Dispensationalism is not strong delusion, and it is not crafted by Satan. Dispensationalism is one method of interpreting scripture, particularly scripture relating to eschatology. I tend to keep it and other methods handy as an overlay for watching events and comparing them to scripture and the overview/overlay.
Dispensationalism itself is nothing more than the recognition that God and man had one relationship in the Garden of Eden, another in post-Edenic earth, another in post-diluvian earth, another is the Israel/God covenant, another in the Church Age, another in the millennium, and another in the world to come. I really find that observation to be a helpful overlay. It’s helpful because the witness of scripture is what it is attempting to summarize. It’s not a bad summary. It’s a good summary. It testifies to Christ. Unless Satan is in the business of testifying to Christ, then dispensationalism is of God, an effort by His people to put some difficult things together in an understandable format.
I’ve often thought that covenant theology is also ‘dispensational’, the difference being that it comes up with 2 dispensations.
What we should remember about any tool used to help put the scripture into an easily understood format is that it is a tool. As an overlay, though, it’s just possible that dispensationalism is right.
Personally, I think dispensationalism does as good or better job than any other overlay out there.
One thing it does is account for pieces of information that other overlays simply ignore. Cynical Bear mentioned that dispensationalism points out very clearly the matter of Israel’s persecution during the last week of Daniel. I agree with that.
If EVERYONE is here when Christ’s foot landing on earth takes place, then what is the army with Him? Who are the people of the rapture mentioned? Who are the people who populate the restored earth? It appears that there are friends of Jesus present on the earth? Where did they come from if everyone was raptured immediately before He touched down?
CynicalBear’s interpretation takes remote pieces and puts them together. Other interpretations either ignore those issues or turns everything into some big allegory or symbol. Those overlays are worth watching, but they aren’t as comprehensive.
mark
That pretty much sums it up, xzins. Wouldn't you agree..
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Dispensationalism is nowhere to be found in the word of God.
It is false doctrine definitely crafted by Satan.
Interpreting scripture rather than taking it as it is plainly written is not a path to sound doctrine.
None of the tenets of dispensationalism is in agreement of any part of the word.
Yeshua and Paul made it plain that the only resurrection unto eternal life takes place at the last trump. “After the tribulation of those days.”
Paul made a great effort to tell the Thessalonians that they need not be troubled by the fear that a rapture had already happened, because it could not come until the man of sin had been revealed.
There is no tool needed to understand the scriptures but reading them.
Any idea that requires manipulation with a tool is not from the word of God.
Nowhere does the word of God call for a “church” nor a church age. Yeshua spoke of his ekklesia, congregation, assembly, not anything new, but that which had existed throughout the span of man’s existence.
The part of that assembly that is alive at any particular time is his remnant.
All of the tenets of dispensationalism make Yeshua a liar, it fails completely to testify of him as he is revealed in the word, by himself, and by his apostles.
I was not brought up in covenant theology, so I do not feel competent to discuss it in any depth, but I was crippled spiritually by the Satanic lie of dispensationalism for a significant portion of my life, so I know it from end to end.
Its end is not pretty. It has people unprepared for the days of the end, thus potentially taking the mark, and definitely missing the protection that will soon be prepared for us.
“Overlays” do not guide anyone to Yeshua’s narrow path. An overlay is “another Jesus.” An overlay is believed by the cult instead of the word.
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