BIBLICAL STUDY II. Module 2 DISPENSATIONALISM ISM 101 DIPLOMA IN PASTORAL LEADERSHIP

Transcription

1 BIBLICAL STUDY II DIPLOMA IN PASTORAL LEADERSHIP Module 2 DISPENSATIONALISM ISM 101 1

2 Contents. Page. 1. Introduction References Schools of Interpretation 7 4. References What is Dispensationalism? References The Division of Dispensations References The Jew and Gentile References The Kingdom and the Church References The Law and Grace References Dispensational Eschatology References Bibliography Assignment. 52 2

3 1. INTRODUCTION. Sufficient evidence is available to indicate that the Concept of Dispensationalism is neither a new nor an odd phenomenon in Church Doctrine, but a concept that is found from the earliest time in Church history. In this module we endeavour to familiarise the student with this concept. Due to the close relationship between Dispensationalism and Eschatology a number of views exist regarding the sequence and timing of End Time events. Similar to Eschatology, the student needs to determine his own program of End Time events based on personal study. The Dispensations layout presented in this module are based on the prominent Pre-tribulation view of the Return of Christ. According to this perspective Christ will rapture His Church/Bride prior to the revelation of the Anti- Christ. He then returns with the Bride for the battle of Armageddon, which will precede a Millennium of peace. Since early times, philosophers and Bible Scholars experienced a need to divide history into different time periods to determine God s plan for humanity. Some of these scholars include: I. Justin Martyr ( AD.). Justin Martyr ( AD.) has maintained in his time already the concept that God has a subdivided program with mankind. In his "Dialogue with Trypho, he states: "For if one should wish to ask you why, since Enoch, Noah with his sons, and all others in similar circumstances, who neither were circumcised nor kept Sabbath, pleased God, God demanded by other leaders and by the giving of the law after the lapse of so many generations, that those who lived between the times of Abraham and Moses be justified by circumcision and other ordinances to wit, the Sabbath, and sacrifices, and libations, and offerings... (XCII). Earlier in the same book he also speaks of the dispensation and of the gifts and powers of it (LXXXVII). 3

4 II. Irenaeus ( AD.). In his work "Against Heresies" he deals with certain reasons as to why there are only four Gospels. One of the reasons is:... and the Gospel is quadriform, as is also the course followed by the Lord. For this reason were four principal covenants given to the human race: one, prior to the deluge, under Adam; the second, that after the deluge, under Noah; the third, the giving of the law, under Moses; the fourth, that which renovates man, sums up all things in itself by means of the Gospel, raising and bearing men upon its wings into the heavenly kingdom (III, XI, 8). We can see here very clearly the concept of different dispensations emerging. III. Augustinius ( AD.). Also in this great thinker's writings "To Marcellinus, it is evident and we undeniably see the early dispensational understanding when he writes: The divine institution of sacrifice was suitable in the former dispensation, but is not suitable now. For the change suitable to the present age has been enjoined by God, who knows infinitely better than men what is fitting for every age, and who is, whether He gives or adds, abolishes or curtails, increases or diminishes, the unchangeable Creator of mutable things, ordering all events in His providence until the beauty of the complete course of time, the component parts of which are the dispensations adapted to each successive age, shall be finished... if it is now established that, that which was for one age rightly ordained may be in another age rightly changed the alteration indicating a change in the work, not in the plan, of Him who makes the change, the plan being framed by His reasoning faculty, to which, unconditioned by succession in time, those things are simultaneously present which cannot be actually done at the same time because the ages succeed each other (CXXXVIII, 5, 7). We do not want to imply that these Church Fathers were dispensationalists in the 4

5 modern sense, but that they have expressed a primitive dispensational understanding, is clear. From this time until after the Reformation, there was no substantial contribution to what later would become systematised dispensationalism. According to Dr. Orr the Christian doctrine developed and formulated in the following order: Apologetics, Theology, Anthropology, Christology, Soteriology and then after the Reformation, the Eschatology (1) and undoubtedly accounts for the recent formulation of Eschatology also for the relatively recent systematization of dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is inextricably fused together with prophecy and its interpretation. The first and true dispensational scheme after the reformation was that of Pierre Poiret ( ), a Frenchman, in his L'O Economie Divine published in In 1713 it was published in six volumes in English. Each of the six volumes was devoted to a particular economy of God's actions and purpose for man. (2) After this came John Edwards ( ) with his A Complete History or Survey of All the Dispensations, and then came Isaac Watts ( ) with his works in six volumes. The mental state that actually led to a subsequent actual systematization of the hitherto still vague Eschatology and Dispensationalism is described unto us as follows by William Cox: A study of the early nineteenth century reveals that doctrinal preaching was all but unheard of, and any emphasis on the second coming of our Lord was held up to ridicule by the clergy... Laypeople were being spiritually starved. They longed for some sure word or prophecy, but heard only horns with uncertain sounds from the pulpit Sunday after Sunday. In a climate such as this a natural byproduct would be almost total ignorance with reference to things taught in the Bible. It was into such an incubator as this that the Brethrenism was born... The Brethren teaching with their emphasis on 5

