DISPENSATIONS

this means that He created Adam and Eve as personal beings with a capacity for fellowship with Himself. This is an awesome thought, that created man could have fellowship with his Creator. Even more awesome is the thought that the Creator could have fellowship with man. Man was created a personal being so that the fellowship would be voluntary; not as a puppet being manipulated by God. Furthermore, God did not create Adam and Eve to be alone. He created them to multiply and fill the earth with the human race. Thus created holy, personal, social beings, members of the human race would have unhindered fellowship with God and with one another.

Adam and Eve were created holy with nothing to mar fellowship with God, but when they disobeyed that fellowship was broken. God, however, did not abandon them. He provided a way for them to be restored into fellowship and accomplish God’s original purpose for them. Though God provided only one way of restoration, He has supervised the human race down through the ages in various ways. These ways of supervision are referred to as “dispensations.”

Let it be understood that, as we speak of different dispensations, in no case are we talking about different programs of salvation. . Salvation has always been and will always be “by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). The wages of sin is death. God sent His Son to pay the death penalty and offers forgiveness to all who accept this substitute payment in simple faith. We believe that Adam and Eve demonstrated their faith in God by accepting the coverings of skins of animals, which God provided. We are told that Abraham believed God and this was counted to him for righteousness (Gal. 3:6). Today we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The 144,000, along with others in the Tribulation Period, as well as people in the Millennium, will be saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ who died in their place. For salvation, there is no other way.

Addressing the matter of dispensations: The Greek term oikonomia is translated in the King James Version “dispensation” or “stewardship.” It speaks of the management of a household or the supervision of household affairs. When we speak of “dispensations” in relation to God’s program for the human race, we speak of the manner in which God manages the human race. This relates to the instruction and help that God gives in order that man may fulfill his ultimate purpose, i.e. to bring God glory by fellowship with Him and in obedience subduing the earth and reigning over it.

As we attempt to understand God’s dealings with the human race down through the ages, we recognize that we are working with limited information. The Bible is God’s message to the human race. It has a complete explanation of God’s program for the restoration of fallen man. However, in speaking of dispensations or manners in which God has supervised the human race in different periods, the information is quite limited. Of the 1175 chapters in the 66 Books of the Bible, only 11 chapters of the first Book are used to record the history of the first three dispensations.

Of these 11 chapters, the first two deal with creation and the instructions given to Adam and Eve. Chapter three deals with the fall, which brought the first dispensation to a close. Chapter 4 relates to the second dispensation. Chapter 5 is given to genealogy, and chapters 6 through 8 deal with the flood which concluded the second dispensation and prepared for the third. Chapter 9 introduces the third dispensation. Chapter 10 gives a genealogy covering that period. Chapter 11 describes the consummation of dispensation three, and prepares for dispensation four, and about half of this chapter is given to genealogy. Thus we recognize that we are working with rather limited information as we seek to describe God’s dealing with the human race in these early dispensations.

This period begins with the creation of Adam and Eve as recorded in Genesis 1:28-29. “ And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

This gives the positive elements of God’s instruction. They were to have children; they were to subdue the earth and have dominion over the animal life; and they were given vegetation for food. Chapter two, verse 17 adds one prohibition with a statement of the consequences if they disobeyed. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The human race, consisting at that time of Adam and Eve, were put to a simple test. Would they obey God, or would they disobey Him: If they obeyed, fellowship with God would be continued. If they disobeyed, the consequence would be death. Further revelation explains the full nature of that death. The basic thought of death is separation. There would be physical separation of soul from body. Man, who was created in fellowship with God, would also be separated from that fellowship with God.

