Chapter 07: Multiple Plans of Salvation – Extreme Dispensationalism

Imagine walking into a restaurant where the rules for payment change depending on when you arrive. Morning customers must wash dishes to eat. Afternoon diners pay with cash. Evening guests need to bring their own ingredients. The owner claims this is all part of one unified business plan, but clearly something is wrong. This is exactly what Finis Dake teaches about salvation—that God changes the requirements for getting to heaven based on what time period you live in. This chapter exposes how Dake’s extreme dispensationalism creates multiple ways of salvation, making Jesus’s death on the cross insufficient and confusing the simple gospel message.

What Is Dispensationalism?

Before we examine Dake’s errors, it’s important to understand that not all dispensationalism is wrong. Many faithful Christians recognize that God has revealed His plan progressively throughout history. The error comes when someone like Dake takes this concept to such an extreme that it contradicts the Bible’s core message.

Traditional dispensationalists maintain that while God’s methods of administration have changed (like going from the Old Testament sacrificial system to the New Testament church), salvation has always been by grace through faith. They see dispensations as different chapters in one story, all centered on Christ.

Dake, however, goes far beyond this. He teaches that the actual way people get saved changes from dispensation to dispensation. In his system, people in different time periods must do different things to be saved. This isn’t just a minor theological difference—it strikes at the heart of the gospel message.

Dake’s Seven Dispensations and Their Salvation Plans

According to Dake’s “Ages and Dispensations,” God has tested humanity through seven distinct periods, each with its own requirements for salvation. Dake explicitly teaches that “Each dispensation has its own particular beginning and ending; each is characterized by distinctive principles of God’s dealings; each has a favorable beginning; each has a definite test; and each ends in failure and judgment.”⁴ He further warns that “to force the purposes of God to be the same in every age would be to distort Scripture and confuse the understanding.”¹⁴ Let’s examine what Dake teaches about each:

1. The Dispensation of Innocence (Eden)

Dake suggests that if Adam and Eve had simply obeyed, they would have “earned” eternal life through their works. He specifically states the test was “not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,”⁵ and that God’s purpose was “to see if man would remain innocent and be true to his trust under the most favorable and perfect conditions possible.”⁶ This contradicts the biblical principle that even unfallen creatures depend entirely on God’s grace. The angels who remained faithful to God didn’t earn their position—they maintained it by God’s grace.

2. The Dispensation of Conscience

After the Fall, Dake teaches that people were saved by properly following their conscience. He writes that during this period, “man was given conscience to guide him” and salvation came through obeying this inner moral compass. According to Dake’s system, the “Test—obedience to the dictates of conscience as to right and wrong.”⁷ He expands on this, stating that “Man’s test in this dispensation was to do the good and refuse the evil as his conscience dictated, and to have faith in God’s promise of redemption.”¹⁵

But the Bible teaches that conscience alone cannot save. Romans 2:15 shows that while conscience can reveal moral law, it cannot provide salvation. Many people with sensitive consciences still reject God, while others with seared consciences think they’re doing right.

3. The Dispensation of Human Government

After Noah’s flood, Dake claims God instituted human government as the new test. People were now saved by submitting to human authority and obeying governmental laws. Dake describes this dispensation as “the ‘Dispensation of Human Government’ because God gave man certain laws by which he should govern himself during this period.”¹⁶ The specific test was that “man in this period was to govern himself by the laws that God gave him.”¹⁷ This makes obedience to human rulers a requirement for salvation.

This teaching is particularly dangerous because it suggests that rebellion against human government equals rebellion against God’s salvation plan. While Romans 13 teaches respect for authority, it never makes governmental obedience a condition of salvation.

