of God who have a
blessing to me over the years and have held this persuasion of Bible Interpretation. Fact is, I now realize that most everyone
who preached me into this Born Again salvation and the gift of the Holy Ghost
were Dispensationalists. I don’t think
most of them even knew where their influence was coming from. As I grew and
walked with God on my own; … I found I was being brought another way, … often in direct conflict with
dispensationalist thought. At
different intersections of thought and revelations of Christ, I found myself
and my scriptural understanding slightly obtuse or in conflict to other
brethren and current popular trends. I did not
understand exactly why I disagreed so often with the many endtime writers whose
works stand on my shelves. When I began
to understand the roots and basic tenets of Dispensationalism; ….It became
clear that I could see the Lord Jesus had taught me a different way. A new genre has
been created in recent years which has provoked me to more study. In the past we developed our prophetic
understanding from inspirational preaching, teaching, and bible study. Now people are getting their doctrinal
foundation from an entirely different source ….. not from preaching, not from
bible study, nor from anointed Bible teaching.
Believers are developing their concept of
endtime prophetic events from the Market Place…. From the Media Market. ie …A Media Market Theology. The Left Behind
Series has left in it’s a wake multitudes of church folk who have developed
their concepts of the 2nd coming of Christ based on the secular
success of the Left Behind Fictional Novel Series. The series was
created by an independent Baptist minister from California named Tim LaHaye in
association with an author / ghost-writer Jerry Jenkins. Together LaHaye & Jenkins collaborated
to promote the Pre-Millennial Pre-Tribulational Secret Rapture Doctrine of
Dispensationalism. This partnership of
Jenkins and LaHaye has taken the secular and church public by storm. Endtime interpretation of scriptural events
were fictionalized by author Jerry Jenkins, .. who has done all the writing ,
while LaHaye’s co-authorship duties were to keep it all prophetically accurate
within the boundaries of dispensationalist prophetic thought. The Left Behind
Series has become a multi-million dollar media corporation with an entertaining
fictionalized scenario of endtime events.
The public has eaten it up; ….both books and movies. Thus, they have promote through the media dispensational endtime
doctrin; … without preaching, …without teaching and without bible
study. Best-Seller Theology. Market-Place Theology. The Left Behind
Series revolves around the Pre-Tribulational Rapture concept which asserts the instantaneous, blink of an
eye, transfer of all believers to heaven, …just before a 7 year period of time
called the Great Tribulation.
Immediately following 7 year Tribulation on earth, ..will be a 1000 year
reign of Christ on the earth in person.
Called the Millennium. Those exposed to
this market-place endtime description
of Antichrist events do not realize that these fictionalized stories are not
biblical, nor scriptural. They are all part
of the Dispensational Method of interpreting prophetic scripture passages which
were developed by Plymouth Brethern author and scholar of the 1800’s; … John Nelson Darby of London,England. Darby’s Dispensationalist System was later
popularized in the early 1900’s by Bible teacer and minister, .C. I. Scofield,
… in his best selling Cambridge : Scofield Reference Study Bible of the
early 1900’s. Darby’s
dispensationalism format of bible interpretation seems to have received a
revitalizing shot in the arm in the past few years, from such popular writers
as Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, and now Tim LaHaye / Jerry Jenkins. You might be asking
yourself … what is dispensationalism?? If you are not a
bible student or minister of the gospel the following may not make a lot of
sense. But let’s see. BACKGROUND OF
DISPENSATIONALISM
Dispensationalists Theology and the Systematic Theology Method we see
promoted today, has it’s roots in the Plymouth
Brethern, …Friends minister and bible scholar, John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) in
Britain. Darby said his dispensational theology was fully formed by
1833. If you have a computer bible, as I do, …Darby’s Bible Translation is
usually offered as a source. From
Darby’s writings ( over 30 volumes ) a foundation was laid from which others
have made dispensationalism popular; ….especially C. I. Scofield and his
Scofield Reference Bible. The writings of Darby and other Brethern ministers seem to greatly
influence U.S. ministers such as D.L. Moody and C.I. Scofield. Darby’s Dispensational systematic theology
was spread further during the latter 1800’s by the Bible Conference Movement, …
Prophetic Conferences, and …Bible Institutes.
