From Dispensationalism to Progressive Revelation: An Analysis of Rev. Matthew Littlefield's Theological Journey.
Rev. Matthew Littlefield has recently written about his journey from being raised in a church environment, discovering the emptiness of the world, and then encountering Jesus Christ, ultimately returning to the Christian fold. In this process, he has had to confront various misconceptions that have permeated the church environment. His tone is deeply personal, charting a shift in his eschatological views after years of immersion in Scripture and critical theological engagement.
Yet, as transparent and courageous as his journey has been, the narrative also reveals that his transformation remains partial. He has moved from unquestioning adherence to Dispensationalism to a more integrated, historically aware reading of Scripture, but he continues to operate within the constraints of inherited dogma—particularly regarding Trinitarian theology and the remnants of futurist eschatology. This analysis seeks to honor the sincerity of his progression while identifying the deeper layers of programming that still shape his interpretive framework. It also aims to trace where such a journey may ultimately lead if carried through to its logical, Spirit-led conclusion.
The Nature of Human Programming and Religious Conditioning
Every human being, regardless of background or belief, is subject to deep psychological and cultural programming. It begins in infancy, with language acquisition—our first filter of reality. From there, acculturation teaches the child to conform to the values, fears, and assumptions of their environment: first the home, then the community, and eventually the world. In this complex dance of assimilation, individuals form their belief systems not in a vacuum of truth-seeking, but in an environment of inherited authority.
Religious belief is no exception. Theology is often absorbed before it is ever examined. In the case of Littlefield, his early formation in Pentecostal and Baptist contexts saturated him with Dispensationalist assumptions. These were not presented as interpretive options, but as divine certainties: that Israel is God’s prophetic timepiece, that a pre-tribulational rapture is imminent, and that certain geopolitical events are fulfillments of biblical prophecy. These ideas were not merely doctrinal; they were deeply embedded cultural narratives.
The Spark of Awakening: Immersion in the Scriptures
What distinguishes Littlefield from many who remain in inherited paradigms is his commitment to read the Bible for himself—systematically and devotionally. His decision to prioritize Scripture over novels, and his method of reading both Old and New Testaments daily, became the primary instrument of his transformation. It is often in the collision between sincere reading and ingrained theology that reformation begins.
Littlefield discovered, as many do, that the Bible does not say what Dispensationalism claims it says. The rapture is not plainly taught. The so-called "seven-year tribulation" is not laid out as a future event. The nation of Israel is not exalted above other peoples in the New Testament. He began to see one unified people of God throughout Scripture—defined not by ethnicity, but by faith in Christ.
This immersion in Scripture brought about a narrative awareness. He saw how the Old is fulfilled in the New, how promises and types converge in Christ, and how the Bible is not a disconnected collection of prophecies but a unified redemptive arc. This insight marked a significant departure from the chart-based, headline-driven theology he was raised in.
The Courage to Question: Exiting Dispensationalism
Littlefield's rejection of Dispensationalism is courageous, especially in circles where questioning the prophetic status of modern Israel or denying the rapture is tantamount to heresy. He admits to having once viewed war in the Middle East as proof of the end times and having assumed a binary of faithful rapture-ready Christians versus a world under judgment.
His reevaluation of these views coincided with influence from Bible college, mentorship under a non-Dispensationalist pastor, and sustained theological reading. He names figures like Graeme Goldsworthy and Walter Kaiser as instrumental in helping him see the Bible as a progressively unfolding narrative centered on Christ rather than national Israel.
The Lingering Chains: Trinitarian and Futurist Programming
Despite his growth, Littlefield’s article reveals unresolved areas where inherited doctrine still shapes his theology. He appeals to Trinitarian logic in critiquing Dispensationalism's "two brides" error, stating that since God is one in three persons, assigning Israel to the Father and the Church to Christ implies divine polygamy. This reveals that while he has challenged eschatological systems, he has not examined the foundation of Nicene theology that defines God in philosophical categories foreign to Scripture.
The Trinity, as articulated by post-apostolic councils, is a formulation rooted in Greek metaphysical constructs—"persons," "essence," "substance"—absent from the apostolic writings. Littlefield refers to this framework as if it is self-evident and biblically grounded, rather than historically developed. This suggests that his hermeneutic, while maturing, still operates within a Western systematic grid that filters his reading of Scripture.
Similarly, though he acknowledges the possibility that the "seven-year tribulation" may have been fulfilled during the Jewish-Roman war of AD 66–73, he still treats the category itself as legitimate. This concept originates from an isolated and speculative interpretation of Daniel 9:27, artificially separated from its covenantal context. Dispensationalism severs the 70th week from the previous 69 and projects it into a future timeline, yet Littlefield still refers to it as if it has interpretive value. This inconsistency reveals how the vocabulary of a system can persist long after the logic has been abandoned.