4. The Dispensation of Promise

From Abraham to Moses, Dake teaches that people were saved by believing God’s promises to Abraham. While this sounds biblical, Dake adds requirements beyond faith, suggesting that people had to become part of Abraham’s household or nation to be saved. In his system, “The test for Abraham and his seed was to believe the promises of God and obey Him by leaving their own land and people, going into a strange land, and remaining a separated people.”¹⁸

This creates an ethnic requirement for salvation during this period, contradicting the Bible’s teaching that God has always accepted people from every nation who fear Him and work righteousness (Acts 10:35).

5. The Dispensation of Law

This is perhaps Dake’s most serious error regarding Old Testament salvation. He suggests that Israelites were actually saved by law-keeping, not by faith. Dake explicitly states that the “Test—to obey the law in every detail”⁸ which included “The Commandments… The Judgments… The Ordinances.”¹⁹ This directly contradicts Paul’s extensive argument in Romans and Galatians that no one has ever been justified by keeping the law.

6. The Dispensation of Grace (Current Church Age)

For our current age, Dake teaches salvation by grace through faith, which sounds orthodox. However, he adds a troubling qualifier: “Salvation and the benefits of grace are free for all, yet they are only beneficial to those who believe and accept them through Christ and live life according to the Holy Scriptures.”³ He reiterates this in his discussion of the test for this dispensation: “The test in this dispensation is ‘the obedience of faith among all nations’ through the grace of God. Salvation and the benefits of grace are free for all, yet they are only beneficial to those who believe and accept them through Christ and live life according to the Holy Scriptures.”²⁰

³ Dake, Finis Jennings. Ages and Dispensations. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1977, p. 15.

Notice how Dake adds “live life according to the Holy Scriptures” as a requirement. This subtle addition of works to grace perverts the gospel, making our lifestyle a condition for salvation rather than a result of it.

7. The Dispensation of Divine Government (The Millennium)

Most shockingly, Dake teaches that during Christ’s thousand-year reign, people will be saved through a combination of faith and law-keeping, including the restoration of animal sacrifices. He states that in the Millennium, “The test of man in this dispensation will be to obey the laws of the divine government, obey Christ and the glorified saints and to mould one’s character in harmony with God by the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel.”²¹ We’ll explore this in detail later in this chapter.

The Biblical Truth: One Way of Salvation

The Bible emphatically declares that salvation has always been by grace through faith. Let’s look at the evidence:

Abraham: Saved by Faith, Not Works

“And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). This verse, written about Abraham who lived around 2000 BC, becomes Paul’s primary proof text in Romans 4 that salvation has always been by faith, not works.

Paul writes: “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:2-3).

Abraham wasn’t saved by keeping laws (the Mosaic Law didn’t exist yet), by his conscience (he lied about his wife twice), or by human government (he left his country). He was saved by believing God’s promise—the same way we’re saved today.

David: Saved by Grace, Not Law

King David lived under the Mosaic Law, yet he understood salvation was by grace, not law-keeping. In Psalm 32:1-2, David writes: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity.”

Paul quotes this in Romans 4:6-8 to prove that “David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” David, living under the law, knew that salvation came through God’s forgiveness, not through perfect law-keeping.

David had committed adultery and murder—crimes punishable by death under the law. Yet he was forgiven and saved, not by keeping the law (which he had broken terribly), but by God’s grace received through faith and repentance.

Old Testament Saints: All Saved by Faith

Hebrews 11, often called the “Hall of Faith,” demonstrates conclusively that Old Testament saints were saved by faith:

• “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice” (Hebrews 11:4)
• “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death” (Hebrews 11:5)
• “By faith Noah…became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7)
• “By faith Abraham…obeyed” (Hebrews 11:8)
• “Through faith also Sara…received strength” (Hebrews 11:11)

The chapter continues through the judges, kings, and prophets, always emphasizing faith as the means of their acceptance with God. Verse 13 summarizes: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.”

They looked forward to what we look back upon—the coming Messiah. The object of their faith was the same as ours: God’s promised salvation through the Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

Different Gospels? Paul Says No!

