What is Biblical Dispensationalism?

The Gracious Fundamentalist

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"A dispensation is a way of ordering things—an administration, a system, or a management. In theology, a dispensation is the divine administration of a period of time; each dispensation is a divinely appointed age. Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes these ages ordained by God to order the affairs of the world. Dispensationalism has two primary distinctives: 1) a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially Bible prophecy, and 2) a view of the uniqueness of Israel as separate from the Church in God’s program. Classical dispensationalism identifies seven dispensations in God’s plan for humanity. However, different flavors of dispensational thought can differ on the exact number of dispensations and their names.

One thing that needs to be emphasized is that Biblical Dispensationalism believes that Grace through Faith is integral to all dispensations. There are not multiple ways of salvation as proposed by what is known as Unbiblical Hyper-Dispensational teaching. This teaching is often confused as being the same as Biblical Dispensationalism and thus all dispensationalists get painted with an unbiblical brush.

Biblical Dispensationalists hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible as the best hermeneutic. The literal interpretation gives each word the meaning it would commonly have in everyday usage. Allowances are made for symbols, figures of speech, and types, of course. It is understood that even symbols and figurative sayings have literal meanings behind them. So, for example, when the Bible speaks of “a thousand years” in Revelation 20, dispensationalists interpret it as a literal period of 1,000 years (the dispensation of the Kingdom), since there is no compelling reason to interpret it otherwise.

There are at least two reasons why literalism is the best way to view Scripture. First, philosophically, the purpose of language itself requires that we interpret words literally. Language was given by God for the purpose of being able to communicate. Words are vessels of meaning. The second reason is biblical. Every prophecy about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament was fulfilled literally. Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection all occurred exactly as the Old Testament predicted. The prophecies were literal. There is no non-literal fulfillment of messianic prophecies in the New Testament. This argues strongly for the literal method. If a literal interpretation is not used in studying the Scriptures, there is no objective standard by which to understand the Bible. Each person would be able to interpret the Bible as he saw fit. Biblical interpretation would devolve into “what this passage says to me” instead of “the Bible says.” Sadly, this is already the case in much of what is called Bible study today.

Dispensational theology teaches that there are two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church. Dispensationalists believe that salvation has always been by grace through faith alone—in God in the Old Testament and specifically in God the Son in the New Testament. Dispensationalists hold that the Church has not replaced Israel in God’s program and that the Old Testament promises to Israel have not been transferred to the Church. Dispensationalism teaches that the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament (for land, many descendants, and blessings) will be ultimately fulfilled in the 1000-year period spoken of in Revelation 20. Dispensationalists believe that, just as God is in this age focusing His attention on the Church, He will again in the future focus His attention on Israel (see Romans 9–11 and Daniel 9:24).

Dispensationalists understand the Bible to be organized into seven dispensations: Innocence (Genesis 1:1—3:7), Conscience (Genesis 3:8—8:22), Human Government (Genesis 9:1—11:32), Promise (Genesis 12:1—Exodus 19:25), Law (Exodus 20:1—Acts 2:4), Grace (Acts 2:4—Revelation 20:3), and the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:4–6). Again, these dispensations are not paths to salvation, but manners in which God relates to man. Each dispensation includes a recognizable pattern of how God worked with people living in the dispensation. That pattern is 1) a responsibility, 2) a failure, 3) a judgment, and 4) grace to move on.

Dispensationalism, as a system, results in a premillennial interpretation of Christ’s second coming and usually a pretribulational interpretation of the rapture. To summarize, dispensationalism is a theological system that emphasizes the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy, recognizes a distinction between Israel and the Church, and organizes the Bible into different dispensations or administrations.