6 prophecy and the second coming of Christ, met a need in the lives of the spiritually-starved people of that generation. (3) There is no doubt that the Plymouth Brethren, of which John Nelson Darby ( ) was the leader, had a lot to do with the systematization and dissemination of Dispensationalism as we have it today. We must point out that neither Darby nor the Brethren were the creators of Dispensationalism. They only formulated it systematically. Darby was born in London, educated at Trinity College, Dublin where he studied law. At the age of 22 he was admitted to the bar and was a successful lawyer. After a year he abandoned his legal career and was ordained in the Church of England. He worked diligently to the extent, said Bass, that between 600 and 800 Roman Catholics became Protestants in a week. (4) Because of the Church's alliance with the state, Darby felt that he should rather leave the church and look for a community with more emphasis on the spiritual and a more intimate community. He then met with a group from the Church of England in Dublin, who also, because of their dissatisfaction with the Church, pursued more personal community and Bible study. Darby was not the founder of the group and it was not a protest group but happened to be only a spontaneous meeting. After extensive travelling, he settled himself in Plymouth, England in 1831 where he conducted the first breaking of bread service. In 1840, more than 800 people regularly attended services. It was now inevitable that the group, that Darby preferred be known as simply the "Brethren" would now be called Plymouth Brethren. Probably one of the fierce accusations on Dispensationalism is that it lacks historical value. Like any other doctrine, Dispensationalism also went through a 6

7 process of development and systematization. As a direct outflow of the post- Reformation formulation of Eschatology, it has as much historical value as the current doctrine of Eschatology. After all, the ultimate question of interest is not whether Dispensationalism or any other doctrine is historical, but whether it is Scriptural. This attack was directed against the doctrine of the Reformers. Calvin's reply to the accusation also defended Dispensationalism (not as such, but the youth" of it) when he writes: First, by calling it new they do great wrong to God, whose Sacred Word does not deserve to be accused of novelty... That it has lain long unknown and buried is the fault of man s impiety. Now when it is restored to us by God s goodness, its claim to antiquity ought to be admitted at least by right of recovery. (5) After all, it is important to remember that the verdict of history is not the final authority. Any doctrine, historically, or only recently formulated in the final analysis, should be tested in the light of God's Word. 2. REFERENCES. 1. Orr, James. The Progress of Dogma (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pub. Co. g. d.) pp Poiret, Peter. The Divine O Economy (London: 1713). 3. Cox, W. E. An Examination of Dispensationalism (Philadelphia Presbyterian Pub. Co. 1974) p Bass, C. B. Backgrounds to Dispensationalism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pub. Co. 1960) p Calvin, J. Institutes of the Christian Religion (Prefatory Adress to King Francis, p. 3). 3. SCHOOLS OF INTERPRETATION. Before, we look at the discussion of the nature of dispensations; it is necessary and important that we get acquainted with the different views regarding 7

8 Dispensationalism. Besides the Dispensationalism view we also have Ultra- Dispensationalism and Covenant School perspectives. I. The Ultra-Dispensasionalism. This school, which follows Bullinger's views, is of the opinion that the Church only began with Paul's revelation of the mystery of the Body of Christ (Eph. 3:1-9), during his first imprisonment in Rome. That is, after the end of Acts. 28. During this captivity (62 AD.) he wrote letters to Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians. Therefore, only these four epistles applied to the Church. The consequence of this view is that Christ's command in Matt. 28:19 and Mark 16:15-18 then only applied to the Jews and had absolutely nothing to do with the Church. And furthermore, that the Sacraments of course had no place in the Christian Church, that the Jewish Church did exist at the time of Pentecost, but the Church, that represents the Body of Christ, only began after Paul s revelation in Ephesus. When we test this view against Scripture, it definitely lacks truth. The question that determines the onset of the current dispensation though is: where did the Church as the Body of Christ originated from? The Church is a community apart and separated from the Old Testament Israel, as Jesus during His earthly ministry, referred to the Church as something still futuristic (Matt. 16:18). Later Paul put it clear to us that the Church, as the Body of Christ, with Him as the Head, could not have existed as a functional body prior to Christ s Resurrection from the dead (Eph. 1:20-23 ). That is, after Christ's Resurrection, the Church was officially established as a Public Institution. Another important question arising is therefore to determine how long after the resurrection was the Church then constituted? Was it with Paul's writings in jail, that is, after Acts 28, or was it prior to this time? In this context, Paul declared 8

9 that before his conversion he had prosecuted the Church of God, who then was already in existence (Gal. 1:13, 1 Cor. 15:9, Phil. 3:6). Acts 2:37-47 confirms that the Church already existed even long before Paul's conversion. On the day of Pentecost there were "about three thousand souls added" (v. 41). Where were they added to? In verse 47 we read, And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved". We can therefore assume that the Church must have been constituted shortly after the Resurrection. More detail regarding this matter will be provided under the heading "Kingdom and Church". There is another aspect of this extremist perspective that requires our attention. This group eagerly quotes Eph. 3:1-12 as proof that the revelation of the mystery of the Church, was only given to Paul. This allows them to follow through their extremist views that the Church only began with the Apostle's revelation. Therefore the Church could not exist or function before Paul's appearance on the Christian scene. Regarding this matter, Erich Sauer writes: "In Eph. 3:3, Paul does not assert that he was the first to whom the mystery of the church had been made known. He says only that the secret counsel that there is no difference in the church between Jew and Gentile, with the equal rights of believing Gentiles and believing Jews had not been made known in the time (not before him personally, but in general) before his generation, as it had now been revealed to the holy apostles and prophets through the Spirit. The plural apostles and prophets is to be noted as implying that the revelation was not to Paul alone, and it was made to them through the Spirit, not first by the agency of Paul (ver. 5). The as it has now been revealed may indeed suggest that this mystery had been hinted at in the Old Testament, but under veiled forms or types, and only now was properly revealed. (1) Now that we are satisfied that the Church had originated long before Paul, this silences the arguments (i) that Christ's command in Matt. 28:19 and Mark 16:15-18 was just for the Jewish Church, (ii) that the Sacraments have no place in the 9

