02. The Dispensational Principle

CHAPTER TWO The Dispensational Principle

Unless one understands the dispensations, one cannot understand God’s Book, and it becomes a Book of confusion and contradictions. a. Definition – A dispensation is a period of time during which God deals in a particular way with man in respect to sin and man’s responsibility. The word “dispensation” means “administration” and is first found in 1 Corinthians 9:17. b. Divisions.

Someone has truly said, "time is an island in the sea of eternity, which is divided into different dispensations or periods of time."

1. The Dispensation of Innocence.

(a) From the creation of man to the fall of man. Genesis 1:26 to Genesis 2:23.

Period of years not known.

(1) This is the innocent or unfallen slate when the subjects knew neither good nor evil, being neither holy nor sinful, but being free to choose when good and evil were placed before them.

Adam wasn’t righteous because he hadn’t chosen good.

Adam wasn’t sinful because he hadn’t chosen sin.

(2) Man was on probation.

(b) Man’s responsibility – Genesis 2:8-9; Genesis 2:16-17. Man must choose whether he will believe God’s Word or the statements of Satan.

(c) Failure of man – Genesis 3:6.

(1) Man chose to believe Satan rather than God. Satan said, "ye shall be as gods – ye shall not surely die." His purpose was to people the earth with fallen creation.

These same lies of Satan are the foundation of present-day apostasy.

Many of the "isms" of the present day can be traced back to the verse which we just quoted, Genesis 3:4. Examples are Eddyism – "ye shall be as God"; Russellism – "ye shall not surely die"; Modernism – “yea hath God said."

(d) Consequences of man’s failure – Genesis 3:14-19.

(1) Judgment on Satan.

(2) Judgment of the woman.

(3) Judgment on the earth.

(4) Judgment on man.

(5) Promise of the seed to deliver – Genesis 3:15.

After viewing all of these judgments the necessity of the Savior is seen. Notice in this verse that prophecy had its birth in failure.

(e) Moral condition – one of perfection until sin came in.

(f) Divine mercy – Genesis 3:15 – a promise of victory.

2. The Dispensation of Conscience – "with knowledge."

(a) From fall of man to flood – 1656 years – Genesis 3-7.

(1) Begins with man in a fallen condition – having knowledge and guided by his conscience.

(2) Man is now outside the garden. A flaming sword is placed at the east of the garden to keep him away.

(3) This dispensation shows what happens when man is guided only by his conscience.

(b) Man’s responsibility – Genesis 4:7.

He is to choose between doing good and doing evil. He insists on evil.

Genesis 4:7 "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."

If man had not done good, the sin offering was at the door. (This seems to be the first promise of Christ as a sin offering.) Cain and Abel were both sinners, but Abel recognized the necessity of blood-shedding.

(c) Failure of man – Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:11-12.

Man is exceedingly wicked, for we read, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great."

(d) Consequences of man’s failure – Genesis 7.

Judgment through the flood.

(e) Moral condition – became worse and worse.

(1) Begins with birth of Cain, made in Adam’s likeness, and fallen.

All men at the beginning of the dispensation are fallen.

(2) Refusal of Cain to make his sacrifice as God commanded (that is, through the shedding of blood) marks the beginning of rebellion toward God.

(3) This is followed by refusal of man to accept the will of God.

(4) The decline of the race follows.

(5) The moral condition becomes pitiful.

(6) Destruction of man seems the only way to remedy the condition.

(f) Divine mercy – Genesis 7:1.

Eight people are saved out of the flood to begin the new dispensation.

3. The Dispensation of Human Government. .

(a) From the flood to the confusion of tongues – Gen. 8:1-11:9; 427 yrs.

Noah was a righteous man, the only man God could find who believed Him – Genesis 8:20; Hebrews 11:7. Noah was saved with 7 others.

(b) Man’s responsibility – Genesis 9:1.

Noah was given the same position which Adam occupied in the first dispensation; he was to govern for God. As a responsibility, it has never ended, and it will not end until Christ takes over the government.

Noah was given the power of capital punishment – Genesis 9:6, "Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man." The reason – raising the hand against one created in God’s image indicates hatred of God Himself.

(c) Failure of man. Genesis 11:1-4.

(1) Unless man can govern himself, he cannot govern others.

Noah’s downfall – Genesis 9:20-23 (intoxicated).

(2) Building of Tower of Babel.

[a] An organized political and religious rebellion against God.

