Here’s something from Thomas Ice ...
WHAT IS DISPENSATIONALISM?
by Thomas Ice
Many evangelicals and liberals believe that dispensationalism is either downright heresy or close to it. In fact, few years ago, while pastor of a church, a lady in my congregation ask me, “Why is dispensationalism bad?” I asked what provoked her question. She had recently talked to a woman who knew that our church was dispensational. The women spoke harshly against dispensationalism to my congregate and warned her that it was unscriptural and no biblically responsible Christian should be involved in such heresy. For many, dispensationalism is a Christian cuss word! The lady in my church ask: “What is dispensationalism?” That is a good question. I hope to answer it in this article.
A CLUSTER OF ITEMS
Actually dispensationalism is a cluster of items joined together to form a system of thought. Just as terms like Calvinism, Arminianism, Anglicanism, Catholicism, or Lutheranism are historical labels that represent, not a single idea, but a group of items joined together to form a multifaceted scheme, so is dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is a term that arose in church history to label certain Christians who believe a group of certain things that are taught in the Bible.
Dispensationalists are those who believe the following things:
• The Bible is God’s inspired, inerrant (i.e., without any errors) revelation to man. Scripture provides the framework through which to interpret history (past and future). God’s written Word tells us of His plan for His creation and this will surely come to past.
• Since the Bible is God’s literal Word of His plan for history, it should be interpreted literally and historically (past and future).
• Since the Bible reveals God’s plan for history, then it follows that there is an ebb and flow to His plan. Therefore, God’s plan includes different dispensations, ages, or epochs of history through which His creatures (man and angels) are tested. Therefore, God is instructing His creatures through the progress of history, as His creation progresses from a garden to a city.
• Since all humanity fell into sin, each person must individually receive God’s provision of salvation through the death of Christ by believing the gospel. Thus, Jesus Christ is the only way to a relationship with God.
• Because of mankind’s fall into sin, Scripture teaches that all humanity is naturally rebellious to God and the things of God. This is why only genuine believers in Christ are open to the teachings of the Bible. Thus, salvation through Christ is a prerequisite to properly understanding God’s Word.
• God’s plan for history includes a purpose for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—that is Israel. This plan for Israel includes promises that they will have the land of Israel, will have a seed, and will be a worldwide blessing to the nations. Many of the promises to national Israel are yet future, therefore, God is not finished with Israel.
• God’s plan from all eternity also includes a purpose for the church, however, this is a temporary phase that will end with rapture. After the rapture, God will complete His plan for Israel and the Gentiles.
• The main purpose in God’s master plan for history is to glorify Himself through Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the goal and hero of history.
In a nutshell, Christians who believe like this are known throughout Christendom as dispensationalists. I am a dispensationalist. We believe that it is the same as saying that I believe what the Bible literally teaches. Millions of Christians throughout the world are dispensationalists. In fact, the word “dispensation” occurs four times in the King James Version of the Bible (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 1:10; 3:2; Col. 1:25).
More at ...
http://www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/Ice-WhatisDispensational.pdf
Another one for people ...
Dispensationalism
Since the positions and conclusions in Endtimes.org are in line with the Dispensational System of Theology, or point of view, the terms need to be explained. There is no need to fear these terms. They describe some simple concepts related to our understanding of the Old Testament Covenants and how God will develop His kingdom program. Even if you have negative feelings about the term Dispensationalism, please go through the following brief explanation of what it is. It could be that it has never been clearly explained. Dispensationalism has influenced the doctrinal beliefs of many churches, including the Baptist church, the Bible churches, the Pentecostal churches, and many other non-denominational Evangelical churches. You may even be Dispensational in your thinking although not be calling yourself a Dispensationalist. Christian is always a better term, but terms like Dispensationalist helps to define where we are coming from when it comes to our views on Endtimes and the present and future Kingdom of God.
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A greater breakdown of specific dispensations is possible, giving most traditional Dispensationalists seven recognizable dispensations.
— Innocence - Adam
— Conscience - After man sinned, up to the flood
— Government - After the flood, man allowed to eat meat, death penalty instituted
— Promise - Abraham up to Moses and the giving of the Law
— Law - Moses to the cross
— Grace - The cross to the Millennial Kingdom
— Millennial Kingdom - A 1000 year reign of Christ on earth centered in Jerusalem
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So what is the key to Dispensationalism?
The literal method of interpretation is the key. Using the literal method of interpreting the biblical covenants and prophecy leads to a specific set of core beliefs about God’s kingdom program, and what the future will hold for ethnic Israel and for the Church. We therefore recognize a distinction between Israel and the Church, and a promised future earthly reign of Christ on the throne of David. (The Davidic Kingdom.) This leads a person to some very specific conclusions about the Endtimes.
— Israel must be re-gathered to their land as promised by God.
— Daniel’s seventieth week prophecy specifically refers to the purging of the nation Israel, and not the Church. These were the clear words spoken to Daniel. The church doesn’t need purging from sin. It is already clean.
— Some of the warnings in Matthew 24 are directed at the Jews, and not the Church (since God will be finishing His plan with national Israel)
— A Pretribulation rapture - Israel is seen in Daniel as the key player during the tribulation, not the Church. God removes the elect when he brings judgment on the world. i.e. Noah, John 14, 1 Thess 4:16.
— Premillennialism - A literal 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, where Christ returns before the Millennium starts. Revelation 20 doesn’t give us a reason to interpret the 1000 years as symbolic. Also, Dispensationalists see the promised literal reign of Christ in the OT. Note the chronological order of events between Revelation 19-21.
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Some Dispensational writers
- Pierre Poiret (1646-1719)
- John Edwards (1637-1716)
- Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
- John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
- C.I. Scofield (1843-1921)
- Lewis Sperry Chafer
- Charles Ryrie
- Dwight Pentecost
- John Walvoord
http://www.endtimes.org/dispens.html
>> “Dispensationalism is a term that arose in church history to label certain Christians who believe a group of certain things that are taught in the Bible.” <<
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Sorry!
That is total falsehood.
What dispys believe is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
They invent an “age of Grace” that if it exists runs from Adam to the final resurrection unto death.
All are under Grace.
Dispys distort what grace is so that they can invent an instantaneous “eternal security” that belies every word of Yeshua and his apostles.
They also invent a “rapture” that is secret, and not dependent upon the requirements that are plainly stated by Yeshua and Paul for the First resurrection.
Ice mixes things in that are not even at issue to those that see through the Dispy hoax. This is obviously intended to confuse the reader.