Covenant-09 Dispenation Perspective

09 Dispenation Perspective

Inter-working with this covenant framework are the dispensations themselves. There are 8 dispensations:

Eternity - The infinite existence before the creation of man.

Edenic - Time begins. Man in the garden. There is no religion, only a relationship with God. We see God as our friend.

Patriarchal - Religion is family based. The strong emphasis on fathers seems to teach God’s role as our heavenly father. Animal sacrifices are made as pictures of Christ’s perfect sacrifice to come.

Law - Religion centers on the law of Moses. Animal sacrifices are made as pictures of Christ’s perfect sacrifice to come. The Kings of Israel seem to teach God’s role as our ultimate King.

Church - Religion is replaced with a relationship with God through Christ. God here becomes the sacrificial Lamb. Christ says that the religion of the Jews of his day were like white-washed tombs. Outside they were beautiful but they were filled with dead man’s bones (Matthew 23:27). Jesus commands an inner power which inevitably results in outer fruit. Under the church age, God Himself indwells us to give us strength. His Word is written on our hearts.

Tribulation - The world is released to the Devil’s full control for the first half. In the second half, God pours out his judgment on the world. The Anti-Christ forms a treaty with Israel, breaks it and desolates the destroyed temple. God’s justice is portrayed, as well as man’s wickedness.

Millennium - The world is ruled by Christ and His (resurrected) people from Jerusalem. Any Israelites who survive the tribulation are saved. More people are being born. Some are saved, some are not, but they will not be revealed until the end of the Millennial reign of Christ. Here Jesus lives personally as the righteous King, stamps out wickedness, yet is the friend of His people. All of the attributes of God are seen. Animal sacrifices will be made to commemorate the sacrifice of Christ. All of the unconditional promises to Israel are fulfilled. Time ends.

Eternity - Those who were saved through personal faith in Christ are with Him forever. Those who were not go to eternal punishment.

It is important to remember that under all covenants and all dispensations, there is only one means of salvation. Faith. Abraham was saved through simple faith in God (see Romans 4), as were all of the righteous people of old (see Hebrews 11 for a detailed list). They looked forward to Christ (with greater or lesser clarity), the apostles looked directly at Christ and we look back on Christ. But they are all the same. It is only through Christ than people may be saved. There are numerous examples of Bible verses declaring this, but a simple logical proof will suffice. If Christianity is true, Jesus Christ suffered infinitely so that a way could be made for man to reach God. Were there another, simpler way, would God have sent Christ at all? Of course not. It would have been needless suffering. If Christianity is true, it is true alone. Is Christianity true? Jesus had 12 apostles. 1 of them betrayed him and committed suicide. One was exiled to an island for the end of his life. 10 were killed for refusing to deny that had seen Christ alive after his death. Ten well documented eye witnesses is rather persuasive. Even moreso is the lengthy list of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Christ: <http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/prophchr.html> . So there is one way to God, faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Through all ages, this remains constant.