The Dispensation Principle

A dispensation is a period of time during which God deals in a particular way with man in respect to sin and to man’s responsibility. Distinguish the dispensations and you will understand the Word of God. Ephesians 1:10—”That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him.”

Ephesians 3:2—”If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.” Ephesians 3:5—”Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” I Corinthians 9:17— “For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.”

Time is an island in the Sea of God’s Eternity. It begins with man and ends with man. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but His dealings with man are different. Each dispensation is different, and each proves man’s failure. Dispensations were made in order to give man another chance. (See Hebrews 1:2; 11:3).

The literal meaning of a dispensation is a stewardship, or administration. In the Word we see that it is used as the administration of the affairs of a house, property, or nation; the rule of a house, the administration of a household, stewardship. A steward is one who has been entrusted with household goods. (Luke 6:2-4.)

I. THE FIRST DISPENSATION

A. Designation (Term): Dispensation of Innocence. Man was ignorant of good and evil, but was not an ignorant person. Adam was not holy, for he was living an untested life. Innocence is negative, and righteousness is positive. This period proves to be man’s most disastrous failure. The fall of man (Genesis 1:26; 2:16-17; 3:7; 3:22-24).

B. Citation: Genesis 1—3.

C. Limitation: From the Creation to the Expulsion.

D. Duration: Unknown.

E. Condition: Genesis 1:26-29. At the beginning of this dispensation man lived under the most favorable conditions. He lived in Eden, a park of Paradise, and was given a helpmeet. Helpmeet means “fit for”. Therefore, Eve was “fit for” Adam.

F. Obligation: Man’s responsibility: not to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:8, 9, 16, 17). The fruit was all right, only it had God’s prohibition against it. The test was to see if man would be obedient to the will of God. Would Adam obey God? Consequence plainly states his obligation.

G. Transgression: Man deliberately disobeyed the will of God (Genesis 3:6). Man was not deceived (I Timothy 2:14; I John 2:16). The whole program of Satan was given.

H. Condemnation: Consequence of sin (Genesis 3:14-19). Climax: Genesis 3:24.

I. Prediction: Genesis 3:15——the promise of a Redeemer.

J. Correction: That we today are on probation. Wrong? Man is NOT on probation today. Modern Theology is all wrong!

II. THE SECOND DISPENSATION

A. Designation: Conscience.

B. Citation: Genesis 3—8.

C. Limitation: From the fall to the flood.

D. Duration: 1656 years.

E. Condition: Fallen race. In the second dispensation man came under a “sinconscience”. In the first dispensation man was under a” God-conscience.” THERE WAS NO LAW, just conscience in the second dispensation.

F. Obligation: Since knowing the difference between good and evil, man was to do things right (Genesis 4:7) and to avoid evil. God made the way of approach to Him by way of the sacrifice.

G. Transgression: Man goes on sinning. He goes from bad to worse (Genesis 6:5, 11, 12). The first child born became a murderer.

H. Destruction: God’s orders disobeyed (Genesis 6:12).

I. Culmination: Closes with the flood of judgment. Eight were saved.

J. Prediction: Matthew 24:37-39. The apostasy of Genesis 6 will be the same when the Lord Jesus comes again.

K. Correction: Two present-day errors: (1) “Conscience is a sufficient guide”. Conscience does not keep man from doing wrong. Conscience says to do right but doesn’t say what is right. Conscience will not bring a man back to God. (2) Anarchy: “All that is needed to elevate mankind is to throw off the old restraints. Give him his absolute freedom, and he will take care of himself.” Anarchy— absolute freedom. But this is what took place in the second dispensation, and man failed!

III. THE THIRD DISPENSATION

A. Designation: Human Government.

B. Citation: Genesis 8—11.

C. Limitation: Flood to Babel.

D. Duration: 427 years.

E. Condition: Genesis 8: 1. Noah is to be head of the earth, as Adam started out to be. Noah is head of the Government. The first government is introduced here.