Scofield created a board of bible teachers in the early 1900’s to
produce a popular study bible which came to be known as the Scofield
Reference Bible. Among Southern Baptists of the early 1900’s, Scofield’s
Study Bible notes became almost the standard for bible interpretation. Not only
did Scofield’s bible become another even greater influence in promoting
dispensationalism, …but on an academic
level, …such bible schools as the Moody
Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary, have greatly promoted dispensationalisms systematic approach to
bible interpretation. Moody Bible seems to be the largest publisher of dispensational
materials. Lewis Sperry Chafer followed
in Scofield’s dispensational foot-steps by producing an 8 volume text on
Systematic Theology. Scofield’s dispensational format has been popularized further in recent
years by such bible teachers as Jack Van Impe, John Walvoord, John MacArthur,
Jerry Falwell, Dwight Pentecost, Charles Ryrie, W. A. Criswell, J. Vernon
McGee, and others. Jack Van Impe , Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye are widely known for their
endtime prophetic interpretations of scripture. All use Darby and Scofield’s Dispensational format or template to
interpret Bible Prophecy.
Pre-Tribulational Pre-Millenialism ….. ie ..all Dispensationalists. BELIEFS OF
DISPENSATIONALISTS
Dispensationalists Usually Believe in: Consistent Literal Interpretation of
Scripture: They believe in… Verbal
Inspiration of each word in
Scripture. Take it’s plain ordinary
meaning of prophetic portions of scripture.
Dispensationalists say …Use this rule : If the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense. This may partly be a reaction of dispensational fundamentalists to: A: The Catholic method of interpreting
scripture … 1) allegorically and which
…2) denies that the common man has the ability to see the
“true” meaning. B: To obstruct liberals who deny the literal
and historical sense of scripture. Dispensationalists usually believe : - Creation in 6 …. 24 hour days - The Earth is less than 10000 yrs old - Bible authorship is just as it is stated - Miracles are factual - Old Testament stories are allegories of N.
T. truth. - Usually prefer the KJV. Stresses that All Covenants with Israel must be fulfilled entirely with
biological, national Israel
(No N. T. revelation cancels out O.T.
promises to national Israel) Sees Israel having a distinct restoration
and national future … ie in
a millennial kingdom The Church is a distinctive organism …. apart from national Israel (The church does not replace Israel, nor
continue Israel, is never referred to as Israel) Evidences often used by dispensationalists to show that the church is distinct from Israel include: (a) Jesus viewed the church as future in Matthew 16:18; (b) an essential element of the church—Spirit baptism—did not begin until the Day of Pentecost (compare 1 Cor. 12:13 with Acts 2); (c) Christ became Head of the church as a result of His resurrection (compare Eph. 4:15; Col. 1:18 with Eph. 1:19-23); (d) the spiritual gifts associated with the church (cf. Eph. 4:7-12; 1 Cor. 12:11-13) were not given until the ascension of Christ; (e) the “new man” nature of the church (cf. Eph. 2:15) shows that the church is a NT organism and not something incorporated into Israel; (f) the foundation of the church is Jesus Christ and the New Testament apostles and prophets (cf. Eph. 2:20); (g) the author, Luke, keeps Israel and the church distinct. On this last point, Fruchtenbaum states, “In the book of Acts, both Israel and the church exist simultaneously. The term Israel is used twenty times and ekklesia (church) nineteen times, yet the two groups are always kept distinct. “Seed of Abraham” has several meanings (biological, political, & spiritual senses) … physical seed and
spiritual seed. The Physical seed of
Abraham who are believers in Christ become the spiritual seed of Abraham … thus
the Israel of God Gal 6:16 Authority of Scripture … since the 1800’s Brethern
Movement it is a trademark of the dispensationalists … The Bible is the sole
inerrant verbal revelation of God. Dispensations … God has planned a succession of (usually
seven) different dispensations throughout history whose understanding is
crucial to comprehending the Bible.
Most dispensations started with a covenant and ended with judgment. The dispensation of law began with Moses.
