Dispensationalism and the Different Covenants

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Dispensationalism – the belief that the Bible is divided into different epochs of time, during which different sets of rules governed God’s affairs with mankind; how God interacted with man, and man with God.

It is obvious that the whole Bible can not be understood and applied as if addressed to us today, and yet people do it all the time.  “Well, this is what Jesus said.”  “Well this is what it says in Deuteronomy!”  “Well, the book of Revelation says this.”

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.  Hebrews 10:4

When was the last time you killed an animal as a blood sacrifice in order to assuage God’s anger toward your sins?  The religious practice of Israel in the Old Testament was a very bloody one indeed!

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest  by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  Hebrews 10:16-20

From the fall of man until the coming of the Messiah, the restoration of God’s true intent for man was impossible.  The law of Moses had nothing directly to do with God’s restoration (man’s redemption), and still does not today.  The law came to make sin exceedingly sinful; that is, painfully obvious to man’s mind.  Its coming never carried God’s ultimate intention, not having the ability to restore or redeem mankind.

Now we know that whatever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the intimate knowing of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Romans 3:19-21

From the fall of man, detailed in Genesis 3, all of the various epochs of time, which I and many others call “administrations” (also known as dispensations), were and are steps along the way to God’s ultimate plan.

That in the dispensation (administration) of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.  Ephesians 1:10

I’ve seen 8 different “administrations” of God  in the Bible.  The names given to them are not as important as their specific and individual attributes – the different rules which governed how man could relate to God, and and how God would relate to man.

The word “dispensation” in the Bible is translated from the Greek word oikonomia.  It comes from two Greek words; oikos – house, and nomos – law.  and can be defined thusly:  “Administration of a household.  Actively, the administrative activity of the owner or the steward; passively, that which is administered.  A disposition or arrangement of things, a scheme or dispensation.”  An administration of God is the specific and peculiar manner in which God deals with man during that administration.

There has been and continues to be no end to the confusion in Biblical understanding which is able to vex men’s souls because they do not discern the specific administration in force in each context of God’s dealings with man.  When you read the Bible, you must be aware of which administration is in force in the section you are reading; otherwise, you could be applying things which were true then (or which will be true in the future),  but are not true today.  For example, today is not the age of the law of Moses, yet many many men continue to live as if obedience to the law of Moses is God’s requirement for man today!  This is a very harmful error in understanding

Following are the eight administrations I have seen in the Bible.

1.  Original Paradise.  Genesis 1-3.  Began when Adam was “made in the image of God” (spirit).  Ended when he and Eve ate of the tree they were commanded not to eat of.  The agreement God had with man was described by God as follows:

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress (work) it and to keep (protect) it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.  Genesis 2:15-17

2.  Individual Covenants (also known as the Patriarchal Period).  Genesis 3 – Exodus 20.  Began the day that Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, whereby they lost the spirit of God.  Ended with the coming of the Law of Moses.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; (For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed (attributed) when there is no law.  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them who had not sinned after the similar manner of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure (tupos – type, exemplar, pattern)  of him who was to come (the Christ).  Romans 5:12-15

God had individual agreements with different individuals, and those who were of their family or tribe shared in their blessing.   Cain, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are some of the individuals God had individual covenants with.  For example:

And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.  And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  Make an ark of gopher wood… And (after the flood) God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish (fill) the earth. 
Genesis 6:12-14a; 9:1

Now the Lord had said unto Abram (Abraham), Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you; And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; And I will bless them who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.  Genesis 12:1-3

3.  The Law (of Moses).  Exodus 20 – Acts 2.  The descendants of Jacob (whose God-given name was Israel) had become a nation of people while living in Egypt.  Over two million people!  While in Egypt, Israel lived by the rule of Pharoah.  When they first left Egypt, they had only Moses’ rule to live by, but Moses couldn’t successfully judge every situation which arose (he tried for a while).  Rather than be ruled by the subjectivity of a patriarch, a law came into being which could govern this nation out of which the Messiah would come.  This administration began the day Moses received this law from God, and ended legally the day that Jesus was raised from the dead, having completely fulfilled the law (lived his entire life unto his death without ever disobeying one single law).  It ended in reality on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2.  Unfortunately, it continues to exist in practice today for those who have not accepted and who do not understand the new covenant of the glorified Christ.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He didn’t say, “And to seeds,” as of many; but as of one, “And to your seed,” which is Christ.  And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of no effect.  For if the inheritance (of the world) be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise (and it is received by faith, not by working for it).  Galatians 3:16-18

There were something like 613 (by some count) laws of Moses which needed to be adhered to by the nation of Israel.  The only Gentiles (anyone not of Israel) who were ever under the law were those who by their free will chose to subject themselves to it (either proselytes – those becoming Jews, with circumcision, baptism, etc.; or “God-fearers,” those who believed the God of Israel was the true God, but did not become Jews.  Example: Acts 10:1,2)

Every law had its blessing and its consequence, and until Jesus, no man ever perfectly obeyed the law.  Consequences for not adhering to a law could be ameliorated (lessened) by means of blood sacrifice.  Because the consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23), God allowed that an innocent animal’s life could be sacrificed in place of man’s death.  In fact, the laws of Moses required a lot of blood letting!

