Chapter 1
Dispensational Doctrines
As was stated in the introduction, the things we believe dictate our practices and behavior individually and nationally. So, let me begin by listing those doctrines that are directly or indirectly related to Dispensational Theology and it will be these primary doctrines that we shall analyze and try to determine if they are Scripturally sound. Some people may think that there are other major doctrines that should be included but more at issue is the substance of the doctrines and not their many details and variations.
The basic tenets of 20th century Judeo-Christian churches are the following and many are held by both Protestants and Catholics alike:
Chapter 2: The Doctrine of Salvation
That each person, of their own free will, must decide to accept Jesus as their personal savior and then repent of their sins and live an exemplary and righteous life.
Chapter 3: Hell And The Lake of Fire
Those men and women who refuse to become Christians and get saved will ultimately have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and, found wanting, they shall spend eternity in the "lake of fire," used as a synonym for hell.
Chapter 4: The Kingdom of Heaven
Do Christians go to “heaven” when they die? What about the resurrection of the Dead? Is heaven in the heavens?
Chapter 5: The Law is Dead
Since God works differently with men in various dispensations, the dispensation of The Law has passed and we are presently in a dispensation of Grace; That being so, The Law has been put away and we are no longer under any obligation to keep it.
Chapter 6: Judeo-Christian Eschatology
The eschatology of Judeo-Christian churches under dispensational theology teaches that there will be an end-time Tribulation period of seven years. During this time a world leader will arise who is referred to as The Antichrist and he will rule and reign without opposition and cause many to receive “the mark of the Beast.” The “mark” is some form of tattooing or implanting of the number 666 on the forehead or hand. Prior to this seven year Tribulation Period, the church will be raptured and go to be with the Lord and not have to suffer the pains of the tribulation period.
Chapter 7: Satan and The Devil
There is an opponent of God and God's plans and he brings about chaos and sin in the world and was the original tempter. His name is Satan and he is also referred to as Lucifer and the Devil.
The next two doctrines are what should be taught and much of the confusion and deception would cease.
Chapter 8: Israel and Judah
The Jews of today are the only remaining descendants of the Israelites of old. The northern ten tribes of Israel vanished into history and were absorbed by other people.
Chapter 9: The Restitution of All Things
The Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Restitution of All Things in the 49th Millennium. God’s plan is to restore all of Creation to Himself at the Age of the Ages.
Chapter 10: In Conclusion
Some final remarks.
Some Additional Thoughts
I grew up being taught all of these doctrines and I accepted them as the Gospel. As time went on and I began to inquire more diligently, I could see more and more inconsistencies and fewer and fewer answers. Scripture became extremely confusing and no amount of common sense or reason could clarify the various teachings from all the theologies I studied.
I attended churches of The Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Church of Christ, Foursquare and others. All of them differ on various teachings, but they all pretty much agree to the doctrines I've listed in one fashion or another. Variances are mostly in the methodology but the end result is the same. Catholics may require confession and the rosary but forgiveness is the end result.
I must again emphasize that the concepts we hold as our religious dogma determines how we interact with others and ultimately how we, as a nation, interact with the world. The actions and decisions you make reflect your understanding of God and how you perceive Him to be. With this understanding I began to take my study of Scripture with a great deal more concern. Since the United States of America has historically claimed itself to be a Christian nation, were we not blaspheming the name of God with our ceaseless wars and the erosion of our morals and liberties at home? Our nation has certainly not become more righteous over the past century. On the contrary, we have become more decadent and evil.
It was a perplexing dilemma because I knew that the ultimate answers lay in the Scriptures of the Bible. I instinctively knew that there was something rotten in Denmark. God does not destroy a nation whose people are serving Him according to His word. It is when we deviate from His teachings that He brings judgment upon us. Anyone who is so blind as not to see that we are under judgment is more asleep than I can imagine.
In the late 1970s I decided to sever any ties I had with a main stream church and begin studying God's word with a new approach. I had to set aside the idea that all that I had been taught was "Gospel" and accept the fact that every doctrine should be scrutinized for its Scriptural support, its ramifications when put into practice, whether or not it is consistent with what we know to be the nature of God and does it conflict with other Scriptures. I found that all six of the major Judeo-Christian doctrines I have listed would have to be taken through this process and I could tell from the beginning that all of them were suspect. It is a sad commentary, since without these tenets the Church loses its purpose and platform which ultimately would be a good thing.
I also had to have the faith that God would not allow me to become deceived and would be good to His promises that He would lead me and guide me into all truth if I depended on Him alone.
