Dispensationalists recognize a distinction between the two people of God—Israel and the Church. They maintain that God has plans for both. He may focus on the Church in this dispensation but will return to Israel after the rapture. However, for dispensationalists, Israel does not refer to a nation or political entity; it represents the descendants of Jacob, who was given that name by God (Genesis 35:10).
Dispensationalism is a theology counter to covenantal theology. One of its most unique characteristics is the strong rejection of supersessionism. Supersessionism is the belief that the Church replaced Israel in God’s plan. Dispensationalists assert covenantal theology supports supersessionism. But that is an incorrect assertion. Adherents to covenantal theology do not believe in a “replacement theory.” Instead, they hold theirs describes a continuation of God’s original plan of salvation for all people.
Everyone, Jew and gentile alike is saved by grace through faith in Jesus. In its simplest terms, covenantal theology sees one people of God, the Jews. But through a Jew, Jesus, Christians have been “grafted” into the family of Abraham and are now beneficiaries of God’s covenant to bless all nations through him. Before Jesus, gentiles had been excluded.
New Theological Perspective
Dispensationalism is a relative newcomer to Christian theological thought. The most famous iteration began in the 19th century with John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher and former Church of Ireland priest. The United States Bible Conference movement popularized it in America. Darby became disillusioned with the Anglican Church and, within months, resigned his position to join a group of other Christians calling themselves “Brethren.”
The doctrine was popularized early in the 20th century with the Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909 and 1917 and revised in 1967. The notes in the Scofield Bible are written from a distinctly dispensationalist perspective.
Dispensationalists believe the Bible means what it says. Consequently, they assume at least three solid arguments for biblical literalism:
1. Literal interpretation of language is the foundation of effective human communication.
2. Every Old and New Testament fulfilled prophesy concerning Jesus was fulfilled literally.
3. It offers an objective standard for understanding the Bible. Without that, the Bible would be left to individual interpretation (e.g., “I believe the Bible is saying” rather than “The Bible says.”)
According to C.I. Scofield, dispensationalism describes how God has interacted with humanity throughout seven specific ages or dispensations. Each includes a recognizable pattern of how God interacted with his people during that period.
Scofield’s Seven Dispensations
1. Innocence, Genesis 1:1-3:7
2. Conscience, Genesis 3:8-8:22
3. Government, Genesis 9:1-11:32
4. Promise, Genesis 12:1-Exodus 19:25
5. Law, Exodus 20:1-Acts 2:4
6. Grace, Acts 2:4-Revelation 20:3
7. Kingdom, Revelation 20:4-6
Unlike the covenantal folks, they see two people of God, Jews, and Christians, who travel parallel tracks toward eternity. Initially, they believed that Israel represented the secular, political, and ethnic, while the Church constituted the gracious, spiritual element. That idea has essentially given way to a holistic unity rather than radical dualism, in God’s dealing with the Jews and the Church. Furthermore, they no longer distinguish between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.
Lewis Sperry Chafer, who authored Systematic Theology, founded Dallas Theological Seminary in 1924 to provide an academic institution to train pastors and missionaries in dispensational theology. Some of the most notable revised dispensationalist authors of the twentieth century who taught at Dallas Theological Seminary include John F. Walvoord, Charles C. Ryrie, and J. Dwight Pentecost.
Premillennialism
Dispensationalism is a form of premillennialism known for the pretribulation rapture of the Church. Historically, there had been two dispensations: before Jesus for the Jews and after Jesus for Christians. Contrary to dispensationalists, those who follow covenantal theology see Christianity as a continuation of what began with God’s promise to bless all nations through Abraham.
In Galatians 3:29, we discover Christians are now also the offspring of Abraham. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. (NIV) In Romans 11, we read about natural olive branches being broken off and wild shoots being grafted. Jews, the natural tree will be saved through the Church just as the wild shoots are. This idea of one family of God is supported by Ephesians 2.
Revised dispensationalism emerged in the 1950s and was prevalent until the 1970s. It brought us the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine in which a seven-year tribulation follows the departure of the Church. After seven years, Jesus and the Church will return for the millennium. They propose a second “Second Coming.” The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey and the Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, Left Behind series were written from a dispensational perspective.