One of the most dangerous aspects of Dake’s teaching is his claim that there are different gospels for different dispensations. He distinguishes between:

• The “gospel of the kingdom” (preached by Jesus)
• The “gospel of grace” (preached by Paul)
• The “everlasting gospel” (preached during the Tribulation)
• Future gospels in the Millennium

This directly contradicts Paul’s fierce warning in Galatians 1:8-9: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Paul repeats the curse twice for emphasis. There is not, never has been, and never will be another gospel. The gospel Paul preached is the same gospel Jesus preached, just more fully revealed after the resurrection.

Jesus and Paul Preached the Same Gospel

Jesus preached His own death and resurrection: “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

Jesus preached salvation by faith: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Jesus preached grace: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Paul’s gospel was the same message, just explained more fully after the resurrection made everything clear. The supposed different gospels are actually different aspects of the one gospel message, like different facets of a diamond reflecting the same light.

The Shocking Teaching: Animal Sacrifices Will Return!

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Dake’s extreme dispensationalism is his insistence that animal sacrifices will resume during the Millennium (Christ’s future thousand-year reign on earth). This teaching effectively denies the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.

Dake lists specific offerings he believes will be restored:

• Burnt offerings
• Sin offerings
• Meat offerings
• Trespass offerings
• Peace offerings

He tries to soften this by claiming these future sacrifices will be “memorial” rather than salvific, similar to how we observe the Lord’s Supper today. But this explanation fails on multiple levels. In his commentary on Ezekiel, Dake explicitly states that “The mention of meat offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings is the first proof in these chapters of their eternal observance in the eternal kingdom of the Messiah on earth.”⁹ He further explains that “These ordinances will not be the means of salvation then any more than they were in Old Testament times… They will serve as memorials in a deeper significance than they ever served as types of old.”²²

Why This Teaching Is Heretical

The book of Hebrews exists primarily to show that Christ’s sacrifice ended all other sacrifices forever. Consider these clear statements:

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).

“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

“Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18).

The Greek phrase “no more” (ouketi) is absolute. It doesn’t mean “no more until the Millennium.” It means NO MORE, period. To reinstate animal sacrifices, even as memorials, would be to declare Christ’s sacrifice insufficient.

The Problem with Ezekiel’s Temple

Dake bases much of his argument on Ezekiel’s vision of a future temple (Ezekiel 40-48) which mentions sacrifices. He writes that “Ezekiel devoted 9 full chapters to the subject of the rebuilding of the millennial temple, the sanctuary, the holy oblation, and Jerusalem, as they will be when Messiah reigns,”¹⁰ and concludes that “Christ will be the one to build the future eternal temple.”¹¹ He is adamant that “There is no question but what God intends to have a temple, an earthly priesthood, sacrifices and feasts in the future, for that is what He revealed to Ezekiel (40:1-48:35) and promised Israel when He gave them ordinances to be observed throughout all their generations forever.”²³ However, there are several ways to understand this passage without contradicting the New Testament:

1. Symbolic Interpretation: The vision uses temple imagery to convey spiritual truths about God’s presence with His people, not literal architectural plans.
2. Conditional Prophecy: The vision was given to motivate Israel to repentance. Their failure to fully respond meant the prophecy wasn’t literally fulfilled.
3. Pre-Cross Perspective: Ezekiel, writing before Christ, used the only worship language he knew—temple and sacrifices—to describe future worship.
4. Already Fulfilled: Some see this as fulfilled in the post-exilic temple, even if not to exact specifications.

What we cannot do is interpret Ezekiel in a way that contradicts the clear New Testament teaching that Christ’s sacrifice is final and complete.

The Tribulation: Salvation by Works?

Dake teaches that during the seven-year Tribulation period (after the Church is raptured), people will be saved differently than they are today. He suggests that Tribulation saints must endure to the end and keep God’s commandments to be saved.

Dake points to Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” He interprets this to mean that Tribulation saints must keep the commandments (works) plus have faith—a different gospel than salvation by grace through faith alone.

