Advent Tracts #3 and #4, "The Present Dispensation" Study Materials
Study Guide for Advent Tracts #3 and #4, regarding the Parable of the Wheat and Tares and the Present (Gospel) Dispensation, also called the "Times of the Gentiles"
This is an ad-hoc study, anyone can do it, which includes you if you are reading this now. Just gather these materials and find a quiet place to study. You’ll want to completely immerse yourself for a while.
I will go though these items at our next scheduled meeting, but if you can’t attend or come by some other time, just message me later on substack. I will go through the final “Q&A” section with you.
Gather The Materials
Advent Tract #3 Present Dispensation— Its Course.
Advent Tract #4 Present Dispensation— Its End.
A Bible, or electronic equivalent.
Paper and a writing instrument. [This is important due to the forgetting curve; writing is an aid to memorization.]
Our recent Advent tracts, “Present Dispensation— Its Course,” and “Present Dispensation— Its End,” lay out an entirely grim assessment of the trajectory of this Christian age, also called the Gospel dispensation or “Times of the Gentiles.“
In this exercise you will do some listening, reading, and note-taking. Listen closely to both tracts, read along and follow the text or transcript. You may want to look up the bible verses. At least look up any of which you are unfamiliar.
Review the Parable of the Wheat And Tares in Matthew 13:24–43, and also consider A True Picture; or Description of the State of the Churches, by Robert Atkins 1843, a common tract to find among Adventists in the 1840s and 1850s.
By the time you are finished, you’ll know substantially more about the true course and ultimate end of the Present Dispensation, by which we mean the Church and Gospel work. And hopefully, by the end of it you will no longer be fooled by propaganda about the success and accomplishments of it, how the Church and the world are improving or converting the world, nor indeed of any notion of “improvement” whatsoever.
Of this idea, you will be cured.
Overview
Many decades ago, I saw an interesting television commercial. It was a lawyer standing before a large book case, saying “In all these dusty books, a great idea got lost.”
[A key to good advertising is to illustrate the need, and of course, some victim of a personal injury— seeing all of the “dusty books” realizing they’re never going to read even one of them, shows exactly why they need the attorney.]
In this exercise, we have a similar situation, but what you need is not a lawyer, but some Advent tracts and a bible study, and we will look for the lost idea, which is not is great in its goodness, but great in its horror.
The idea lost is that, If the bible predicts anything at all about the TRUE COURSE of the GENTILE CHURCH (by which we mean the GOSPEL WORK), it is that there is NO COMING IMPROVEMENT. It begins well, but then men slept, an enemy sews tares, and this mixed state continues with both the good seed and the evil— and remains this way until the end— with the church and the world only becoming steadily worse and worse, until the gathering and binding, until such time it all becomes so degraded Christ Himself must intervene in Judgment.
[We even read that unless these days are shortened, there would be no flesh saved at all. Matthew 24:22.]
There is no scene of any improvement for this earth until the wicked are all destroyed out of it, and the earth is made new, then the righteous may safely dwell here.
[Although one could argue that, technically speaking, the destruction of the wicked is actually the improvement, so in that way it is ultimately improved.]
The general course of the present dispensation then, also called the Time, or Dispensation of the Gentiles, is shown to be in steady decline in these tracts, with a lessening in goodness, and a steady increase in evil.
Rather than progressing towards an eventual state of glory and exaltation (which some believe will happen in a “Temporal” Millennium), the bible shows that this dispensation reveals a steady, consistent trend of apostasy—a great falling away from the faith once held at its beginning.
[If you are inclined to highlight words, you might considering highlighting words which indicating a downward moral direction, such as “falling away,” “declension”, “decay”, “as it was in the days of Lot,” “darkness” and so forth.]
Beginning with the early church and continuing down to the present, this decline is marked by more and more darkness and evil, rather than by light and righteousness. Here, her downward moral trajectory is likened to a retrograde movement, akin to a sunset rather than a sunrise, indicating that the brightest days of the church are long behind it, and what lies ahead is only darker, and darker still. As far as any true Christians remaining, Himes observes only rare grains of gold, in vast silts of worldliness.
The analogy of daylight transitioning into night is used in the bible, and in these tracts to illustrate the trajectory of the church, culminating in a state described metaphorically as midnight, signifying an absence of spiritual vitality and the dark predominance of apostasy.
The End of the Present Dispensation
Concerning the end of the present dispensation, the conclusion drawn is one of judgment. Himes asserts that the trajectory of growing evil naturally leads to the final scenes of great climactic judgment, where the current age will conclude not in a glorious triumph but through divine wrath, which will end it. It will only be improved (or, ameliorated) by being done away with.
The scriptures portray an vivid end marked by destruction for a world that has increasingly spurned divine mercy and grace. The overwhelming presumption given the current state of affairs is that such unfaithfulness, characterized by the neglect and abuse of God’s mercy, which culminates in a catastrophic divine intervention. [It is the stone that strikes the image. Daniel 2:24.]
It is also foreseen that owing to proportionate light and truth, the coming judgment will be extreme for an age defined by both extraordinary grace and privilege, thus, extraordinary guilt— and that this judgment will be far worse than that great Judgment upon the Jewish Nation, with any previous example in scripture being but a shadow or faint outline of the coming, world-wide destruction.