10 Christian Church, (iii) that only the four epistles that Paul wrote in prison, applied to the Church. II. The Covenant School. Charles Ryrie defines the "Covenant Theology" as follows: In covenant theology the covenant of works is said to be agreement between God and Adam promising life to Adam for perfect obedience and including death as the penalty for failure. But Adam sinned and thus man failed to meet the requirements of the covenant of works. Therefore a second covenant of grace was brought into operation. (2) Although the earliest signs of the Covenant Theology were found in the works of Andrew Hyperius ( ), Kasper Olevianus ( ) and Rafael Eglinus ( ), it was John Cocceius ( ) however, who actually systematized the concept of the two covenants (works and grace), that appeared in one of his works in The idea contained in the two covenants is not unscriptural, but is a thought that is not systematized and formulated through Scripture. Chafer rightly explains about the redemptive covenant: This covenant rests upon but slight revelation. It is rather sustained largely by the fact that it seems both reasonable and inevitable. (3) The dispensationalists find at least the term "dispensation" clearly stated in Scripture (Eph. 1:10, 3:2, 3:9; Col. 1:25: 1 Cor. 9:17), while the Covenant Theologians never could find the term "Covenant of Works" or "Covenant of Grace" in the Bible. Oswald Allis, a strong supporter of the Covenant Theology seeks to justify the understanding "Covenant of Works when he wrote: The relationship established in Eden has been properly called the covenant of works. That is, promised life as the reward for obedience is not immediately stated. But it is made abundantly clear elsewhere, notably in Deuteronomy....(4) When we carefully analyze though, the Scripture references in his footnote, Deut. 6:5, 10:12, 13:15-20, we find that these passages have nothing to do with salvation, but with life in the Promised Land of Canaan. 10

11 To justify his "Covenant of Grace", he writes: This covenant is first set forth cryptically in the words of the proter-angel (Gen. 3:15), which promised Eve ultimate triumph over the enemy of her race. In this covenant, the emphasis is on faith. This is made clear in the wonderful words that are said of Abraham: And he believed in the Lord, and he accounted it to him for righteousness, to which Paul appeals to show that Abraham was justified by faith and not by the works of the law. (5) A reasonable conclusion is that the dispensationalists have more inductive evidence for the existence of special dispensations than what the Covenant Theologians have for their "works and grace covenants" and further that the Dispensationalists have just as much right, if not more to reach a conclusion that there is such a thing as a scheme of dispensations in Scripture than the Covenant Theologian for their Covenant Scheme. Dr. Ryrie summarizes the whole matter a lot to us getting on, Allis calls the revelation of this important covenant in Gen. 3:15 cryptic and Payne says it was rudimentary. This is all very strange and hard to swallow, especially when the Biblical covenants with Abraham, Israel, David, and others are so clearly and specifically revealed. Abraham had no doubt that a covenant was being made when God Himself passed between the pieces of the sacrifice (Gen. 15:17-21). And yet we are asked to believe in the existence of a covenant of grace which was scarcely revealed, although it is the fountainhead out of which even the Abrahamic covenant came! (6) There remains one other important aspect that requires our attention, and it's about the Hermeneutics of the Covenant Theology. The Covenant of Grace forces the school to lay out the Old Testament by the New. Birkhoff also wrote:... the main guide to the interpretation of the Old Testament is certainly to be found in the New. (7) This method of interpretation brings a serious complication with it. There is certainly nothing wrong if the New Testament directs us in our understanding of the Old Testament, but it is definitely wrong if we bind the New 11

12 Testament back to the Old Testament, as the Covenant School propagates. The implication of this for us is given by James Orr, who is a proponent of Covenant Theology's appreciation of the consequences of the interpretation... it failed to seize the true idea of development, and by an artificial system of typology, and allegorizing interpretation, sought to read back practically the whole of the New Testament into the Old. But its most obvious defect was that, in using the idea of the Covenant as an exhaustive category, and attempting to force into it the whole material of theology, it created an artificial scheme which could only repel minds of simple and natural nations. It is impossible, e.g., to justify by Scriptural proof the detailed elaboration of the idea of a covenant of works in Eden, with its parties, conditions, promises, threatening, sacraments, etc. Thus also the Reformed Theology the more that it had assumed this stiff and artificial shapefailed to satisfy the advancing intellect of the age.... (8) 4. REFERENCES. 1. Sauer, E. The Triumph of the Crucified (London: Paternoster Press, 1956) p Ryrie, C. H. Dispensationalism Today (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975) pp Chafer, L. S. Systematic Theology (Dallas: Seminary Press, 1953) p Oswald, T. A. "The Covenant of Works" Basic Christian doctrines, ed. C.F. Henry (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1962) p Ibid. 6. C. H. Ryrie, op. cit. P Birkhoff, L. Principles of Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1950) p Orr, J. The Progress of Dogma (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, GD) pp WHAT IS DISPENSATIONALISM? The word "dispensation" is an anglicised form of the Latin word "dispensatio". The Greek word is "oikonomia" and the central thought of the word, is the 12