But this verse describes the characteristics of saved people, not the requirements for salvation. Just as Christians today keep God’s commandments because they are saved (not to be saved), so Tribulation saints will demonstrate their faith through obedience.

The gospel doesn’t change based on circumstances. Even under severe persecution, salvation remains by grace through faith. To suggest otherwise is to preach “another gospel” which Paul says brings a curse.

Why Multiple Salvation Plans Are Impossible

The idea of multiple salvation plans creates insurmountable theological problems. Dake’s entire system rests on his fundamental teaching that “In each God has a definite and different immediate purpose, all working toward the ultimate purpose of ridding the universe of all rebellion.”¹² He explicitly warns that “to force the purposes of God to be the same in every age would be to distort Scripture and confuse the understanding.”¹³ But this reasoning creates serious problems:

1. It Makes God Changeable

“For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). If God changes the requirements for salvation, then He is changeable. But the Bible consistently presents God as immutable (unchangeable) in His nature, character, and purposes.

God doesn’t wake up one morning and decide, “Today I’ll save people by works instead of grace.” His eternal plan, established before the foundation of the world, has always centered on Christ’s sacrifice received by faith.

2. It Makes Christ’s Death Unnecessary

If people could be saved by law-keeping in the Old Testament, why did Christ need to die? Paul addresses this directly: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21).

If people could ever be saved by their works—whether by conscience, government obedience, or law-keeping—then Christ’s death was the greatest mistake in history. But Christ’s death was necessary precisely because there has never been another way to be saved.

3. It Creates Uncertainty About Salvation

If God changes salvation requirements between dispensations, how can we be sure He won’t change them again? Maybe tomorrow He’ll add a new requirement. This uncertainty destroys the assurance that comes from knowing salvation rests on Christ’s finished work, not our changing performance.

The Bible offers certainty: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). We can know because salvation depends on Christ’s unchanging work, not on meeting dispensational requirements.

4. It Divides the People of God

Dake’s system creates multiple categories of saved people with different destinies: Old Testament saints, Church saints, Tribulation saints, Millennial saints. This fragments the unity of God’s people that the Bible emphasizes.

Ephesians 2:14-16 teaches that Christ broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile, creating “one new man” in Christ. Dake rebuilds walls, creating multiple peoples of God with different salvation requirements and eternal destinies.

The Israel-Church Confusion

Central to Dake’s error is his extreme separation between Israel and the Church. While recognizing a distinction between Israel and the Church can be helpful in understanding certain passages, Dake creates an unbiblical wall of separation.

According to Dake, God has two completely separate peoples with two separate plans. Israel has an earthly destiny with earthly promises. The Church has a heavenly destiny with spiritual promises. These two groups will remain separate for eternity, with different roles and relationships with God.

This teaching fractures the unity of Scripture and God’s people. Let’s see what the Bible actually teaches:

One Olive Tree, Not Two

In Romans 11, Paul uses the illustration of an olive tree to explain the relationship between Israel and the Church. Israel is the natural branches, Gentiles are wild branches grafted in. But notice—it’s ONE tree, not two separate trees.

“And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Romans 11:17).

Gentile believers are grafted into Israel’s tree, sharing the same root (Abraham), the same sap (the promises), and the same destiny (God’s kingdom). When Jews believe in Christ, they’re grafted back into their own tree (Romans 11:24). One tree, one people, one destiny.

One New Man, Not Two

Ephesians 2:14-16 couldn’t be clearer: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us…for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross.”

Christ didn’t create two new men (Israel and Church). He created ONE new man from both Jew and Gentile. This unity isn’t temporary—it’s eternal. There won’t be a Jewish section and a Gentile section in heaven. We’ll be one people praising one Savior for one salvation.

One Seed of Abraham, Not Two

Galatians 3:29 declares: “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Notice Paul doesn’t say Gentiles become “spiritual” seed while Jews remain “physical” seed. In Christ, all believers are Abraham’s seed, inheriting the same promises.

