13. Dispensations God's Purpose for Man

r5fcfrrrrfcf5

Chapter 11
Dispensations


Tim LaHaye & Thomas Ice

Throughout our study on God’s Purpose For Man, we have been traveling through several different periods of time. These time periods are known as dispensations. 

Heb 1:1-2 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

“Dispensation” means a period of time when God is dealing with men or angels. Let’s take some time out now to briefly study all nine different dispensations of time.  It will become apparent that God does deal differently in each dispensation with men or angels to accomplish His will and purpose upon the earth.

1. Dispensation of Angels:  Before time began, angels, not men, were given rulership under God to rule and administer the will of God.  God gave the lead assignment to Lucifer, who was a top arch angel for God in heaven, supported by myriads of other angels. 

This period of time went on until Lucifer and his hosts of angels chose to attack heaven and overthrow God.  Instead, he was defeated when God commanded Michael, the warring arch angel, to overthrow Lucifer (Is 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Rev 12:7-10).  Lucifer and his hosts of angels were cast out of heaven.  From that point on, Lucifer lost his name, title, and authority.  Now referred to as Satan, he was filled with sin and violence.  The time and length of this dispensation is unknown.

2. Dispensation of Innocence: (Ante-diluvian age – before the flood of Noah). This was from the time of the creation of Adam and Eve 6000 years ago until their fall, which was probably a very short period of time. There were no offspring in this dispensation. It began as perfect and sinless, under Adam’s dominion, with just one command to obey. God was testing man to see if he could remain innocent and be faithful to God under the most favorable and perfect of conditions.  Man, however, failed.  Some biblical scholars suggest this dispensation lasted only a week or so.

3. Dispensation of Conscience: (Continued as part of the ante-diluvian age). This period of time lasted from the time of Adam’s fall to the 600th year of the life of Noah, which brings us to the Noahic flood.  During this whole time, man was tested to see if he could obey his own conscience, knowing right from wrong. God permitted man to live as his conscience dictated; however, man chose to live as he pleased until it became necessary for God to abruptly intervene, causing a global flood.  This flood killed everyone on the whole earth except for one man and his family.  God abupt intervention consisted of two reasons:

  • God allowed mankind to go to the full limits of wickedness, and then He abruptly brought it to an end with the global flood.
  • In addition, God had to put a stop to Satan’s scheme to corrupt the seed of forthcoming woman (Jesus) as God has warned Satan in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15).  If Satan had accomplished his corruptive scheme, having some of his angels impregnating women, which created giants upon the earth, the whole earth would have had that corrupted seed in them (Gen 6).  That mutation would have completely devours the whole earth.  As a result, the seed of the woman (Jesus)  could not have come to earth as a sinless man to save mankind of their sins.  As we look at Genesis 3:15, we then see it as a warning to Satan and a promise to mankind of a future in the most dreaded of circumstances.  This dispensation lasted 1656 years.

4. Dispensation of Human Government: Human laws and human government were instituted to govern man’s life after a long period of time of freedom of conscience. God gave Noah certain laws to administer to the human race, and man was held responsible for self-government. This period of time lasted from Noah’s flood to the call of Abraham when he was 75 years old – totaling 427 years.

5. Dispensation of Promise: God made promises and covenants with Abraham and his seed. In this period of time God emphasized the coming of the seed of a woman that would be through a particular race of people that would come through Abraham. The purpose of this dispensation was to choose one man (Abraham) through whom the Messiah should come forth. God used him and his seed as His representatives in the earth, and gave them Canaan as their headquarters.The length of this dispensation was from Abraham’s call at the age of 75 years to the exodus from Egypt, which was 430 years. 

During these times, the “sons of God” (Satan’s fallen angels) began impregnating women again, and giants were born on the earth. Giants began possessing the very land that God had planned for His own headquarters on earth. It then became God’s plan to use the sword of Israel to destroy these giants, so as to preserve a pure line for the Messiah to come through.

God allowed Abraham’s offspring to become great in numbers, first in Israel and later during the time of Joseph, as they grew in numbers in Egypt. While there, they were separated from the sexual sins that were progressing in Canaan. God also showed the heathen Egyptians, through Joseph, the difference between serving Almighty God than their pagan gods. Following Joseph’s death, however, the Israelites went into bondage to the Egyptian powers for the next 400+ years.

6. Dispensation of Law: The law was given by God to Moses around 1400 B.C., which became the rule of faith and practice during the period between Moses and Christ.  Christ came into the world as a sinless man through the seed of the woman, just as God had warned Satan (Gen 3:15) at the end of this dispensation.  God sent Himself down here to earth in the form of His Son – as a human being. God was still trying to reach man’s heart. He longs for love and companionship. This length of time was from the time of the exodus in Egypt to the preaching of the kingdom of heaven by John the Baptist (or from Moses to Christ – around 1400 years give or take a few years.

The purpose of God in this dispensation was to:

  • Test Israel to see if they would obey God.
  • To establish a visible system of worship that would represent our coming redemption in every detail.
  • To bring about the destruction of the giant races by the sword of the Israelites, so as to bring the Messiah into the world through pure Adamite stock.
  • To give to Israel God’s complete revelation for the whole human race, which according to His promise to Abraham and his heirs, God would make them a blessing to all nations.

