QUESTIONS

Which is the best terminology that describe

your view of Dispensationalism

Define in a few words what is a Dispensation

How many dispensations exist in your view?

In what sense the Church is presented as a

mystery in the NT?

Does Jesus offered the Eschatological

Kingdom promised in the Old Testament to
Israel?

Does the rejection of the Jews caused a

postponment the Kingdom offered? If so,
was a partial or a total postponnement?

What is the Meaning of the Mysteries of the

Kingdom in Matthew 13?

Is there a future for Israel in the Plan of God,

according to the promises of the Old
Testament?

Does the fulfillment of physical promises to

Israel is limited to the Millennium or it
extend throughout all eternity?

There will be animal sacrifices during the

Millennium?

Is Jesus presently reigning at the throne of

David?

Is the New Covenant inaugurated in the

present dispensation?

In your view, is there a unifying theme for

the Bible narrative?

What is the relationship between the OT and

the NT?

Are you pre-trib?

Are there signs that indicate the Rapture is

near? If so, name the three most important

CHRISTOPHER CONE

GLENN KREIDER

Normative or Biblical Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism

A dispensation is a particularly distinctive

economy or administration in and by which
God demonstrates or expresses His own
glory. (Cone, Prolegomena on Biblical
Hermeneutics and Method, p. 305)

A dispensation is a distinguishable
period of time during which God
mediates his sovereignty over his
creation

4 in a kingdom emphasis, 7 in a soteriological

emphasis, 12 in a doxological emphasis
(Cone, Prolegomena on Biblical
Hermeneutics and Method, p. 305-319)

Minimum of 5, prefer 7

The church was first introduced in Mt 16,

elaborated as a mystery in Eph 2-3

church as Jews and Gentiles united

together in one new man was
unrevealed and unrealized in OT

Yes.

Yes, but there was no postponement.

He offered the kingdom which was
present

Total postponement of God's eternal spiritual

kingdom come to earth in physical
manifestation according to the Davidic
Covenant

No

Mt 13:11 is a simple statement that the

A stage of the kingdom in which the
previously unrevealed things of the kingdom, king is absent, sons of the kingdom and
were now being revealed to the disciples, but sons of the evil coexist, and it ends with
were not being revealed to those who had
the day of the Lord and the return of
rejected.
Christ

Yes

Yes

Begin to be fulfiled in the Millennium and

continue into eternity.

The promises are eternal so they

extend into eternity

Yes. The sacrifices are more than memorial,

No, the Lamb of God is the fulfillment of
and most likely have do with national (rather
sacrifices
than individual) atonement or cleanness.

No

depends what you mean by "throne of

David." I say, no.

It is inaugurated in the sense that it is paid for

yes, the Spirit which is the locus of NC
or ratified, but it is not in any way being
blessings is here
fulfilled.

Yes, the glory of God through the making and Yes, the Bible is the history of the work
keeping of His promises.
of redemption

The progress of revelation begins

chronologically with Genesis and continues
through Revelation. It was given
chronologically, and should be understood
chronologically.

The NT reveals that all Scripture is

interpreted in light of the person and
work of Christ in his first and second
coming
yes

Yes, though the term "pre day of the Lord" is

more exegetically grounded (2 Thes 2), as
the rapture occurs before the day of the Lord
begins (of which the tribulation is a part).

yes

The rapture is imminent, but the timing is not

discernible beyond speculation.

No, the rapture is imminent (at any time,

without warning, at a time you don't
expect it, no one knows except the
Father, it will come like a thief, etc)

JAMES E. ALLMAN

MICHAEL VLACH

I'm not sure.

Between Revised and Progressive. A New

Creationist Dispensationalist.

A dispensation is a distinguishable
economy in the outworking of God's
Program.

A noticeable change in how God deals

with His creation.

Four to seven, depending on the way

you look at them.

The church was not predicted in the

OT.

Gentile participation in Israel's covenants

was taught in the OT. But the full
expressison of New Covenant unity
between Jews and Gentiles and what this
means is revealed in the NT

Yes

Yes. This is clearly taught in Luke 19:4144

The kingdom as offered was

postponed.