This doesn’t mean the Church replaces Israel (replacement theology). God still has plans for ethnic Israel (Romans 11:25-26). But it does mean that ultimately, all of God’s people—Jew and Gentile—are united in Christ as one family with one salvation.

Real-Life Damage from This Teaching

Dake’s teaching about multiple salvation plans causes real spiritual damage:

1. It Destroys Assurance

When people believe salvation requirements change, they can never be certain they’re saved. They worry about being in the right dispensation, meeting the right requirements, or God changing the rules. This robs believers of the peace and joy that comes from resting in Christ’s finished work.

2. It Complicates the Gospel

The gospel is simple enough for a child to understand: believe in Jesus and be saved. But Dake’s system requires complex charts, detailed dispensational knowledge, and careful parsing of which verses apply to which people at which times. This complexity obscures the simple message of salvation.

3. It Undermines Evangelism

If different people need different gospels, how do we know what to preach? Should we preach the “gospel of the kingdom” or the “gospel of grace”? This confusion paralyzes evangelism and creates uncertainty about the message we’re supposed to share.

4. It Creates Pride and Division

Those who master Dake’s complex system often become proud of their “deeper knowledge.” They look down on simpler believers who just trust in Jesus. This creates division in churches and destroys the unity Christ prayed for.

5. It Diminishes Christ’s Work

Most seriously, by suggesting that Christ’s sacrifice needs supplementation (with future animal sacrifices) or that it only applies to certain people in certain times, Dake’s system diminishes the glory and sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross.

Historical Orthodox Position

Throughout church history, Christians have recognized that while God has worked through different periods (dispensations or covenants), salvation has always been by grace through faith. Let’s see what church history teaches us:

The Early Church Fathers

The early church fathers, writing in the first centuries after Christ, unanimously taught that Old Testament saints were saved the same way as New Testament believers—by faith in God’s promise of redemption.

Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) wrote: “Those who lived according to the Logos [Christ] were Christians, even though they were considered atheists, such as, among the Greeks, Socrates and Heraclitus and those like them, and among the barbarians, Abraham, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, and Elias.”

Irenaeus (AD 130-202) taught that all the righteous from Adam onward were saved through faith in Christ, who was promised from the beginning.

The Reformation Position

The Reformers strongly emphasized that salvation has always been by grace through faith alone (sola fide). They saw the Old Testament saints as looking forward to Christ by faith, just as we look back to Him by faith.

Martin Luther wrote: “The patriarchs and prophets were justified by faith in Christ, just as we are, but they believed in the Christ who was to come, while we believe in the Christ who has come.”

John Calvin taught that the covenant of grace was one throughout all ages, with the same mediator (Christ), the same salvation (by faith), and the same spiritual blessings, though administered differently in different periods.

Historic Confessions

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) states: “There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations.”

The London Baptist Confession (1689) agrees: “This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament.”

These confessions recognize different administrations of God’s plan while maintaining that salvation has always been by grace through faith in Christ.

Even Traditional Dispensationalists Disagree with Dake

It’s important to note that even mainstream dispensationalists reject Dake’s extreme views. Leaders like C.I. Scofield, Lewis Sperry Chafer, and Charles Ryrie, while maintaining distinctions between Israel and the Church, never taught multiple ways of salvation.

Charles Ryrie, in his book “Dispensationalism,” explicitly states: “The basis of salvation in every age is the death of Christ; the requirement for salvation in every age is faith; the object of faith in every age is God; the content of faith changes in the various dispensations.”

In other words, the way people are saved never changes (grace through faith), but the amount of information they had about God’s plan varied based on progressive revelation.

Answering Dake’s “Proof Texts”

Dake uses certain Bible verses to support his multiple salvation plans. Let’s examine his main proof texts and see what they really teach:

“Forever” Commands in the Old Testament

Dake argues that because God said certain Old Testament ordinances were “forever,” they must continue or resume in the future. For example, circumcision was called an “everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:13).

