Dispensational Eschatology and the Rejection of the Universal Imago Dei

The doctrine of the imago Dei (that all human beings are created in the image of God) has been foundational to Christian theological anthropology. It asserts the inherent dignity, worth, and calling of all people to reflect God’s nature and purposes. This doctrine is not merely an abstract concept but has profound implications for how Christians understand salvation, community, and eschatology.

Dispensational eschatology, a theological system that emerged in the 19th century through John Nelson Darby and was later systematised by C. I. Scofield and Lewis Sperry Chafer, is characterised by a rigid distinction between Israel and the Church, a premillennialist expectation of history’s unfolding, and a reading of biblical prophecy that prioritises ethnic Israel’s destiny over a unified vision of redemption. While its proponents argue that it upholds biblical truth, dispensationalism, particularly in its classical and popular forms, introduces a theological framework that fractures the unity of humanity under the imago Dei, dividing history into dispensations where God relates differently to different groups of people.

In this post, we will argue that dispensational eschatology ultimately functions as a rejection of the universal imago Dei by:

1. Dividing humanity into separate redemptive programs (Israel and the Church), contradicts the biblical vision of humanity as one image-bearing community.

2. Undermining the eschatological reconciliation of all things in Christ, which is central to a holistic understanding of the imago Dei.

3. Implicitly limiting the dignity and unity of all people by constructing an eschatology that prioritises national Israel at the expense of a universal vision of redemption.

   
   

By engaging with key theological voices such as Jürgen Moltmann, N. T. Wright, and Karl Barth, we will demonstrate how dispensational eschatology, despite its claims to biblical fidelity, distorts the inclusive and universal nature of God’s image in humanity.

The Imago Dei as a Universal Calling and Destiny

The doctrine of the imago Dei is first articulated in Genesis 1:26-27, where humanity as a whole, without ethnic, national, or temporal distinction, is created in God’s image. This image is not restricted to Israel but encompasses all people, reflecting a universal human calling to steward creation and participate in God’s purposes.

Throughout Scripture, this universal vision is maintained. The Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3) establishes Israel as a blessing to “all the families of the earth,” not as a privileged class set apart from the rest of humanity in an eternal redemptive hierarchy. The prophetic tradition repeatedly points to a future where all nations will worship the Lord together (Isaiah 2:2-4, Zechariah 14:9). In the New Testament, the imago Dei is reaffirmed in Christ, who is described as the true image of God (Colossians 1:15) and in whom all people, Jew and Gentile alike, are reconciled (Ephesians 2:11-22).

A robust eschatology, then, should affirm this trajectory: God’s purpose is to bring all humanity into the fullness of the imago Dei in Christ, restoring and renewing creation without artificial divisions. However, dispensational eschatology, with its rigid distinction between Israel and the Church, fractures this unity.

Dispensationalism and the Fracturing of the Imago Dei

1. Dividing Humanity into Separate Redemptive Plans

Classical dispensationalism teaches that God has two distinct peoples: Israel and the Church. According to this framework, Israel represents God’s earthly people, while the Church represents His heavenly people. This distinction leads to a theological dualism that persists even in eternity, with Israel receiving a literal earthly kingdom while the Church inhabits a separate heavenly reality.

This division implicitly denies the universality of the imago Dei by assigning different eschatological destinies to different groups of people. Rather than affirming a single human family, all bearing the image of God and moving toward the same ultimate telos, dispensationalism fractures humanity into parallel, unequal tracks. This contradicts the biblical vision of unity in Christ, where there is “neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Theologically, this separation suggests that imagining God is not a universal human vocation but something that operates differently depending on one’s place in redemptive history. This contradicts patristic and Reformed traditions that see the imago Dei as an abiding, universal reality that finds its fulfilment in Christ’s reconciliation of all things (Colossians 1:19-20).

2. Undermining the Cosmic Reconciliation of All Things in Christ

A crucial aspect of biblical eschatology is the restoration of all creation in Christ. Paul’s vision in Romans 8:19-23 describes the entire cosmos groaning for redemption, not just one nation or people. The universal imago Dei finds its fulfilment in the renewal of all things, where every tribe, tongue, and nation worships together before God (Revelation 7:9).

However, dispensational eschatology undermines this vision by maintaining an eternal distinction between Israel and the Church. Even in the New Heaven and New Earth, dispensationalists often envision a continued separation, with Israel occupying a privileged position. This not only disrupts the biblical vision of unity in Christ but also contradicts the eschatological hope found in theologians like Jürgen Moltmann, who argues that the true meaning of eschatology is the unification of humanity and creation in God’s transformative justice (The Coming of God, 1996).

In contrast to dispensationalism’s fragmentation, N. T. Wright (2013) argues that the eschaton is the moment when heaven and earth are fully united, bringing together all people in Christ without distinction. The imago Dei, then, is not something divided into separate redemptive categories but is restored as a universal reality for all people.

3. The Implicit Devaluation of Non-Israelite Humanity

A final consequence of dispensational eschatology is its implicit devaluation of non-Israelite humanity. By prioritising Israel’s national restoration and maintaining a distinction between Israel and the Church even in the eschaton, dispensationalism implicitly creates a theological hierarchy of human worth.

If Israel alone maintains a unique covenantal status even in eternity, what does this suggest about the rest of humanity? Theologically, this disrupts the biblical teaching that all people bear the image of God equally. If some are eschatologically privileged in a way that others are not, the imago Dei becomes functionally limited, no longer a shared human vocation but a tiered reality.

This is in stark contrast to theologians like Karl Barth, who argues that the imago Dei is a relational reality, not a national or ethnic one. Barth sees the imago Dei as fundamentally tied to humanity’s capacity for relationship with God, something that applies universally, not selectively (Church Dogmatics III/1). Dispensationalism’s division of humanity undermines this by turning imaging God into something different depending on one’s covenantal identity.

Conclusion: A Call for a Truly Universal Eschatology

Dispensational eschatology, by dividing humanity into separate redemptive programs, rejecting the universal reconciliation of all people in Christ, and implicitly creating a theological hierarchy, functions as a rejection of the universal imago Dei. While it claims to uphold biblical prophecy, it does so at the cost of fracturing the unity of humanity and undermining the eschatological hope of cosmic renewal.

A truly biblical eschatology must affirm that all people are created in God’s image and called to a shared destiny in Christ. Rather than reinforcing artificial divisions between Israel and the Church, biblical eschatology must embrace the vision of Revelation 21, where God dwells with all His people in a renewed creation. The imago Dei is not an exclusive possession of any one group but a universal reality that finds its fulfilment in the reconciliation of all things in Christ.

In light of this, dispensationalism should be critically re-evaluated, not only for its eschatological claims but for its implications for theological anthropology. The hope of the gospel is not the elevation of one people over another but the restoration of all humanity into the fullness of God’s image: a reality in which no division remains.

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References

• Barth, K. (1960). Church Dogmatics III/1. T&T Clark.

• Moltmann, J. (1996). The Coming of God: Christian Eschatology. Fortress Press.

• Scofield, C. I. (1909). The Scofield Reference Bible. Oxford University Press.

• Wright, N. T. (2013). Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Fortress Press.