(4.  Jesus’ Ministry).  Matthew 3:13 – Acts 2:1. I put this in parentheses because this period of time  actually includes the last days of the law of Moses.  It was, however, different from the rest of the time of the law of Moses, in that the son of God (who had to obey the law perfectly), brought the ministry of God’s holy spirit, though only to Israel.  His primary two purposes in life were 1) to make the true God known and to bring to pass His perfect will; and 2) To defeat the devil and his works, (sin unto death).

He healed the sick and the psychologically damaged,  forgave sin, raised the dead, and defeated the enemy of God who was the god of death.  He was able to do all this in anticipation of his very own blood sacrifice.  This administration began with the earthly ministry of Jesus, upon his returning from his forty days in the wilderness, and it ended with his ascension into heaven, forty days after his resurrection.  His baptism was representative of death and rebirth – then followed by 40 days trial in preparation for what would follow.  Finally occurred his actual death and rebirth – then followed by 40 days on the earth until his ascension, in preparation for what would follow.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared Him (led Him out into the open). 
John 1:17, 18

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers (the patriarchs).  Romans 15:8

But he (Jesus)responded and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Matthew 15:24

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Matthew 5:17, 18
(The law was fulfilled when Jesus died, but the prophets are not fulfilled until the time of the end of the book of Revelation).

5.  The Church (the Mystery Revealed).  Acts 2:1 – I Thessalonians 4:17.  This administration began on the day of Pentecost, and it ends at the moment of the gathering together, also known as the “rapture.”  This is the period of time in which we live today.  Jesus has sent into the world the spirit (Christ) which His Father gave him, to make sons of all who receive the spirit of His son (the promised redeemer).  No longer under the bondage of the law of Moses, this spiritual body of believers comes from both Jews and Gentiles, and is called a “new creation.”  (also called the body of Christ, the temple of God, the church [literally, the “called out”] of God).  What takes place in and among us believers today is actually what God has intended for mankind all along; the ultimate of His ability, known as the “glory of God.”

It is very important to understand that what became spiritually true when the holy spirit was first given in Acts 2,  took a bit of time for its truth to be revealed to men’s minds and hearts.  Why?  Because its truth couldn’t even begin to be made known until its reality had begun.  The truth of the ministry of the spirit of Christ could only begin to be made known to the hearts of man once it had itself come into the world.  This “mystery of Christ” was hidden in God (Ephesians 3:9) until the spirit of Christ in man began to reveal its truths.  Therefore, you can not assume that everything which was taught or which occurred during this time, especially in the book of Acts, is doctrinally true.

In truth, the Bible itself states that the man named Paul, who was an apostle and a prophet, was the man to whom God entrusted the revealing of the truths of this period of time, also known as “the administration of the grace of God.”

If you have heard of the administration (oikonomos) of the grace of God which was given to me for you.  How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery…. Ephesians 3:2, 3a

It even took time for Paul to have the depths of this mystery of Christ revealed within him.  If you read I Thessalonians (the first of his epistles to be written), and then Ephesians (one of the last to be written) you will see a big difference in the depth of Paul’s spiritual understanding!  All correct understanding of the truths of today must line up with the revelation given to Paul.  Any Scripture in the entire Bible which one desires to interpret or understand in the light of present day circumstances and application must be interpreted in harmony with the revelation of the mystery of Christ as revealed by Paul.

6. The Tribulation/Wrath of God. II Thessalonians 2:8 – Revelation 19:10.  There is great peace and prosperity on the earth after the saints are gathered off the earth by Christ, but that period sets mankind up for domination by the prince of darkness, as he marshals his forces to destroy the earth.  This marshalling of his dark forces was hindered by the spirit of Christ indwelling his saints, until they leave the earth.  This ugly period ends with the coming of Jesus to rule upon the earth for a thousand years.

And now you know what’s holding him back, that he (the wicked one) might be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of lawlessness does already work; only he who is now holding (him) back, until he be taken out of the way (at the gathering together).  And then shall that wicked one be revealed….            II Thessalonians 2:6-8a

7.  The Millenial Reign of Christ.  Revelation 19:11 – 20:15.  It begins with Jesus and his saints coming upon the earth and defeating the armies of unrighteousness in the battle(s) of Armageddon.  The beast and false prophet are condemned, and Satan is bound.  The just are raised up from the dead unto eternal life, having been judged.  It ends with Satan being loosed, who immediately stirs up rebellion, which is put down immediately.  Satan is condemned and cast into the lake of fire.  All the dead are raised up and judged at what is known as the White Throne judgment.  Those whose names are not found written in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire, to die the second death.  The earth is destroyed at the end of this time.

8.  A New Heaven and a New Earth.  Revelation 21:1 – 22:21.  The earth we know has been destroyed.  We live on a new earth.  It is a new heaven, because Satan and his spirits no longer exist.  Only righteousness exists in this new period of time, and everything that occurs is the stuff of eternity.  Paul speaks of this time in II Corinthians 12:1-5.

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Is adherence to the law of Moses a requirement for eternal life?  Then why did Jesus need to come and die?  What about those who lived prior to the law being given?  Do men live by the grace of God during the time Jesus ruled on the earth?  Could anyone who lived between Adam and Jesus, who did not have the spirit of God, actually know the true God, Who is spirit?  What are the rules by which God deals with man during the Tribulation and Wrath?  What’s life going to be like in this new heaven and new earth?  God wants you to understand the answers to these questions, so that the Bible makes much more sense when you read it.
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Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

The Original Paradise
Do not preach the Old Testament.
The Mystery of Christ
The 2 Systems of God
Dead to the Law
The Law vs. Faith

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