Overview Of Biblical Dispensations

Overview Of Biblical Dispensations

Brian Hedges - Instructor

Explanation of Dispensational Theology

The wordDispensation.


• A dispensation is God’s distinctive method of governingmankind or a group of men during a period of human history.

• A dispensation is marked by a crucial event.

• A dispensation is marked by a test

• A dispensation is marked by a failure

• A dispensation is marked ultimately by a judgment.

• From God’s vantage it is a divine opportunity for stewardship or management of God’s affairs or Kingdom.

• From a human vantage, it is a divine responsibility.

• From a historical vantage, it is a stage in progressiverevelation.


• The Charles Ryrie in his book “Dispensationalism” points out some very important facts concerning the various “definitions” of the teaching of dispensational Theology. When men like C.I. Scofield have attempted to summarize it’s definition into a sentence or two, the adversaries of the truth have attacked it because it’s not comprehensive enough. When a bible student elaborates upon the subject through rightly dividing the word there is little to argue other than the difference between allegorical and literal interpretation of scripture.

• attack on the word dispensation.


• The definition of the word “dispensation” and the theological definition of the dispensational responsibilities and stewardships harmonize. Since the word and it’s usage combine to reflect literally what it means; the concept of God providing stewards of his household becomes self evident to the bible student. From Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses to the Apostles, it is clear to see that God uses men in history sometimes referred to as “ages”.


• Seven features of every dispensation.

– A ruling factor. Often the dispensation is named after this. Ie. conscience, law, grace, etc Not the only ruling factor but he “new one” highlighted for this dispensation.

– A new responsibility (Steward) connected with the new ruling factor.

– A new revelation. In every dispensation there is new revelation of new responsibilities due to a new ruling factor.


• Seven features of every dispensation. (Continued)

– A test or crisis. Evaluated by God measuring how the steward is doing in the fulfillment of his responsibility based on the revelation God has given him.

– A time. A God ordained season in which God allows the steward to comply with the rule of light he has been given by God. A dispensation is not an age, though they will occur within and age and may coincide with an age.


• Seven features of every dispensation. (Continued)

– A failure. The stewards fail and God moves forward in his plan to establish his Kingdom.

– A Judgment by God at the end of the dispensation.


• The benefit of seeing God’s dispensational plan.

– God’s sovereignty on display. Understanding Dispensations prove that God alone is worthy of glory and honor and power. As he redeems man through the ages it is clear that only He has the integrity and ability to rule and reign forever and ever.

– God’s plan of the ages will prove that God alone is sovereign and king.

– Man’s failure. God’s plan also reveals man is a miserable flop even under the best of circumstances.


• The benefit of seeing God’s dispensational plan. (Continued)

– God’s grace. Dispensations reveal the grace of God to all mankind through time.

– God’s panorama of the entire bible is revealed through dispensational study.


• The revelation of dispensations.

– Dispensations reveal the natural shifts and changes that occur through the process of time.

– Dispensations harmonize the differences in the scripture.

– Dispensations illuminate the Theme of the bible (The Kingdom).

– Dispensations differentiate the way God deals with man through time both past and future.


• There are obvious differences in scripture when we examine God’s plan for the ages.

– The Fall of man: Great difference before the fall and after the fall. Man was in fellowship, was in the garden enjoying fellowship. The world was plunged into Chaos and sin and the curse that impacts all mankind.

– The Flood: Life was much different after the food. From food, to lifespan, to typography and environment, God changed many things.



– The Tower of Babel: After the Tower there were establishment of nations through God confounding the languages. This led to God sovereignty choosing to work through one people of Abraham’s seed. Israel was formed through this age.

– The Law of Moses: There was a great difference between the children of Israel’s order before Moses and their relationship with God after Moses.



– The Cross of Christ: The advent of Christ and the New Testament has dramatically changed the way God relates to man.

