PROGRESSIVE REVELATION WITHIN ESCHATOLOGY, DISPENSATION THEOLOGY

Part One
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(How do you like those words:)

• It is an effortless matter for 21th Century preachers to chasten the First Century Jews for failing as a nation to recognize and embrace their Messiah. After all, OT Messianic prophecies abound, and with the benefit of centuries of hindsight we affirm that those prophecies point clearly and unarguably to Jesus Christ. We are altogether properly humbled, however, when we struggle with those prophecies still unfulfilled at the end of the Apostolic Age which speak of events in our time. It is not so easy to make quick applications from Daniel 7-11 or from Revelation.
  

You should ask, "How do you know Scripture is saying what you say they are saying?" "Are .you just guessing?" "What makes what you say different from what someone else is saying about the meaning of Scripture?"

Generally, I would conjecture, most people who listen to their teacher, preacher, writer, usually don’t really ask those questions, but generally will agree and disagree based upon their own frame of references.

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You ask them, "Why do you believe that?" "I believe it because I believe it." That is to say, I don’t really have a clue why, but it’s what I have always been taught.

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There are volumes of material on the interpretation of the Bible. Certainly I have studied the systems which teach us how to study the Bible -- Bible study methods, there are so many of them.

Having studied the Bible verse by verse for over forty years, I am still learning . The truth of the Bible always stays the same. Truth never changes, our understanding of the truth in the Word changes as we GROW BY LEARNING.

HOW DO I VIEW THE BIBLE AS A WHOLE
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PROGRESSIVE REVELATION: The unfolding of God's revelation. Sometimes known as PROGRESSIVE DISPENSATIONALISM

The concept of progressive revelation is closely related to the historical nature of Scripture. It can be very simply defined as God’s revealing of His will in successive stages, each founded upon and further illuminating the previous stages. God did not reveal all truth at one time, but through various periods and stages of revelation.

Paul said to his audience on Mars Hills, that in a former time God overlooked their ignorance, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30. In Hebrews 1:1 -2

• "God who at various times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, having in these last days, spoken unto us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds."
  
• John 1:17 "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. "

The concept of progressive revelation does not negate the unity of the Bible but recognizes the diversity of God’s unfolding revelation as essential to the unity of His complete revelation.

Dispensational theology grows out of a consistent use of the hermeneutical (study of) principle of normal, plain, and literal interpretation, when applied.

Since we are talking about Eschatology (Study of future events) we will speak to that issue.

• As a footnote:
  God's redemptive acts were progressive, preparing the way for Christ who should come in the fullness of time (Gal 4:4) the accompanying truths that were progressively revealed show in most cases a progressive development. That is., God graciously unfolded both His redemption and His revelation in ways corresponding to man’s capacities to receive them.
  

What God revealed to Adam was not as much as he did to Abraham, and then Moses received more revelation than Abraham.

Footnote:

• The word "economy" can be traced back to the Greek word, "one who manages a household", which was derived, which had not only the sense "management of a household or family" but also senses such as "thrift", "direction", "administration", "arrangement", and "public revenue of a state". In God’s economy. God rules
  
  The term dispensationalism simply means "to manage, regulate, administer and plan the affairs of a household."

Human stewardship is illustrated in Luke 16:1-2
Divine stewardship, i.e. an administration or plan, being accomplished by God in this world.
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