Definition of Theology and its Beliefs
The dispensationalist theology teaches there are two distinct peoples of Elohim: Israel and the Church. It also claims a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially concerning Biblical prophecy; and, that the glory of Elohim is the primary goal of history.
Dispensationalists understand the Bible to be organized into seven dispensations, as follows:
Innocence (Gen. 1:1-3:7)
Conscience (Gen. 3:8-8:22)
Human Government (Gen. 9:1-11:32)
Promise (Gen. 12:1- Exodus 19:25)
Law (Exodus 20:1- Acts 2:4)
Grace (Acts 2:4- Rev. 20:3)
Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:4-6)
The above seven dispensations are viewed not as paths to salvation, but rather manners in which Elohim relates to mankind. As a system of theology, it results in a pre-millennial interpretation of Messiah’s second coming, and most usually a pre-tribulational rapture of the Church.
Dispensationalism believes that Elohim’s promises to Israel are still valid, but that Israel has been temporarily put aside because of the Jew’s rejection of Christ [Yeshua], and that presently Elohim is working through the Church. When the Church has been raptured to heaven, it is believed, God will once again deal with the nation of Israel. Thus, the position of dispensationalists is that the Church is separate from Israel, and Elohim has separate promises and a separate plan for Israel. Therefore, while the promises to Israel are valid, they do not apply to the Church.
Under dispensationalist teaching Scriptures which specifically apply to Israel, or can be interpreted as so, then do not have to be followed by the Church. This thinking even spills over into portions of the Apostolic Scriptures. Most often it applies to the Tanakh, or Old Testament, however. From this comes the idea of two separate groups of elect, which has birthed the antinomian thinking; that is, the anti-Torah attitude asserting that the Law of Moses [Torah] has been abolished through the work of Messiah Yeshua on the cross. This of course is contrary to His own words found in Mat. 5:17-19, for example.
Holding to the claim of two separate groups of elect, dispensationalists believe they can then claim innocence from transgressing what are viewed as the “Jewish commandments,” those given to Israel – the Torah. The primary Biblical basis for dispensationalism comes from the King James Version translation of the Bible at 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved to God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The premise applied here is that to correctly understand the Word of Elohim, one must literally ‘divide the Word’ into the so-called two groups of elect. Thus, anything that is clearly given to Israel, i.e., the Old Testament, applies to Israel; anything directed towards the Church, i.e., the New Testament, is for the Church. What this says in effect is that which applies to Israel does not apply to the church, and conversely.
Historical Origins and Dates
Approaching nearly 200 years of existence (2), dispensationalism is a time-line system of Biblical interpretation formalized in the nineteenth century by John Nelson Darby, later popularized by publication of the study Bible of C.I. Scofield, and establishment of the Dallas Theological Seminary by Lewis Sperry Chafer. Twentieth century writers such as John Walvoord, Dwight Penecost and Charles Ryrie brought the doctrines of dispensationalism into mainstream Christian scholarship. It is the latter, Charles Ryrie, who summarized his famous “sine qua non,” i.e., the statement of the three primary tenets of the system:
A clear distinction between Israel and the Church.
Literal interpretation of Scripture, and
The glory of God as the primary goal of history.
Theological Interrelationships and Dependences
Dispensationalist theology is the primary basis from which considerable of the modern Christian theologies are formed, or have become a spin-off from. One of the strongest teachings connected with dispensationalism is the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church.
As stated above, the mistaken concept of two groups of elect by Elohim has contributed to replacement theology, and fueled the antinomian beliefs of modern Christendom. Holding the Law of Elohim [Torah] as abolished, or at the very least in low esteem, has represented perhaps one of the most damaging and far reaching attacks launched on the Word of Elohim.
Exegetical Discussion
Blatant among the errors of dispensationalism is the obvious absence of understanding, and Biblical definition of, who is Israel.(3) According to the Torah the Ten Commandments were given to a group of people who stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai as a mixed multitude.(4)
In a number of locations in the Bible it is clear that one Law [Torah] shall be for the native-born “…and the stranger who dwells among you.” (5)
Absolutely contrary to the numerous Scriptures which teach about the reuniting of the two houses of Israel, and thus the restoration of all Israel, is the position of the dispensationalists that states there is a clear distinction between the Church and Israel. There are a number of prophesies which relate directly to this miss-guided thinking. For example, in Isaiah 11: 12-13, we read:
“He will se up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah, From the four corners of the earth.
