Some believers are call dispensationalist. The meaning from the root dispense--referring to how God deals with man. They also believe God has two groups of "special" individuals--one is the Church and the other Israel. The 7 dispensations start with:
1. innocence--this is the period of Adam and Eve in the garden--no sin!
2. Conscience or knowledge--sinning and knowing it! Up to Flood.
3. Government--after the flood, man allowed to eat meat. Death penalty used.
4. Promise or hope--Abraham to Moses--getting the law--God makes covenant with Abraham's seed
5. Law--Moses to Jesus--
6. Grace--time we are in now, it goes to the Millennial Kingdom
7. Millennial Kingdom--1000 year reign of Christ on earth centered in Jerusalem.
Scofield believed the Church would be removed before the 7th period. Believing in these periods is not what makes one a dispensationalist--but the progression of the way man is dealt with is the distinction. Dispensationalists see a clear distinction between God's program for Israel and God's program for the church. God is not finished with Israel. The church didn't take Israel's place. They have been set aside temporarily, but in the End times will be brought back to the promised land, cleansed, and given a new heart. (Gen 12, Deut 30, 2 Sam 7, Jer 31)
This does not have anything to do with what brought me to look at Scofield, but this is what I found interesting. The rapture of the Church was not taught or spoke of before 1800's. Scofield was influenced by Dwight Moody, but John Darby of England was who influenced him most.