The foundational doctrine of premillennialism is that Jesus will return to earth and rule for 1,000 years (the millennium). Dispensational premillennialists believe in a seven-year tribulation when the Antichrist is especially active and God pours out His wrath before 1,000 years of Christ's reign in which the Jewish nation will have a special place and the Jewish Temple will be restored. Israel and the Church are seen as distinct groups within God's plan. During the millennium, the nation of Israel will have preeminence and Jews will serve God physically on earth, while those in the Church will have been given eternal, glorified bodies (at the rapture) and will serve God spiritually. Jesus' millennial reign is the time in which God will fulfill His promises to ethnic Israel. After this 1,000 years, Jesus will destroy a final rebellion and establish a New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21—22), which will be the eternal state for all.

Biblical dispensationalism divides the history of mankind into seven distinct dispensations: The dispensation of innocence, the dispensation of conscience, the dispensation of human government, the dispensation of promise, the dispensation of Law, the dispensation of grace, and the millennial kingdom of Christ.

The word "dispensation," to explain once again means "a system of order, government, or organization of a nation, community, etc., especially as existing at a particular time." Looking through the Bible, we can find seven distinct dispensations, or "ways of doing things" that were God-ordered and God-ordained. Each dispensation has a purpose in the overall story. The following is a brief description of each dispensation.

The Dispensation of Innocence

This dispensation covers the time from the creation of man to the fall of man (Genesis 1:28-30 and 2:15-17). All of God's creatures lived at peace with themselves and with each other, and the world was without sin or death. Man was to procreate, rule the earth and the animals, and take care of the garden. He was given one command to obey: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve and Adam disobeyed this rule, and were expelled from the garden as punishment, ending the dispensation of innocence.

The Dispensation of Conscience

The expulsion from the garden began the dispensation of conscience—a time when man was left to rule himself by his own will and conscience, both of which had been tainted by sin. It was a disaster, and ended in disaster—the worldwide flood (Genesis 3:8—8:22). During this dispensation, man became so wicked that "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" and God regretted making man and was "grieved to his heart" (Genesis 6:5-6). This was also the time when fallen angels married human women and produced giant, evil offspring called Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-4). God chose to end humanity with a flood and begin again with Noah and his family (Genesis 6:11-18).

The Dispensation of Human Government

The dispensation of human government began just after the flood. God made promises and gave commands to Noah and his family. God promised not to curse the earth again, and never to flood it again. He commanded Noah and his sons to repopulate the world and scatter across the earth, and He allowed them to use animals for food. God also established the law of capital punishment (Genesis 8:1-9:7). Noah's descendants failed to "fill the earth" as was commanded, and instead they worked together to build the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). God countered this action by confusing their languages, creating different nations and cultures that later spread to different areas. This was the beginning of human government.

The Dispensation of Promise

The dispensation of human government lasted until the call of Abraham. The call of Abraham, the lives of the patriarchs, and the enslavement of the Jewish people to Egypt all fall under the dispensation of promise. This was the time when Abraham's descendants waited for the promise that was given to Abraham: that God would make Abraham's descendants a great nation and give them their own land (Genesis 12:1-7). This dispensation ended with the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Once they left Egypt they were officially a nation, led by God into the wilderness toward the Promised Land.

The Dispensation of Law

The dispensation of law lasted almost 1,500 years, beginning with the Exodus and ending with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The delivery of the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law, found in Exodus 19—23, outlined the standard of perfection that God required from His people, and included the instructions about temple worship and sacrifices. This was the age of priests, prophets and kings, both good and evil. The people of Yahweh repeatedly broke His commands, and wandered off after other gods. It is important to note that strict following of commandments was never as important to God as mercy and faithfulness (Hosea 6:6). The law was given to show the people that they needed to depend on God and trust Him to save them, rather than trusting themselves, their own goodness, or other gods for salvation. He has never expected perfection—if He did, He would not have provided the sacrificial system as a way for man to say "yes, I have sinned; here is a symbol of my need for forgiveness and atonement." The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin—they are a symbol, looking forward to the One whose blood could take away sin (Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 10:3-10).