13 management or administration of household affairs. In its various forms the word is used as: Manager (Luke 12:42; 16:1, 3, 8; Gal. 4:2), management (Luke 16:2) stewardship (Luke 16:3, 4), stewards (1 Cor. 4:1,2, 1 Pet. 4:10), treasurer (Rom. 16:23), steward (Tit. 1:7) stewardship (1 Cor. 9:17), control (Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25), fullness of times (Eph. 1:10), community (Eph. 3:9), charity (1 Tim. 1:4). Regarding the Scriptural usage, dispensation refers to stewardship of another's property. (See a schematic example of different dispensations on page 13). It entails responsibility and fidelity of the manager. Dispensationalists see the world as the household of God. In this household, God administers the affairs according to His will and in various stages of revelation in the course of time. These stages cordon visibly the different economies in the development of His perfect goal, and these economies are called dispensations. In this context, Dr. Ironside wrote: In each successive age God gives to men of faith a certain 13

14 stewardship, or makes known to them a certain order or administration, in accordance with which they are responsible to behave. A dispensation then is a period of time in which God is dealing with men in some way in which He has not dealt with them before. Only when a new revelation from God is given, does a dispensation change. (1) A dispensation seen from God's point of view is an economy and from ours it is a responsibility, and in relation to Progressive Revelation it is a stage in the revelation. I. THE DISPENSATION AND REVELATION. The Holy Scripture is a revelation from God to His servants about His plan and purpose in the ages of the earth and mankind. This revelation was not given in a single act, but gradually evolved into a succession of acts over a period of 1,600 years (1492 BC to 100 AD) and written down by about 40 different authors. The Bible is not a heterogeneous mess of history, myths, legends and religious speculations, but certainly indicates progressive revelation. The judges knew more than the Patriarchs, the Prophets more than the judges and the Apostles again more than the Prophets. Progressive revelation does not see the Bible as a text book on theology, but as the continual unfolding of God's revelation through various means throughout the centuries. In this deployment there are distinct phases of revelation when God proposed new things for which people are held accountable. These stages are the economy, stewardship or dispensations in the unfolding of God's purpose. Dispensationalism therefore recognizes both the unity of His purpose and the diversity in the unfolding of it. Covenant theology emphasizes the unity only to the point of forcing unwarranted, inconsistent, and contradictory interpretation of Scriptures. Only dispensationalism can maintain the unity and diversity at the 14

15 same time and offer a consistent, cohesive, and complementary system of interpretation. (2) II. THE STUDY OF DISPENSATIONS. There are several reasons why we study dispensationalism. Among those are the Scriptural and Philosophical reasons, which we need to discuss here. i) The Scriptural Reasons. In the first place there is God's direct command to us: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). The measure with which we rightly divide the "word of truth", only to the measure of that extent will we know the "truth". And furthermore, that we as workers of God "tested by God" to be acceptable unto God. The logical consequences of the matter are, if we do not rightly divide the Word, we cannot get the whole truth, nor can we as workers satisfy God by doing justice to the interpretation of His word. A second reason is that we incorrectly view the Bible as an indivisible unit without the making the necessary divisions as the Lord has commanded us in 2 Tim. 2:15 to do. Although the Bible was written for all people and for our teaching, it is not addressed to humanity in its broader whole. A portion was written to Jews, some addressed to the Gentiles, and another part is applicable only to the Church. It is also the format that God used to divide humanity (1 Cor. 10:32). Therefore what God has separated, we cannot merge. The result is that although the Bible was written for the teaching of the Church, not all that is written is about the Church. Does this mean that today we can only preach from the New Testament? The answer is definitely no! The entire Old Testament is for us, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through 15

16 patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." (Rom. 15:4). Here we have no supersession of earlier revelations as if it has no message for the believer of today just because the dispensation has changed. Truth is eternal of it no spiritual Principles and responsibilities can ever change. If God in the Old Testament says: "I will not fail you or forsake you" (Josh. 1:5), it is equally true in the New Testament, "For he said: I will never fail you and never leave you "(Hebrews 13:5). If God in the Old Testament says, "Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust Him, and He will do it" (Ps. 37:5), it is equally applicable in the New Testament that says "Cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you "(1 Pet. 5:7). If God is expecting holiness of Israel (Lev. 11:44), then he expects it from us today (1 Pet. 1:15, 16). In this context, writes Dr. Bullinger: I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ; that is eternally true of God to all His people, and, therefore, though that promise refers, by interpretation, to the person or persons to whom it was said at the time, there is an eternal application of it to the very end of time for all who have the Lord for their God. (3) ii) The Philosophical Reasons. Scripture as a whole is not a philosophy of history, but entails it. In other words, the Bible as a history involves certain concepts that require interpretation. This layout or philosophy of concepts and events is the task of the theologian. The problem now is which of these two schools can claim that they represent the true philosophy of the God history? Before we can answer this question, we must first define what the philosophy of history actually is. Karl Lowith defines a philosophy of history as a systematic interpretation of universal history in accordance with a principle by which historical events and successions are unified and directed toward ultimate meaning. (4) This definition includes: 16

