Dispensationalism, Fact vs. Fiction

 

Dispensationalism - Fact or Fiction 

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Dispensationalism - is a religious interpretive system for the Bible.

A.    It considers Biblical history as divided by God into dispensations, defined as periods or ages to which God has allotted distinctive (variable) administrative principles. 

Note: Therefore, it is God who changes His administrative principals, or laws, in accordance to the circumstances of the period.  Here the worship of God evolves in accordance to changes of environment.

B.    According to dispensationalist theology, each age of God's plan is thus administered in a certain (variable) way, and humanity is held responsible as a steward during that time (must adjust to), in the particular manner set forth by God’s changed (new) principals.  During each dispensation, God relates Himself to His children, in accordance to the unique manner of the dispensation.  Therefore, the demands or duties of humanity toward God, change from period to period, and the manner how God interacts with mankind also changes.  

Note: Here God’s relationship with humankind varies during each dispensation.  This may be based on the idea that God has not revealed to man, His entire purpose or plan.   Humans are responsible for making the necessary adaptations (works) in order to be found acceptable to God,

C.    Each divine dispensation features a cycle of four parts:

1.    God reveals himself and his truth to humanity in a new (different) way. 

Note:  Here we find a new truth and new manner of presenting the truth

Hebrews 1:1-2 - God, who at sundry (various) times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,                                                          

² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Amos 3:7 - Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Revelation 1:1 - The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John (apostle/prophet):

So here we find biblical evidence that God’s method of communication, to His children does not change.  It goes from God, to the angels (messenger), to the prophets, to His people.  Here we have at least 3 different time periods, or dispensations with the exact same mechanism for communications.

2.     “Humanity” is held responsible to conform to that revelation (new). 

Note:  Here humanity must make the new changes given them, and comply with God’s new demands (Gnostic – one has to make the changes for themselves and find the means to these changes in themselves)  Here acceptance by God, therefore salvation of humankind, is dependent upon the actions (compliance) of man to the changed standard imposed upon them, righteousness by works.   Genesis 3:15 and Jeremiah 31:31-33.

First Covenant - Exodus 20:20 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Second Covenant - Jeremiah 31:33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

When one reads these texts, it shows the consistency (between both Covenants) of God’s demands upon humanity.  God was clearly creating a mechanism where “HE” kept mankind from sinning.  Christ, not man, would take the responsibility, for our ability, to keep His commandments, by placing enmity against Satan and sin, in our hearts.  The failure of the First Covenant was that the Children of Israel put themselves in the place of God, by stealing the responsibility for doing, not keeping God’s Law.  Exodus 20:19 - And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. They placed upon themselves the responsibility for fulfilling Christ’s promise of Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Framework for both Covenants, or the only “actual” covenant)

Now it was the Children of Israel, not the God of Heaven, who would create the enmity between mankind and Satan.  This was an impossible task since a sinner can not overcome sin.  Moses recognized this mistake and attempted to change their lack of faith as we see in Exodus 20:20. The people rejected Moses’ plead, an in so created a false vicar for God, here the people are dictating to God the terms of their acceptance, rejection of the terms in the covenant, and blasphemy.  Moses was now to play the role of Christ.  This was a system destined for failure, not of God’s doing, but of mans’ controlling nature and fear. 

3.    Humanity rebels and fails the test. 

Note:  Here humanity was predestined to fail.  It is with God’s knowledge that mankind will fail in its assigned task, and therefore they were created for the purpose to failing (God’s benefit), or else God is testing humanity because He is unaware of the outcome, experimenting with mankind (Gnostic – Demerge).  This negates the biblical ideal that God is all knowing. 

 Job 1:8 - And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Roman 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

These texts clearly show that it was never God’s intention for man to be separated from him thru sin.  It was the clear conscious choice of every individual to enter into harmony with sin, and thus remove the enmity against sin, and creating enmity against Christ.  This understanding leads us away from the concept of “Original Sin Doctrine”.

4.    God judges humanity and introduces a new period of probation under a new administration.

Note:  Here mankind has failed as was predestined by God, (Entrapment) or else the Almighty is unaware of the future outcome during each dispensation.  A judgment is placed on humanity, and a new and different set of Laws are given to humanity, and they attempt to comply with, which ultimately will end in failure.  God is testing (tempt) mankind.  One can only reason that either God is not “all knowing”, or He created man to sin, and therefore sin was a part of His plan to vindicate Himself.  If this were true, then God has a self-serving (Hedonistic), not a self-sacrificing nature (Agape).  This interpretation is consistent with the god of the Gnostic Creation (Cosmos).  

