If dispensationalism is a way of looking at history broken into varying periods I don't see how anyone can get bent out of shape. However, if it is a belief that during these different periods different criteria for salvation were applied, I do see the threat. If the latter is the case, what stops the anti-christ from convincing people a new dispensation has begun and in it salvation is found in a new world religion where we worship the beast (we just don't realize it's the beast).
Please don't assume I'm a postmill, amill, preterist. I'm not. I believe we are in the premil period and God is not done with the Jews and Israel.
wmfights,
Dispensationalism does not teach two paths to salvation. there has only been one path of salvation all along. Salvation by grace through faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament saints did not have every piece of the puzzle as it was progressively revealed; yet, they still looked for a Savior to come. When the fulness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a virgin for the forgiveness of sins. Those who trust in Him in this generation are saved just as those who trusted in Him alone (not works) in prior dispensations. In the future, a large remnant out of national Israel will be saved. They aren’t saved at this moment. But their names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world. They too will be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah. They will have understanding as to what He has done for them when they look upon Him whom they pierced and they will mourn.
I know of no mainstream dispensationalist that teaches two ways of salvation. Even Hagee, whom I disagree with on certain important things, still says that the Jews are only saved by explicit faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Even he says that there aren’t two ways for salvation, one for the Gentiles and one for the Jews.
Where the charge gets laid at our feet is in some of the sloppily written comments by early dispensationalists. When we pull out quotes that seem to teach that this wasn’t want they meant, the quotes are ignored because the straw man is just too attractive to give up. If these men truly taught two ways (And I don’t believe that’s what they really meant having read more than just cherry-picked quotes from them), then they were wrong; and most folks would say they were wrong.
Dispensationalism is a biblical doctrine that shows how God dealt with people (not salvifically, but revelationally) through the ages. During this dispensation, He is primarily revealing Himself to gentiles. There will be a time where this revelatory period is over and then He will pour out His Spirit on the Jews, whom He has drawn from the 4 corners of the earth. And “all Israel” will be saved.
You note that people shouldn’t get bent out of shape about looking at history through periods. But they do. And their attitude towards it is just as was stated above. They believe that it is EVIL and treat us as if we are evil for believing it. It is very sad.
LOL! Are you suggesting that it is "possible" for the Anti-Christ to deceive the Elect?
Let me ask you, is it possible for anyone to mislead one of God's elect (through some faulty biblical interpretive method or otherwise) to the point where they can lose their salvation?
The Anti-Christ may deceive many. He won't deceive the elect. The sheep will follow Jesus. The goats and pigs and dogs will follow the Anti-Christ. No matter what kind of nonsense the Anti-Christ preaches people will follow him for no other reason than that they hate the real Christ.
I think The Cross
was the fulcrum of history and all Creation—certainly in terms of Salvation.
I do believe the Jews are still blinded, essentially, by God until the point when their awareness tweaks their Jealousy and their blindness is lifted and they WHOLESALE sse Him whom they have pierced and accept Him as their true Messiah.
Id o not see that happening before the Abomination of Desolation.
I think that much is fairly Biblically clear in the non rubberized Bibles.
Interesting points...However; look at what we have now...Some religions believe we need to work our way to salvation...Some believe we must get wet to get saved...Some believe we must be a member of a particular church to be Christians...
Some say we have to endure to the end...Some say we must live by the law to gain salvation...
The interesting thing is all these ideas can be found in the scripture...Some say we have to eat Jesus...
Some religons will twist, turn, pervert, torture and delete or add to these scriptures to make everything fit their particular theology...
Question is; does it make a difference what we believe???
If it DOES make a difference, then we have to be right in understanding Jesus and his written words...
Are some of us already worshipping the beast???
Classical Dispensationism has always maintained that one can only be saved by faith through grace after the Fall.
The essential difference between our views and that of the Covenant school, ( which is now being blurred by what is known as progressive' dispensationalism) is that the Church (the Body of Christ-composed of all those who are born again), is not Israel and once removed (rapture), Israel returns to the center of God's prophetic plan which will be completed with Christ sitting on the Davidic Throne,ruling a Millennial Kingdom from Jerusalem in a Temple described in Ezek. 40-48.
One fact which really upsets the Covenant school is the idea that sacrifices are started again, but those sacrifices are not for Atonement,(that having been paid for on the Cross by Christ, the Lamb of God), but only for reconciliation purposes.