Also, the envy of Ephraim shall not depart, And the adversaries of Judah Shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.” (6)
It is a Biblical and historical fact that the Torah contains commandments that were for all of Israel. The Apostle Paul tells us that all believers in Yeshua are a part of the commonwealth of Israel. From Galatians 6:15-16:
“For in Christ Jesus [Yeshua] neither circumcision nor uncircumcision [i.e., neither those of Hebrew ethnicity nor those of the nations, or non-Hebrew origins]
avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this
rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (clarifications added)
We are told in Romans 2:11 “… there is no partiality with God.” All (including those believers in covenant relationship and striving to observe the instructions of Torah, and those who are not) will be judged by the same standard – Torah. Dispensationalism teaches that God has dealt, and will deal in the future, with different people under different standards. This simply does not agree with the whole of Scriptural teaching. In Romans 1:18-19 we read:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.”
There is a classic verse often cited in 2 Timothy 2:15 “…, rightly dividing the word of truth.” This has often been miss-interpreted to mean literally that the Word of God should be divided up among the two groups of elect, the Church and Israel. Besides not understanding who is Israel, the word ‘dividing’ in the Greek is orthotomeō, which more correctly should have been rendered “to cut straight,” to “handle accurately,” or to “teach aright.” This does not imply diving up portions of the Scriptures and applying them to differing classes of people; rather, it indicates the whole of the Word of God should be correctly handled in its teaching and application – for all.
Dispensationalists have mistakenly taught that Israel represents the Jewish people, and that when the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in (7) (meaning that when those of the nations have received the truth/good news and come to faith), then the Church will be raptured to Heaven so the Jewish people can be saved. We must remember that in 722 B.C. the Assyrians were used by Elohim to disperse the northern kingdom of Israel (known as Ephraim) for their idolatry, being prophesied to “become a multitude of nations (Gen. 48:19),” which is the “fullness of Gentiles” spoken of by the Apostle of Paul. The text of Romans 11:25 further tells us that “…blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The text is saying that when the fullness (8) of the dispersed nations comes to faith in Messiah Yeshua, then the partial hardening or blindness placed upon all (9) Israel will be lifted. As is stated in Isaiah 8:14:
“He will be a sanctuary [for believers], but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense [for unbelievers] to both houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (clarifications added)
The southern kingdom, Judah, and the northern kingdom, Ephraim (or scattered Israel), the latter presently assimilated into the nations and largely indistinguishable from them, each have their own perspective and understanding of the Messiah Yeshua. For the former it is that of a First Century heretic; for the latter it is of one who came to discount or discredit the Law [Torah], and much of the Old Testament Scriptures. (10)
Finally, in Ephesians 2:11-18, the Apostle Paul sums up the work of Messiah Yeshua in bringing together the two houses of Israel into the one commonwealth of Israel, with one standard of righteous – Torah. For those “… strangers from the covenants of promise” who were without hope, “… who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of …” Messiah Yeshua, “so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, …that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, … And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (11)
Notice that Paul is not saying that those who were afar off have been brought near and become a part of the ‘Church.’ No, he has clearly indicated they have been brought into the commonwealth of Israel, under the unity of one Spirit, one hope, one faith, with one Elohim and Father of all, who is above all.
Another erroneous aspect to dispensationalism is the tendency to teach that Elohim has separated out the Scriptures into differing time periods, or dispensations. This is very linear in concept (i.e., applies Greco-Roman logic), as opposed to cyclical (i.e., Hebraic logic), and thus has tended to miss-lead people into thinking that when one time period (and therefore dispensation) ends, another begins. For example, we see from the sub-section above entitled “Definition of Theology and its Beliefs,” that the seven dispensations have been identified in order and by a range of Biblical verses. For someone who does not understand the whole council of Elohim’s Written Word, they could, for example, be led to believe that when the dispensation of Law ended, the dispensation of Grace began, which in turn will be followed by the Millennial Kingdom. The fact is that both Law and Grace were put into place by Elohim long before the prior dispensational periods indicated by the teaching of this errant theology, and continue as operative after those periods. As an example, we read in Psalm 103:17-18:
“But the mercy [or Grace] (12) of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, On those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.” [clarification, emphasis added]
(1) Adapted from paper by John K. McKee of www.tnnonline.net, Dispensationalism: Root Cause of Antinomianism, May 2005; and www.gotquestions.org/dispensationalism.
(2) Dale Moody in his work The Word of Truth, indicates dispensationalism has not been traced back beyond about 1830.
(3) See Paper: The Biblical Two Houses of Israel; also, see Romans 9:6-8.
(4) See Ex. 12:38
(5) See, e.g., Ex. 12:48-49; Num. 15: 14-16
(6) See also, Ezek. 37: 15-28; Zech. 10: 6-10; Isa. 56: 1-8, ref. to John 10: 16
(7) Rom. 11:25
(8) Not every individual, but the nations as a whole
(9) See Isa. 59:20-21
(10) Contrary to Yeshua’s own words found in Mat. 5:17-20
(11) See also Eph. 4:3-6
(12) While the definitions of Grace and Mercy differ, they both emanate from Elohim’s favor towards mankind, as unmerited as it may be.
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