No, don't read into it more than what I meant. I never said that Dispensationalism was evil or that dispensationalists were demon possessed. Before we all get bent out of shape, let's make sure we understand the meaning of the word Dispensationalism. To be sure, I was a dispensationalist before I even knew the word. I came to Yeshua in the Summer of 1983 and as soon as I started reading my Bible, I applied a dispensationalist hermeneutics without even knowing it. Why? Because it seemed to be the most logical, common sense approach to the whole counsel of God.

Later on, I discovered a book by Dr. Charles Ryrie titled "Dispensationalism" (used to be titled "Dispensationalism Today") in which he presented the three sine qua non (absolute essential) conditions for Dispensationalism. First, we must look at the Bible using a consistent literal hermeneutics. This means that the historical/grammatical, literal approach to the Word of God is essential to understanding what God meant when He inspired the writers of the Bible to write the book. A good definition for that approach came years ago from theologian David L. Cooper, and goes like this, " When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise." To summarize Dr. Cooper, "a text without a context is a pretext!"

Second, there must always be a clear distinction between ethnic Israel and the Church. On one hand, Israel's existence goes back to Genesis 12 under Abraham where it all started. Ethnically, a Jewish person is a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through one of the twelve tribes. On the other hand, the Church–as the gathering of likeminded redeemed followers of Yeshua the Messiah–started in Acts 2 in Israel and spread out to the whole planet since its inception. Membership in the Church is solely dependent on one's belief in the finished work of Yeshua on the Cross about 2,000 years ago. As a result, one can be be from any people group in the world, including the Jewish people, and be part of the Universal Church.

Third, God's ultimate goal for mankind is to bring glory to Himself. Some will call it God's doxological purpose for history, or in this case, I would prefer saying HIS story! The salvation of mankind then, becomes a mean to an end, not the ultimate goal. Ryrie goes on to explain, "Scripture is not human-centered, as though salvation were the principal point, but God-centered, because His glory is at the center.  The glory of God is the primary principle that unifies all the dispensations, the program of salvation being just one of the means by which God glorifies Himself.  Each successive revelation of God’s plan for the ages, as well as His dealings with the elect, non-elect, angels, and nations all manifest His glory." This also makes sense when we humbly consider that the creator of the universe deserves all praise, worship and glory from His creation. Anything less, and we run the risk of disconnecting ourselves from Him and possibly slowly making Him more like us instead or thriving to be more like Yeshua (sanctification).

But, what does any of that have to do with Satan? Satan is a created being and he was very close to God before he fell. As part of the angelic realm, he had direct access to God until he let his pride take over and push him to want to replace God. Now, as a fallen angel, he spends his time scheming to make believers fall through repeated temptation and false teaching. He will also do anything to prevent people from trusting Yeshua for their salvation.

Satan knows that when all the surviving Jews at the end of the Tribulation say "Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai" (Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord), Yeshua will return with all the raptured believers that had been lifted up to Heaven seven years prior. He also knows that this will mark the end of his career of deceit, hatred and destruction. The end of his career also marks the start of his retirement into the lake of fire and brimstone to suffer with no relief for all eternity, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Revelation 20:10.)

So, in a nutshell, when surviving Israel calls upon Yeshua (Zechariah 12:10), Satan is toast (literally!) But, what if he could prevent that event? What if Israel didn't "Call upon the one whom they have pierced"? Or better yet, what if there was no Israel to call on Him at the end of the Tribulation? Satan would be all set and safe from being thrown into the lake of fire.

Only Dispensationalism teaches a clear distinction between ethnic Israel and the Church, and as a result, sees that there is a critical prophetic future for Israel. Deleting or replacing Israel–as much as Satan would enjoy that–is not part of God's program for the end times or any time throughout history for that matter.

Satan seems to understand the Bible from a dispensational viewpoint, otherwise why would he place so much emphasis on Israel? So, the devil has a good grasp on theology, and especially on eschatology, but because of his initial rebellion against his maker and since his fall he has pridefully, but in vain, labored against God and by proxy, against the Apple of God's eye. Satan might be the oldest dispensationalist in the book, but God will eventually dispense with him for good, and praise Him for that promise.

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