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Home Content Index Theology Dispensationalism and Covenantalism
Dispensationalism
Question



WHAT IS DISPENSATIONALISM AND IS IT BIBLICAL?


Answer


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.




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.



FOR FURTHER STUDY

Dispensationalism by Charles Ryrie

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What is dispensationalism and is it biblical?


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