Nuking For Jesus
Dispensationalism is the undergirding theology under American civil religion.
For the sake of this discussion, lets define our term.
Dispensationalism is a theological system in Christian thought that views history as a series of distinct periods—or “dispensations”—in which God interacts with humanity in different ways. It originated in the 19th century and is especially known for its views on biblical prophecy, Israel, and the end times.
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Core Definition:
Dispensationalism is the belief that God has related to human beings in different administrative eras or “dispensations,” each with unique responsibilities, tests, and revelations. It emphasizes a literal interpretation of Scripture, a distinction between Israel and the Church, and often includes premillennialism and a pre-tribulation rapture.
📜 Key Features of Dispensationalism:
1.
Distinct Dispensations in History
Most dispensationalists identify 7 eras in salvation history (though some list more or fewer):
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Innocence (Adam in Eden)
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Conscience (after the Fall)
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Human Government (after the Flood)
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Promise (Abraham to Moses)
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Law (Moses to Christ)
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Grace (Church Age)
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Kingdom (Millennial Reign of Christ)
In each, God reveals His will, humans are tested, and a failure leads to judgment and a new dispensation.
2.
Literal Interpretation of Scripture
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Especially in prophecy (e.g., Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel)
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Future events (e.g., tribulation, millennium) are taken literally, not symbolically
3.
Sharp Distinction Between Israel and the Church
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Israel is God’s earthly people with physical promises (land, kingdom, etc.).
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The Church is a heavenly people with spiritual promises.
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The Church does not replace Israel (rejection of supersessionism).
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God’s covenant with Israel is still active and will be fulfilled in the future.
4.
End Times Focus
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Most dispensationalists are premillennial (Jesus returns before the 1,000-year reign).
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Many hold to a pre-tribulation rapture (the Church will be taken up before a 7-year tribulation).
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Associated with popular works like the Left Behind series or the Scofield Reference Bible.
5.
Key Theologians and Movements
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John Nelson Darby (founder of modern dispensationalism, 1800s)
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C.I. Scofield (author of the Scofield Reference Bible)
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Dallas Theological Seminary (center of dispensational scholarship)
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Popular proponents: Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, Charles Ryrie, John MacArthur (though MacArthur’s version is more modified)
What happens when you blend dispensational theology with politics?
Well, we may nuke Iran because the Bible tells us so.
Dispensationalist and ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is a dispy…and he sent this text to President Trump:
In 1945, Truman nuked Japan.
There are a lot of dispensationalists around this President…Ted Cruz just did an interview where he said we must defend Israel because God blesses those who bless her and curses those who don’t.
Therefore anything we can do for Israel is pleasing to God and if we don’t support her, we will be cursed.
Thus, Israel is getting away with something approximating genocide in Gaza.
This also assumes the current nation of Israel is a continuation of covenant Israel…an assumption that could start World War Three.
Theology has consequences…
https://youtu.be/IRVod4PwQHs?si=322wMadxr9EmF7Xd
When I watched “The War Prayer” when I was a teen, it resulted in my seeking & securing my Conscientious Objector Status during the draft for the Vietnam War.
I first heard about the end times when I was a kid, getting up at 5 am to watch the Worldwide Church of God. It was when I was around seven or eight YO and was still recovering from being in a fire where I was burned over 40% of my body with third and fourth-degree burns. That happened when I was six. I should have been over it by then, and I count on myself in shame for not moving on faster, but I was still learning to walk again. I was still having the almost nightly hell terror dreams, which lasted all night almost every night. This is why I still don’t sleep that much.
I was going to my first communion classes, and watching WWCG and Armstrong teaching the RCC was the beast and it scared me half to death. I get by seven, one should have all this nailed down in the backyard in my neck of the woods, one should have it nailed down before one is four, but that is another post. Anyway, my first communion did not go over very well, and the priest kicked me and my mother out of the service because I would not go to confession, and I was going to hell, and I was a little blank, etc.
I add this for context, all of the franchises I was involved in after my being booted from the RCC were dispensational. They were a small part of the overall industry, but they were powerful and lucrative. I was at many bible studies where the Book of Rev was being discussed, along with Daniel and the Olivet discourses in the Gospels. I always became a bit sad and frustrated when they discussed how many people would be slaughtered during the tribulation. Many would often rebuke me for my lack of faith and being a man pleaser, and how much Glory God was going to get from all those who hate Him being slaughtered and eternally tormented. I understand this is most likely a deep character flaw on my part, but I don’t get it.
I am a “reformed” dispensationalist with a view that there are different divisions in the Bible on the way God deals with people, but I don’t always find them hard and fast. I’m also a pore-trib rapture millennialist. What I am NOT is supporting the Israeli government at any cost. I see a big difference between supporting the Jewish people as a whole and supporting the annihilation of the Palestinians or nuking Iran.