– The Millennium: Life is uniquely different


Dispensation Innocence Adamic Noahic Abrahamic Mosaic Grace Milennium

Steward Adam Sons of Adam Noah Abraham Moses Paul 12 Apostles

ResponsibilityGen

2:15-17Gen 1:28 Gen 9:1

Gen 12:1-

3,7Exo 20

1 Cor 4:1-

2Dan 7:18

Failure Gen 3:6 Gen 6:2-6 Gen 11:4 Gen 12:10 Exo 32 Rev 3:16 Rev 20:9

JudgmentGen

3:23-24Gen 6:2-9

Gen

11:7-9

Gen

1215:132 Chr 36 2 Cor 5:10 Rev 20:11

CrisisExpulsion

from Eden

Destruction of

Flood

Confusion of

Languages

Bondage in

Egypt

Rejection

of Israel

Rapture of

church

Rebellion at

End

LimitsCreation to

FallFall to Flood

Flood to

Babel

Abraham to

Egypt

Moses to

Jesus

Cross to

the Crown

Day of The

Lord

TestInnocence in

Perfection

Conscience in

Permissiveness

Government

in Protection

Promise

thru

Patriarchs

Law in

Precept

Mysteries

in

Patience

Kingdom In

Power

SymbolGarden of

EdenMark of Cain

Rainbow in

Clouds

Altar of

Sacrifice

Tables of

Stone

Cross of

ChristRod of Iron

Account Gen 1-3 Gen 4-7 Gen 8-11 Gen 12-19Exo 20-

Matt 26

Matt 27-

Rev 3Rev 20-22


• Before the fall man was created in innocence. All Adam had to do was tend to the garden, fellowship with God and not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

• After the fall of Adam, man was guided by conscience. We know that angelic hosts came down and began to cohabit with women and God said that the thought of man was only evil continually.

• After the flood of Noah, there were changes in government as God gave men authority over man. God establishes human government.


• Among the nations of the world, God in his sovereign grace calls out Abraham out of Ur of Chaldea to form a nation in which the Messiah would come forth. This was granted to Abraham by promise from God.


• What was a temporary trip to Egypt turns into a long time of bondage and only through God’s good hand were they delivered from bondage and given the law. Making a covenant they could never keep. They should never have said “all you say we will do” because that was impossible from the moment they made the promise. In keeping the law they failed as they would not receive Christ because he didn’t match their stereotype..


• So today we are in the age of Grace. In Acts 2 the church was born as the Spirit of God indwelled the believers in Jerusalem. We are not only saved by grace but we live by grace. This is very unique as men are always justified by faith and saved by grace but no dispensation have believers lived by grace. We know that God has given the church special dispensation of the Kingdom of God and when that is full, the church will be caught up and the dispensation will change to God’s dealing with the nation of Israel in the tribulation.


• Israel will now be restored as Satan has his opportunity to run the kingdom the way he sees fit for a short season. After the purging of the tribulation period at the second coming (advent) of the Lord. Jesus will return in a literal 24 hour day to establish his Kingdom on earth (the Kingdom of Heaven) and rule and reign with a rod of iron for 1000 years, which represent the “Day of the Lord” 2 Peter 2:10.


• Dispensations and the doctrine of Salvation.

– Dispensations do NOT teach various ways of salvation. Romans 3:28-31, Romans 4:1-5

– How about someone who lived under the law? Weren’t they justified by the law and the sacrifices? Hebrews 10:4, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 4:6-8

Important Dispensational Distinctions

Law Vs. Grace

Israel Vs. Church

Kingdom of Heaven

(commonly called “kingdom

today in most circles due to

failure to distinguish differences

between Kingdom of God and

Kingdom of Heaven)

Vs.Church – Kingdom of God

(Spiritual Kingdom)

Important Distinctions

• Doctrinal Distinctions

– Dispensations and Covenants. Does a dispensational view minimize the covenants of scripture? NO!

• Covenant theology attempts to harmonize the entire bible in three broad “covenants” that are biblical in concept but not harmonized in the scripture. The three broad covenants are: Covenant of Redemption (Eternity past, Father and Son); Covenant of Works (God and Adam before Fall); Covenant of Grace (Genesis 3:7-Rev 20:15)


• Dispensational Contrasts.

– We are “classic” Dispensationalist, with a “normal” view of dispensations.

– Progressive Dispensationalist are those who in the past 15 years or so are trying to reconcile covenant theology with dispensational teaching.

– Hyper Dispensationalist, will go too far with dispensations.


• The importance of our Stewardship.

Overview Of Biblical Dispensations

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