Romans 11 and the Illusion of Ethnic Destiny
Littlefield states that he will address Romans 11 in another post, admitting that Christian Zionists use it as their final theological stronghold. His decision to defer this discussion is significant. Romans 11 is often misread to suggest a future national conversion of Israel, but it can be better understood in its immediate context: as a warning against Gentile arrogance, a declaration of the mystery of God’s mercy toward all people, and a reaffirmation that "all Israel" refers to the fullness of God's elect from both Jew and Gentile.
By failing to unpack Romans 11 fully, Littlefield leaves an open door to Zionist reinterpretation. This, again, reflects that his journey is not yet complete. Until he definitively rejects the idea of a dual covenantal destiny—one for the Church and another for ethnic Israel—he remains susceptible to relapse into modified forms of Dispensationalism.
Where the Journey Leads If Finished
If Littlefield continues on his present path—reading Scripture independently
of inherited grids, discerning typological fulfillment, and resisting cultural
pressure—his theological clarity will deepen. Several conclusions are likely to
emerge:
1. A Non-Trinitarian, Christ-centered Monotheism: The New Testament affirms that God is one. Jesus is the manifestation of God in flesh, and the Holy Spirit is His presence (living and abiding in Him—see Proverbs 30:3-4), not a distinct person floating around in the ether. The Trinity, as traditionally taught, is an accretion of later philosophy onto a Hebraic revelation.
2. Fulfillment of Daniel’s Seventieth Week: The entirety of Daniel’s 69 weeks culminates in Christ—His baptism, ministry, death, and the covenantal judgment on Jerusalem, with a future seven-year period remaining prior to His return. But this is not the Great Tribulation. Tribulation, in its historical sense, has occurred and is still occurring around the world for Christians.
3. Israel as a Spiritual Reality, Not a Political Entity: The Israel of God is composed of those in Christ, not those in geopolitical structures. The Church is not a replacement but a continuation of God’s people—the olive tree into which Gentiles are grafted.
4. The End as Revelation, Not Escape: Eschatology is not only about predicting the Antichrist or escaping tribulation. It is about Christ being revealed, the saints enduring, and the Kingdom advancing. The obsession with prophetic timelines will give way to a love of righteousness and readiness to be changed in a twinkling of an eye.
5. The Spirit Over System: The voice of the Spirit must be allowed to override the creeds, councils, and commentaries of man. The more Littlefield yields to Scripture itself, the less he will need to lean on systematic theology to explain Scripture away.
The Obstacle: Theological Inertia and Tribal Identity
Littlefield’s journey will not be without resistance. Institutions are built on consensus. Most Christians do not read the Bible to find truth, but to reinforce the categories they already trust. Stepping outside the doctrinal matrix threatens one’s belonging—relationally, vocationally, and intellectually. But truth demands this price.
Every stage of awakening isolates the seeker further from their former tribe. First, one questions the rapture. Then the uniqueness of Israel; then the seven-year tribulation; then why the Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible when the Apostles baptized people into Jesus’ name. Each step peels away another layer of programming. The final steps involve questioning the very architecture of religious orthodoxy: the creeds, the councils, the confessions.
If Littlefield dares to continue, he will lose credibility in certain circles, but he will gain something greater: the ability to see and speak what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
| Belief | Then (Dispensationalist) | Now (Post-Bible immersion) |
|---|---|---|
| Israel’s role | Central in God’s future plan | No longer unique—only believers in Jesus are God’s people |
| 7-year tribulation | Future, worldwide, related to modern Israel | Possibly fulfilled in AD 66–73 |
| Rapture | Pre-trib rapture before tribulation | No biblical support—only one second coming |
| Hermeneutics | Literalist and chart-based | Narrative-based, typological, context-sensitive |
| View of prophecy | Predictive and headline-driven | Fulfilled typologically in Christ and church history |
Conclusion: A Voice in Mid-Transition
Rev. Matthew Littlefield is a man in motion. He has left behind the prophetic idolatry of Dispensationalism (where time is divided into seven epochs) and embraced a more Christ-centered, narrative-rich approach to Scripture. But he still carries the vocabulary and assumptions of the system he left.
He affirms the Trinity without exploring its extra-biblical origins. He questions the secret rapture but retains tribulation language. He resists Zionism but postpones engagement with Romans 11. These tensions are not condemnations; they are signs of a sincere seeker moving from indoctrination to revelation.
Should he finish the race, Littlefield may yet become more than a critic of Dispensationalism. He may become a clarion voice that exposes all theological constructs that hinder the knowledge of God. He may teach others not simply to reject systems, but to see Christ afresh—outside the constraints of creed, culture, and tradition.
In so doing, he will not only be liberated himself. He will become an agent of liberation for others: a man who escaped the labyrinth, not by taking a different path within it, but by rising above it entirely.
Let him who has ears to hear, hear.
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