PROGRESSIVE DISPENSATIONALISM Part III

biblical literature | Definition, Types, Significance, Survey, & Development | Britannica

THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY

PROGRESSIVE DISPENSATIONALISM

Progressive dispensationalism is a theological view that seeks a middle ground between traditional dispensationalism and covenant theology. It interprets biblical prophecy by seeing the church as an inaugural fulfillment of Old Testament promises, a spiritual realization of the Messianic kingdom, while still maintaining that a future physical and spiritual fulfillment of these promises will occur in the Millennium. This view emphasizes the continuity of God’s plan through different ages, rather than a complete break. 

Key tenets

  • Continuity in God’s plan: God’s plan is viewed as one continuous redemptive plan, but it is worked out through distinct ages or dispensations.

  • The church and Old Testament promises: The current church age is seen as an inaugural fulfillment of Old Testament promises to Israel. The church participates in the spiritual blessings of these promises now, though Israel will still have a future physical and spiritual fulfillment during the Millennium.

  • Israel and the church: The church is not a “parenthesis” or a replacement for Israel; instead, both entities are distinct but part of one unified plan. The church is a distinct, spirit-wrought unity of redeemed people, while Israel remains a distinct nation with a future role.

  • Complementary hermeneutic: Progressive dispensationalists use a “complementary hermeneutic,” which is a method of biblical interpretation that combines a literal approach with a spiritualizing approach to understand how the New Testament complements and fulfills Old Testament promises without negating them.

  • Kingdom of God: The kingdom of God is a central theme that moves from an initial spiritual reign to a future physical reign of Christ on earth. Christ is understood to be already reigning spiritually on the throne of David, while also yet to reign physically during the future Millennium. 

Comparison with other views

  • Versus Traditional Dispensationalism: Progressive dispensationalism sees the current church age as an inaugural fulfillment of the kingdom promises, whereas traditional dispensationalism views these promises as being for Israel alone and not yet fulfilled.

  • Versus Covenant Theology: Progressive dispensationalism affirms a distinction between Israel and the church and a literal future millennium, which covenant theology rejects.

  • Versus Supersessionism: Progressive dispensationalism explicitly rejects supersessionism, or replacement theology, and maintains the distinctiveness and future role of both ethnic Israel and the church. 

BIBLE DICTIONARY ONLINE PROGRESSIVE DISPENSATIONALISM:

Progressive dispensationalism” is a theological framework for interpreting the Bible. It is not an online bible dictionary itself, but an approach to biblical study and theology. 

Definition

Progressive dispensationalism is a variation of traditional dispensationalism that emphasizes the greater continuity and progressive fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan through the biblical covenants. It views the “dispensations” not just as different chronologically successive arrangements by which God relates to humanity, but as progressive stages that build upon one another, culminating in Christ. 

Key Distinctives

  • Hermeneutics: It uses a consistent grammatical-historical interpretation but also allows for a “complementary hermeneutic” where later New Testament revelation can add to or expand the meaning and application of earlier Old Testament promises, without negating the original intent.

  • Israel and the Church: Like other forms of dispensationalism, it maintains a distinction between ethnic, national Israel and the church as two distinct entities with unique roles in God’s plan. However, it recognizes an overlap in which the church (composed of believing Jews and Gentiles) currently experiences the spiritual blessings of the new covenant, while a future, complete, physical fulfillment for the nation of Israel still awaits Christ’s return.

    • The Kingdom: It views the Kingdom of God as the overarching theme of the Bible, which is already inaugurated in part (the “already/not yet” tension). Christ is presently reigning on the Father’s throne in heaven, a partial fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, but the full manifestation of His earthly kingdom will occur during the future Millennium.

    • Covenants: It focuses on the explicit biblical covenants (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New) as the primary means through which God’s purposes unfold, rather than the traditional seven dispensations emphasized by classical dispensationalism. All dimensions of these covenants—spiritual, material, individual, national, and international—must be fulfilled. 

    For further reading and resources on this theological framework, consider works by key proponents like Craig Blaising and Darrell Bock, whose book Progressive Dispensationalism helped define the movement.