However, the Hebrew word “olam” translated “forever” or “everlasting” doesn’t always mean endless duration. It often means “for the entire age” or “as long as the conditions exist.” Consider:

• A slave serving “forever” meant until the Year of Jubilee (Exodus 21:6)
• The Aaronic priesthood was “everlasting” (Exodus 40:15), yet Hebrews says it’s been changed (Hebrews 7:12)
• The Passover was “forever” (Exodus 12:14), yet Christ is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7)

These weren’t false promises—they were fulfilled and transcended in Christ. The “forever” was until their purpose was complete.

Different Terms: Kingdom vs. Church

Dake makes much of Jesus preaching the “kingdom of heaven” while Paul preached “grace.” But these aren’t different messages—they’re different aspects of the same message.

Jesus preached grace: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Paul preached the kingdom: “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31).

The kingdom and grace aren’t opposites—the kingdom comes through grace, and grace establishes the kingdom. They’re two sides of the same gospel coin.

Tribulation Saints “Keeping Commandments”

When Revelation mentions saints who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12), Dake sees salvation by works. But keeping commandments is the result of salvation, not the cause.

1 John 5:3 explains: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” We keep God’s commandments because we love Him, and we love Him because He first loved us and saved us by grace.

Tribulation saints will demonstrate their faith through obedience under extreme persecution, just as Christians throughout history have done. This isn’t a different salvation—it’s the same salvation producing faithful obedience even unto death.

The Progressive Revelation Solution

How then do we understand the obvious differences between Old and New Testament practices? The answer is progressive revelation—God revealed His one plan gradually throughout history.

Think of it like a flower blooming:

• The seed (Genesis 3:15) – God promises a Savior
• The sprout (Abraham) – The Savior will bless all nations
• The bud (Moses) – The Savior will be a prophet like Moses
• The bloom (David) – The Savior will be a king forever
• The full flower (Christ) – The complete revelation of God’s plan

At each stage, people were saved by trusting whatever God had revealed. They didn’t have the full picture, but they trusted the same God and the same promise. Abraham didn’t know Jesus’s name, but he saw His day and was glad (John 8:56).

This explains why Old Testament believers offered sacrifices (pointing forward to Christ) while we observe the Lord’s Supper (looking back to Christ). Different practices, same faith, same salvation.

Simple Illustrations to Understand the Truth

Let’s use some everyday illustrations to understand why Dake’s multiple salvation plans don’t make sense:

The Restaurant Illustration

Imagine a restaurant where the owner truly loves his customers. Would he change the payment method every few hours, confusing and frustrating his guests? Of course not! A loving owner would establish one clear, consistent way for customers to enjoy his food.

Similarly, our loving God established one way of salvation—grace through faith—and has never changed it. The menu might have expanded over time (progressive revelation), but the payment method (faith) has never changed.

The Bridge Illustration

Suppose there’s a deep canyon that people need to cross. God builds a bridge (Christ) across the canyon. In ancient times, people could only see the foundation being laid. Later, they saw the pillars going up. Finally, the complete bridge was revealed.

Did the way across change? No! It was always the same bridge. Early believers crossed by faith in the promised bridge. We cross by faith in the completed bridge. Same bridge, same faith, same salvation.

The Medicine Illustration

A child is sick and needs medicine. The parent might give it with honey for a baby, in a spoon for a toddler, or in a pill for a teenager. The delivery method changes, but the medicine remains the same.

God’s “medicine” for sin has always been grace received by faith. The delivery method (sacrifices, then Christ’s sacrifice) changed, but the medicine never has. Those who took God’s medicine by faith were always healed from sin.

What About Modern Israel?