We are not given details as to the nature and extent of God’s fellowship with Adam and Eve in the early days following creation. There was such fellowship, but how long it continued or its full nature we are not told. In chapter three verse eight we read, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” This would suggest that God came to have fellowship with them at stated times, perhaps frequently. The nature of these visits is not described, but could God have at that time made His presence known in some physical form? Perhaps in a human form? Perhaps a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ? This, of course involves a certain amount of speculation, but it clearly indicates something other than the omnipresent God in spirit form communicating with them. They seemed to consider God in some localized form coming to fellowship with them. When they disobeyed God’s instruction, they realized that they were no longer acceptable to have fellowship with Him. Having eaten of the forbidden fruit, we read, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen. 3:7). Thus, they tried to make themselves acceptable for God’s coming, but recognizing their failure, they tried to hide.

Though the full details of God’s dealing with Adam and Eve at that time are not preserved for us, God may have given them a rather complete explanation of His program of salvation. This would have included information that the promised Seed would be God Himself uniting with the human race. In that way, as a perfect man, He would pay the death penalty for all who would accept Him. This would be accomplished and offered freely to all men. Man would need only to believe God and accept His provision.

The suggestion that God explained this to Adam and Eve at this time is supported by the report that God provided Adam and Eve covering which made them acceptable to again have fellowship with Him. In Genesis 3:21 we read, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Providing a covering to make one acceptable before God through the shedding of blood would have served as an object lesson to explain salvation through the death of Christ. At this time God would also have instructed them to give testimony to their accepting this payment by bringing an animal sacrifice involving the shedding of blood.

Thus , at the time of man’s rebellion, God instituted and explained His one program of salvation. In later centuries more specific details would be recorded, but the program would never be changed. God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, entered the human race by way of the virgin birth, lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death, rose again the third day and ascended into heaven at a point in history. That substitutionary death was valid for human beings in every age, both before and after the historic event. God never provided and He will never provide a different plan of salvation. He has, however, made changes in the programs under which He manages the human race in helping them fulfill His purpose for them. The second such period has been designated the Dispensation of Conscience.

God created man with a conscience, a warning system to alert him when he did what was wrong. He experienced that signal first when he disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. Now that he was a sinner, conscience would sound warning every time he did what was wrong. To understand how the conscience functions, we must recognize that there are standards, which serve as a basis for evaluating one's action. There is also the voice, which produces the sense of guilt when one violates those standards. In the initial creation, God provided the standards by specifically telling man what he should do and what he should not do. He experienced a sense of' guilt when he violated those standards by eating the forbidden fruit. In succeeding generations, parents would be responsible to teach those standards to their children.

God ordained the family as a social unit by creating Adam and Eve with the capacity to reproduce themselves and populate the earth. Parents were not only to give birth to children, but also to bring them to maturity so as to establish their own families with children. Since Adam and Eve sinned before they had children, children born to them inherited their sin natures. Thus, it became the responsibility of the parents to instruct their children how they could come back into fellowship with God. They were also to teach them proper standards by which conscious would judge their actions as right or wrong. In this way their children, born with sin natures, could come back into fellowship with God, know God's purpose for them, and have standards by which conscience would direct their actions.

It appears that God also supplemented the parental instruction bv direct communication during this early period. This we gather from the record in Genesis chapter four. Adam and Eve must have instructed their children concerning God's program of salvation and the importance of an animal sacrifice as testimony to having accepted this. Abel brought the proper sacrifice and God was pleased. Cain chose to bring a sacrifice, which was not acceptable. When God was not pleased, Cain became angry. 'I'he record indicates that God offered Cain opportunity to repent and bring the proper sacrifice which was available to him. In Genesis 4:6-7 we read, “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” It is my understanding that God here gave Cain the opportunity to repent and demonstrate faith by bringing the proper sacrifice. “Cain, it is not that you do not have such available; there is a lamb just outside your tent and you have power over him. Believe me, demonstrate this by bringing the proper sacrifice, and you will be accepted.” But Cain, continuing in rebellion, refused to do so.

This dispensation covers the period of time from the fall of Adam and Eve until the time of the flood. How many years were involved, we are not told. If we add up the years given in the genealogies of Genesis 5 we come to 956 years from Adam to Noah. Noah was 600 years old at the time of the flood, so that would make 1556 years from Adam to the flood. Most Bible students today, however, recognize that the genealogies are not complete and were included simply to trace the line of descent and not for the purpose of figuring years. Thus, we do not know how many years were involved. It appears that the human race had spread over much of the earth since God chose to send a worldwide flood in order to destroy that civilization.

