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.