F. Obligation: Man’s responsibility is to govern the earth (world) (Genesis 9:5, 6). Capital punishment is introduced. Reason why: Genesis 9:6. A man slays another man, kills one who is made in the image of God; this is a direct thrust at God

G. Transgressions: Failed at the start. Noah sinned. If the governor sinneth, one whom he rules will sin. At this time there is a united “red union”, the first communistic government (Genesis 9:1; 11 11:4). This was the beginning of idolatry at the Tower of Babel. Man built this tower as an image to worship. All images, idols, etc. are held up and supported by Satan.

H. Condemnation: Dispersion (Genesis 11:6,7—the beginning of the nations).

I. Prediction: Babylon has never been completely overthrown but it will be (Jeremiah 51:8; Revelation 18:8, 10, 17).

J. Correction: ‘Our hope is in human government.” Wrong! Our hope is not in any man, but in God. “Capital punishment is not right.” Wrong! God introduced it, and it is still His law given to man.

IV. FOURTH DISPENSATION

A. Designation: Promise.

B. Citation: Genesis 1 1—Exodus 15.

C. Duration: 430 years.

D. Conditions: Has to do, primarily, with the Seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:6). “And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). God called Abraham from Ur of the Caldees, and he left a land seen for a land unseen.

E. Limitations: Call of Abraham to Bondage in Egypt.

F. Obligation: To abide in the land. Genesis 26:1-3: a famine comes after obeying God! Abraham didn’t have to go to Egypt. When God calls or leads, He will provide! It would have been better if he hadn’t gone. Like man today, he looked to the flesh, rather than to God. He should have stayed in the land. He brought Hagar back with him, and through her has sprung up the greatest enemy of Israel today—the Mohammedans. “Every time you go to Egypt you will have trouble.”

G. Transgression: Genesis 47:1. All of Abraham’s descendants were in Egypt, and there they fell into unbelief and turned from God (Ezekiel 20:7-9); but they were spared for His sake (promise to Abraham).

H. Subjection: Exodus 1:8-14. All this time they had hardships and they were servants of the Egyptians; they were under idolatry.

I. Prediction: The land to go back to the “Seed of Abraham.” It will be fulfilled when Jesus comes again!

J. Correction: “When God called Abraham He abandoned the world.” Wrong!

V. THE FIFTH DISPENSATION

A. Designation: Law.

B. Citation: Exodus.

C. Limitation: From the Exodus to the Cross, or from Sinai to Calvary.

D. Duration: 1491 years.

E. Condition: Exodus 19:1-8. God proposed the Law before giving it to man. When God gave the Law by means of Moses, they all voiced, “All that the Lord bath spoken we will do.”

F. Obligation: Exodus 19:1-5; Romans 10:5—“To render a perfect obedience unto the Law.”

G. Transgression: II Kings 17:7-17, 19; Matthew 15:6. They put the word of man in front of the Law of God (John 19:15; Romans 3:19, 20). Failure was seen.

H. Condemnation: II Kings 17:1-6, 20, 23; II Kings 25:1-11; a world-wide depression (Amos 9:9); cursed of all nations, but not destroyed (Zechariah 8:23; Romans 11:23; Amos 9:1315).

I. Correction: Man is saved by the Law”—Wrong (Romans 10:5; Galatians 5:11-Acts 15:1-10).

VI. THE SIXTH DISPENSATION

A. Designation: Grace!

B. Citation: Acts and Epistles.

C. Limitation: From the descent of the Holy Spirit to the ascent of the Church.

D. Duration: 1900 years plus.

E. Condition: All under sin. Under Innocence God dealt with one man.Under Promise He dealt with one nation. Praise the Lord, under Grace, He deals with the world again (Romans 3:19, 20; Ephesians 2:2). All the world is guilty before God (Romans 3:10-18). “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” When a picture is taken of man, he has the picture retouched; God does not retouch anyone. Man is open before Him, as he is. Moody said that man is a murderer at heart. A dentist heard him make this statement and took exception to it, but a later experience with a patient proved the truth of Moody’s statement. Someone has said that the reason man hunts and fishes is to kill. By nature man is a sinner, a born liar. He is “born in iniquity”. All have sinned! Yes, but all can be saved by believing on the Lamb of Calvary, God’s Son, our Lord and Master, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