Key Themes & Concepts
Nature of the Present Dispensation: The current age is characterized by a mixture of good and evil, with evil growing increasingly dominant over time.
Scriptural Foundations: Himes references numerous Scriptures, particularly from Revelation, Daniel, and the Psalms, to substantiate his claims about judgment and the end of the current dispensation.
Judgment and Apostasy: A significant theme is that the present dispensation will conclude with judgment due to widespread apostasy, similar to previous biblical economies.
Transition to the Kingdom: The conclusion that the current economy or “dispensation” will not transition into a Utopian state but rather will undergo a massive convulsion resulting in the establishment of Christ’s eternal kingdom.
Urgency of Repentance: Himes emphasizes the need for individuals to repent and seek refuge before the impending judgment. This is the impetus behind the various calls to “Flee out!” “Babylon is Fallen!” and so forth.
Some Questions You Might Consider.
[Some machine generated analysis, but you might get some value from it. Remember, we’re only going through the final Q&A Section.]
What does Himes suggest is the trajectory of the Present Dispensation?
Discuss how the text portrays the nature and progression of good and evil within the current church and world.
How does Himes interpret the role of God’s mercy and judgment in the Present Dispensation?
Analyze his perspective on how mercy and abuse of grace correlate with eventual judgment.
In what way does Himes believe the end of the Present Dispensation will manifest?
Identify the biblical passages he references concerning the nature of this ending.
Textual Analysis
Examine Revelation 11:15-18. How does Himes use this passage to support his argument about the future kingdom?
What elements from the passage does he highlight as pivotal?
Discuss the significance of Daniel 2:31-45 in Himes’ argument. What does this passage illustrate about the transition from gentile kingdoms to Christ’s eternal kingdom?
How does he describe the characteristics of each kingdom mentioned?
In what ways does Himes connect the ‘little horn’ from Daniel 7 to contemporary conditions?
Analyze his viewpoint regarding the ‘little horn’ and how it relates to the current church’s failures.
Critical Thinking
Do you find Himes’ conclusions about the Present Dispensation convincing? Why or why not?
Reflect on the historical and contemporary implications of his arguments.
Himes mentions a pattern of divine wrath following periods of mercy. Discuss how this principle applies to past economies according to Himes.
What examples does he provide, and how does this inform his expectations for the present?
Consider Himes’ call to action for readers to ‘flee to the covert.’ What does this entail in the context of his message?
Discuss the implications of his urgent tone on personal faith and community engagement.
Reflection
How can the themes presented in Himes’ message regarding the end of the Present Dispensation influence modern faith practices?
Propose ways believers can interpret and apply Himes’ insights in contemporary settings.
Reflect on the implications of waiting for a new kingdom as Himes describes. How does this impact a believer’s perspective on current world events?
Discuss whether this expectation encourages complacency or active engagement in faith.
Additional Resources
Biblical Passages for Further Study:
Psalm 37 and other references about the righteous inheriting the earth.
Romans 11:13-22 for understanding the principles of mercy and judgment.
Vocabulary Words
Here is a list of vocabulary words from the provided text, including definitions for words that are at or above a 9th-grade reading level:
Dispensation
Definition: A period in history during which God governs the world in a particular way. It often refers to the arrangement of different historical phases or covenants in Christian theology. This is not referring to “dispensationalism” but different periods of time, and different forms of the Gospel message.Apostasy
Definition: The abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief, particularly a departure from one’s faith.Consummate
Definition: To bring to a state of perfection; to complete something in a perfect manner or to achieve a superior level in a particular field.Incarnate
Definition: Embodied in flesh; to embody a deity or spirit in a physical form.Devour
Definition: To eat something eagerly or greedily; typically used in a metaphorical sense to indicate consuming something in a destructive manner.Indignation
Definition: Anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment; often linked with a moral discontent.Retribution
Definition: Punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act; the notion of delivering justice or punishment.Heathen
Definition: A person who does not belong to a widely held religion (especially one who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim); often used in a derogatory context to describe someone considered uncivilized or irreligious.Proportionate
Definition: Corresponding in size or amount to something else; the relationship between two things in terms of their quantitative aspects.Transmute
Definition: To change in form, nature, or substance; to alter in a significant way.Ameliorate
Definition: Making something better or improving a situation, especially regarding a problem or difficulty.Antagonistic
Definition: Showing or feeling active opposition or hostility toward someone or something.Perpetuate
Definition: To make something continue indefinitely; to preserve or prolong a situation or idea.Judgment
Definition: This word has multiple meanings, but mostly what we are concerned with here is: a disaster or calamity which comes as a result of Divine punishment.
Final Q&A
What is meant by the word economy?
the wealth and resources of a country
to save money
a system
management of affairs and resources
a dispensation
all of the above
How does the article characterize the course of the Present Dispensation?
What bible passages are referenced to support the claim of impending judgment?
What metaphor is used to describe the decline of the Church during the Present Dispensation?
According to the article, what is the relationship between mercy and judgment in God’s dealings?
Describe the role of Christ in the coming judgment according to the text.
What does the article stage is necessary for the coming of the better Kingdom after judgment?
Mention any significant historical events the article uses to illustrate impending judgment. [Include any others you can think of]
What warning does the author give to the readers regarding the current state of the world?