Dispensationalism - One Way the Church Has Addressed the Ongoing Reality of the People of Israel

Introduction

The modern-day church must often figure out where Israel fits within the Biblical picture. On one end of the spectrum, some churches deny a physical Israel consisting of descendants from Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph. Some will state that the Jewish people have been so scattered throughout the world that they no longer have an identity. Others will say they have an identity but are no longer significant within God's redemptive plan. In other words, they lost significance when they denied Jesus. Therefore, they hold no importance.

At the other end of the Israel spectrum are those who fully acknowledge Israel's ongoing role in the redemption narrative. Of course, some have not accepted Jesus as their Messiah (yet), but even Paul states the following about Israel:

As regards the gospel, they [the Jewish people who have not yet accepted Jesus as Messiah] are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:28-29, ESV Bible)

When we consider the two extremes of the Israel spectrum, we see polar opposite approaches to understanding Israel and the Bible. Then, we have several other viewpoints between the two extremes. Dispensationalism is one of those middle viewpoints that tend to lean a little closer to giving Israel identity but a separate identity from the believers in Jesus. When the dust settles, there can only be one Biblical narrative at the end of the day. There can only be one truth.

Dispensationalism Defined

Dispensationalism is a theological framework that views God's dealings with humanity as being divided into distinct periods of time, or "dispensations," in which God relates to human beings in different ways based on specific sets of rules or responsibilities. This perspective often includes the belief that God has different plans for Israel and the church, and that there will be a future period of tribulation followed by the second coming of Christ and a millennial kingdom. Dispensationalism is often associated with a literal interpretation of biblical prophecy.

The History of Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism as a theological system has its roots in the early 19th century, particularly with the teachings of John Nelson Darby, an Irish preacher and early leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement. Several factors influenced John Nelson Darby's development of dispensationalism in the mid-1800’s. One key influence was his dissatisfaction with the established church structures and his desire to return to what he believed were the principles of the early church as described in the New Testament.

Darby also drew heavily on his understanding of biblical prophecy, particularly his belief in a literal interpretation of the Bible. He viewed history as a series of distinct dispensations, or periods, in which God dealt with humanity differently. This framework allowed Darby to reconcile what he saw as apparent contradictions in scripture and to develop a comprehensive system for understanding God's plan for humanity.

Dispensationalism gained further popularity in the United States through the efforts of Cyrus Scofield, who published the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. This Bible included extensive notes and commentary promoting dispensationalist ideas, which helped to spread the system's influence in American evangelicalism.

Throughout the 20th century, dispensationalism became prominent in many conservative Protestant denominations, particularly within fundamentalist and evangelical circles. It influenced eschatological beliefs (beliefs about the end times), views on Israel and the Middle East, and approaches to interpreting biblical prophecy.

While dispensationalism has significantly impacted evangelical thought, it is not without its critics. Some theologians and scholars have challenged its interpretations of biblical prophecy and its theological implications, particularly its views on the relationship between Israel and the church.

Divisons of Dispensationalism

While there can be variations in the exact number and nature of these dispensations, there are some standard divisions that are often found in dispensationalist theology:

Innocence: This dispensation is believed to have begun with the creation of Adam and Eve and ended with their disobedience in the Garden of Eden. During this time, humanity was innocent and had direct fellowship with God.
Conscience: Following the fall of Adam and Eve, this dispensation is believed to have lasted until Noah's flood. During this period, humanity was guided by its conscience, with God holding it accountable for its actions.
Human Government: After the flood, God instituted human government to maintain order and justice in the world. This dispensation is believed to have lasted until the Tower of Babel.
Promise: With Abraham's calling, God made specific promises to him and his descendants. This dispensation extends from Abraham to Moses and the giving of the Law.
Law: The dispensation of the Law began with the giving of the Mosaic Law at Mount Sinai and lasted until the coming of Christ. During this time, Israel was under the covenant of the Law.
Grace: This dispensation began with Jesus Christ's death and resurrection and continues until the Second Coming. It is characterized by God's offer of salvation through faith in Christ, apart from the works of the Law.
Millennial Kingdom: According to some dispensationalists, there will be a future dispensation known as the Millennial Kingdom, in which Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years before the final judgment.