F. Obligation: John 1:11-13. Must be born (of the Spirit) again (John 3:36; Romans 4:5; Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5). A sinner cannot come to God alone; he must come by the only WAY, the Lord Jesus Christ. “No man cometh unto the Father but by me”. There’s a difference between praying to God and yelling at God. Can a person talk to God? Yes, if he has a connection. Man is saved because he believes by FAITH, not because he seeks God and confesses his sins (I John 5:10). A man (saved forever!) is saved as soon as he believes in Jesus Christ! You don’t have to pay a thing, for JESUS HAS PAID IT ALL. We are never saved because we deserve it, but we are saved through grace, it is all of grace. “By grace are ye saved, through faith.” There is only one way to be saved. When man tries to add to the requirement, he fails.

G. Transgression: Failure of man: II Timothy 3:1-7; II Thessalonians 2:3; 1 John 5:10. The FALLING AWAY is the apostasy, and not the Body of Christ (the true Church turning away); that is impossible. It is NONCHRISTIANS in power in the churches turning away unto their reasoning, from God’s teaching.

H. Culmination: Rapture of the TRUE CHURCH from a world of sin (I Thessalonians 4:16-18).

VII. THE SEVENTH DISPENSATION.

A. Designation: Tribulation or Judgment.

B. Citation: Revelation 6—19; Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7.

C. Limitation: From ascent of the Church to the descent of Christ.

D. Duration: Some think it is 7 years; some think it is only 3½ years, while there are those who think it is 40 years (for 40 is the number of testing, or trial in Scripture: Moses upon the mount 40 days; Israel in the wilderness 40 years; Christ tempted in the wilderness 40 days).

E. Condition: I Thessalonians 4:16-18; II Thessalonians 2:10-12. Israel is the central object during this dispensation.

F. Obligation: Revelation 7:14; 14:6, 7. People to be saved after the rapture of the Church. All are saved by the precious blood of Christ.

G. Transgression: Revelation 9:20, 21. Picture of man during this time: great masses of people hardening their hearts.

H. Condemnation: Psalm 2:1-6; Revelation 14:20. The winepress is the judgment of Revelation 20:1, 2; Revelation 19:17-21; Zechariah 14:4.

I. Correction: “Restitution of all things”-”everyone will be saved, including the Devil.” Wrong! We don’t know of anywhere in the Scriptures, or out of the Scriptures, where judgement will make anyone believe or obey.

VIII. THE EIGHTH DISPENSATION

A. Designation: Kingdom.

B. Citation: Isaiah 2:11.

C. Limitation: From descent of Christ to the Great White Throne.

D. Duration: 1,000 years, plus.

F. Condition: Acts 15:14-17. It is the condition in which man is under the personal reign of Christ (Matthew 24:29, 30; Isaiah 24:23;Psalm 2:6; Revelation 19:6, 16). Man will be under the personal reign of Jesus Christ. Men will be free from the temptation of Satan; yet, the kingdom will not be a world of perfection.

F. Obligation: Psalm 2:2—means to submit to Him, to His reign (Psalm 67:4; 86:9; Zechariah 14:17).

G. Transgression: Psalm 66:3—a feigned obedience. Jeremiah 3:l0—a pretense obedience, more of compulsion than of love. Rev. 20:7-9 gives to us the Great Apostasy of the Kingdom.

H. Culmination: Revelation 20:9-15. Two Books: (1) Life (no name); (2) Works (their names are in it). The Destruction: II Peter 3:10.

I. Correction: The Kingdom is only a spiritual sense”. Wrong! It is a literal Kingdom to be established on earth, with Jesus Christ as its King.