1 Cor 15:25-26
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”
And in the previous scripture (24):
“then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.”
Why is there such an obsession with racing to the end of everything as we know it?
I think there has to be a few of things in all of of us;
1. Humans want to have authority and by telling everyone how they interrupt the end times they gain authority over others.
2. We hate the lives God gave us and want some sort of miraculous intervention.
3. Or maybe something else.
Reading these scriptures I see three important things and they are given in this order.
In the End-
1 – Jesus, the Christ, will hand everything over to God and Father of all.
2- He will first put all of His enemies under his feet.
3 – The enemies of Jesus the Christ are any other rule, authority and power.
The third item is the most important, what are these rules, authorities and powers? Please don’t say Satan!
God gave me life and death and as long as I rule over my life I hold onto death.
I have no idea what eternity will look like, but I know what today looks like.
To Life!
I left dispensationalism behind (pun intended) once I realized it had nothing to do with the Biblical eschatology. After 80 years of Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Antichrist by the various dispie “prophets” and teachers, I realized that I would have better luck at predicting the end-times than them. Especially after a few shots of Cuervo 1800. It is really a pity that false prophets aren’t stoned today, as Hal Lindsey and Chuck Smith would not have survived past Jan 1, 1989.
I’ll only push back on this article in two regards-
I wouldn’t trust Huckabee as far as I could throw him but I’d stop short of reading his text and assigning him the implication that DJT should nuke Iran. Social media makes dumb people even dumber.
And genocide has a very specific meaning. You qualified your statement but I’m suggesting that genocide is not the right word. Horrors of war, excessive civilian death, something else. I’m not intending to dehumanize Palestinians. They(men, women, children) are caught in a catastrophic situation. Israel should be held to a higher standard as a functioning liberal society and country. But they are not committing genocide.
PM,
Points well taken…you may be right.
Nuking for Jesus huh?
How did fundagelicals conjure up this pile of horse poo-poo?
And how is their religion any different than radical Islam?
Michael,
I remained ‘comfortably overconfident’ in my pre-trib dispy indoctrination until a couple of years ago, when I loosened the grip on my biases …and allowed myself to honestly face alternative interpretation.
The predisposed bent of my upbringing for Ryrie, Scofield & J Mac foundations run deep …but I increasingly acknowledge the merit in a ‘less rigidly literal’ understanding that CT allows.
I realize there have been many adjustments in my grasp of theology thus far, and should therefore expect more to evolve. Perceptions on life can feel so ‘certain & settled’ when the highlighted text of favored theology books confirms your bias.
My first exposure to CT regarding a contemporary geopolitical Israel, devoid of a ‘God’s favored people’ status, was brutally shocking and felt ‘heretical and antisemitic’ at the time.
It took a while to liberate the entrenched version of reality I’d superimposed on my biblical interpretation enough, to allow for fair consideration of CT.
So far, podcasts and debates on the topic have been my standard fare. What would you recommend reading as a good CT primer that’s accessible for the non-scholar?
Dave,
It’s been a while since I’ve been down that road…Kim Riddlebarger was very helpful for me.
https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/about-the-author
I also think N.T. Wright is helpful with a more holistic view of the data.
Any discussion of zionism in one form or another gets me thinking about something I’ve always wondered about. It appears , the best I know, that modern jews are not actual genetic descendants of the historical jews of the biblical era. Am I wrong or misinformed?
I haven’t found much when I’ve tried to research this. Perhaps I’ve been overly influenced by what I’ve read about the Khazars. Caught between expanding Christianity from the west and expanding Islam from the south, they decided to, for the most part, adopt Judaism.
Anybody have any thoughts, knowledge or resources? Please correct me if you think I’m misinformed.
Can you imagine if I asked these sort of questions at Cc?
Michael,
I second the Kim Riddlebarger link. He did a series on Daniel that was quite good (which I think he posted as a series on his website). Michael Horton also had a book called Introducing Covenant Theology .
John,
Something to think about. Let us say for argument’s sake, EVERY single Jewish person living in the modern state of Israel can be genetically linked to Sarah via a mitochondrial DNA sample we have of her. What does that mean from God’s perspective in terms of their covenant and relationship to God according to Scriptures?
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
A wandering prophet who ate locusts and honey said something about that in Gospels.
So didn’t a Rabbi (who was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a student of Gamaliel (who was a student of Hillel) from Tarshish.
Michael,
That Riddlebarger link is a great resource, already saved as a favorite. Much appreciated! I recognize his name as one of the ‘White Horse Inn’ panel regulars
…which I’ve binged on for the last few days.
Thank you!
R’as, you are right. When I see someone espousing Christian zionism, I wonder “Did they read the New Testament?” Especially the epistles.
Really, that should be all that is needed. But sometimes it would be nice to have some facts to let a little air out of their tires .