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will
guide you into all truth :..... John 16:13 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matt. 7:7
It became a very frightening experience and my faith is all that I had to cling to. Somehow I knew I should try every doctrine to find its validity in Scripture and throw out any that were spurious or inconsistent regardless of how important I might think them to be.
In the years that followed, I began to see a picture emerging and that picture was also consistent with God's word. Just as "words of art" have been used to deceive us in the area of civil law, I found that a similar practice had been used to deceive us about the meaning of Scripture. By deceptively redefining words and being inconsistent with their usage, a pattern developed that was unmistakably intentional. Because we were not lovers of the truth, God had sent us strong delusion. So strong that it is in plain view but cannot be perceived unless God removes the blinders. Once removed, the truth leaps out from the pages of Scripture and paints a glorious image that I had never seen before. The Gospel is more glorious than any Judeo-Christian could ever imagine. The person of God is nothing like you've ever been taught in the church and His mercy exceeds anything you can imagine. I now see a cohesiveness in Scripture that I could never have seen when I was in the Judeo-Christian world of churches. Without understanding all of the motives of God, I can at least now trust Him that His ways may be past understanding but His mercy endureth forever and is truly astounding and humbling.
I found the following quote by a Mr. Ken Eckerty to be very much the same as I had experienced;
The deceptions in our civil law system have led to our enslavement to a tyrannical government that is determined to take every bit of property and freedom from us. Their desire is to create a one world government and rule over the entire planet. As sad as that truth may be, I see very little opposition to it. Many people are waking up but I believe our political system is broken beyond repair. I hope that I am wrong. If you are ever inclined to learn how this came about then reading Paul Andrew Mitchell's book, "The Federal Zone: Cracking the Code of Internal Revenue" will give you the awakening you need. It can be ordered or read on-line here: http://www.supremelaw.org/index.htm I spent years and hundreds of dollars going to different “patriot” group meetings and websites purchasing books and materials and doing research about our country and its law system. I’ve since gotten rid of most of that material when I discovered all I needed was the book mentioned immediately above. If you’re inclined to pursue this avenue of study then go to Mr. Mitchell’s website, order his book and join his forum. You will need no further information to discover how our country has been taken over and how the income tax laws have been deceptively written to enslave us. You will save yourself a lot of time and money and eliminate trying to sort out who has the best answer or approach to these subjects. Mr. Mitchell has more of a handle on this than anyone I’ve ever read or heard about, including Ron Paul. He is a gentleman and a Christian who has devoted himself to do everything in his power to inform people of our plight. I know of his personal sacrifices and I would paraphrase Winston Churchill to say, never has one man given so much for so many. He is the Paul Revere of our time. He receives no reward for doing this but is laying up for himself a reward in heaven. The black robed judges scoff but the white robbed judge of the universe does take note of such efforts and He will repay accordingly.
The deception of the church was a parallel phenomenon and was necessary to bring about the erosion of freedom. It is in this area that we can call upon God and He will hear and answer. The problem here is that Judeo-Christians don't believe they are deceived and have no need to call upon God or to repent. The problem with being deceived is that the deception itself prevents you from admitting you're wrong. Any intelligent person who cannot admit that his beliefs may be wrong has closed his mind to any further revelation. A reasonable man may be justified to cling tenaciously to his ideas, especially if they are the result of individual study, but must always be open to hear additional evidence on any matter which might redefine those concepts. Goethe was immensely profound when he stated,
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely
believe they are free.
Americans are hopelessly enslaved because they falsely believe they are free and if I can extend the rationale, Judeo-Christians are beyond repentance because they falsely believe they have the truth.
The remainder of this work will be an effort to cause some people to open their minds and to earnestly seek the truth as never before. Not by taking questions that may be raised back to their pastor but by turning to God and asking Him if these things be so. I know that letting go of long held beliefs is frightening, but I ask the reader to seriously and sincerely open his mind to the possibility that his beliefs can be expanded upon and refined if they do not conform to Scripture. Scripture is not contradictory and God does not change. I hope to be able to demonstrate how the above mentioned doctrines came into being and how they are self-contradictory and therefore should be reexamined in light of the evidence. If you ultimately conclude that I am wrong then you have lost nothing but if you don't at least have an open mind then you stand to lose everything.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their
land. II Chron. 7:14
Suggested reading, video and audio:
“The Federal Zone:
Cracking the Code of Internal Revenue” by Paul Andrew Mitchell