[1] Idolatry and apostasy.

[2] Failure comes always from disobeying God.

[3] Unification here, is shown to become blasphemous. Unity may be all right but God was left out of the picture completely. The only worthwhile unity looks to God.

[4] Man exalts himself. We read the words. "make us a tower."

(d) Consequences of man’s failure – Genesis 11:5-9.

Confusion of tongues and the dispersion of the people.

(e) Moral condition. Could not have been worse. It so angered God that He destroyed their plan, through the confusion of tongues.

(f) Divine mercy.

God was merciful to them in their idolatry and sought another man who would follow Him.

4. Dispensation of Promise.

(a) From the can of Abraham to the Exodus – 430 years.

Genesis 11:10 to Genesis 15:21.

(1) Abram’s condition – probably was in idolatry, but he listened to God. His faith began when he left Ur. He became righteous when he believed God’s promise concerning his son.

(2) God’s promises and covenants – Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:6.

(b) Man’s responsibility – Genesis 26:2-3.

(1) To stay in the land which God gave to him, and not to go down into Egypt which is a type of the world.

(2) Abram doubts God’s word, and when famine comes, he goes to Egypt for food. Abram could not have died in spite of the famine, because the promises of God had not been fulfilled.

(c) Man’s failure – Genesis 47:1.

All of Jacob’s house went down into the land of Egypt.

(d) Consequences of man’s failure-Exodus 1:8-14.

Slavery in Egypt – sin and idolatry.

(e) Moral Condition.

They turned to the gods of the Egyptians and became idolatrous – Ezekiel 20:7-9.

(f) Divine mercy.

Deliverance and preservation of Israel.

5. Dispensation of Law.

(a) From Sinai to Calvary – the exodus to the cross – 1491 years. Man’s condition at the beginning of this dispensation – Exodus 19:1-8. Trusting in his own strength instead of depending on God – "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do."

(b) Man’s responsibility – Exodus 19:5. To keep the law; includes 10 commandments and all laws, social and civil.

These were given to the people of Israel only – Romans 2:12; Romans 9:4.

(c) Man’s failure – 2 Kings 17:7-17; 2 Kings 17:19; Acts 2:22-23.

They failed to keep the law, and the only One who did keep the law was crucified by them.

(d) Consequences of man’s failure – 2 Kings 17:1-6; 2 Kings 17:20; 2 Kings 25:1-11.

(e) Moral condition – Fallen.

(f) Divine mercy.

Shown in the fact that judgment upon Jerusalem and on the nation of Israel was withheld for 40 years after the crucifixion.

6. The Dispensation of Grace.

(a) From the descent of the Holy Spirit to the descent of Christ – (Acts and Epistles).

(1) Man’s state – at the beginning – a lost condition – Romans 3:9; Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:2. There are two classes of people in the world-saved sinners and lost sinners.

(b) Man’s responsibility.

(1) To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:36; Acts 16:31; John 1:11-13; Romans 4:5; Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 5:6; Titus 3:5. Man is not saved by works, but by faith alone.

(c) Man’s failure.

(1) Become lovers of themselves, of money, and of pleasure more than lovers of God – 2 Timothy 3:1-7.

(2) Having a form of godliness but without power.

(3) Would make God a liar through unbelief, which is the most colossal failure of the dispensations – 1 John 5:10.

(d) Consequences of man’s failure.

God will give them up to their unbelief – 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

(e) Moral condition.

Fallen and sinful.

(f) Divine mercy.

God has provided salvation for the whole human race.

7. The Dispensation of Judgment or Tribulation.

(a) From the rapture of the church to the millenium – Revelation 6-19; Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7.

(1) State of man at the beginning – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

[a] The church is taken away, which means there is a race on earth that does not have in it the "salt" to prevent corruption – 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

[b] The Holy Spirit, omnipresent, will still be here to deal with sinners; but since the church is gone, He will no longer be active in connection with the church.

(b) Man’s responsibility. To recognize God and to worship God – Revelation 14:6.

(c) Man’s failure. The men who are evil will not repent – Revelation 9:20-21; Revelation 18:21-24.

(d) Consequences of man’s failure.

Utter destruction – Psalms 2:1-6; Revelation 14:20; Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 19 Rev. 1921.

(e) Moral condition. A godless group of people from whom all restraint has been taken by the removal of the church.

(f) Divine mercy.