17 (i) (ii) (iii) The recognition of "historical events and successions or a correct concept of progressive revelation. The Covenant Theology, because of the uncompromising strength of the single principle of the covenant of grace throughout the Bible as a whole, can never be a system of progressive revelation. Dispensationalism, however, can and does give a proper place for this development. Among the various administrations of God, various revelations were given to mankind, and this revelation is one of progressivity in scope and content. Therefore, we must study dispensations in order to give legitimacy to these revelations. Our definition also addresses the principle of unity of successive events in history. In the covenant theology the principle is Soteriological. In other words, It is the covenant of grace of salvation that stretches from Adam's fall right through the Scriptures to the completion of history. In dispensationalism, the principle is Eschatological because the various dispensations reveals the glory of God as He manifests His character in the various ministries until it will culminate in the glory of the Millennium. We thus study dispensationalism because of the unity, viz. the Eschatology, does not only include the Soteriology, but is broader, more comprehensive and more progressive than the continuous unity of Soteriology. Our definition also holds for us an ultimate goal in history. About the purpose of history, dispensationalism finds it in the Millennium, while the covenant theology accepts it as a perpetual state. We study dispensationalism, because the view of realizing the goal of history within the space of time holds great optimism. The covenant doctrine on the other hand sees history as an ongoing struggle between good and evil until it will be terminated at the onset of the ages. Due to the fact that there is no purpose in temporary history, man is obviously extremely pessimistic. In other words, history is a narrow corridor, cramped and dark, a kind of waiting room, leading nowhere within the 17

18 historical process, but only to be abandoned at last for an ideal existence on another plane. (5) III. THE HERMENEUTICS OF DISPENSATIONALISM. Hermeneutics is the Science that provides the Principles for the interpretation of Scriptures. These Principles establish and manage anyone's Theology. Dispensationalism accepts the hermeneutical principle of literal interpretation. With this mean a statement that renders to every word the same meaning as may be in normal use. There are three primary reasons why this method is used: i) It is Linguistically correct. Language is God's gift with the purpose that he can communicate with man, can communicate His message to mankind. Therefore Scripture cannot be seen as an illustration of some special use of language, so that the interpretation of Scripture must sought a deeper meaning in words. In other words, God uses language and expects that people will use it in a literal, normal, simple way. ii) It is Biblically correct. The prophecy of the Old Testament concerning the coming of Christ in the flesh- His birth, education, ministry, death and resurrection - were all literally fulfilled. iii) It is logically correct. If a person does not make use of the literal and simple method of interpretation, he loses all objectivity or status of the case. What would prevent all the different statements that the imagination can produce, if there is no objective standard 18

19 that the literal principle provides? Therefore to see an interpretation other than the normal one will be in as many interpretations as there are people. The literal interpretation due to the acceptance of Scripture at its face value, results in what appears as distinctions that the Bible makes between different people (1 Cor. 10:32). It recognizes distinctions in the process of revelation which leads to the realization of various economies in the development of God's program. In other words, being constantly literal is the basis for dispensationalism, and because being constantly literal is the logical and obvious principle of layout, it therefore justifies dispensationalism. 6. REFERENCES. 1. Ironside, H. A. Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth (New York: Loizeaux Brothers, g. d.) p Ryrie, C. C. Dispensationalism Today (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975) p Bullinger, E. W. Selected Writings (London: Lamp Press, 1960) p Lowith, K. Meaning in History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949) p Alva, J. M. A Premillennial Philosophy of History, Bibliotheca Sacra, 113 (April, 1956) pp. 113, THE DIVISION OF DISPENSATIONALISM. Time, the period between the beginning and end, is divided into eight dispensations. It starts with the creation of man and ends with the burning of the earth and the ushering in of eternity. I. THE EDENIC DISPENSATION. i) The Nature of the Dispensation. 19

20 The nature of this dispensation is described as one of innocence. Adam was not only perfectly created, but was also holy because he was in a condition and a state that he could communicate with God face to face. Although Adam and Eve were created with a divine nature and of which the varying emotions and spontaneous acts were entirely focused on the good, their holiness was not yet established, and they were still vulnerable to temptations from the outside. Holiness could only be established or come where there is the inability to sin, when it passes the prescribed test. That is why God had to subject them to a test. ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. In the first place Adam was appointed as manager of God's household. His responsibilities would be: keeping the yard and not eat of the Tree of Knowledge. Secondly, because there was a possibility that the man could make a wrong choice, because his holiness wasn t yet established, it was necessary for God to subject Adam to a test, in order to determine to what extent man was faithful to God through obedience to His law. (Gen. 2:16, 17). iii) The End of the Dispensation. Adam failed the prescribed test through his disobedience and by eating from the forbidden tree. His condition immediately changed and he became a different kind of person than what God had created him originally. His state of innocence and unvested holiness now changed to one of carnality and sinfulness. God drove them out of the garden and put a curse on the earth, but not without a promise of salvation. (Gen. 3:15). iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. 20

