What Is Dispensationalism and What Does It Have to Do with the End Times?
Share
Christianity is filled with theological terms. Since Christianity spread through the Roman world, the philosophical and academic Western world had a major influence on developing theology and doctrine.
In general, any subject of study adopts or creates their own academic language. These words refer to larger ideas as a type of shorthand for discussion within the academic community. For instance, hypostatic union refers to the dual nature of Jesus, divine and human. The problem becomes how these words create a division between the learned and a congregation, a barrier of sorts to understanding some important concepts in a religion supposedly about a Jesus who removed all division within himself at the cross (Ephesians 2:14-16). Additionally, sometimes the terms come from Greek or Latin, making them even more foreign to modern ears.
Therefore, many people don’t concern themselves with fancy theological terms. However, ideas like dispensationalism make important statements about belief. And beliefs influence how we live. They influence how churches make decisions and treat people. These academic ideas have consequences and incredible impact. As believers, we each have the Spirit and responsibility as members of Christ’s Body and Bride. It benefits us to have a good understanding of these terms and examine them through Scripture and truth.
God is telling a story, and he shares the story with us from Genesis to Revelation. Dispensationalism was developed to help give a framework for this story.
What Are the Beliefs of Dispensationalism?
Dispensationalism looks at God’s dealings with humanity over history through distinct eras, or dispensations. Each dispensation represents a different way God rules and relates to humanity. Dispensation generally uses a literal interpretation of Scripture regarding prophecy and eschatology (the end times).
Through this framework, God reveals himself and his will progressively through history. In each period, God gives instruction and expects humanity’s obedience to that revelation. When people fail, God reveals his grace and love by beginning a new dispensation. In these time periods, God’s character and nature don’t change, only how he works his will and plan. Covenants play a part in this. For example, the Mosaic Covenant with Israel dominated the majority of the Old Testament. Dispensationalism believes Jesus and the New Covenant change how God works through mankind.
These dispensations lead to a distinction between Israel and the Church. Dispensationalists believe Israel to be the descendants of Abraham, and God’s promises to Israel are literal and will one day be fulfilled in the millennial reign of Christ in Revelation. The Church is a different entity—those who repent and place faith in Christ, saved by grace. Made up of all nations and peoples, the Church lives and multiplies along spiritual lines.
Since dispensationalists view biblical prophecy more literally, they affirm texts like Daniel and Revelation describe specific future events. This perspective leads to a developed timeline including the rapture of the Church, a seven-year tribulation, the second coming of Christ, the establishment of the millennial kingdom, and the final new heaven and new earth with the forever Kingdom of God on earth. The rapture has emerged as a major feature within their view, where believers are taken to be with Christ before the tribulation begins.
In each dispensation, God reveals his unchanging character, purposes, love, and grace. The need for Christ’s redemptive work never wavers. Dispensationalists see the Bible as a unified story showing God beginning and completing his plan through history.
Practically, dispensationalism impacts how people read and interpret the Bible, current events, and how they see the future. Dispensationalists believe in and look forward to Jesus’ future return. This perspective inspires evangelism, missions, church planting, personal holiness, and living in hopeful anticipation of Christ’s return and establishment of the Kingdom on earth.
How Did Dispensationalism Develop?
Dispensationalism developed in the 19th century through John Nelson Darby, an Irish theologian. He ministered as part of the Plymouth Brethren. As Darby worked on a framework for biblical history, he divided it into eras, calling them dispensations, referring to differing ways God dispensed or gave his grace. Darby’s ideas became more popular while he traveled and spoke across Europe and North America. His writings and translations of the Bible further spread the dispensational framework among Protestant Christians.
As a result, more influential theologians and organizations adopted dispensationalism. Cyrus Ingerson Scofield became a major proponent. Scofield further popularized dispensationalism when the Scofield Reference Bible was published in 1909. The Scofield study Bible included notes outlining the dispensational structure. Since many new and old Protestant pastors and ministers bought and used this resource, dispensationalism became a dominant belief within a few decades.
Dispensationalism continued to grow through the 20th century. Lewis Sperry Shafer founded Dallas Theological Seminary, a major Evangelical institution. His writings, especially his Systematic Theology for thousands of students, explained dispensationalism and trained generations of pastors and theologians in the ideas. Of those influenced by Shafer, Charles C. Ryrie’s book Dispensationalism Today further defended dispensational theology, addressing the resistance and criticisms. Another, John F. Walvoord, wrote many books, and as a respected scholar, he influenced Christian Evangelical eschatology with works like The Rapture Question and The Millennial Kingdom.
As these ideas do, the influence of dispensationalism went beyond the academic into the pulpit and even Christian pop culture. As Contemporary Christian Music grew in the 80s, several songs rocked out about the Rapture and looking ahead to Christ’s coming. The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins placed the rapture and dispensational end times belief within thriller type novels, selling millions worldwide.
What Bible Verses Support Dispensationalism?
Dispensationalists point to verses like Ephesians 1:10 which tells of “a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.” This statement speaks of God ordering history leading to Christ’s ultimate reign. Ephesians 3:2-5 actually uses the term “dispensation” (or “administration” or “stewardship”) to describe God giving his grace progressively to reveal the mystery of the Church. Dispensationalists view these types of verses as support.