By the time of Noah, parental instruction had deteriorated to the point that standards taught children were greatly distorted. Thus, they were living in rebellion against God with rather clear consciences. In Genesis chapter six we read, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (v. 5). We continue to read, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them" (vv. 6-7).

At this point God found only Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives trusting in Him and seeking to live in fellowship with Him. In order to give the human race a new start, God sent the flood and destroyed all of mankind with the exception of Noah's family. With them He continued the human race. In doing so, He also gave man additional help to know and do God’s will. This new dispensation we speak of as the Dispensation of Human Government.

In the new dispensation nothing was subtracted from the helps God had given man. The voice of conscience was still active. The family unit was still in place with parents instructing children as to the standards by which conscience should judge their actions. God still communicated directly with man on occasion. After the flood, He gave instructions concerning a new dispensation. In Genesis 9:6 God instructed, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” With this command we have the institution of human government. This is not a responsibility for each individual to take upon himself. This was to be carried out by members of the human race functioning unitedly in some form of government. The form of government was not spelled out. Over the years God allowed men to form different kinds of governments, but they were given the responsibility of maintaining peace among men and protecting the rights of individuals to exercise freedom as individuals. Individual freedom would be restricted only when it encroached upon the freedom of other individuals.

As this period developed, we again see failure on the part of man in carrying out the responsibilities vested in these institutions. Conscience continued to operate, but standards taught by the parents became confused and distorted so that children walked in rebellion against God without a sense of guilt. Human governments, instead of protecting people and assuring their freedom to worship God and do His will, began to unite people in defiance of God. This was the situation described in Genesis chapter eleven. We read, “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. . . .And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Gen. 11:1, 4).

The world of humanity was again becoming a race united against God as it was in the days of Noah. This time God chose to use a different method of dealing with man. The record in Genesis 11 continues, “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.” (Gen. 11: 6-8).

By confusing the languages, God segmented the human race and scattered them over the face of the earth. Following this, He was able to deal with them by segments, or nations, rather than as one rebellious race. Later we find that He did destroy certain peoples when they reached a certain level of degradation and rebellion. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorah (Gen. 19). He ordered the Children of Israel to destroy peoples living in the land of Canaan because their iniquity was now full (Ex. 23:27ff). Nineveh almost reached the point of destruction during the days of Jonah, but they repented. Later on they did reach that point and were destroyed (Zeph. 2:13).

This dispensation extends from the time of the dispersion at the Tower of Babel to the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Again, the number of years would be difficult to determine. Clearly the 350 years between the flood and Abraham according to Usher’s dating would seem to be insufficient. How many years after the flood it took for the developing human race to unite in defiance of God as described at the tower of Babel we cannot say. But dispersing the human race at that point with the introduction of new languages must have taken place a considerable time before Abraham. The city of Ur at the time of Abraham gave evidence of a highly developed civilization with knowledge of a number of languages. In Egypt Abraham met up with what appeared to be a long established civilization with the great pyramids already in place. Reference is made to Hittites in the time of Abraham and archeologists have discovered the seat of their Empire in Asia Minor. There is every indication that they were by that time a highly developed civilization with a library of some 50,000 volumes.

Though the Scriptural record from this point focuses on the call of Abraham and God’s program being carried through his descendants, there is clear indication that God was at work with other peoples of the world as well. People still experienced all the help that previous generations had had in knowing and doing God’s will. Conscience was active. Families were still responsible to teach their children standards by which conscience could judge right and wrong. Human governments were still responsible to maintain peace and order among men. God was still at times dealing directly with people, cities and nations. The account of Job would seem to fit into this period; perhaps even before Abraham. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedech who was identified as a priest of the most high God. God sent angels to destroy the corrupt cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

While God continued to work with the people of the world, beginning with Genesis 12, the record deals primarily with God’s calling and working with a segment of the human race. God called Abraham to father a chosen race of people. . Through Abraham and his offspring God would preserve a testimony to Himself as the one true God; through them He would bring the Redeemer into the world; and He would use them to give to the world His message in writing. Many of the details of God’s program were now given as promises and later preserved for us in writing. Thus, this dispensation has designated as the Dispensation of Promise.