Dispensation of Grace began with at Pentecost and started the Church Age which
will end with the rapture. Israel has been in a state of suspension …the great parenthesis since
AD. 70 After the rapture God will
resume his dealings with Israel as a nation. In their dispensations … those under subsequent dispensations are not
responsible to obligations of the preceding dispensation. Thus, unde the OT. It was “Repent” which only applies to Israel. But now under the NT. It is “Believe”. The Sermon on the Mount is intended for the kingdom of heaven which is
in the next dispensation ….. not in the church age. The promises made to OT Israel do not fall on nor are they
fulfilled in the church. Thus the new covenant prophecy of Jeremiah 31 is only for Israel …. Not
the church…. Why ?? The church &
Israel are under different dispensations. Emphasis
on Bible Prophecy using literal interpretation methods
Pre-Millenialists
…. Christ will return literally and rule
the earth literally for 1000 years Pre-Tribulationists …
The church will be raptured to heaven 7 years before the 2nd coming
of Christ, escaping the 7 year Great Tribulation period. Christ’s Imminent Return … the rapture can happen at any moment, at any time, maybe right now. Focus on Salvation by Faith alone … as the sole means of regeneration Classic dispensationalism stresses
believing over repentance. Once the
sinners prayer is prayed….eternal salvation is assured. Other
dispensationalists believe that the above is unbiblical and that true
faith produces repentance at the moment of salvation. Dispensationalists see that lost persons makes their first step
toward God by believing in God by faith and the Holy Spirit responds to this
act of faith by indwelling the believer at that moment….thus… the believer is
born again. Thus it must be salvation
by grace apart from any works. DARBY’s
DISPENSATIONALISM created TWO DIVISIONS OF SCRIPTURE
Dispensationalists assert that we are now living in the “times of the
gentiles”; thus creating two divisions in scripture. One division are those which apply to gentile believers and the
other division are those that apply to Jewish or Israelite believers. “Times of the gentiles”
or continues until the BEGINNING of the great tribulation period or the end of
the age scriptures are Acts 8-28, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,
Phillipians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus & Philemon. Scriptures which apply outside this “times
of the gentiles” are Matthew thru John, Acts 1-7, Hebrews, James, Peter, 1st-3rd
John, Jude, and Revelation; … thus apply to Jewish believers and should not
concern us so much. DISPENSATIONALISM created
THE 2000yr +- GAP OR GREAT PARENTHESIS
Darby’s Dispensationalism typically has 7 dispensations, of which the
New Testament Apostles, knew nothing.
Darbyism also threw in another period of time called the
Parenthesis, of which none of the New Testament Apostles knew
nothing. By the way, none of the O. T.
Prophets saw the Parenthesis either. They were also blind to it. This is where Dispensational Truth(?)
and Positional Truth(?)
shine. Those who are in the
appropriate Position and Dispensation
are able to see what others could not see.
Thus, we can see the Parenthesis where others could not, … ie all O.T.
Prophets and N. T. 12 Apostles of the foundation of heavenly Jerusalem were blinded to it. The Parenthesis is a label for the period of time from somewhere in the Book of Acts to the 2nd Coming of Christ. Let me give you a good example of Darby & Scofield’s Endtime
Dispensationalism. Remember when Jesus
stood in his home town synagogue and read from the book of Isaiah in chapter 61
and sat down. He said today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears. Dispensationalism slips in a 2000 +- year gap or Parenthesis after the
phrase “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD “ …. Darby & Scofield both taught, as well as other Dispensational Teachers
& the Left Behind Series : “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD is Christ’s 1st Coming Then
a 2000+- year Gap or Parenthesis
“and the day of vengeance of our God (Christ’s 2nd Coming); This Dispensational interpretation is all because Jesus stopped reading
in the middle of the sentence. Everything Christ read was true and fulfilled up to that day. But what if Christ had returned, 40 years
later, in the middle of the siege by the Roman Legions of AD. 70 and had read again from the book of
Isaiah? Could he have read further and
included it as fulfilled in their ears, … than the phrase “the acceptable
year of the LORD …” Could Christ have included all
of verse 2 and 3 …. “and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all
that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty
for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of
the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Thus, Isaiah 61:1-3 in the Dispensational Bible should read …. “v1:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; v2: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
(Christ’s 1st Coming) and the
day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; v3: To appoint unto
them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be
glorified. (Christ’s 2nd Coming)” Darbyism also does the same in Daniel chapter 9. Dispensationalism inserts a 2000+- year Gap
or Parenthesis between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel’s
Prophecy.
