Dispensations are the periods of time in which GOD deals with mankind under different conditions. Dispensation is a system of order, government or organization of a nation/community. The concept is used to help understand GOD’S dealing and interactions with mankind. Some say there are 3 dispensations (patriarchy, judaism & christianity), some 7 (innocence, conscience, human government, promise, law, grace & millennial kingdom), some say 8 (7 previous plus eternity for 8), some say 9 and some say 37. In this study we will look at 7 dispensations, 7 being the biblical number of completion or perfection.

  • Innocence – In the garden all Adam & Eve could not do is eat from the tree of knowledge of good & evil, everything else was OK. GOD only spoke against eating from the tree of knowledge of good & evil. Adam & Eve communed with GOD.
    • Gen C1 V28 – 30, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”
    • Gen C2 V15 – 17, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
  • Conscience – From the fall in the garden until the tower of babel man was left to his/her own will/conscience although now with a sin nature.
    • Gen C3 V7 – C8 V22, read, to lengthy to put here
    • Gen C6 V5 – 6, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
    • Gen C6 V11 – 12, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”
  • Human Government – Starting at the tower of babel, mankind tried to govern themselves.
    • Gen C10 V8 – 10, “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
    • Gen C11 V1 – 9, “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”
  • Promise – GOD’S plan changes where HE makes promises to Abram/Abraham about descendants, land & that salvation for mankind will be through Abram/Abraham descendants.
    • Gen C12 V1 – 3, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
    • Gen C12 V7, “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”
    • Gen C15 V5 – 6, “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
    • Gen C22 V17 – 18, “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
  • Law – GOD through the nation of Israel gives mankind laws (10 commandments plus another 603 laws/rules/statues) for mankind to live by but mankind proves no human can live by all of them.
    • Ex C19 V8, “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.”
    • Ex C20 – 31, 34 – 40, Moses receives the laws from GOD (partial list)
    • Gal C4 V4, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” At the exact right time GOD the FATHER sent JESUS, born under the law, so from Moses to JESUS Israel was under the law.
  • Grace – GOD presents HIS free gift of salvation through the death, shedding of blood, burial & resurrection of JESUS of Nazareth/JESUS CHRIST, believe this & you have salvation.
    • Rom C3 V22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”
    • Rom C3 V24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
    • Rom C5 V1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
    • Rom C6 V14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
    • Rom C10 V4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
    • 1 Cor C9 V17, “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.” Gospel of grace committed to Paul.
    • Gal C3 V26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
    • Eph C2 V8 – 9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
    • Eph C3 V2, “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” Gospel of grace committed to Paul.
    • Col C1 V25, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;”
  • Millennial Kingdom – At JESUS’ 2nd coming HE will set up HIS kingdom to initially exist 1000 years, satan restrained
    • Isa C2 V2 – 3, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
    • Isa C11 V6 – 9, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
    • Zech C8 V23, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
    • Rev C20 read, to lengthy to put here

The next three verses indicate that the dispensation of the law ended with John the Baptist & that the kingdom of GOD/kingdom of heaven/kingdom of heaven at hand started with John the Baptist then ended with CHRIST’S death, burial, shedding of HIS blood & resurrection on the 3rd day which started the dispensation of grace.

Luke C16 V16, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” This verse suggest that the dispensation of the law ended with John the Baptist & the kingdom of GOD started.

Matt C4 V17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” JESUS says that the kingdom of GOD is present.

Matt C11 V12 -13, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” This verse suggest that the dispensation of the law ended with John the Baptist & the kingdom of GOD started.

Dispensation PDF