21 The Biblical duration of this dispensation stretches from Adam's creation to his fall and flushing out of the garden. (Gen. 1:26-3:6). II. THE PRE-FLOOD DISPENSATION. i) The Nature of the Dispensation. The nature of this dispensation is called conscience. Erich Sauer called it the dispensation of "Self-Determination" (1), because man is now morally selfresponsible (Rom. 2:15). In this dispensation, God directed and managed man through the voice of conscience, because people now knew good and evil (Gen. 2:17). But because of sin, man's capacity for spiritual understanding was becoming more restricted over time, and he became unsusceptible to spirituality (2 Cor. 4:4, Rom. 8:7, 8). ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. During this administration, or economics, man was responsible to God, through the motivation of his conscience, to bring the prescribed blood sacrifice to God for the atonement of his sins (Gen. 3:21, 4:4). "By faith Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous" (Heb. 11:4). "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). This means that Abel heard the word of God as Adam his father had told and explained it (Gen. 3:15). He believed it and so brought the required blood 21

22 sacrifices that were a typology that was a reference to the PROMISE that was to come. iii) The End of the Dispensation. The Scriptures give an account of a few people, like Abel, Enoch and Noah, who believed God, and the oversized majority of humanity was in an unnatural relationship with strange flesh, the sons of God (Gen. 6: 2). Eventually there were overt violence and corruption, and "the wickedness of man on earth (was) big... and all the thoughts of his heart and mind (was) always just bad... " (Gen. 6:5). This then forced God to destroy mankind through the flood (Gen. 6:6, 7). But at the same time, God had mercy on the righteous Noah and his family by saving them through the ark (Gen. 6:8). iv) The duration of the Dispensation. The revelation of the dispensation of conscience extends from the fall of Adam to the flood, a period of about 656 years (Genesis 4:1-8:14). III. THE POST-FLOOD DISPENSATION. i) The Nature of the Dispensation. Some new and additional additions were made by God unto Noah and humanity after the flood. Fear and terror will from now on be in the animal towards the people (Gen. 9:2). The man is now for the first time allowed to eat meat (Gen. 9:3). The principle of the death penalty will now be set (Gen. 9:6). God binds himself to never again extinguish humans and animals with water (Gen. 9:8-17). These four facts constituted new truths in God's progressive revelation to man and therefore represented a new dispensation here. 22

23 The death penalty is the basis and nature of this dispensation as one of selfgovernment. God now gave unto man the right that he never had before (Gen. 4:15, 23, 24), to apply the death penalty. This obviously gives man the authority to rule others. The death penalty is the highest function of human government, and when God placed the legal responsibility on man, he has given him the authority to rule over others (Rom. 13:1-5). ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. God's purpose for man was that they would increase and spread across the earth as distinct nations with one language, in order to fill the earth with religious nations (Gen. 9:1, 10:32, 11:1). iii) The End of the Dispensation. God's reference to the rise of sin among the people "for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen. 8:21), soon realized. Man began to build cities (Gen. 10:10) in order to live together, and not be scattered (Gen. 11:4) as God had commanded them to do. Together they decided as an empire (Gen. 10:10) to build in a fixed place (Gen. 11:4). Human government was God's organization, but empire cultivation is the devil's plan to unite the world against God (Rev. 16:14, 19:19). That's when God confused their language and so realized his goal through judgment (Gen. 11:9). iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. The Scriptural revelation of the economy or dispensation is found in Genesis. 8:15-11:9, and extends from the Flood to Babel, a period of nearly 427 years. 23

24 IV. PATRIARCHAL DISPENSATION. i) The Nature of the Dispensation. The special nature of this dispensation is about God's promise to Abraham (Heb. 6:13-15, 11:8,9). In all previous dispensations, the Lord acted directly with humanity as a whole. But in this dispensation God separated for him, one family and ultimately one nation, in order to make them a representative test for all people. ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. The purpose and responsibility of the patriarchs was simple: They must believe God's promise and serve God, the promised land was theirs and blessings were theirs, but only as long as they stayed in the country and lived there. iii) The End of the Dispensation. The final collapse of this dispensation came when Jacob took his people to Egypt, not long after which they came under the punishment of slavery. The Lord has graciously raised up a saviour in Moses for the people who would lead them out from Egypt, from the house of slavery. iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. The Scriptural revelation of this dispensation is from Gen. 11:10 - Ex. 18:27. That is, from Abraham to the law a period of 430 years (Gal. 3:17). V. THE ISRAELITE DISPENSATION. i) The Nature of the Dispensation. 24