One area where Dake’s confusion causes practical problems is regarding modern Israel and Jewish people. His extreme separation between Israel and the Church leads to several errors:

Error 1: Jews Don’t Need Jesus

Some followers of extreme dispensationalism suggest Jews have their own covenant and don’t need Jesus. This is absolutely false and contradicts Jesus’s own words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Peter, preaching to Jews, declared: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Paul’s heart broke for his Jewish kinsmen who rejected Christ: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Romans 10:1). If they had another way of salvation, Paul wouldn’t have been so concerned.

Error 2: Supporting Israel Regardless of Actions

Dake’s system leads some to support everything modern Israel does, thinking this is necessary for God’s prophetic plan. But while God has a future for Israel, this doesn’t mean endorsing every political decision.

The Bible calls us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and recognize God’s ongoing plan for the Jewish people (Romans 11:25-26). But it doesn’t call us to blind political support. We should support justice and righteousness for all people, including both Israelis and Palestinians.

The Biblical Balance

The Bible maintains a balance:

• God has a special plan for ethnic Israel (Romans 11)
• Jews need salvation through Christ like everyone else (Romans 10)
• In Christ, there’s no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Galatians 3:28)
• Yet God’s gifts and calling to Israel are irrevocable (Romans 11:29)

This balanced view recognizes both Israel’s special place in God’s plan and the universal need for salvation through Christ alone.

The Practical Application for Today

Understanding that salvation has always been by grace through faith has profound practical implications:

1. Confidence in Witnessing

We can share the gospel with confidence, knowing we have the same message that has saved people throughout history. We don’t need complex dispensational charts or theological degrees. The simple message—believe in Jesus and be saved—is sufficient for anyone, anywhere, anytime.

2. Unity with All Believers

Recognizing one salvation plan unites us with believers throughout history. Abraham is our father in faith. David’s psalms express our hearts. The prophets’ promises are ours. We’re one family with one salvation, not separate groups with different plans.

3. Assurance of Salvation

Since God never changes His salvation requirements, we can have absolute assurance. Our salvation doesn’t depend on being in the right dispensation or meeting changing requirements. It depends on Christ’s unchanging work received by faith.

4. Simplified Bible Study

Instead of constantly worrying about which verses apply to which dispensation, we can read the whole Bible as God’s unified message. While recognizing progressive revelation, we see one story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation.

5. Focus on Christ

When salvation is always by grace through faith in God’s provision, Christ becomes central to everything. The Old Testament points to Him. The New Testament proclaims Him. The future glorifies Him. This Christ-centered reading of Scripture is both simpler and richer than Dake’s fragmented approach.

Common Questions and Answers

Let’s address some common questions that arise from Dake’s teaching:

The Influence on Modern Movements

Dake’s extreme dispensationalism hasn’t stayed in his books—it has influenced various modern movements, often in harmful ways:

The Hebrew Roots Movement

Some groups, influenced by extreme dispensationalism’s emphasis on law-keeping in the future, have begun teaching that Christians should keep Old Testament laws now. They require Sabbath observance, dietary laws, and Jewish festivals for Christians.

This movement essentially brings Dake’s future law-keeping into the present, adding requirements to the gospel of grace. Paul specifically warned against this in Galatians, calling it a perversion of the gospel.

Dual Covenant Theology

Some have taken Dake’s separation of Israel and the Church to its logical extreme, teaching that Jews have their own covenant and don’t need Jesus. This “dual covenant” theology suggests Jews are saved by keeping the Torah while Gentiles are saved through Christ.

This heresy denies the universal need for Christ and contradicts the entire book of Romans, which shows that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin and need salvation through faith in Christ.

Hyperdispensationalism

Some have gone even further than Dake, dividing the Church Age itself into multiple dispensations. They teach that only Paul’s later epistles apply to us today, rejecting water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as being for a different dispensation.

This extreme fragmentation of Scripture leaves believers with only a few books of the Bible, robbing them of the full counsel of God.

Christian Zionism Extremes

While supporting Israel’s right to exist is reasonable, some have taken Dake’s Israel-Church division to unhealthy extremes. They support any action by modern Israel as divinely ordained, ignoring justice concerns and the need for the gospel.