D.   Seven Dispensations – man’s relationship with the Laws, and consequences

1.     Innocence – Adam “under probation” prior to the Fall. Ends with expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Some refer to this period as the Adamic period or the dispensation of the Adamic covenant or Adamic law. 

Note:  Here man is presumed to be created innocent, and not perfect.  The remainder of creation was made perfect.  The difference is the point of fault for the fall of man.  If man was created innocent, and not perfect, then the fault for the fall of man lies with the Creator, Christ (imperfect creation, by imperfect Creator).  Perhaps this is why the (New Age Movement) believes we need a new and different Christ, since it believes Jesus Christ failed in His creative efforts, or that His intent was for the failure to occur (Gnostic).

God’s Holy Word states that all creation was made perfect. 

Genesis 1:31 - And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good (perfect). And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

Therefore, man cannot claim that he was created fallible (Original Sin Doctrine), otherwise God would have no right to claim distinct acts, an abomination.

2.     Conscience – From the Fall to the Great Flood. Ends with the worldwide deluge (Judgement for breaking the Law). 

Genesis 6:3 - And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Genesis 6:5 - And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 6:7 - And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Note: Here, the dispensationalist is under the assumption that the mankind was under a specific set of laws for which they not only failed to adhere to, their minds rejected it to the point that they could not return to it.  It is presumed that these laws were distinct from the Commandments that God later Gave.  This presumption is not biblical in nature, for the bible clearly gives a glimpse of the Royal Law prior to Mount Sinai, 2000 years prior.  Before the law was Common, not written.

1.     No other God (First Commandment) – by the people turning away from God, they gave their time and therefore worship to another

Genesis 3:5 - For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

2.     Do not create other God’s II (as above) – mankind’s hedonistic manners, evil continually, made them their own gods.

3.     Not to take God’s name in vain III – Genesis 4:5 - But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.  If you call yourself a Christian, must act like it.

4.     Sabbath IV– Genesis 2:3 - And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

5.      Murder VI – Thou shalt not kill (murder) – Genesis 4:8 - And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

(Eve giving fruit to Adam – First murder)

6.     Lie IX – Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.  Genesis 4:9 - And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

7.     Covet X – Genesis 4:5 - But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 

3.     Human Government – After the Great Flood, humanity is responsible to enact the death penalty. Ends with the dispersion at the Tower of Babel. Some use the term Noahide law in reference to this period of dispensation. 

Note:  For the dispensationalist to accept that humanity was under a different set of rules, then there must have been a different punishment, because the punishment must fit the crime.  Additionally, here it is allegedly man, not God who invokes the sentence and punishment.  Again, we have a man-oriented, or centered religion.  Man subverts the place of God. 

Genesis 2:17 - But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Here we have agreement, or corroboration between the two witnesses, the Old and New Testament.  Therefore, there can be no distinct laws between the different dispensational times, otherwise this agreement would not exist. 

4.     Promise – From Abraham to Moses. Ends with the refusal to enter Canaan and the 40 years of unbelief in the wilderness. Some use the terms Abrahamic law or Abrahamic covenant in reference to this period of dispensation.  

God’s only covenant for man – Genesis 3:15 - And “I” will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Note:  For the dispensationalist to adhere to this dispensation, they must cleave/separate the promise to Abraham, from the promise of Genesis 3:15.  This makes the promise to Abraham to only be a father of many nations.  It removes the core premise of the promise (enmity), the prophesy that the Messiah, Jesus Christ would come from his line thru Issacs, and not Ismael.  Remember, Isaac was Abraham’s only son that was circumcised on the appropriate day, the eight day of life.  It voids the purpose of the promise and creates a new, although false reason.  The reason for multiple covenants is for a later date. 

5.     Law – From Moses to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Ends with the scattering of Israel in AD 70. Some use the term Mosaic law in reference to this period of dispensation.  (First Covenant)

Exodus 19:5-6 - ⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed (LOVE ME), and keep (Cherish and Protect) my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests (Direct access to God), and an holy (Perfect) nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Exodus 19:8 - And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.   

Israel promised to love and cherish God, of their own will.  People who are in a state of enmity against God, cannot of themselves love and cherish Him.  Some force must cause this change. 