Yes. The kingdom will come at the second

coming but spiritual blessings of the
Abrahamic and New covenants are being
fulfilled today

I'm not sure.

Matthew 13 describes kingdom truths

concerning the era between His two
comings. It reveals how the kingdom
relates to the interadvent era.

Yes

Absolutely

Throughout eternity.

Applies to both the millennium and Eternal

state.

Yes. A temporary act of worship by Israel

Yes, there will be sacrifices in the
during the millennium only. Looks back to
Millennium, having civil, theocratic, and
the cross like OT sacrifices pointed
ceremonial significance.
forward to the cross. Not return to Mosaic
Covenant

No

No

Yes

Yes. The spiritual blessings of the New

covenant are in effect today

Yes, the inbreaking of the Kingdom of

God into the earth.

Yes. Kingdom of God

NT continues the story of the

inbreaking of the Kingdom.

NT literally continues the storyline of the

OT and adds new details at times.

Yes.

Yes

No

Possible stage setting for the Tribulation

Period. Israel as a national entity in the
land is significant

NATHAN JONES

PAUL M. HENEBURY

Ryrie Dispensationalist

Biblical Covenantalism

In Dispensationalism, God reveals a

little more about who He is with each
dispensation and governs each period
by a different set of rules to live by,
A descriptive epoch within the Bible story
ultimately returning man and God to the
1-and-1 relationship we had with Him in
the beginning.

7-8

Approx. 8

The Church was unrealized in the OT

Church unknown to OT people

Yes

Yes

Yes, the Millennial Kingdom was

postponed, but the spiritual kingdom is
already present.

Depends on what 'kingdom' means, but

qua Israel it was total.

The mystery means that the Kingdom

Relates to the growth of good and evil till
prophesied as a whole in OT would be
the eschaton
progressively established.

Yes

Yes

Unknown, but they appear to be limited

to the Millennium.

They continue

Yes, memorial sacrifices of animal.

Yes, for Israel and the pious of the

Nations

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes, the Glory of God

Creation

The continuing unfolding of the

restoration of the relationship between
God and man.

The continuation of the Creation Project

Yes

Yes

Yes: 1) Israel's return in 1948; 2) Moral

decay; 3) Converging of signs

No

RICK GRIFFITH

RON J. BIGALKE

Revised

traditional

A dispensation is a distinguishable
economy in the outworking of God's
Program.

A dispensation is a recognizable
biblical division within which God
evaluates human stewardship, within a
particular historic economy, and
judges those actions.

At least 6

at least 3

The Church was not prophesied in the

The church was not revealed
OT but Gentiles joining with Israel in the (unexpected and unknown) in the Old
kingdom is emphasized
Testament

Yes

Yes

Yes, some elements of the Promised

Kingdom were postpoed, but others are
already present

Prophetic postponement
(apotelesmatic interpretation)

The Kingdom will be progressively

established during this "interadvent
age" where wickedness will be allowed
to grow

The mystery kingdom denotes the

time from the national rejection of
Jesus until all Israel is saved.

Yes

Absolutely

No, they begin to be fulfilled the

Millennium and continue in eternity.

The covenantal promises are fulfilled

during the thousand-year millennium,
prior to the creation of the eternal
state.

Yes, but these are limited to Jews in a

theocratic sense akin to confession of
sin now (cf. 1 John 1:9)

Atoning sacrifices are offered

ceremonially during the millennium

No

No

Yes

New Covenant was ratified by Christ's

sacrificial blood

Yes, God is working toward man once

again being his co-regent over the
Kingdom of God

both physical and spiritual blessings

within a doxological purpose of history

The NT fulfills the OT in many but not

all respects as there still exists a future
for Israel

discontinuity between the Testaments,

and systematizing eschatology from
the priority of the Old Testament, as
opposed to the New Testament
changing original meaning

Yes

yes

The rapture is imminent, but Israel's

return in 1948 is the only "sign" that
indicates that Jesus may return in our
generation

no