POLL: Trying to Get a Feel for Where We're at Theologically

From the www.answers.org website:

" Dispensationalism is a system of prophetic theology.

In short dispensationalists are those who believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the church.

Dispensationalists emphasis the teaching of prophecy and the imminent, at any moment, return of Christ.

Many ministries who hold dispensational beliefs also emphasize the "soon" return of Christ. The generation that has seen the restoration of the nation Israel to the land is the last generation before the return of Christ. These added beliefs, however, are not a part of dispensational teaching. It can be argued that these added beliefs contradict dispensational theology, and many dispensational scholars reject these teachings as unsound. There are some ministries that have taken the dispensational prophetic system as a starting point and gone to extremes. One of the most recent examples was the Korean movement that taught that the rapture would occur on Oct. 28, 1992.

The maim points of dispensationalism (1) are:


The recognition of a distinction between Israel and the Church.

A consistently literal principle of interpretation -- particularly of Bible prophecy.

A basic working and conception of the purpose of God as His own glory rather than as the single purpose of salvation.

Some of the beliefs derived from these principles:

The O.T. prophecies of the restoration of national Israel to the land in the last days will be literally fulfilled.

The millennial kingdom mentioned in Revelation will be literally fulfilled at Christ's return after which Christ will reign on the earth for 1000 years. (Pre-millennialism)

The 70 weeks of Daniel spoken of in Daniel 9 refers to a period of 490 years and apply only to Israel. The first 69 weeks have been fulfilled historically, ending at the first coming of Christ. When the Jews rejected the Messiah, the 70 weeks were suspended and a new age or dispensation called the Church age began. The Last or 70th week of Daniel, the last seven years, has yet to be fulfilled. This last week will immediately precede the second coming of Christ.

The book of Revelation after the letters to the seven churches is a prophecy concerning events that will occur during the last seven years before the second coming or 70th week. (Futurist) This 70th week is called the tribulation period. The last half of this week (the last 3.5 years) is the Great Tribulation spoken of in Dan. 9 and in the olivet discourse (Matt. 24). This tribulation period is a time when God will pour out his wrath on a sinful world.

The coming (Parousia) of Christ will occur in two phases. The first phase will occur at the start of the seventh week. This will be Christ's imminent return for his saints to "rapture" his church as described in I Thess 4. All of the Christians (in some cases only overcoming Christians) will be resurrected and taken to the heavenly mansions Christ has prepared for us. (John 14) The church will not be here during the tribulation period because God has ended the Church age and resumed dealing with Israel. The church is also raptured to keep the Christians from the wrath of God which according to Romans 5:9 Christians will not experience. The second phase is Christ's second coming at the end of the tribulation with his saints to begin the Kingdom age dispensation.

The tribulation period will see a restoration of the fourth worldly kingdom spoken of in Daniel. The fourth kingdom was represented by the legs of Iron in the image of Nebechadnezzer's dream in Dan. 2. The latter phase of the kingdom is represented by the feet or iron and clay. This kingdom is also represented by the terrible beast of Dan. 7. This fourth kingdom was the Roman empire. The Roman empire will be restored in time for the tribulation and will consist of a confederation of 10 kings or kingdoms headed by the little horn of Daniel also known as the son of perdition (II Thess. 2 - the falling away is the rapture, that which restrains is the Holy Spirit whose taking away implies the absence of the church from the earth). The son of perdition is called the Anti-Christ and spoken of in Rev. 13 where he makes all who dwell on the earth to receive the mark of the beast.

Sacred history consists of different dispensations or 'economies'. A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.

 

Thanks again, Major B, I am definitely a dispensationalist. The way some were posting I thought maybe there were other conotations placed on dispensationalism that I wasn't familiar with and with which I might disagree. I don't mind being labeled as long as the label is accurate.

 

russell55 said:

I'm wondering how we can have almost twice as many historic covenenters as 5 point calvinists......

It was the fact that the majority voted for both "historic covenant" and "pre-trib, pre-mil" that surprised me. The pre-trib Rapture is a theological construct distinctive of (and necessary to) Dispensationalism. Covenantalism doesn't teach it.

 

Major B said:

The maim points of dispensationalism (1) are: . . .

A consistently literal principle of interpretation -- particularly of Bible prophecy.

Your source should have said the "self-described main points of dispensationalism are."

Dispensational theology is no more "consistently literal" than the positions it reacts against. Dispies "spiritualize" too; the real dividing line is where this is done.

 

Yeah, you're right. There is obviously some misunderstanding of the terms used in the survey.

 

Dr. Bob, for future reference: In the South we actually say: "y'all", not "you'all".

 

Dr. Bob, for future reference: In the South we actually say: "y'all", not "you'all". </font>[/QUOTE]Ya'll is the plural for you; yankees give themselves away by using it as a singular. You-all is an orange trailer or truck you (singular) or ya'll (plural) use to move.