The Dispensation of Grace

The dispensation of grace started at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and continues today. It is the new covenant in Christ's blood (Luke 22:20). This is also called the "age of grace" or the "church age," and scholars believe that the entire dispensation—more than 2,000 years—occurs between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 9:24. Atonement was provided on the cross, once for all, for any who would believe: Abraham's children are all those who have faith, including Gentiles (or non-Jews) (Hebrews 10:10, 14; Romans 5:1; Romans 3:29-30; Galatians 3:7, 29). During this dispensation, we also have a Comforter with us, the Holy Spirit of God, who indwells believers (John 14:16-26). Dispensationalists believe that the Church Age will end with the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10) and then the tribulation, the seven years when those who dwell on the earth will experience God's judgment, will begin (Daniel 12:1-4; Matthew 24:21-27). The exact timing of the rapture is a subject of great debate, but dispensationalists believe it will happen at the beginning of the seven years. We do know that some people will be saved during the tribulation (Revelation 7:14-17) and that it will end with the battle of Armageddon, when Jesus Christ will return and defeat Satan and any who would follow him into battle (Revelation 19:11—20:3).

The dispensation of the millennial kingdom is the seventh and final dispensation. The dispensation of the millennial kingdom is described in Revelation and includes a 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth (Revelation 20:1–10).

Each dispensation can be thought of in six parts. The elements of the dispensation of the millennial kingdom are:

Managers: Resurrected Old Testament saints, the glorified Church, and survivors of the tribulation and their descendants
Time Period: From the second coming of Jesus Christ until the final rebellion, 1,000 years
Human Responsibility: Obedience, remain undefiled, worship Jesus (Isaiah 11:3–5; Zechariah 14:9)
Failure: Rebellion of sinful man following Satan's release from the Abyss, sinful man rebels one more time (Revelation 20:7–9)
Judgment: Fire from God; the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:9–15)
Grace: Jesus Christ restores creation and rules righteously in Israel, with all saints assisting (Isaiah 11:1–5; Matthew 25:31–46; Revelation 20)

Importantly, this dispensation, the millennial kingdom, comes after the dispensation of grace—the coming to earth by God in Jesus Christ. Jesus extended grace at that time and will extend justice at His next, or second, coming. He spoke of this coming, which believers look forward to, when He spoke to the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:62). The millennial kingdom is what is referred to in the Lord's Prayer, which begins: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9–10).

Peace will finally be realized during the 1,000-year reign of Jesus (Isaiah 11:6–7). Accompanying peace will be justice (Isaiah 11:3–4), unity (Isaiah 11:10), abundance (Isaiah 35:1–2), healing (Isaiah 35:5–6), righteousness (Isaiah 35:8), and joy (Isaiah 55:12). These characteristics of life together are only possible by the physical presence of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 16:5). As for Satan, he will reside in the Abyss, unable to escape (Revelation 20:1–3).

Jesus will rule over the world, and employ resurrected saints to participate in that rule (Isaiah 9:6–7; Revelation 20:4–6).

However, what follows is rebellion. Sinful people simply cannot abide this perfect and just rule (Isaiah 11:1–5) and, as individuals today do, will follow Satan. That rebellion will be defeated and its leader cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10) along with those who are found unrighteous in all the dispensations as judged by Jesus on the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11–15). Ushered in then will be the new Jerusalem and the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21). God's plan of redemption will be completed, and people will know God as never before and enjoy Him forever.

It is my hope that this explanation of Biblical Dispensational thinking will help to clear up misunderstandings on this matter. Especially by those whom mischaracterize and even attack Good Christian Family members of The Body over what they think us dispensationalists believe. I am a Biblical Dispensationalist because that is what I found taught when taking The Bible literally and not symbolically.

This does not mean that non dispensationalists are any less Christian. This as are all episodes written and recorded out of Love for my fellow Christians.

Peace of Christ be with you all your days."