The Dispensational Principle

1. The DispensationalPrinciple Eph. 1:3-10 Verse 8 That in the dispensation (administration) of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

2. 7 Dispensations of Time • Innocence (Gen. 1:26-2:25) • Conscience (Gen chapters 3-7) • Human Government (Gen. 8-11) • Promise (Gen. 11 thru Ex. 15) • Law (Ex. 19 until the Day of Pent.) • Grace (Acts 2 thru Rev. 5) • Millennium (Second Coming until the Great White Throne Judgment)

3. Dispensations • Are periods of time when God deals with the human race in a particular manner for the saving of their soul. • All dispensations end with judgment. • Remember the 3 ethnics groups: Jews, Gentiles, and the Church.

4. Dispensational Plans • Even though each period of time, God dealt with society in a different way. All ways lead to Christ for ultimate salvation. • Hebrews 9:16 (read) • Some requirements under one dispensation may not be in force under another dispensation. • But those things which are an abomination to God remain so in all dispensations.

5. The Common Plan • The death of Christ. • The requirement of obedient faith. • The object of that faith is God. • The lack of obedient faith brings judgment and the close of the current dispensation.

6. Innocence • Adam and Eve • Unknown how long this dispensation was. • Disobedience brought the judgment of God and the close of Innocence. • Yet God gave hope of redemption. • Genesis 3:15

7. Conscience • It started with the expulsion from the garden to the world-wide flood. • This dispensation lasted about 1656 years. • During this time man knew right from wrong. • God’s gave hope once again, as Noah found grace in God’s sight.

8. Human Government • It started after the flood until the Tower of Babel. • It lasted for about 427 years. • Man still could not be obedient to God. • God’s judgment, confounding their ability to communicate by creating hundreds of different languages. • Yet God gave hope to mankind through Abram.

9. Promise • The call of Abram (Abraham). • This period lasted from the call of Abraham to the exodus from Egypt. • It lasted about 430 years. • Judgment was the bondage of Egypt. • God once again gave hope thru their deliverance.

10. Law • This period lasted from Mount Sinai until the Day of Pentecost. • It lasted for about 1491 years. • During this period God gave commandments that may not have been known by the conscience. • Holy Days, dietary laws, clothing, animals yoke together, etc.

11. Grace • The current dispensation of time. • It began on the Day of Pentecost and will end at the Great Tribulation. • No man knows the length of this period of time. • All ethnics groups can be saved. • Not the blood of animals but Christ’s own blood.

12. Grace Continued • There are stills some requirements under this dispensation that were required under the previous 5. • We must be very careful in not requiring things from the previous periods that are not required under grace. • There are new requirements as well. • We must be born again! • We must love one another!

13. Millennium • This period of time begins with the second coming of Christ until the Great White Throne Judgment. • Millennium is taken from the Latin word mille, which means 1000. • This dispensation will last 1000 years.

14. The Importance of this Principle • Truth must be correctly divided between and even in dispensations of time. • What may be true for one period of time may not be binding in another dispensation. • Take the thief on the cross as an example. • Luke 23:43 The thief died under the dispensation of the law and therefore did not have to be baptized in Jesus name!