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CHAPTER ONE
DISPENSATIONALISM The simplest way to distinguish Covenant theology and Dispensationalism, although it may be more of a surface distinction, is to note that each has a different method to view history and the unveiling of God's plan therein. The dispensationalist centers on what are called "dispensations" (obviously the word from which the system gets its name), while Covenant theology centers on the Biblical covenants (again obviously the reason the system carries its particular name as well). These first two chapters will present briefly each of the two systems in these distinctive divisions of history, beginning with the dispensations of dispensationalism, followed by a consideration of the covenants of covenant theology. I. A DESCRIPTION OF DISPENSATIONALISM Dispensational theology looks on the world and the history of mankind as a household over which God is superintending the outworking of His purpose and will. This outworking of His purpose and will can be seen by noting the various periods or stages of different economies whereby God deals with His work and mankind in particular. These various stages or economies are called "dispensations." Their number totals seven, and these seven are named as follows: 1. INNOCENCE II. A DEFINITION OF A DISPENSATION The word "dispensation" is from the Greek word oikonomia which means stewardship, administration, oversight, or the management of others affairs or property. C. I. Scofield defines a dispensation as "...a period of time during which man is tested in respect to his obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God."1 A fuller definition, combining the thoughts of several dispensationalists would say that it is a period of time of God's economy for man and the world for the outworking of His purpose and will. Within each dispensation there is a unique deposit or distinctive idea of divine revelation; a specific test of obedience in relation to that divine revelation; followed by man's failure under that specific economy or dispensation; followed by God's judgment and the beginning of a new dispensation. Thus a dispensation is a period of time of God's economy for man and the world for the outworking of God's purpose and will, and includes: 1. a distinctive idea of God's revelation III. A DISCUSSION OF EACH DISPENSATION A. Innocence Genesis 1:28-3:24 This is the period before the fall of man. As he was created, man was in a state of innocence. He was placed in a perfect environment in the garden of Eden. He was given a simple revelation of God concerning the necessity of obedience in not eating of the tree in the midst of the garden. He was warned of the consequences, that is, if he ate he would surely die. Man failed this simple test by eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree. He was judged both in his nature as he now became a sinner, and in his manner of existence as he was expelled from the garden to face a hostile and sin-cursed earth. Thus this dispensation ended in failure and a new one began. B. Conscience Genesis 4:1-8:14 This is the period immediately following the fall of man. By his disobedience man came to a clear knowledge of good and evil, by which his conscience was also awakened. Thus as he now lived in a sin-cursed world as a sinner himself, he was still responsible positively to do all known good, and negatively to abstain from all known evil. His approach to God was to be through a simple system of sacrifice. Obviously, man failed the test of obedience of this period also, as he drifted deeper and deeper into sin, until the imagination of his heart was evil continually. The period ended in God's judgment of the flood, and thus a new period began. C. Human Government Genesis 8:15-11:32 The flood marked not only the end of the second dispensation, but also the beginning of the third one. Mankind now faced a new test of obedience, the government of man by man. Man was not only responsible to govern the world for God, but he was also responsible to obey the government of man over man. Obviously, this dispensation ended in failure also as man proved himself a poor governor and a poor governed. The judgment of God at this juncture was God's rejection of the Gentile world (though the Gentiles were still allowed to rule the earth), and His selection of one nation (Israel) to be the recipients of His blessings. D. PromiseGenesis 12:1-Exodus 18:27 When mankind in general failed the dispensation of human government, God selected one man (Abraham) and his descendents (Israel) to be the recipients of His blessings. God entered into a covenant with this man, Abraham, and also with his coming descendents, as recorded in Exodus 12:1-3. The covenant was a gracious and unconditional one. The test was when God at Mt. Sinai offered this people a law-relationship with Him rather than the grace-relationship they then knew. They rashly and foolishly accepted it, thus failing the test, ending the period of promise. E. Law Exodus 19:1-Acts 1:26 Following their rejection of a grace-relationship to God at Mt. Sinai, in favor of a law-relationship, God's people, the nation of Israel, were ruled by God under the economy of law which they constantly and continually failed. Finally, the supreme test and revelation came as God sent to them His Son who offered them a kingdom, which they refused as they crucified God's Son who was also their King. Thus the dispensation of Law ended in failure as well, and a new dispensation began. F. Grace Acts 2:1-Revelation 19:21 When Israel, God's chosen people, rejected the kingdom and crucified their king, God now turned to the Gentiles to deal with them through the grace of His Son's death for the formation of a body of people for Himself. This body of people was the Church. This is a parenthetical period until God turns once again to deal with His chosen people, Israel. The point of testing in this period is the acceptance of Jesus Christ. The period will, however, end in failure with the apostasy of the professing church and resultant apocalyptic judgments. G. Kingdom With the failure of the professing church ending the age of grace, God will turn once again to deal with the Jews. This He will not do as long as the Church is on the earth. Thus the age of grace ends with the rapture of the true believers (the Church). The rapture will be followed by a seven year time span known as the tribulation period. During this time God will judge a Christ-rejecting Gentile world and purify and call to Himself an unbelieving Jewish nation. This- will lead into the dispensation of the kingdom, the one thousand year period when Christ rules and reigns upon the earth, that is the literal Davidic kingdom, promised in the Old Testament. This period ends in failure also as there will be a final rebellion against Christ and His rule stirred by Satan. Then shall emerge the perfect eternal state. In light of the fact that dispensationalists center on dispensations instead of covenants, a proper question at this point would be: What is the dispensational view of the covenants? Obviously covenants are in the Bible, so how does one of the dispensational persuasion treat them? They believe that the covenants were for the Jews and not for the Church, though some would apply the New Covenant in some manner to the Church, but not all. Thus primarily the covenants have reference to the Jews and their relationship to God. The dispensationalist adds a further covenant, the Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:3f)2. and states that it is an unconditional covenant and has to do with God's promise of the land to the Jews.3 This covenant has strong future eschatological implications to the dispensationalist and is the ground for the belief that God must regather the Jews to Palestine in the end days. |
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