The Dispensational Foundations
Pre-tribulationism is based on a system of interpretation called "dispensationalism." The word "dispensation" means to "dispense." The same Greek word is used in the New Testament for "stewardship." It carries the idea of a certain program or economy whereby God deals with mankind. (It does not directly refer to a period of time, as is commonly believed). Dispensationalists see a progression of economies, but are not unanimously agreed on how many, or how to divide them. The simplest form of dispensationalism recognizes at least three separate dispensations, the Old Covenant, the Church age, and the Millennium. Almost all Christians accept some form of dispensationalism, even though they may not call themselves "dispensationalists," (if we mean by the term that God has dealt with people under more than one "economy" or "arrangement."
Not all dispensationalists are pre-trib. Some are mid-trib, pre-wrath, and even post-trib. However, the distinguishing characteristic of pre-trib dispensationalists is their belief in a dual purpose and dual plan of redemption in which the "Church" is separate from all other saints, in redemption, purpose, and destiny. This "dual purpose" theory, and segregation of the saints, within dispensational theology is what lays the logical foundation for a pre-trib rapture.
Pre-tribulationists have primarily allowed the "dual purpose" dispensational foundation to carry the weight of pre-tribulationism, rather than developing the pre-trib view from exposition of passages related to eschatology (the study of end-times). In essence, the pre-trib view is the only logical outcome of a "dual program" theory for Israel and the Church.
The question is, does the Bible teach a "dual purpose," "dual program," and "dual people of God?" Is this element of modern dispensationalism really Biblical or even necessary? Or is there a more holistic plan of redemption with a single people of God, manifest in different ways in different dispensations?
While many of the elements of dispensationalism were clearly taught by the Early Church, including the restoration of national Israel and a Millennial Kingdom, they did not segregate saints into two camps, Israel and the Church, or hold to "dual programs" or "dual destinies." During the earliest days of Christianity, the Church was primarily Jewish. Outsiders considered Christianity just another sect within Judaism, like the Pharisees or Sadducees. Early Messianic Christians believed they were the true Israel, and unbelieving Jews had been cut off from Israel and the covenants of God because of their unbelief. This contributed to the friction between early believers and their Jewish brethren, with unbelieving Jews persecuting the Jewish Christians at every turn. As missionary activity branched out from Jerusalem and Antioch, many Gentiles believed the gospel and were brought into fellowship as equal members with the Jewish Church. The embracing of Gentiles also irritated the unbelieving Jews almost as much as the Christian claim that Jesus was the Messiah. So, what we find in the first century is a theology that sees a clear continuity between many of the Old Testament promises and the Church. This is especially true of the promise of the "New Covenant" with Israel [Jer. 31:31-34].
After decades of the infant Church's persecution at the instigation of the unbelieving Jews, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the Jews scattered. Although the persecution continued from the Romans, the pressure was off of the Church from the Jewish end. Many Christians couldn't help feeling a little superior to unbelieving Jews. After all, God had avenged them and demonstrated the triumph of Christianity over rabbinic Judaism. Jesus had predicted this catastrophe, showing that He was indeed the Son of God. As the Church grew over the next few centuries, being predominantly Gentile, this attitude began to develop into anti-Semitism in many local churches. We find Christian writers of the second and third centuries showing glimmers of scorn for the Jews. The Jewish and early Christian doctrine, that Messiah would come to restore Israel, fulfilling His Old Testament promises of a golden age, began to lose popularity among Christians.
This attitude gave birth to a fourth century heresy defined in Augustine's massive work, "The City of God." His interpretation held that God was finished with Israel. They had been rejected forever because they rejected Christ. The prophecies of the Old Testament, regarding a Millennial Kingdom with Jerusalem as the capital of the whole world, were reinterpreted symbolically, representing the Catholic "kingdom" of the "Church" in the present age. This system is known as "Replacement Theology" because the Old Testament prophecies are interpreted allegorically, and applied to the Gentile Church. So, effectively, the Church has usurped Israel's place and promises. The allegorizing of the Millennium and applying these passages to the present age of the Church is called "A-millennialism."
Augustine replaced the Jewish "carnal" interpretation of a physical kingdom with his "spiritual" enlightened interpretation. In Augustine's view, when Jesus returns, this world will be destroyed and Christians will then enjoy heaven forever, with the Jews confined to hell. This view invited the subsequent persecution of Jews by the Roman Catholic Church for hundreds of years. It also became the theological excuse for the holocaust.