25 The character of this dispensation was God's management of Israel through the law of Moses. The law was not the means to salvation (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:11), but prescribed the way that the Israelites should walk. "The law was the way of life and not the way to life" (2), said Riggs (Ps. 1:12; 119:32, 97, 103, 127, 162, 174). ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. The promise was given to Abraham through the covenant of circumcision, that his descendants would inherit the Promised Land. So many transgressions, however, took place, that God added the law to the covenant in order to oppose sin (Gal. 3:19). Furthermore, they were kept in safety under the law, including with regard to the faith which should afterwards be revealed. The law was our schoolmaster to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Gal. 3:23, 24). iii) The End of the Dispensation. Despite all the failures and judgments, such as the exile of the ten tribes by the Assyrians and the two tribes to Babylon, the final collapse of this dispensation was the rejecting of their Messiah by the remnant and their dispersion (Luke 21:24). Despite all this, God promises that Israel will inherit the promised land because the law does not nullify the covenant (Gal. 3:7, 18). This will be fulfilled in the millennium (Heb. 8:8-13, Jer. 31:31-34). iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. The period of the dispensation extends Scripturally from Ex. 18:28 - Acts 1:26. A Duration of about 721 years from the giving of the law by Moses to the death of Christ. VI. THE CHURCH DISPENSATION. 25

26 i) The Nature of the Dispensation. The characteristic of this dispensation is grace (Rom. 6:4). This does not mean that there was no grace in the previous dispensations, but that grace is now more abundant than ever before. Under grace, it is man s responsibility to accept the gift of God's righteousness, which he presents to us freely in Christ (Rom. 5:15-18). ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. God's main purpose of this dispensation is to gather for him a Church from all peoples and nations (Acts 15:13-15). iii) The End of the Dispensation. This age, according to the Scriptures, will end in a state of spiritual apostasy (falling away) (Luke 18:8, 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 4:3,4). At this time, Christ will remove his Church from the earth and then the Antichrist will appear (2 Thess. 2:5-10). iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. The duration of the Church dispensation, Scripturally extends from Acts 2:1 - Rev. 3:22. A period from Christ's Resurrection and the constitution of the Church to the Rapture of the Church to heaven. VII. THE PARENTHETICAL DISPENSATION i) The Nature of the Dispensation. 26

27 This dispensation will mainly be characterized by the Great Tribulation under the rule of the Antichrist (Matt. 24:9-28; Rev. 6:1-19, 21). ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. The primary purpose of God with the Great Tribulation is to judge Israel (Jeremiah 30:4-7, Dan. 12:1), and to prepare him, together with the nations for the establishing of the Messianic Kingdom (Matt. 25:31-46). iii) The End of the Dispensation. The end of the Great Tribulation will take place at Christ's Return to earth, seven years after the Rapture of the Church, when he will defeat the Antichrist and his armies. The Antichrist and false prophet, will be cast alive in to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-21). iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. This is the shortest of all dispensations and stretches Biblically from Rev. 6:1-19:21 and lasts about seven years (Dan. 9:27), a period from the appearance of the Antichrist to the Coming of Christ to earth. VIII. THE MESSIANIC DISPENSATION. i) The Nature of the Dispensation. This is a dispensation of God's Government. In other words, it will be an autocratic system of government, because Christ will reign "with a rod of iron" (Ps. 2:9, Isa. 11:1, 4; Rev. 19:15). The basis, on which this government will be built, will not be the law or mercy, but justice. 27

28 ii) The Purpose of the Dispensation. The main purpose of the dispensation will be, that "God will deal with humanity as a whole. God will do this through the Jews as the head of all nations (Deut. 28:13, 44, Isa. 60:10-15, Zech. 8:20-23) and furthermore to fulfil the promised New Covenant (Isaiah 42:6, 49:8, Jer. 31:31-34, Heb. 8:8-13). Then the Seed of Abraham will be a blessing to all nations of the earth (Gal. 3:8) "For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:3) I will send those that escape of them unto the nations..., that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles (Isa. 66:19).... shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you (Zech. 8:23). "The millennium will be a mission period eminently in part, so that the nations of the world, as never before, will come to know the true God, the God of Israel" (3). Israel's preaching of the gospel of the kingdom... for a witness unto all nations" (Matt. 24:14), will not result in the complete fulfilment of Joel's prophecy fulfilled will go" And then (after Israel's restoration) I will pour out my spirit on all flesh... (Joel 2:28). And so "the earth... be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9, Hab. 2:14). All will know the ways of the Lord whether they will walk in it or not (Zech. 14:16-21). iii) The End of the Dispensation. This dispensation, like all previous ones, will end in apostasy (Rev. 20:7-10). The end of the Millennium is the end of all earthly dispensations and the end of time. iv) The Duration of the Dispensation. The duration of the dispensation, scripturally, extends from Rev. 20:1-10 and 28

