19 Apr
19Apr

We are Dispensational

We are dispensational in our interpretation of Biblical account of history.  This means that we believe that Israel and the Church are separate entities, that God’s promises to national Israel will be fulfilled literally, and that there is an earthly kingdom lasting 1000 years.  We also affirm that salvation has ALWAYS been by grace, through faith, whether in the Old Testament or new. We would reject any form of dispensationalism that teaches salvation in the Old Testament was through keeping the Law of Moses.  Dispensationalism is not where we start in our understanding of the Bible, it is where we end after considering 3 separate disciplines.

The first discipline is the interpretation of the Bible itself. We are Bible literalists. The book of Revelation is written in the genre of apocalyptic literature, but it is inspired apocalyptic literature. We recognize that “like,” and “as” are oft used words in the book, but we also believe that the signs represent real things and events. When we see a sign for a restaurant selling hamburgers along the road, we expect to find a restaurant selling hamburgers. We expect the same kind of accuracy and honesty from the Scriptures.

The second discipline is our understanding of the Church. The Church is Jesus’ body, and is now doing on a global scale what the physical body of Christ did when He walked the earth.  We believe that Jesus set the Israelites aside (Matthew 23) upon their final rejection of Him but will restore them both nationally and spiritually at the end of the Church age. The Church is not Israel.

The final discipline is our understanding of the End Times. We believe in the Premillennial rapture of believers, a literal 7 year long Tribulation, the physical return of Christ to earth at the end of that Tribulation, and  an earthly Kingdom of 1000 years, in which Jesus Christ will rule the earth from the city of Jerusalem.

We recognize that this way of understanding the Bible doesn’t answer all questions nor solve all problems, but we believe it is what the Bible teaches when one approaches it as a literal, accurate, authoritative, and complete revelation from God.

    

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