IX. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISPENSATIONS

Man was tried by God at the ideal time, under ideal conditions: “Believe and obey God.” At the close of every dispensation God gives man up to his own way.

Innocence: Knowledge of sin.

Conscience: Imagination of Evil.

Human Government: Lawlessness.

Promise: Food in Egypt.

Law: Formalism.

Grace: Love of the world.

Judgment: (Tribulation:) Judicial blindness.

Kingdom: Following after Satan.

In every dispensation Evil is headed up in a person, or persons.

Innocence: Fallen Woman.

Conscience: Sinful Angels.

Human Government: Nimrod.

Promise: King who knew not God.

Law: Judas, Scribes and Pharisees.

Grace: Modernists.

Judgement (Tribulation): Antichrist

Kingdom: Satan.

Each dispensation ends with world-wide destruction or judgement.

Innocence: Expulsion.

Conscience: Flood.

Human Government: Dispersion.

Promise: Bitter Bondage.

Law: Beheading of John the Baptist and Cross of Christ.

Grace: Rapture of Church.

Judgement (Tribulation): Chaining of Satan.

Kingdom: Loosing of Satan and world-wide rebellion against God: Hence, the wrath of God.

In each dispensation God comes down to earth

Innocence: Walked in the Garden.

Conscience: Talked with Noah.

Human Government: “Let us go down” (Genesis 11:7).

Promise: “Burning Bush”—”I Am” came down (Exodus 3:8).

Law: Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Grace: Holy Spirit.

Judgement (Tribulation): Second Coming of Christ to earth.

Kingdom: Christ Still Upon Earth.

Each dispensation mars ability of man.

Innocence: Man could see.

Conscience: Able to Know.

Human Government: To Judge.

Promise: To trust.

Law: To Obey.

Grace: To Believe.

Judgement (Tribulation): To Repent.

Kingdom: To Dominate.

NECESSITY OF RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE TRUTH

A. Do not confuse one dispensation with another dispensation. Take Matthew 10:5, 6. If this command is binding, there are no grounds for us to preach the Gospel. If Matthew 10:5, 6 is for today, then it contradicts Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15. Luke 9:3 (“Take not”) contradicts Luke 22.36 (“Take”).

B. Necessity of Distinguishing the Truths in Different Dispensations.

1. The past dispensation must not be brought into the present. Deuteronomy 6:25 (Law) with Romans 3:20 (Grace). Deuteronomy 6:25 is under the covenant of works to Israel only: “Thou shalt not” (“Do and live”). Romans 3:20 is under Grace to the Jew and Gentile: “Believe upon the Lord Jesus” (“Done”). Priesthood: Exodus 29:9 (Law) with Hebrews 8:4 (Grace).

2. The Future Dispensation must not be brought into the Present. Isaiah 2:4 (Kingdom) with Joel 3:10 (Grace). Romans 11:26 (Kingdom) with Romans11:28 (Grace); Isaiah 2:4 (Kingdom) with II Timothy 3:1 (Grace). The Kingdom is different from the Church. Acts 15 was the first Bible Conference; here James tells of Amos 9:11, 12, which was written in a past dispensation (Law) to be fulfilled in the future (Kingdom).

3. The Present must not be read into the past. The secret (the Church) of the Body of Christ was revealed first unto the Apostle Paul. Scripture of the Old Testament has no reference to the Church (this truth found in Ephesians 3:1-10). Someone may ask, “Why didn’t God reveal the Church by Jesus?” John 16:12-15 answers this.

4. The Present Dispensation must not be read into the Future. None of the Church is to go through the tribulation. It is a rapture, not a rupture. In Jeremiah 30:4-7 it is called “Jacob’s Trouble”, not the Church’s. Jeremiah 30:3 tells us that this time of Jacob’s Trouble will occur when many Jews return to the land.

5. One part of the Future is not to be read into another part of the Future. John 5:25 with II Corinthians 5:10.  

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