29 lasts a thousand years. This is a period from Christ's Return to earth until the consummation of the earth by fire (2 Pet. 3:7-12). One can focus on the following interesting aspects regarding the dispensations as pointed out by Riggs: Each will be found to have a keyword representing its moral condition or characteristic feature. Each has a definite purpose in the plan of God, which is clearly indicated. Each has a leading man... each begins with a new revelation from God, witnesses a gradual departure from and disobedience to the revelation.... (4) 8. REFERENCES. 1. Sauer, E. From Eternity to Eternity (London: Paternoster Press, 1954) p Riggs, R. M. The Bible s Backbone (Springfield: Gospel Pub. House, 1945) p Oosthuizen, W. H. M. As die Seun van die Mens kom... (Krugersdorp: N. H. W. Pers, 1960) p Riggs, op. cit., p THE JEW AND THE GENTILE. The scriptures group humanity into three distinct groups, viz. the Jews, Gentiles and the Church (1 Cor. 10:32). The Jews and Gentiles are distinct from each other, but the Church is a spiritual mix of both Jew and Gentile as a "new man" (Eph. 2:13-16, 3:5, 6). I. The Jew. The Jew has his roots in Abraham, which got its existence ( identity ) as a people in the Exodus. The oversized majority of the Old Testament deals with the Jews and their history. 29

30 i) God's purpose with the Jewish Nation. God chose the Jewish people as a chosen people on earth rather than the Church which is a heavenly people (Acts 15:14-17, Gal. 4:22-31), for a particular purpose. The Jews were the means by which God's Word came to humanity (Rom. 3:1, 2) and had to stand before God as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:6) to intercede on behalf of the world to God. The Jew as a "Holy Nation", was the salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" like "a city that is set on a hill" (Matt. 5:13, 14) to salt and light the world with the Gospel. From the Jewish nation a Saviour would come to save the world (John 4:22). When the Messiah, whose life was the light of the world, came, they rejected Him (John 1:4, 11). Their rejection of Christ, did not mean that they as a nation were replaced by the Gentiles or the Church, because "God did not cast away his nation which he foreknew" (Rom. 11:2), but they were temporarily set aside, as the word "rejection" is translated in Rom. 11:15 in the Greek form. The Jewish state, as we know it today, is an actual fulfilment of Hos. 3:4 and in this state they will remain and be trampled by the nations "until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). This condition is only temporary, "until the fullness of the Gentiles be come, and so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom. 11:25, 26). ii) God's Restoration of the Jews. (a) The fact of his recovery. In the year 721 BC, the ten tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrians and never returned and are also known as the "ten lost tribes. The two tribes of Judah were led into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 BC. After 30

31 seventy years they returned to Palestine. With the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jews were dispersed unto all the nations. In 1948 however, the Jews for a second time were restored unto their own land. Their second return to their country is a fulfilment of Isa. 11:11, 12, where God promised for a second time to gather His people from the four corners of the world into their own land. Then Amos prophesied that they will not be torn away from their land anymore (9:14.15). This recovery can never refer to the first return from Babylon, because they were again scattered in 70 AD, while our text declares that they will never again be ripped out of their country. If we assume that Israel is now restored in her country, then it is the second time, which means that she is now forever back in her country. (b) The conditions at the time of her recovery. Scripture makes it clear that Israel will be restored to her land in an unconverted state (Ezek. 36:24-27) and that God will bring her into the judgment of the Great Tribulation (Ezek. 22:19-22; Mal. 3:1-3, Jer. 30:4-7, Dan. 12:1), to prepare her for her conversion. The result of this judgment will be that they will call to God and God will hear them (Zech. 13:9). Then Christ as their Messiah will come down to them from heaven (Zech. 14:4) and they will see Him and mourn for Him (Zech. 12:10) and so all Israel will come unto salvation in one single day (Zech. 13:1, Rom. 11:26, Isa. 66:8). The Jews will then enter with Christ into "the Kingdom of Heaven" or the Millennium (Isaiah 60:10-15) and the Lord shall be King over all the earth (Zech. 14:9). II. The Gentiles. In respect of the Gentiles, Scripture solely refers to the "times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24). 31

32 i) The Times of the Gentiles. The "times of the Gentiles" imply periods in history when the pagan nations suppressed Israel. The "times of the Gentiles" should not be confused with the "fullness of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:25). The "fullness of the Gentiles" refers to "a nation of nations" that God has adopted for his name (Acts 15:14), viz. the Church. The "hardening" of Israel will continue until the "fullness" (full number) of the Gentiles has come in, the Church will then be raptured, and Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26). The "fullness of the Gentiles" started immediately after Christ's resurrection and will continue up to seven years before the "times of the Gentiles" conclude. ii) The Duration of the Times of the Gentiles. This period commenced with the golden part of Nebuchadnezzar's image (Dan. 2), which was Babylon as a world ruler in the year 606 BC. Dr. Dake, however, makes the following useful statement: Since Israel was oppressed by Egypt a much longer time than by Babylon, since Assyria took the ten tribes captive before Babylon took the two tribes captive, and since no Scripture says that the times of the Gentiles began with Babylon or that Daniel saw all the times of the Gentiles, we naturally include the first two kingdoms of the eight of Rev. 17 in the times of the Gentiles, for they also oppressed Israel as much as any Gentile power since Babylon. (1) This statement rhymes then with Rev. 17:9-11, "five have fallen" - Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medes and Persians, and Greece, "one" - the Roman Empire, "the other has not yet come" - the revived Roman Empire or the ten toes, "the animal... himself is the eighth"- that is the realm of the beast or Antichrist when he has subdued the ten kingdoms of the Revived Roman Empire (Dan. 7:8, 20, 24; Rev. 17:12, 13). In Rev. 11:1, 2 we noticed that Jerusalem will be trampled for 42 months by the 32