Biblical support for Israel recognizes both God’s ongoing plan for the Jewish people and their need for salvation through Christ, while also caring about justice for all people in the region.

Correcting the Error: The True Biblical Message

Against Dake’s confusing system of multiple salvations, the Bible presents a beautifully simple and consistent message:

One God

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Not three Gods (as Dake teaches elsewhere), but one God who never changes His nature or His plan.

One Mediator

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Not multiple mediators for different dispensations, but one mediator for all people in all times.

One Gospel

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7). Not multiple gospels, but one gospel progressively revealed.

One Way

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Not multiple ways for different times, but one way for all time.

One Faith

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). Not different faiths for different dispensations, but one faith delivered once for all to the saints (Jude 3).

One People

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Not eternally separated peoples, but one people united in Christ.

One Salvation

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Not multiple salvations, but one salvation for all who believe.

Chapter Summary: Main Points

Prayer Section: Responding to God’s Truth

Action Steps: What Should You Do?

If you’ve been influenced by Dake’s teaching about multiple salvations, here are practical steps to take:

1. Study Romans and Galatians carefully. These books specifically address and refute the idea of salvation by law or works. Read them without dispensational presuppositions.
2. Read Hebrews 11. See how all the Old Testament heroes were saved by faith, not by different dispensational requirements.
3. Examine the gospel presentations in Acts. Notice how the apostles preached the same message to Jews and Gentiles: repentance and faith in Christ.
4. Get a reliable study Bible. Replace your Dake Bible with a solid study Bible like the ESV Study Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, or Reformation Study Bible.
5. Find a Bible-believing church. Look for a church that preaches salvation by grace through faith alone and doesn’t complicate the gospel with dispensational requirements.
6. Share the simple gospel. Practice sharing the gospel in its beautiful simplicity: we are sinners, Christ died for our sins, we must believe in Him to be saved.
7. Study church history. Learn how Christians throughout history have understood salvation. You’ll find remarkable unity on salvation by grace through faith.
8. Memorize key verses. Hide God’s Word in your heart: Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5, Galatians 2:16, Acts 4:12, John 14:6.
9. Pray for discernment. Ask God to help you recognize and reject any teaching that adds to or takes away from the simple gospel.
10. Help others. If you know others confused by extreme dispensationalism, lovingly share the truth with them. Many are sincerely seeking but have been misled.

Conclusion: The Unchanging Gospel

Finis Dake’s teaching about multiple plans of salvation represents a serious departure from biblical Christianity. By fragmenting God’s unified plan of redemption into disconnected dispensations with different requirements, he undermines the very foundation of the faith.

The gospel that saved Abraham is the same gospel that saved Paul, that saved Augustine, that saved Luther, that saves us today, and that will save people until Christ returns. It has always been and will always be salvation by grace through faith in God’s provision, ultimately revealed as Jesus Christ.

This unchanging gospel is our confidence, our hope, and our message to the world. We don’t need complex charts or dispensational expertise. We need Christ, and Him crucified. We need faith in His finished work. We need to rest in God’s unchanging grace.

May we never be moved from the simplicity that is in Christ. May we never add requirements God hasn’t demanded. May we never complicate what God has made simple. And may we always proclaim with confidence the one gospel that has saved people from the beginning: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

The restaurant owner in our opening illustration doesn’t change the rules. Neither does God. The way to the Father has always been through faith in His provision. That provision was promised in the garden, pictured in the sacrifices, prophesied by the prophets, and perfectly provided in Christ. One plan. One gospel. One salvation. Forever.

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Sources and Further Study

Footnotes

This chapter has examined one of Dake’s most dangerous errors—his teaching of multiple plans of salvation. In our next chapter, we’ll examine another serious error: Dake’s Gap Theory and pre-Adamite race teaching, which undermines the biblical account of creation and introduces racist ideas about human origins.

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