Two Distinct Redemption Narratives

The removal of Israel from the Biblical narrative has not been universal in the church. Dispensationalism has given Israel a place in the Biblical narrative. At the very least, the dispensationalists said we will take the Old Testament prophecies seriously. They recognize the Jewish people continue to be God's people, and all of those prophecies will be fulfilled in a literal sense. And that was an excellent step for the evangelical church to take. Dispensationalism got many things correct regarding Biblical interpretation, but there was a point of departure from the Jewish narrative of the Bible. The biggest issue with dispensationalism is the fact that there's no Gentile redemptive plan separate from Israel for Gentiles within the Bible. What defines dispensationalism is not so much the division of history into different dispensations. Dispensationalism is primarily characterized by its two redemptive programs, one for the Jew and one for the Gentile. In dispensationalism, those two redemptive programs interact together, the heavenly people in contrast to the earthly people, creating the dispensations. For example, it starts with the Gentile program in the garden, switches to the Jewish program with Abraham and onto Sinai, and then pauses during the exile. Jesus offers the Jewish program, the kingdom of God, to the Jewish people. They reject it, and so he postpones the kingdom. Then there's Pentecost, and there's a quote intercalation at which the Gentile program starts up. And then, the pretribulation rapture is a stop to the Gentile program to restart the Jewish program. Dispensationalism is defined by the interaction of the two redemptive programs that create the dispensations.

Why Dispensationalism Doesn’t Work with the Jewish Narrative

The two redemptive narratives are the most significant conflict within dispensationalism regarding the biblical narrative. The Second Temple Jewish Narrative does not assume a separate redemptive plan for the Gentiles. Israel’s promises and expectations become the same for the Gentiles who are “grafted” in to Israel. The prophecies in the Old Testament talk about how the nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship Jesus:

"In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:2-3)

The nations join the Jewish narrative. We need to throw away the whole Gentile program and go with the Jewish program.

In addition, dispensationalism does not factor in historical studies. Dispensationalism historically was a biblicist reality. Everything started with the Bible and ended with the Bible, which isn't bad. We want to be people of the Scriptures, but nuances about the Bible and the New Testament need to be factored into the equation of theology. For example, the New Testament assumes an already familiar audience about the definitions of the last day, the resurrection, the dead, the kingdom of God, Gehenna, and the Son of man. Those phrases are not explained in the New Testament, and several of them are not in the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament. When you cannot define a term or phrase using the Bible, you have to go to historical sources for reference points, not as a basis for understanding, but as a reference point to understand what they're talking about.

In that context, another major criticism of dispensationalism, out of the two plans of salvation, is the definition of two peoples, Israel and the church. And that mixes up the terminology used in Second Temple Judaism. The church or the assembly within Second Temple Judaism is associated with remnant theology, not a re-defined group of people. And so the assembly is the remnant of the righteous that will endure the day of God and inherit the resurrection in the age to come. In Second Temple Remnant theology, the opposite of the church or the assembly is the apostate or the wicked. And so it's the righteous versus the wicked, the church or assembly versus the apostates within Israel and the nations. It's Remnant Israel versus the nations or the Gentiles non-believers. It is not Israel versus the assembly/church.

The Remnant of Israel is in Paul's mind when he includes the Gentiles in the remnant of the righteous. When we contrast Israel and the church, it muddies the waters. That's not the contrast being used in the New Testament. Paul includes Gentiles in that righteous assembly that will escape the wrath to come and inherit the resurrection and eternal life, which, as we see in Galatians and Rome, is a significant paradigm shift.

Understanding that the Gentiles are included in the Jewish narrative should be essential to frame Romans. If you come away with Romans with the question, "What do we do with all the Jews?" Then you've entirely missed the point. The appropriate question is, "What will we do with all these Gentiles that have come into the faith?" That's the question that the apostles were trying to answer.

Summary

While there are things within dispensationalism that are a step in the right direction, it still misses the mark when it comes to Israel and the Gentile's relationship with Israel. The Jewish narrative does not stop becoming the Jewish narrative. When we fail to recognize this or see it in its proper context, we come up with some peculiar interpretations of the Bible.

References

This study was curated using resources from The Apocalyptic Gospel Podcast.