The late twentieth century witnessed a shift in the thinking and teaching of theologians on how to "rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim. 2:15)". This trend is continuing in the twenty-first century and is now being strenuously promoted by those who vehemently oppose traditional dispensational teaching.

The greatest challenges to traditional Dispensational Theology in this present hour come from those who espouse the teachings of Reformed Covenant Theology and what has become known as Progressive Dispensationalism. The problem stems from the fact that there are some misconceptions about dispensational teaching that need to be addressed and some weaknesses concerning opposing viewpoints that need to be exposed. This challenge is not being vigorously confronted in the present hour because of the popularity and prominence of those who espouse these theologically divergent systems and the reluctance of the proponents of dispensationalism to be labeled as divisive or fanatic.