DISPENSATIONALISM ESCHATOLOGY
Eschatology is the doctrine of last things. The three main templates of understanding on last things are
called… premillienialism,
postmillennialism,
amillennialism. *Pre … Christ’s bodily return prior to 1) Great Tribulation & 2)
Setting up of an earthly kingdom of God *Post … Christ’s bodily return after 1)Great Tribulation & 2)Setting
up and the ruling of God’s kingdom on a global scale. *Amillennial views the kingdom of God as a spiritual kingdom. DISPENSATIONALISM’S POPULARITY
It seems that in the latter 1600’s the popularity of pre-millenialism
increased so that by the end of the Civil War it had replaced post-millenialsm
among fundamental Christians. Great debate begins over whether the Jews will suffer the Great
Tribulation. The dominant view is
pre-millenialism which asserts that the Jews will suffer the Great Tribulation,
while the born-again Christians, both living and dead, will have left the earth in a Secret
Pre-Tribulation Rapture. This is based upon 1Thess. 4:16-17. This is Pre-Tribulation Pre-Millenialism; …
also known as Dispensationalism. This Dispensationalists doctrine of Pre-Tribulation Escape Rapture (a 2
stage coming of Christ) can be traced to English revivals of the 1800’s. Out of this out-pouring of Spirit &
Revival manifestations came the non-English, non-New Testament word Rapture, a
Latin root from Jerome’s Vulgate was coined to describe this event and to
translate the Greek word : harpazo. This prophetic outlook upon endtime events grew principally due to C. I.
Scofield’s early 1900’s “Scofield
Reference Bible” and it’s notes. Dispensationalsim is the most popular and most common prophetic
interpretation template for fundamental Bible believing Americans. By and large true dispensationalists, exhibit a strong reverence for the
Bible and it’s scriptures. Often they
are the ones who cry out first against scripture perversions, new versions and
teachings which seem to clearly oppose doctrine. They
often read too much into different phrasing…. Such as believing that the
Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are two separate distinct kingdoms DISPENSATIONALISTS
CREATED A TWO PART COMING OF CHRIST
Part One : In the blink of an eye, secret resurrection of only N.T. believers and
take them to heaven for a 7 year literal marriage sit down dinner while the
anti-christ reigns on the earth and persecutes the Jews & Israel. Part TWO : After 7 years of Marriage celebration in heaven and 7 years of
Antichrist persecution on earth; Christ returns visibly with the saints to make
war with his enemies. National Israel
repents and all factions of Israel are re-united. A 1000 year millennium will
begin whose primary focus is upon the Jews give special treatment. The Euphrates River dries up. Animal sacrifice is re-instituted by the
Jews. Children and violent beasts will
live in peace and harmony. There will
be roads where no lions are allowed.
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a most cherished belief. All that has been
written above are simply my gleanings from other sources. Basically it is my notes on
dispensationalism and helps me to understand how Christianity got to this point
in its concept of the endtime. Many dedicated,
Holy Ghost filled believers and ministers have subscribed to this ideology,
systematic method of scriptural interpretation and have passed on to meet the
Lord Jesus. Old Testament and
New Testament scripture and prophecy make it clear that God does have a plan
for the natural seed of Abraham to yet come to faith in their Messiah, the Lord
Jesus Christ of Nazareth. For both Hebrew and
the Gentile believer there is only one plan of salvation of faith, repentance,
water baptism; only one new birth, only one Holy Ghost baptism. For both the Hebrew
and Gentile believer there is only one God,
one Lord, one faith, one church,
one body, and one Head. Each Hebrew and
Gentile that comes to Christ; each comes unto the same Mt. Zion, the same
heavenly Jerusalem, the same city of the living God, the same general assembly,
the same church of the first-born, unto the same Jesus and the same new
covenant, and same blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This and other messages are
prepared as An Endtime Alternative for the edification of the Body of Christ and
may be acquired without cost from: Landmark Ministries
Landmark Church of Jesus 1802 Lois
Street Cleveland,
Tennessee 37311 visit : www.landmarkchurch.com |