Biblical Dispensations

Feature 2 – February 2023 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Biblical Dispensations

• Why don’t Christians offer animal sacrifices that were required from the children of Israel?
• Why can Christians eat all kinds of meat as shown in Acts 10:9-16, including animals that were prohibited to the Jews in Leviticus 11?
• Did God change over the course of history?

“Never,” is the absolute answer to this last question! Speaking about God as the Father, James confirms, “With whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (Jas. 1:17 ESV ).

The word “dispensation” appears in Ephesians 1:10 (KJV) and refers to God’s administration or His ordering of life and events. As we read the Bible we notice that God’s administration was different over time. Many Bible scholars trace 7 dispensations, or periods of administrations, from Genesis to Revelation, covering the history of mankind from creation to eternity. Each dispensation starts with a divine revelation concerning God’s will. The divine revelation brings responsibility to mankind, usually ending in man’s failure to obey God’s will. The result is judgment from God, closing the dispensation.

As we read the Bible, it is important to know which dispensation applies to the portion we are reading. Paul admonished Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 ESV). A diligent study of Scripture will help us to know which dispensation applies for a given text, so we can have the right understanding of it.

First Dispensation: Innocence (Genesis 1:28–3:24)
The first dispensation started in the garden of Eden, when God created Adam and Eve. The man and woman were both innocent, with no sin, and God revealed Himself to them by His frequent visits. They were given only one command: Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (2:16-17). But we know they failed to keep this command and ate from that tree. The result was that they fell under God’s judgment and were cursed with death. The dispensation ended with God’s judgment on Adam and Eve, and they were both driven away from the garden.

Second Dispensation: Conscience (Genesis 4–8)
The second dispensation starts with the first human family living on earth, outside of the garden of Eden. God clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins (3:21), which is a revelation of the need of a sacrifice. Their son Abel obeyed God and offered animal sacrifices, but his brother Cain and all of his descendants did evil in the sight of the LORD. As a result, mankind failed again and wickedness spread all over the earth. The dispensation ended with God’s judgment of the flood in Noah’s day.

Third Dispensation: Government (Genesis 9–11)
The third dispensation began with Noah and his family being given the responsibility to govern the earth (9:5-6). The main command from God was to scatter and multiply (v.7), but mankind challenged God by trying to build a tower to heaven. As a result of man’s failure, God judged mankind by giving them the confusion of different languages.

Fourth Dispensation: Promise (Genesis 12–Exodus 19)
In the fourth dispensation, God chose Abram and his family to establish a close relationship with them. God did this in grace, selecting one from the people of all the earth. He gave him and his family the promise of the land of Canaan and the responsibility to dwell there. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had their own challenges and failures, but they believed the promises of God. However, in time the whole family failed, proving once again the wickedness of mankind. Instead of dwelling in Canaan, they ended up as slaves in Egypt.

Fifth Dispensation: Law (Exodus 19–Acts 2)
The fifth dispensation started with God redeeming His people from the bondage in Egypt. They were given God’s law and were instructed to obey it. During the history of Israel, throughout most of the Old Testament, we read of how the people broke the law and how they ended up rejecting their Messiah by crucifying Him. The result was God’s judgment on the Jews by His sending the Romans to attack Jerusalem in 70 AD, causing worldwide dispersion of the Jews.

Sixth Dispensation: Grace (Acts 2–Revelation 19)
The sixth dispensation includes the current time, known as the church period. It is characterized by grace, as opposed to law. People are called to trust in Christ by faith, to enjoy eternal life. Unfortunately, mankind is moving away from Christ, and He is being rejected all over the world. The Church will be taken to be with the Lord at the rapture, but this dispensation will end immediately after God’s judgment on earth during the great tribulation.

Seventh Dispensation: Kingdom (Revelation 20)
The seventh dispensation will begin when Christ comes to rule over the earth and start His millennial kingdom. This will be the best time for the world. It will be a period of unmatched prosperity and righteousness. The responsibility of humankind will be to obey and worship Christ the King. This will be done by most of the people who will enter the kingdom, since these too will be born-again believers who passed through the great tribulation. However, many people will be born during the millennial kingdom, and some will initiate a final rebellion against Christ at the end of the 1,000 years. Even in the millennial kingdom mankind proves its failure. This last dispensation will end with God’s ultimate judgment, when He sends unbelievers to eternal hell.

Final Observations
Some of the dispensations are earthly in nature, with specific rules about what to eat, how to conduct life on earth and more. Other periods of time are heavenly in character, being more about our spiritual relationship with God. If we track the dispensations, we will notice they alternate in their earthly and heavenly pattern as follows:

1 Innocence Earthly

2 Conscience Heavenly

3 Government Earthly

4 Promise Heavenly

5 Law Earthly

6 Grace Heavenly

7 Kingdom Earthly

This may cause us to wonder about the foundation of salvation in each dispensation. God gave a revelation to Adam and Eve that an animal must be killed, blood must be shed, to cover them because of their sin (Gen. 3:21). Abel offered animal sacrifices, as did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others. The law included many instructions about different types of offerings. Although the dispensations have different pictures of the idea of redemption, they all point to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross is the foundation of salvation and redemption across all dispensations. In the past the animal sacrifices provided pictures to help us understand different characteristics of His cross. In the present the Lord’s supper provides a reminder for us about His work. He is the center of history and the focus of the whole Bible!

By Shereen Ghobrial

Acts 10:9-16, 28 NKJVThe next day, as they [servants of Cornelius] went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. … “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”