神學問答18. 駱鴻銘編譯
時代論是一種相當現代的釋經法（解釋聖經的方式），它的根源是約翰•達比（John Darby）的教導，由司考福（C. I. Scofield）透過他的聖經研讀筆記所普及，然後由達拉斯神學院及其教授們（包括Lewis Sperry Chafer和萊利Charles Ryrie）所確立，影響很廣，也因為 Hal Lindsey 和 Tim LaHaye的幻想小說作品（譯按：Left Behind，《末日迷踪》；另外一部是喬納, 雷克
(Rick Joyner)著的The
Final Quest《末日決戰》），對流行大眾有轟動的影響。（譯按：中國教會則是透過倪柝聲地方教會系統的傳播而深受影響。）今天，時代論對普世的影響是巨大的，不只是對教會的教義，也對全球政治有深刻的影響，例如時代論所推動的「基督徒錫安主義」（Christian Zionist）運動（由John Hagee所倡導），多年以來塑造了美國的中東政策。
時代論當然不是一種單一的思想學派，它包括一些極右派的極端錯誤，例如教導不信基督的現代正統猶太人，仍然可以藉著妥拉（摩西五經）而得救，到更為保守和學者式的「漸進時代論」（Progressive Dispensationalists）信念，例如Craig Blaising 和 Darrel Bock；但是就其本質而言，我們可以總結之為一種解釋聖經的方法，認為神的子民有兩個獨特的群體，各自有不同的命運：以色列和教會。古典（有時稱為修正的）時代論（classic or revised Dispensationalisms）最常見的形式，持守以下的信仰要點：
1. 新約教會不是舊約中神的子民的延續，而是在五旬節時誕生的獨特群體。
2. 在新約中，教會從來不等於以色列，基督徒不是猶太人，真以色列，等等。
3. 舊約對以色列的預言並沒有在教會得著應驗，也永遠不會。
4. 教會並沒有參與在舊約聖經所預言的新約之中；舊約的預言是給以色列民族的，要在未來千禧年國度才會被確立。
5. 舊約聖經的聖徒是因信得救，以基督在加略山的工作為唯一的基礎；但是他們信心的對象不是基督，而是針對他們那個時期的啟示。
6. 舊約聖徒對未來的 “教會時代”、基督的復活，或我們今天所謂的福音，一無所知。
7. 當耶穌來到世上，祂要給猶太人一個實體的王國，但是他們拒絕了。
8. 耶穌宣告的“國度福音”，是關於猶太民族進入並找到這個實體國度的獎賞，要與哥林多前書15：3-4所定義的福音區分出來，那是使徒之後對教會的宣告。
9. 在猶太人拒絕耶穌國度的提議後，祂建立了一個在括號之內的“教會時代”，在神重新與以色列民族、國家的人民打交道之前，這個教會時代就會結束。
10. 在教會時代，耶穌不是在大衛的寶座上掌權；而是參與祂祭司的工作，祂君王的工作要在未來的千禧年國度實現。
11. 在一個未定但即將來臨的時候，耶穌會再來（但不是直接來到地上，而是在空中），提取祂的教會，也呼召祂的新婦；在接下來的七年，他們會與祂一起坐在羔羊婚禮的晚餐；同時，在地上，祂會再度開始處理以色列國的人民，種族上的以色列，呼召他們歸向祂，在這七年中保守他們，避免大災難；在這當中，敵基督會以自己為神，重建猶太聖殿，並要求世人的敬拜。
在這七年之後，基督會再臨，這次會直達地面。祂會打敗邪惡的勢力，捆綁撒但，把它丟入無底坑，並建立實體的猶太王國，那是祂在地上時所提出的。經過大災難仍存活的猶太人會在此黃金年代在地面繁衍眾多，而基督徒會以屬靈的身體在屬靈上一同治理。
13. 在這千年之後，撒但會被釋放，然後從大災難中仍存活的猶太人後裔當中，會召聚一支軍隊。撒但最後會被擊敗，丟入地獄。此時，死去的惡人會復活、受審判，而死去的義人已經在一千零七年之前，在被提時復活了。然後基督會引進新天新地，而所有人的命運會得到最後的確認。時代論者在這點上有分歧：在新天新地中，基督徒和猶太人是否仍然有分別。
下一篇會從聖經來看時代論的教導。
費城西敏神學院的教授Vern Poythress 曾寫過一本《認識時代論者》，裡面有很真誠地與時代論者的對話，值得參考。http://www.wtsbooks.com/product-exec/product_id/286/
18.