During this period men again made excuses for their failures. Parents failed to pass along to their children proper standards of right and wrong. Human governments failed to properly apprehend criminals and administer justice. Promises as to God’s program were not clearly passed along from one generation to another. Thus, God gave to man additional help by putting his standards for man into writing. In doing this, He introduced what we might refer to as the Dispensation of the Written Law Code.

This new dispensation was brought about when on Mount Sinai God gave Moses two stone tablets containing Ten Commandments. These served to put into writing a summary of Man.’s responsibilities to God and to his fellow men. Men would no longer have the excuse that parents had failed to pass along proper standards by which conscience could direct them. Neither could they excuse themselves on the basis of governments failing to properly administer justice. God’s standards were now in writing. These would be preserved and passed along from generation to generation. In fact, this has come down through the centuries to us today. In addition to these moral standards, God also gave an array of instructions that applied specifically to His chosen race of people to guide them in their social relationships as well as their religious life.

Though God was working out a special program with Israel during this dispensation, He did not abandon the rest of the human race. Let us remember that God’s program of salvation has always been by grace through faith for all members of the human race. Thus, when Jonah was sent to Nineveh and they turned to God in response to his warning, nothing was said about the people being circumcised and conforming to instructions given specifically to Abraham’s descendants. Though God used a messenger from Israel to extend to them His message of warning, God dealt with them directly and not by way of bringing them through His program with Israel. Nebuchadnezzar was dealt with by God directly and gave testimony to his turning to Him and being restored by Him. God has provided only one program of salvation, but that is sufficient and offered to all men.

Having acknowledged this, we must recognize that the Scriptural account, generally, follows God’s program with and through Israel. We see God carrying out the program promised in the earlier dispensation. The record follows the history of Israel in preparation for the coming of the promised Lamb of God, and it also looks ahead to the promised Kingdom when the Messiah will return to rule and reign. As the Lamb of God, His genealogy is traced all the way back to Adam. He came to pay the death penalty sufficient for every member of the human race. As the promised King of Israel, His genealogy goes back to Abraham and follows the kingly line from David. Prophecies concerning the sacrificial Lamb were fulfilled at the cross, the resurrection and the ascension to heaven. Prophecies concerning the coming King are yet to be fulfilled.

Prophecies of the Messiah coming as the King of Israel were given in some detail with a rather definite timetable. Beginning with the command to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, Israel was to have seventy weeks leading up to the coming of the King. These have been demonstrated to be weeks of years rather than days. The last of these weeks was predicted to be a time of Great Tribulation which would lead to a triumphant coming of the King and an establishment of a Kingdom of peace. Fitting together other prophecy, it is our understanding that this final week will include God’s final appeal to the human race through His 144,000 witnesses, through warning judgments during a coming period of Great Tribulation, and finally the Battle of Armageddon. It is our understanding that this Dispensation of the Written Law Code is now on hold, while another, the Dispensation of the Church, is inserted as a parenthesis.

This has been designated by many as the Dispensation of Grace. It is true that Paul speaks of “the dispensation of the grace of God which given is me to you-ward” (Eph. 3:2). However, designating this dispensation in this way has caused confusion in some minds. If this is the Dispensation of Grace and we are saved by grace, does that not imply that under the Dispensation of the Law people were saved by law? To avoid this confusion, we have designated the previous dispensation the Dispensation of the Written Law Code, and the present, the Dispensation of the Church. In this way there can be no confusion because the church is God’s unique undertaking in this dispensation.