Shown by the saved Gentiles and sealed Israelites.

8. The Kingdom dispensation.

(a) From the descent of Christ to the Great White Throne Judgment – 1000 years – Psalms 2, 11.

(1) Man’s state at the beginning.

[a] Under the personal reign and rule of Christ – Acts 15:14-17; Psalms 2:6 ; Matthew 24:29-30; Isaiah 24:23.

(b) Man’s responsibility.

Obedience and submission to the King, and also to worship Him – Psalms 2:12; Isaiah 65:20; Psalms 67:4; Psalms 86:9; Zechariah 14:17.

(e) Man’s failure.

Feigned obedience. Man will follow Satan – Psalms 66:3; Revelation 20:7-9.

(d) Consequences of man’s failure .

Destruction caused by fire coming down from God out of heaven – Revelation 20:9.

(e) Moral condition.

Fallen and unrepentant.

(f) Divine mercy.

God provides a new heaven and a new earth.

9. Summary of Dispensations. In each dispensation the trend of man is away from God. The responsibility of man in each dispensation is to believe the Word of God and to obey Him. At the end of each dispensation, God gives man up to his own way.

Each dispensation shows that evil is headed up in a person or persons.

1st Dispensation – Satan and the fallen woman.

2nd Dispensation – Sinful angels.

3rd Dispensation – Nimrod.

4th Dispensation – Paraoh.

5th Dispensation – Judas, Scribes and Pharisees.

6th Dispensation – Modernists.

7th Dispensation – Anti-Christ.

8th Dispensation – Satan.

Each dispensation ends in a world crisis.

1st Dispensation – Expulsion of man from the garden.

2nd Dispensation – The flood.

3rd Dispensation – Confusion of tongues.

4th Dispensation – Bondage of the chosen race.

5th Dispensation – The cross of Christ.

6th Dispensation – The rapture of the church.

7th Dispensation – The wrath of God and the binding of Satan.

8th Dispensation – Fire from heaven. In each dispensation God comes down. lst Dispensation – God came down to the garden.

2nd Dispensation – God talked with Noah.

3rd Dispensation – God said, "Let us go down."

4th Dispensation – "I am come down" (burning bush).

5th Dispensation – Incarnation of Christ.

6th Dispensation – The Lord shall descend.

7th Dispensation – Coming to earth.

8th Dispensation – Still upon the earth.

10. Rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

(a) There are statements in the Bible which apparently are contradictory, and to avoid confusion one must follow the rules given below in dividing the Truth.

(1) Not only must Truth be divided into dispensations, but it must be divided in the same dispensation.

Examples – Compare Matthew 10:5-6 with Mark 16:15. The first command was given by Christ before it became evident that the Jews would reject Him. The second command was given after His crucifixion and resurrection.

Example – Compare Luke 9:3 and Matthew 10:9-10 with Luke 22:36.

Above rule applies to this. "But now" makes the difference.

Example – Compare Isaiah 2:4 and Joel 3:10 and 2 Timothy 3:1.

Applies to dispensation of Judgment and Kingdom and Grace.

Example – Compare Psalms 58:10 with Romans 12:17; Romans 12:21 Law and Grace.

Example – Compare Revelation 20:12 with 2 Corinthians 5:10. One is judgment as to whether or not men are saved, and the other is judgment as to the works done after salvation.

(2) One must never take truth that belongs to a past dispensation and bring it up to the present.

[a] Roman Catholicism (mixture of Paganism , Christianity, and Judaism) brings the earthly priesthood of the Law up to the present dispensation .

[b] Seventh Day Adventism brings the Law which was given to the Jewish people down to this dispensation – Romans 7:4-6.

(3) Never take truth from a future dispensation and try to apply it to the present.

[a] Russellism – The 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7 taken from the judgment dispensation.

[b] The Church belongs to this dispensation; and Abel, Noah, Abraham, etc. do not belong to the Church.

(4) Do not take statements applying to any other dispensation and try to make them fit the present.

Example: Genesis 6:3 – belongs to Conscience.

Luke 11 :l3 – belongs to Law.

Romans 8:9 – belongs to Grace.

John 7:27-39 – belongs to Doctrine of Holy Spirit.

(5) Do not put the present into the future. The church is not going into the tribulation. This period is connected with the Jews, ’and is "The time of Jacob’s trouble" – Jeremiah 30:3; Daniel 12:1.

Chart of the Eight Dispensations