What is Dispensationalism?
Dispensationalism
is a relatively modern hermeneutic, or way of interpreting the scriptures, that
has roots in the teachings of John Darby, was greatly popularized by C. I.
Scofield, through the notes in his study bible, became influential through the
establishment of Dallas Theological Seminary and many of its professors,
including Lewis Sperry Chafer and Charles Ryrie, and has been greatly
sensationalized and made influential at a popular level through the fiction and
dramatic predictions and interpretations of authors such as Hal Lindsey and Tim
LaHaye. Today, Dispensationalism is hugely influential worldwide, having a
significant impact not just on the doctrine of the Church, but even on global
politics, as the Dispensationally-driven Christian Zionist movement, championed
by such men as John Hagee, has largely shaped America's Middle Eastern policies
for many years.
Dispensationalism
is by no means a monolithic school of thought, and ranges from some very
extreme errors on the far right, such as the teaching that modern orthodox Jews
who reject Christ may still be saved through the Torah, to the much more
conservative and scholarly beliefs of the Progressive Dispensationalists such
as Craig Blaising and Darrel Bock; but in essence, it may be summed up as the
method of interpreting the scriptures which sees two distinct peoples of God,
with two distinct destinies: Israel and the Church. The most common form of
classic (sometimes called “revised”) Dispensationalism adheres to the following
points of belief:
1.The
Church is not the continuation of God's Old Testament people, but a distinct
body born on the Day of Pentecost.
2.The
Church is never equated with Israel in the New Testament, and Christians are
not Jews, true Israel, etc.
3.The
prophecies made to Israel in the Old Testament are not being fulfilled in the
Church, nor will they ever be.
4.The
Church does not participate in the New Covenant prophesied in the Old
Testament; it is for ethnic Israel, and will be established in a future
millennial kingdom.
5.The
Old Testament saints were saved by faith alone, on the basis of the
Calvary-work of Christ alone; however, the object of their faith was not
Christ, but rather the revelation peculiar to their dispensation.
6.The
Old Testament saints did not know of the coming “Church Age,” of the
resurrection of Christ, or basically, of what we today call the gospel.
7.When
Jesus came to earth, he offered the Jews a physical kingdom, but they rejected
him.
8.When
Jesus proclaimed “the gospel of the Kingdom,” it was the news about how ethnic
Jews might enter and find rewards in this physical kingdom, and is to be
distinguished from the gospel as defined in I Corinthians 15:3-4, which the
apostles later proclaimed to the church.
9.After
the Jews rejected Jesus' kingdom offer, he inaugurated a parenthetical “Church
Age,” which will be concluded immediately before God again takes up his
dealings with his national people, ethnic Israel.
10.During
the “Church Age,” Jesus is not reigning from the throne of David; he is engaged
instead in his priestly work, and his kingly work will take place in the future
millennial kingdom.
11.At
some unspecified but imminent time, Jesus will return (but not all the way to
earth, just to the air) and rapture his Church, also called his Bride; for the
following seven years, they will feast with him at the marriage supper of the
Lamb; meanwhile, on earth, he will begin to deal with his national people,
ethnic Israel, again, calling them to himself and preserving them in the midst
of seven years of great tribulation; at the midpoint of which, the Antichrist
will set himself up as god in the rebuilt Jewish temple, and demand worship
from the world.
12.After
these seven years, Christ will return, this time all the way to earth. He will
defeat the forces of evil, bind Satan and cast him into a pit, and inaugurate
the physical Jewish Kingdom that he had offered during his life on earth. The
Jews who survived the tribulation will populate the earth during this blessed
golden era, and the Christians will reign spiritually, in glorified bodies.
13.After
these thousand years, Satan will be released and will gather an army from the
offspring of the Jews who survived the tribulation. He will be finally defeated
and cast into hell. At this time, the wicked dead will be resurrected and
judged, whereas the righteous dead had already been resurrected
one-thousand-seven years previously, at the rapture. Christ will then usher in
the New Heavens and New Earth, and the destinies of all mankind will be
finalized. Dispensationalists are divided as to whether or not there will
remain a distinction between Christians and Jews in the New Earth.