The law was a fore-shadow of good things to come, but was added because of sin, until the seed of Jesus should come forth. The entire Old Testament was written in this dispensation.

7. Dispensation of Grace: (Also known as the Church age). This dispensation was named because of the fullness of grace brought by Jesus Christ. Men had grace in all previous ages, but not in its fullness. The same was true regarding laws. Men had laws in all periods of time before Moses, but the fullness of the law came by Jesus. The length of this dispensation is from the preaching of the kingdom of heaven by John the Baptist to the second return of Jesus Christ. How many more years this grace period will continue is not known, because we do not know when Christ will return for the second time (not the rapture of the Church).  Most Christians believe this time will come very soon.  The seven-year Tribulation Period will come at the end of this dispensation. 

8. Dispensation of Divine Government - the Millennium: This dispensation is named because God’s Divine Government will take over all human government. These 1000 years of the theocracy of God will begin at the second return of Christ to earth (not the rapture) and will continue to the renovation of the heavens and the new earth. This dispensation will last 1000 years.

Jesus Christ and His army will come to earth to defeat all the powers of Satan, binding Him for 1000 years and chaining Him in the Bottomless Pit – the Abyss. Christ and resurrected saints, having glorified bodies, will be reigning over the coming generations, from the beginning of the Millennium and continuing on for 1000 years. God will send Jesus Christ, His faithful angels, and resurrected saints down from heaven to cast down rebellion upon the earth.  Christ, as the leader, will reign with a rod of iron.  In other words, His laws will be strictly enforced (Rev 19:15).  

For the first time since Adam fell when he submitted to Satan, “natural” man, meaning those alive on the earth, will be free from Satan and his angelic host. Man will have perfect earth conditions in every respect, as before the fall  of Adam and Eve, except that man will still be subject to the death penalty for one thing – rebellion against God’s laws that will be established in the earth.

Human nature with its depraved instinct, tendencies, and lusts will still be a part of man’s nature. His opportunity, however, for overcoming them will be great because there will be no satanic powers, influences, or temptations.  As such, there will be no sickness, disease, pain, nor any other bodily disorder.  Satan will be bound in the Bottomless Pit for 1000 years, allowing for the restoration of the earth and its inhabitants. The test for the natural man upon the earth will be to obey Christ, the reigning resurrected saints, civil and religious laws of the kingdom, and conforming to the will of God.

The purpose of God will be to:

  • Put down rebellion in the earth.
  • Fulfill the everlasting covenants of the past.
  • Vindicate Christ and the saints.
  • Exalt resurrected saints of all ages to a kingly and priestly position.
  • Judge the nations in righteousness and restore the earth to its rightful owners.
  • Restore Israel as the head of all nations.
  • Put all enemies under the feet of Christ so as to bring back the perfect conditions on the earth that existed before of fall of Adam and Eve.

As in all previous dispensations, there will be some who will not choose God and His righteousness. For those who rebelled against Christ and His laws, their time of judgment will come at the end of the Millennium Period.  At that time, God will allow Satan to be loosed from the abyss (bottomless pit) for a very brief period of time. The purpose will be for mankind to have a final opportunity to rebel openly and try to overthrow God’s government. Sadly, multitudes of people will choose to follow Satan.

Fire will then come down from God out of heaven and devour the earth’s rebels who followed after Satan, sending them into the Eternal Lake of Fire (Rev 20:7-9). They may have lived all through (or part of) the 1000 years of the Millennial period under the strict obedience of Christ; however, this test will determine which mortal “natural man” (discussed in later chapters) will spend eternity under God. As such, God will bring to an end the rebellion in His universal kingdom that began with Lucifer and all of his followers way back to the beginning of time.  

Righteous resurrected saints and angels will then serve God to help Him rule and administer the affairs of the universes. The resurrected saints, having glorified bodies, will have already been saved from all sin and possibility of rebellion by this time, as they will all be immortal. It will be the natural people who remained true to God during the last rebellion on earth who will be saved to enter into the eternal kingdom. They will then multiply and replenish the earth, as God originally planned when man was first created.

9. Dispensation of Faithful Angels and the Redeemed: The faithful angels and resurrected saints will be helping God administer the affairs of the world, which will be the eternal headquarters of God’s government. This length of time will be for all eternity.

Throughout eternity, God will continue to use Jesus Christ, faithful angels, and redeemed saints to take over the kingdoms of this world. What that will look like, the Bible does not reveal.  This time, there will be no failure – for everyone will have proven themselves to God, and will be carrying out their part in the eternal purpose of God as His plan was before Adam’s fall.  Natural man will be born sinless as before the fall of Adam and Eve, and Satan and every one of his followers will be bound in the Eternal Lake of Fire for all eternity. There will be no possibility for sin again.

The fall of Adam and Eve did not do away with God’s original purpose for mankind; it only postponed it until the restitution of all things in the new earth.  There will be no need for judgment for sin again, for everyone will be holy and righteous, and will continue to live on forever in love, peace, and harmony. [i]

Click here to view Chapter #14 - The Seed of the Woman Come Forth

End Notes


[i] Dakes Annotated Bible – Dakes Publishing Co. Pages 59, 60, 61, 62 (O.T.)

Written by Pastor Joyce A. Erickson

Believers Bible School, Founder https://believersbibleschool.com/