This dispensation began on the day of Pentecost and will conclude with the Rapture. Again in this dispensation nothing has been detracted from the helps God has given for man to know and do His will. There has been further help added. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit initiated new ministries for God’s people. At that time all believers were “baptized by the Holy Spirit” into the body, known as the Body of Christ, or the Church (1 Co. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23). Also, at this time, the Holy Spirit began a new ministry dwelling within each believer. As Christ had promised His disciples, the Holy Spirit who dwelled with them would be in them (John 14:16-17). We now also have the help of God’s complete, inscripturated message. God’s written message was begun about the time of Moses and was added to through the centuries. It was completed toward the end of the first century A.D. with the writings of the apostle John.

Salvation, as in every dispensation, is by grace through faith. In obedience to God’s purpose for man to subdue the earth and reign over it for God’s glory, man has been given additional help in each dispensation. Thus a person living today has all of the helps in knowing and doing God’s will that were had by previous generations. Conscience is active; parents are to instruct children as to standards of right and wrong. Human governments are to administer justice among men. God’s message, promises, and standards recorded in Scripture are complete and available to help one know right from wrong and God’s plan for one’s life. The indwelling Holy Spirit helps us understand God’s Word and His direction for our lives. He also provides enablement to do God’s will. In this dispensation we also have local churches for the purpose of fellowship and help in carrying out God’s program

With all of this provision and help, men still find excuses for their failures. Parents fail to pass along proper standards of right and wrong. Governments fail to administer justice and often promote defiance of God rather than protect the righteous. Men reject or misinterpret the Scripture. Back of all this, Satan is still active in the world. Though he may not be able to manipulate one directly, he is still the great deceiver and many follow his deceptions.

As we consider man’s failures under each of these dispensations, one thing further should be recognized. Ever since the rebellion of Adam and Eve men have inherited a fallen nature from their parents. Though God has prepared a plan of restoration whereby one may be born again and become a new creation in Christ Jesus, the old nature still goes with us through this earthly life. Men have sought and still seek to blame some one else for their failures. One may blame his parents, his government, society, or finally the Devil, but ultimately man must recognize that he himself is to be blamed. This becomes evident in the final Dispensation of the Millennium.

The final dispensation begins (after the final week of the Dispensation of the Written Law Code has run its course) with the personal return of Christ to set up a kingdom of peace and prosperity. This will last 1000 years. This is not the eternal state. People will still be living here upon earth in natural physical bodies and be faced with choices, which will determine their eternal destinies. They will, however, be tested under the most desirable circumstances.

God will bring about physical changes in the earth, which was cursed at the time of the fall. The ground will again produce bountifully. There is no suggestion of storms, earthquakes, floods or famines. Christ will be reigning in person with the help of glorified saints, so that government will administer justice and protect personal freedoms. All who begin this period will be believers so children born will have believing parents who will teach them right from wrong. Proper parental instruction will be supported by schools and government. Advertisements glamorizing sin will be removed so that temptations coming from society will be greatly reduced or eliminated. Finally, Satan and the demons will be bound. However, people will still be born with sin natures. Children born during that period will still need to be saved as children born today.

With all the external temptation reduced or eliminated, with the Gospel clearly presented, with Christ reigning in Person, and with glorified saints helping to administer and direct life, many will respond in accepting salvation and living to God’s glory. There will be no open rebellion during the 1000 years. Toward the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be released for a short time, and many continue the rebellion of their old natures, uniting with Satan in a final rebellion against God. This will culminate in the final battle of Gog and Magog. They will have no one to blame but themselves. God will have given them the privilege of growing and living under the best of conditions under the personal reign of Jesus Christ. Of their own free will they will choose to follow Satan rather than God.

Never changing His gracious program of salvation, God has dealt with the human race in a series of dispensations down through the centuries. He has offered increasing supervision and help whereby men could know and fulfill His original purpose for the human race to subdue the earth and reign over it for God’s glory/

With the conclusion of the final dispensation, God will usher in the eternal state. He will separate the rebels of all ages (both of angels and of humans) into the lake of fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. We read of the New Heavens and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem descending to the New Earth. As glorified members of the human race will enjoy communion and fellowship with God and one another for all eternity.