Dispensational Outline

The word Dispensation is a translation of the Greek word “oikonomia” which transliterated means to manage, regulate, administer, or plan. The office of an “oikonomia” was usually a treasurer, steward, or manager of an estate. It is helpful for me to think of a dispensation as an administration.

DEFINITION OF DISPENSATION “A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.” (The Scofield Reference Bible) Each dispensation has 4 characteristics.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DISPENSATIONS:
1. Revelation
2. Test
3. Failure
4. Punishment

THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS
Common characteristics of each
A. Key Person
B. Responsibility or Test
C. Failure
D. Punishment

1. INNOCENCE (Genesis 1:28-3:6)
A. Adam
B. Tend the garden, name the animals, etc.
C. Obey God and not eat the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
D. Put out of the Garden

2. CONSCIENCE (Genesis 4:1-8:14)
A. Cain
B. Do what is right
C. Man was wicked and “his heart was only evil all the time” Gen. 6:5
D. The worldwide flood

3. HUMAN GOVERNMENT (Genesis 8:15-11:9)
A. Noah
B. “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” Gen. 9:1
C. Built the Tower of Babel
D. Confusion of Languages

4. PATRIARCAL RULE (Genesis 11:10-18:27)
A. Abraham
B. Obey God and stay in the Promised Land
C. Went and staid in Egypt
D. Egyptian slavery

5. MOSAIC LAW (Exodus 19:1-Acts 1:26)
A. Moses
B. To obey all the Mosaic Law (613 commands)
C. Disobedience
D. Captivity (Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman) and dispersion from the land.

6. GRACE (Acts 2:1-Revelation 19:21)
A. The Church
B. To accept Christ
C. Rejection of the free gift of salvation
D. Eternal separation from God for those who die in this dispensation and The Great Tribulation for those who are alive and not raptured at the end of this dispensation.

7. MILLENNIAL KINGDOM (Revelation 20-22:21)
A. All mankind
B. Obey the King (Christ) and His laws.
C. Rebels will make war against Christ.
D. The rebels will be cast into everlasting punishment.

Maranatha

Finally after several chapters Paul arrives in Rome. As you remember the reason that he has been headed to Rome since chapter 21 is because of opposition from the Jewish leaders. The Jews have several times confronted Paul about his teachings and have attempted to have him arrested and ultimately killed. In order to save himself Paul falls back on his Roman citizenship and appeals his case to Caesar and Rome for judgment. Paul has made his case before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Felix, Festus, and King Agrippa. None of them can find any reason to convict Paul of any wrong doing. Because of his appeal to Caesar they push him along towards Rome as he requested. The most surprising thing to me in this chapter is found in verse 5. “The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.” Paul has been preaching the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and through Him the forgiveness of sins. His practice was to first go to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Jerusalem was the most Jewish place on earth. Rome was the most Gentile. I expected as the story of Acts progressed that Paul would be the first to bring the good news about Jesus from Jerusalem to Rome. He was after all the Apostle to the Gentiles (… also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles Galatians 2:8b). But to my surprise when Paul gets to Rome the gospel has reached Rome ahead of him and there are even many Christians there to welcome him. The message of Jesus is more powerful than any man even the great apostle Paul.

In the book of Acts many things have changed dramatically between chapter 1 and 28. We have seen the new work of God on earth in the church and the differences that has made in the former Jewish way of relating to God. We have seen the number of believers in Jesus increase from about 120 disciples (1:15) in Jerusalem, to many thousands of believers between Jerusalem and Rome. Although many things have changed at least one thing has not. In 1:3 Jesus “spoke about the kingdom of God”. In 28:31 Paul “preached the kingdom of God”. The way God deals with man may change but the overall plan of God and his kingdom has not. Like the apostles in 1:6 I believe we should be anticipating Jesus’ return and the establishment of his Messianic Kingdom on earth. Even so come Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Acts 10 and the Resurrection

The next reference after chapter 5 to Jesus' resurrection is in chapter 10

10:39-40 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen."

Acts 5 and the Resurrection

5:30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.

Acts 4 and the Resurrection

4:2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

4:10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

4:33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

Acts 3 and the Resurrection

"You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 3:15"

Acts 2 and the Resurrection

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." 2:24

"Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact." 2:31-32