The Dispensations
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When learning about dispensations, first we have to understand that scriptural revelation falls into well defined periods.
When we understand that scripture is broken into parts based upon how God related to man in curtain periods of time, we will be able to properly interpret the scriptures.
“Dispensationalism is derived from normal, or literal, interpretation of the Bible . It is impossible to interpret the Bible in its normal, literal sense without realizing that there are different ages and dispensations.”
Theres many different things we can learn morally or philosophically from different dispensations in the Bible. We also learn about the character of God in different dispensation, about the coming of Christ etc. etc. which is all vital. But maybe somethings will not be applicable.
Dispensations help us to properly relate to God now, and how to properly interpret the scripture.
“A dispensation can be defined as a stage in the progressive revelation of God constituting a distinctive stewardship or rule of life.”
There is a progressive revelation of God.
for example the church age was hidden in the OT ie. before Christ came and physically came to earth.
There was no longer properly understood and interpreted before Moses was given the law in Ex. 21.
But the law was written on mans hearts.
Also when understanding dispensations it helps us understand what law is for us and not for us.
In the OT Moses was command to stone a man for gathering sticks on the sabbath.
32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.
34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
No one would apply this law now because we are living in a different dispensation.
Under the theocracy where God had gifted Prophets and Priest and His law to rule over Gods people this was acceptable.
“A dispensation is normally marked off by a new divine appointment and responsibilities with which it begins and by divine judgement with which it ends.”
We will get into that in a second and explain after each dispensation.
There are over arching themes that transcends the dispensations. So to speak.
Like the character and nature of God. He doesn’t change based on the dispensation who God is remains the same.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Gods redemption doesn’t change.
The redemption narrative started at the begining it doesn’t church.
His grace doesn’t change. Thats who He is!
So there seven dispensations commonly recognized in scripture. 1) innocence 2) conscience 3) government 4) promise 5) law 6) grace 7) millennial kingdom.
Dispensation of Innocence: Age of Liberty
This dispensation stared with the creation of man Gen. 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
And ended with the fall of man Gen 3:6
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
In this dispensation
Man was give to human responsibility of being fruitful, subduing the earth , having dominion over animals , eating vegetable's for food and caring for the garden of Eden
During this dispensation one rule was give not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Although man was given a blessed estate, perfect body, mind and nature everything needed to enjoy life.
Eve and Adam succum to the temptation and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil .
As a result divine judgment came, spiritual death, knowledge of sin, fear of God, and loss of fellowship with God
But even after this fall and the shift of dispensation God still had a promise of a redeemer that was to come.
Dispensation of Conscience: Age of Human Determination
This dispensation began immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve.
A curse was placed upon Satan. Gen 3:14-15
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
But a cruse also fell on Adam and Eve. Gen 3:16-19
16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
So during this dispensation no code or rules where given to man but he was responsible to live according to his own conscience and keeping with the knowledge that God as given him.
But even under conscience man continue to fail.
“Conscience could convict, but it can not bring victory.”
9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
During this dispensation man had sin running through there vains .
- during this dispensation we see the first murder who is Cain
- Cain murdered his brother though instructed by God to do otherwise.
The resulting civilization of Cain was evil.
- Mans heart was continually evil to the point God had to destroy the earth with a Universal flood and the only survivors was Noah and his family.
So God gives His rules, man fails God executes judgement and He starts again by giving grace.
Dispensation of Human Government: Covenant with Noah
-This dispensation covers the period from Genesis 8:20–9:17“
-God gave a unconditional covenant to Noah, that He will never destroy the earth by flood again.
21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
He promised that seasons in the course of nature will change.
He told man to continue to multiple and have dominion over the animals
Now eating animal where allow but there blood was forbidden
But most important was the establishment of government Gen. 9:5-6 .
5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.
6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
But Noah love alcohol found drunk and naked; his son Ham tried to uncover him.
Now we have a grave enemy of the plan of God.
Now we have human conscience and government and both never curbed mans sin.
The short comings of man and Gods redemption.
Dispensation of Promise: Covenant With Abraham
In this dispensation was about human responsibility to trust in the promises of Abraham.
This revelation included the promises of Abraham
and the promise of Israel Abraham seed.
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
Also blessing the entire earth through Abraham
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
This covenant is important because it emphasis that Israel is a nation forever, have the title to the nation forever and have the special sign of circumision.
13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
Theres many different failures that takes place
Jacobs sons failed by selling Joseph into slavery
Israel wanted to go back into Egypt after slavery etc. etc,
But though the promise was given it still failed to bring conformity to Gods perfect will for humanity,
So now the law is introduced as a school master
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
The Dispensation of The Law
So the dispensation of The Law begin in
3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
and extends throughout to the day of Pentecost.
Btw the Mosiac law was to Israel alone and Gentiles where not judged by its standards.
The law contained a detailed system of works including three major divisions:
The commandments ( the express will of God) Ex. 20:1-26) The judgements ( the social and civil life of Israel Ex. 21:1-24:11) The ordinances ( the religious life of Israel Ex. 24:12-31:18)
Dispensation of Grace/Church
Dispensation of the Kingdom