The Seven Dispensations of Time

(Man's Day)

The book of Genesis has been looked at as a historical record of ancient events handed down through Hebrew traditions. This is true in a way, the greater part of the writings of Genesis are a chronological record of God's dealing with mankind. But the things that are recorded in the first and second chapters are things that could be known only by revelation from God.

Also the FIRST chapter and the first three verses of the SECOND chapter is God's BLUEPRINT OF THE CREATIVE STORY. There was no man there when God said, "Let there be light." Before we can have a clear conception of 7 Creative Days of God we must understand that what is recorded in Genesis 1:3 - Genesis 2:3 is the plan of creation as God declared it in the beginning.

The Scriptures divide time (Adam to the Millennial or the Sixth Creative Day) into seven periods, usually called "Dispensations" (Eph. 3: 2). These periods are marked off in Scripture by some change in God's method of dealing with mankind, or a portion of mankind, in respect to the sin problem and the question of man's responsibility. Each of the dispensations may be regarded as a new test of the natural man, and each ends in judgment marking his utter failure in every dispensation. Five of these dispensations, periods of time, or periods of truth have been fulfilled; we are living in the sixth, probably toward its close, and have before us the seventh.



1. Innocents: This dispensation extends from the creation of Adam, Gen. 2: 7, to the expulsion from Eden. Adam, created innocent, and ignorant of good and evil, was placed in the garden of Eden with his wife, Eve, and put under responsibility to abstain from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Dispensation of Innocence resulted in the first failure of man, and in its far reaching effects, the most disastrous. It closed in judgment—" So He drove out the man. (Gen 1:26; Gen 2:16-17; Gen 3:6 Gen 3:22-24)



2. Conscience: By the Fall, Adam and Eve acquired, and transmitted to the race, the knowledge of good and evil. This gave conscience a basis for right moral judgment, and hence the race came under this measure of responsibility to do good and eschew evil. The result of the dispensation of Conscience, from Eden to the Flood (while there was no institution of government and of law), was that " all flesh had corrupted his way on the earth; " 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 God closed the second testing of the natural man with judgment—the Flood (Gen. 3:7,22 Gen.6:5,11,12 Gen.7:11,12,23)



3. Human Government: Out of the fearful judgment of the Flood God saved eight persons, to whom, after the waters were assuaged, He gave the purified earth with ample power to govern it. This, Noah and his descendants were responsible to do. The dispensation of Human Government resulted, upon the plain of Shinar, in the impious attempt to become independent of God and closed in judgment—the Confusion of Tongues. (Gen. 9: 1, 2 Gen. 11: 1-4 Gen. 11: 5-8)



4. The Family or Promise: God now calls one man, Abram, with whom He enters into covenant. Some of the promises to Abram and his descendants have not yet been fulfilled. Other promises were conditional upon the faithfulness and obedience of the Israelites. Every one of these conditions was violated, and the dispensation of Promise resulted in the failure of Israel's family and closed in the judgment of Bondage in Egypt. The book of Genesis, which opens with the sublime words, "In the beginning God created," closes with, " In a coffin in Egypt"
(Gen. 12: 1-3 Gen. 15: 5 Gen. 26: 3 Gen. 28; 12, 13 Gen. 13: 14-17 Ex. 1: 13, 14)



5. The Law: Again the grace of God came to the help of headless man and redeemed the chosen people out of the hand of the oppressor. In the wilderness of Sinai He proposed to them the Covenant of Law. Instead of humbly pleading for a continued relation of grace, they presumptuously answered: "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." The history of Israel in the wilderness and in the Land is one long record of flagrant, persistent violation of the Law, and at last, after multiplied warnings, God closed the testing of man by Law in judgment: first Israel, and then Judah, were driven out of the Land into a dispersion which still continues. A feeble remnant returned under Ezra and Nehemiah, of which, in due time, Christ came: " Born of a woman—made under the law." Him both Jews and Gentiles conspired to crucify (Exod. 19:1-8 Rom. 10: 5 Rom. 3: 19, 20 2 Kings 17: 1-18 Gal 3:10 Acts 2:22-23 Acts 7:51 2 Kings 25:1-11)



6. Grace: We are now living in grace. It extends from the Day of Pentecost, when the new covenant church began and when the full message of grace was first preached, until the second coming of our Lord (The Revelation). We are saved by grace and not by works. “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9). (See Romans 11:6.) Judgment will fall on the earth at the close of the church age, during the Tribulation. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). (Luke 21:25-28; Acts 2:1-4; 38)



7. The Millennium: This is the period of a thousand years that will follow the second coming (The Revelation) of the Lord in the clouds (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). (Revelation 20:5.) During the Millennium, Jesus will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. “The government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6), and righteousness shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea. “And the LORDshall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD,and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9). (See II Timothy 2:12; Isaiah 65:18-25; Jeremiah 31:34.) This dispensation shall end with the Great White Throne judgment: “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:31). “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). (Revelation 20:12).



*Typology*

Genesis 5:1, 2;

This is the book (BIBLE) of the generations of Adam (Mankind). In the day (Sixth Day) that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

The BIBLE is God's book to Mankind in the Sixth Day. If you read the Bible from the Old Testament to the New you will see that 99% of the Bible deals with the work of God in Mankind. We are only told a little about the First through the Fifth and Seventh day. But the majority of the Bible deals with the Sixth day. "The Bible is a Mans Book."


A.D.A.M. is a type of the first 4000 years of HUMAN HISTORY; E.V.E. is a type of the last 3000 years of HUMAN HISTORY or MAN’S DAY. Adam is the A.M. Of this day and Eve is the evening of the day. Zechariah 14:7;... "at evening time it shall be light." We are now in the EVENING TIME of this sixth day of man.


The Sixth Feast, Feast of Atonement, was a time of shedding of blood and afflicting the soul. This Sixth creative day, the period in which we are now living, the seven thousand years from Adam to the close of the millennium, has been a day of continual atonement. There has been a "Crimson Stream of Blood" from the Garden of Eden to the cross of Calvary, and the blood of Jesus is sufficient to make atonement even until the last enemy is distorted, which is death.


The key points of history (Man's Day) divide time up into 4 periods.

First point (the first 2,000 years) Adam to Abraham (Gentile Nations).

Second point (the next 2000 years) Abraham to the Cross. At this point God moves to work to reveal Himself through one chosen people Israel. This is the origin of (Israel as a nation).

Third point (the next 2000 years) the dispensation of Grace and the Tribulation. We are living at the end of the 2000 years of Grace and the end of 6,000 years of man. The Lord is coming soon!

Fourth point (the final 1000 years) the Millennium.

History confirms this by the study of the "begats" of Genesis 5. They reveal that there are approximately 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham. (Gen.5:1-32; 11:10-32) If we study the "begats" of Scripture we will find that from Adam to Christ (Cross) is a period of 4000 years. This is also history.


The Passover Lamb kept for four days Now it is understood why Israel was to keep the Passover Lamb for 4 days before killing it in the evening (Exod.12:1-6) When Adam sinned, Christ our Passover. (1 Cor.5:7-8) was taken and kept 4,000 years (4 days) and came to save us from sin of He was kept for 4,000 years and "manifest in these last times for you. (1Peter.1:18-20)