Note:  As we saw above, it was not God that caused the failure of the “first covenant”, but rather the people by removing Christ from before them, or within them, that led to the “covenant’s” demise.  If it had been Christ’s which cause the failure, the Covenant would have been a worthless from the start.  If Christ had intended that man would keep the covenant of themselves, and man already existed in the state of sin, it would be impossible for man to develop enmity against Satan and sin, since they were in a state of harmony with sin.  Therefore, Christ would have destined the Children of Israel to condemnation regardless of their desires or intentions. This intentional induced failure is not consistent with the biblical Christ, but is consistent with the New Age’s perception of Jesus Christ, and the ideals of Jesus Christ in Gnosticism.  2000 years of people who referred to themselves as God’s people would have been lost, despite the purposed covenant.  These dispensations are Law centered, not God centered.  The Law, not God, becomes the source of worship, paganism.  The people would be focused on keeping the Law, not loving and cherishing God.  If God would have intended that the “First Covenant”required man to keep His commandment of themselves, and that sacrifice of animals was an acceptable means for the forgiveness of sin, then another 2000 years of Jews would be destined to hopelessness and death, since there has been no Tabernacle or Temple to sacrifice.  Therefore,  the god of these dispensations has doomed 4000 years of His children to death.   God forbid! 

John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

As we have seen above, it was always Christ’s intention to create in us, a means to be free of sin.  First by becoming the atoning sacrifice for us, and then by actually keeping the commandments within us, and for us, that we do not sin. 

6.     Grace – From the cross to the rapture of the church. The rapture is followed by the wrath of God comprising the Great Tribulation. Some use the terms Age of grace or the church age for this dispensation. (NO LAW)

(Second Covenant) 

In this dispensational period, man is saved, not of his works, as assumed of the “First Covenant”, but from the grace of God, thru the sacrifice of Christ.  These lucky people get a pass for their sins.  They are not condemned by their actions, and therefore do not have any responsibility for them.  The Royal Law is believed to have been done away with.  They believe that the law has been nailed at the cross, and therefore has no effect on humanity.  Many protestants call this Cheap Grace.  They need only believe (justification), without the changing of character (sanctification), for salvation.  For this to be true, then sin would rise again after the 1000 years.  Which law was nailed to the cross?

Colossians 2:14 - Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Deuteronomy 31:26 - Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
Christ negates the idea of Cheap Grace by His description of His children. 

Revelation 14:12 - Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep (Love and Cherish) the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus (sanctification).

Therefore, God’s children are (past, present, future) those, who adhere to the Royal Law, and have the same faith of Jesus, the only religion he gave to humanity.   

7.     Millennial Kingdom – A 1000 year reign of Christ “on earth” centered in Jerusalem. Ends with God's judgment on the final rebellion (NO LAW). 

Note:  Here we have a reward for those who were given a pass, and punishment for those who failed to accomplish the impossible task. 

Dispensationalist Theory must maintain several assumptions:

1.     God interacts and treats humanity different during each unique Dispensation

2.     God reveals additional or different knowledge, esoteric, to humanity during the unique Dispensation.

3.     God judges, and therefore must punish humanity different during the unique Dispensation.

4.     Humankind is given different Laws, at different times, and are only subject to those laws.  Therefore, there is an evolution (Variations in) of God’s Laws.

5.     The Royal Law is removed by Grace

Compare the Dispensationalist Theory to the known Character of God.

A.    God is Love – a loving God wants all His children and does not favor one over the others.  Romans 2:11 - For there is no respect of persons with God. 

B.    God is all knowing

1.     Dispensation must assume that God is not aware of the outcome of each dispensation, or else there is sadistic tendencies in the personality of God, and He would be incapable of being “LOVE”.  We know that God is all knowing, and that it was not that God caused the failure of the “first covenant”, but rather man’s interference with the Godhead’s plan.  The intention of the Covenant was between God for God, not God and man.

C.    God does not Change –

1.`The premise of Dispensationalism is that God changes his truth and manner of how he interacts with humanity during every dispensation.  This is not consistent with the biblical definition of God.  Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 

D.   God expresses Agape – God is Agape, a selfless love.  If God created man to fail, then God is not Agape, but rather Hedonism.  As stated before this is not consistent with the God of the Bible, but is consistent with the Gnostic god.

In summary, a reasonable fundamental Christian cannot accept the notions of Dispensationalism.  It infers that God is fickle, inconsistent and essentially uncaring. 

This theory causes confusion, depression, and a sense of anxiety.  Dispensationalism creates a god that shows favoritism when He desires it.  This character trait is consistent with the Pagan God’s of Egypt, Greece and Rome.  The gods that had to be bribed and appeased.  The bible is clear:

Acts 10:34 -  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Deuteronomy 10:17 - For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward (bribe):

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

When one compares the biblical characteristics of God, to the intentions of the dispensationalist theory, one must ascertain that the dispensationalist is worshiping another god, a false god, a pagan god.  Remember our memory verse, Christ says that he is “The” way, “The” truth, and “The” life.  The use of the adjective “the” clearly delineates “ONE”, not many or changing.  Let us adhere and keep (love and cherish) to the God of Heaven, and r