With these in mind, the covenants of Scripture give a type of framework. Genesis 12:1-3 records God’s covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants, land, and blessings for all nations through his seed. Dispensationalists interpret God’s covenant with Abraham as literal and will be fulfilled within the people of Israel, although Galatians clearly explains how Jesus was the “seed,” blessing all nations through the Gospel. The Mosaic Covenant began an era of law between Israelites and God (Exodus 19-24). However, Jeremiah 31:31-34 promises a New Covenant of an indwelling divine Spirit, radically different than the one of Law. Jesus declared himself the New Covenant, further described and explained by the apostolic letters.
The New Testament continues to reveal distinct plans for Israel and the Jews within God’s plan and the larger and greater New Covenant. Romans 11:25-29 speaks of the “partial hardening” of the nation of Israel until the “fullness of the Gentiles” happens through spreading the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 10:32 refers to Jews, Gentiles (non-Jews), and the Church as distinct groups. However, dispensationalists believe God will fulfill his promises to the race of Jews, as seen in Revelation and Paul’s teachings in Romans.
Regarding eschatology, a major element of dispensationalism can be found in Daniel 9 which outlines a “seventy weeks” prophecy. When interpreted literally, dispensationalists see it as a timeline for God’s work with Israel and the tribulation for the Church. Regarding the rapture, a popular verse is 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. “The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Despite how this reads, dispensationalists see the rapture as a distinct event from Jesus’ second coming. Revelation 20 describes Christ’s thousand-year reign in Jerusalem on earth, fulfilling God’s promises to Israel.
What Are Other Scholarly Perspectives on Dispensationalism?
While dispensationalism has dominated Evangelical thought and teaching, it has had plenty of criticism from scholars over the years.
One major criticism begins with the strict literal interpretation of biblical prophecy. Daniel and Revelation contain such fantastical imagery and visions that many theologians interpret these texts symbolically or figuratively, teaching spiritual truths rather than actual future events. Even dispensationalists see some prophecy symbolically, so it appears difficult to discern properly which to take literally and figuratively.
However, some of Daniel’s prophecies do actually happen, and Daniel’s timeline becomes a reason why people were looking for the Messiah during Jesus’ day. And Christ did literally appear during that time. At the same time, there’s more complexity to some of these prophecies than dispensationalists allow.
Several scholars don’t agree with separating Israel and the Church. Critics point to Galatians 3:28-29, which explains how neither Jew nor Greek exist in Christ, and all believers are Abraham’s seed through faith. “Covenant” theologians (another framework) view the Church as the continuation or fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel, rejecting any idea of separate plans for each. These critics claim dispensationalism divides the unity of God’s people throughout history.
The Bible does both. It expresses a distinction between Israel and the Church, the different revelations and stewardship of grace. Paul, speaking to the Gentiles in Romans, does teach clear ideas about Israel’s separate and special history. Scripture (and Paul) also teaches how the Church fulfills the Abrahamic covenant through Christ, how Gentile believers are grafted into Israel, and other unifying statements. Both dispensationalists and covenant theologians have limited views and likely require a bit more complexity.
Another criticism centers around dispensationalism’s focus on the end times, which some argue takes the attention away from current needs and action. A preoccupation with the rapture and the future kingdom can encourage a lax attitude toward loving our neighbor today, especially regarding giving to the poor and standing up against oppression in all its forms.
To some degree, every biblical truth can be mismanaged and twisted. In Romans, Paul defended the Gospel of grace against those who taught his ideas meant people could sin. However, he made it clear those critics had misunderstood the whole point of grace, which led to righteousness, not excusing all continued sin. In the same way, the New Testament (Jesus and the apostles) clearly teach how believing in the future coming Kingdom results in living righteously now, including giving to the poor and seeking redemption and good in our communities today.
Since dispensationalism divides history into different eras, critics argue this artificially separates history and God’s overall redemptive plan. The Bible does express different covenants and radical changes from one time to another, revealing old mysteries within a new age, especially in Christ. These different covenants and expressions of grace exist within a unified story. They don’t need to be mutually exclusive.
Critics note how dispensationalism only developed within the past couple centuries. This lack of historical foundation within the early Church and creeds raises important and valid questions as it contrasts with past theologians and church leaders.
In particular, the dispensational idea of the rapture isn’t found in Scripture, at least as a separate event before the tribulation. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 speaks about all Christians, living and dead, meeting Christ in the air upon his return, not separate from his return. In Revelation, we see this happen when we meet Jesus in the sky when he comes in the clouds (Revelation 19). To teach the rapture as before the tribulation has consequences, as if believers won’t have to go through such a traumatic time, causing some to fall away unnecessarily instead of remaining faithful and hopeful through it.
No theological framework should be taken completely but filtered through Scripture and noting its fruit. Dispensationalism has shaped Evangelical theology, and it has its benefits and flaws, likely requiring some greater complexity while affirming where it aligns with Scripture.
Peace.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/peshkov
