How many Dispensations are there?
And is the Rapture mentioned in the book of Matthew?
I've looked at the books titled "Dispensationalism"
by both Lewis Sperry Chafer
and a similar book by the same name,
by Charles C. Ryrie, updated 1995.
Neither convinced me that the 7 dispensations view
is the way to "interpret" Daniel 9:24-27,
or the Book of Matthew.
Or that God has "suspended" His dealings with the Jews
until the Great Tribulation period.
And I have also reviewed about 1/2 dozen books that speak
against the Dispensation theory.
Traditionally there are 7 dispensations
that have been most widely promoted since 1917
thanks in large part to the Scofield Reference Bible.
And I've been PRAYING Hard about this issue every day...
praying for wisdom and understanding.
And expecting God to teach me.
I thought this would be easier than it has turned out to be.
It's a lot like the theory of evolution.
If you look at the layers of rocks,
you can "see" millions of years,
unless of course you know about the world wide FLOOD,
which actually explains the LAYERS much better
( plus it's in the Bible ).
Okay, getting to the subject at hand,
We see a "gathering" in Matthew 24
and a judgement dividing of the "nations"
in Matthew 25.
If the "gathering" of the Elect in Matthew 24:31
is all the "believers",
And if it truly is the same gathering
or being caught up
as referenced by Paul
in
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17,
2 Thessalonians 2:1-14,
1 Corinthians 15:50-57,
1 Peter 1:7 and 1:13,
THEN the Question asked by some is,
Who is left for the judgement of the nations
( in Matthew 25 )?
My first thought is,
Does not "all nations" include the scattered remnant of the "Jews",
as they have been dispersed
far and wide over the centuries?
Also,
The gathering of the Elect by the Angels
does not mean they go to heaven
( as some have mistakenly thought ).
Jesus is here on earth,
and that would be the place for all believers
( natural or glorified ) with Him.
Just like is says in
1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 16 and 17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air,
and so
we shall always be with the Lord.
And this rising of the dead is referenced in
Revelation 20:4-6
as the first resurrection,
and it occurs at the post tribulation return of Jesus Christ,
We read:
"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them,
and judgment was given to them.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
because of their testimony of Jesus
and because of the word of God,
and those who had not worshiped the beast
or his image,
and had not received the mark
on their forehead and on their hand;
and they came to life
and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life
until the thousand years were completed.
This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one
who has a part in the first resurrection;
over these the second death has no power,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ
and
will reign with Him for a thousand years."
Again referencing the judgement in Matthew chapter 25
I've been ASKED,
How does this "tie into" the judgement of the "House of Israel"
prophesied in Ezekiel 20:33-44?
After giving it a good read and prayerful thought,
I've concluded it fits Perfectly,
... upon the glorious return of Christ, those not killed by the bowls of wrath
or at the battle of Armageddon,
will be "mourning" ( see: Matt. 24:30 and Rev. 1:7 ),
or "loathe" themselves ( Ezek. 20:43 ).
Those still "alive" and not "raptured" as part of the Church,
will be divided into "Sheep" and "Goats".
Many will "realize" that Jesus ( the LORD God )
has come to earth to rule & reign.
Those that have believed at this point ( are "righteous" ),
and will ENTER as living natural humans into the Kingdom.
Those who remain "rebellious" ( unbelieving ) will be separated
and "these will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous in eternal life." ( Matthew 25:46 )
This matches the Lord's words as
recorded in Ezekiel 20:33-44.
The remaining "House of Israel" ..
those who are physically Jews by birth,
will also be divided
( pass under the rod, Ezekiel 20:37 ).
Some will enter the Kingdom, and others will not.
So, it's kind of a parallel passage
with the gathering and judgement of the "nations"
as we read in Matthew 25: 31-46.
In Matthew 25:31-36, it says all the NATIONS
( which would include scattered Jews
and the Gentile from ALL Nations )
will be gathered at His coming.
It does not specify ONLY Jews
or those of non-Jewish heritage.
I believe "dispensational" theory affects how one looks at this
and other passages in Matthew.
And looking at the Bible as a whole,
I don't see any scripture that would require
the doctrine of two returns of Christ
( one secret rapture,
and one glorious visible return ).
I see one return -
one revealing -
one gathering referenced throughout the New Testament.
And the concept
that God stopped dealing with the Jews
( non-believing descendants of Israel )
when the church age began
( when the Holy Spirit was given to believers
on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 ),
is just a theory
without any clear scripture supporting it.
Non-dispensationalist have pointed out that
God dealt with Israel in 70 A.D.
when He allowed the Romans to destroy the temple.
Or that God has been dealing with Israel the past 100 years
to gather and restore them as a Nation.
He has not forgotten about them for a second.
He is perfectly able to grow His Church,
and still be working out His eternal plans for the nation of Israel.
I'm still waiting for someone to show me a clear passage of scripture
that shows that God has
"suspended" His dealings with Israel,
and won't start working with them again
until the 7 year Tribulation Period.
All the references I've found are
to an interpretation
of the 70th week of Daniel's 490 years prophecy
found in Daniel chapter 9 and verses 24 - 27.
The passage itself does not say
what many try to make it out to say.
And I've read that those that know Hebrew,
find verse 27 very difficult to clearly translate and understand.
The complex details will have to wait for another Post.
Another passage presented by some to support this
theory of God "setting aside" Israel as a people,
is Romans 11:1-16.
I would just like to point out that verses 1 and 2
do NOT sound that way to me,
Paul writes:
Romans 11:1-2
I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?
May it never be!
For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.
And later in the same chapter,
Paul explains how the Gentile believers are now
ADDED to God's Olive Tree.
The one true "tree" did not get Replaced.
The Church ( believers after Pentecost )
did not -
do not
"replace" Israel.
They have been joined into the one and same tree by God.
We read further
Romans 11:17-18
17 But if some of the branches were broken off,
and you, being a wild olive,
were grafted in among them
and became partaker with them
of the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches;
but if you are arrogant,
remember that it is not you who supports the root,
but the root supports you.
Galatians 3:26-29 further illustrates this Oneness of believers
( without regard to nationality ),
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham's descendants,
heirs according to promise."
* I'll write some more on this in the future,
as the Dispensational theory is what has been commonly taught
to support a pre-tribulation ( secret ) rapture.
And I know that the scriptures are clear that
this is not what is going to happen,
and believers need to be warned.
I know it is hard to unravel the truth
when you have heard the Bible interpreted one way for many years,
and by many different speakers.
Unfortunately, most have just been repeating
the same version they were taught,
without taking the time
to really search the scriptures themselves.
In closing,
I would like to encourage you with this passage,
from 2 Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 8 through 11,
"But since we are of the day,
let us be sober,
having put on the breastplate of faith and love,
and as a helmet,
the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath,
but for obtaining salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us,
so that whether we are awake or asleep,
we will live together with Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another,
just as you also are doing."
AMEN!
Video version = https://youtu.be/gH4VIsgfuOc
-- Saved by Grace,
Andrew Cross
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