After the Reformation, most Protestants simply made a few modifications to Replacement Theology / A-millennialism, but continued to hold to its basic premise. However, some Protestants began to question the Catholic dogma. As Christians returned to a more literal interpretation of the Bible, many also returned to the ancient (pre-millennial) Christian view of prophecy, and the relationship between Christians and Jews. In this revived pre-millennialism, Christians were again seen as "adopted" into Israel, and unbelieving Israel temporarily "blinded" and separated from God, but soon to be restored. This is "historic" pre-millennialism, what the early Church believed prior to St. Augustine. Of course, historic pre-millennialism sees only one future coming of Jesus Christ, both to rescue the Church, and destroy the Babylonian system and the Beast (post-trib).
Out of the movement toward historic pre-millennialism, a new view began to take shape in the early 1800's. John Darby, of the Plymouth Brethren, developed a totally new approach to pre-millennialism. Darby's dispensational pre-millennialism featured this "dual programs" theory, keeping the Church entirely distinct from other saints, with Israel being God's "earthly people," and the Church being God's "heavenly people." According to Darbyism, the "Church age" is a parenthetical period in God's dealings with Israel. Typically, Darbyists like to say that "God's prophetic clock has stopped during this dispensation. It will resume when the Church is removed at the rapture." At that time God's dealings with man will revert back to the Old Testament economy. To them, the "Church age" began on the day of Pentecost, and will conclude just before God again deals with Israel, bringing judgment upon them in Daniel's seventieth week. The logical outcome of a "dual program" type of dispensationalism, is a pre-trib rapture. If the "Church," as a completely distinct entity separate from Israel and its covenants and promises, began after the sixty-ninth week of Daniel, the "Church" cannot enter the seventieth week, because this is the time when God resumes His dealings with Israel, and begins the fulfillment of prophecy again relating to Israel. Therefore, a pre-tribulation rapture became a natural extension of Darby's theory, in order to provide the vehicle for the Church's exit just prior to God's dealing with national Israel again.
While dispensationalism does indeed have a solid foundation, the "dual program" theory of Darbyism is its weakness, and will ultimately be its downfall. Many Christians have totally abandoned dispensationalism because of glaring problems, and the incompatibility of the "dual programs" theory with the teaching of Apostles in the New Testament. In leaving dispensationalism completely, many have moved to Covenant Theology, A-millennialism, and Replacement Theology, totally abandoning the Millennial hope, and the future of the nation of Israel.
Dispensational thought is now in a state of radical change from within. Many dispensationalists have begun to see the serious flaws in the "dual program" theory. In the following articles, we will develop what has recently been called "Progressive Dispensationalism." Although the term itself was not coined until the late 1980s, the main elements of Progressive Dispensationalism were held by the early Church. This is the form of dispensationalism that I believe is biblical and balanced. Actually, progressive dispensationalism works with any rapture position, as long as it is pre-millennial and holds to a futurist view of the 70th week of Daniel. It does not require a pre-trib rapture, as traditional dispensationalism does. (This author is post-trib). But, neither does it require that one jettison pre-tribulationism. There are many pre-tribbers who hold to progressive dispensationalism. However, in my opinion, it is best suited for a post-trib understanding of the rapture, and it fits quite nicely with the post-trib view of the Olivet Discourse.
One attractive effect of the emergence of progressive dispensationalism is that many who had previously abandoned dispensationalism and pre-millennialism altogether, because of the glaring flaws in that system, are coming back to dispensationalism and pre-millennialism because progressive dispensationalism solves these problems. Even some non-dispensationalists are leaving a-millennialism and Covenant Theology for this form of dispensationalism. It is my belief that progressive dispensationalism will eventually displace traditional dispensationalism.
Of course, there are those who resist this movement, thinking that any move away from the "dual program" theory undermines the pre-trib rapture doctrine, that has become a test of orthodoxy in many circles. The pre-trib detractors are spreading fear that progressive dispensationalism leads to an "anti-Israel" mentality, or even to A-millennialism. I assure you, these charges are not true. Progressive dispensationalism holds the Jewish people in highest regard, recognizing them as God's natural sons, while Gentile believers are adopted sons. Progressives see a future for national Israel, just as traditional dispensationalists do. Progressives are pre-millennial, and are in no danger of becoming A-millennialists.
While much has been written on this topic, the vast majority of pro-PD material has been geared toward the seminary student and scholar, leaving the average layman and even many pastors in the dark. The following articles in this section are designed to lay out the essentials of progressive dispensationalism for you to evaluate in layman's terms.
