Dispensations

From: Doctrinal Definitions: A Handbook of Doctrinal Terms & Expressions in the New Testament By: Stanley Bruce Anstey

• 5 min. read • grade level: 11

The word “dispensation” means "the administration of a house," or "the management of a household," or "a house-law." In the sense that it is used in Scripture, it is a publicly ordered dealing of God with men in the administration of His ways in His house during various ages.

Since God's house on earth was not established in any real sense until He formally took up relations with Israel on the ground of redemption, and built the tabernacle wherein He could meet with them (Exodus 25-40), we could say that from that time forward there are three main dispensations in the ways of God (See The Concise Bible Dictionary — pp. 216-217). Prior to that, men walked with God as individuals, but there was no publicly ordered

system of God's dealing with men collectively in relation to His house.

The first of these is the Dispensation of the Law which was an ordered dealing of God with men (the nation of Israel) whereby the legal obligations and requirements of the Law were to be fulfilled by the people in order for them to walk in fellowship with God. This administration passed through three phases:

• About 400 years under the Judges (from Israel's entrance into the land of Canaan to the end of the Judges — Acts 13:19-20¹⁹And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. ²⁰And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. (Acts 13:19‑20)).

• About 500 years of kingship (from Saul to the Babylonian captivity).

• About 600 years of prophetic testimony during the Times of the Gentiles (from the captivity to John the Baptist (Luke 16:16¹⁶The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16)).

The second dispensation is the present “administration [dispensation] of the Mystery” (Eph. 3:9⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9) – W. Kelly Translation footnote; Bible Treasury, vol. 13, p. 379). This is a special administration for the governing of a heavenly company of people (the Church) in this present Day of Grace. The Apostle Paul was commissioned to “enlighten all” as to what this administration entailed (Eph. 3:9⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9)). Three times he speaks of having been “given” a special revelation of truth for the present “dispensation” (1 Cor. 9:17¹⁷For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. (1 Corinthians 9:17); Eph. 3:2²If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: (Ephesians 3:2); Col. 1:25²⁵Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25)). He was to teach the great truths of the Mystery that had been "hidden throughout the ages" concerning “Christ and the Church” (Eph. 3:9; 5:32⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9)
³²This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32)). This would include everything from the Church’s calling to its practical arrangements for the saints meeting together for worship and ministry. The Church itself is not a dispensation but rather it is governed by a dispensation or house-law of God in relation to the truth disclosed in the Mystery.

The ministry of grace actually commenced with the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:17¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)). But when His earthly people rejected Him, God opened the present dispensation of the Mystery in the heavenly calling of the Church with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; 11:15¹And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1‑4)
¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. (Acts 11:15)). Believers today are being called out of the Jews and Gentiles to be part of a new heavenly thing—the Church, the body and bride of Christ (Acts 15:14; 26:17¹⁴Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (Acts 15:14)
¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, (Acts 26:17)). The burden of true Christian ministry is to "further God's dispensation" by helping the saints who compose the Church to understand their heavenly calling in Christ and to live their lives in accord with the present administration of His house (1 Tim. 1:4⁴Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Timothy 1:4)).

The third dispensation is yet to come—"the dispensation of the fulness of times" (Eph. 1:10¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fulness 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)). This will be a special ordering of God with men during the public reign of Christ in the Millennium. The restored remnant of Israel and the Gentile nations will enjoy an earthly portion of blessing under the administration of Christ and the Church, who will reign over the universe from the heavens (Psa. 103:19¹⁹The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. (Psalm 103:19); Rev. 21:10¹⁰And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Revelation 21:10)).

These three dispensations (or administrations) of God's house are vastly different. In fact, the more we study them, the more we will see how different they are. For instance, the Dispensation of the Law has to do with a people who have an earthly portion and destiny, whereas the Dispensation of the Mystery—sandwiched between the Dispensation of the Law and the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times—has to do with people who have a heavenly calling and destiny (the Church). Presently, God's dealings with the nation of Israel have been suspended (Dan. 9:24-27²⁴Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. ²⁵Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. ²⁶And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:24‑27); Hos. 5:15-6:3¹⁵I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. ¹Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ²After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. ³Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 5:15‑6:3); Micah 5:2-3²But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. ³Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Micah 5:2‑3); Rom. 11:11-24¹¹I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. ¹²Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? ¹³For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: ¹⁴If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. ¹⁵For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? ¹⁶For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; ¹⁸Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. ¹⁹Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. ²⁰Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: ²¹For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. ²²Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. ²³And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. ²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:11‑24), etc.); in the meantime He is calling believers out of this world by the gospel of His grace to comprise the Church (Acts 15:14; 26:17¹⁴Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (Acts 15:14)
¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, (Acts 26:17)). When the full number of elect believers are saved and brought into the Church (Rom. 11:25²⁵For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)), God will resume His dealings with Israel and will bring a remnant from all 12 tribes into blessing (Rom. 11:26-27²⁶And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: ²⁷For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:26‑27)). The Gentile nations will also be blessed under them in Christ's millennial kingdom. Hence, there has been a change in the dispensational ways of God from Law to Grace, administered in the Mystery, and there will be another change from the administration of the Mystery to the administration of the millennial kingdom. In a coming day, when the purpose of God will be fully worked out, the kingdom will have people on earth blessed in relation to Christ, and also people in heaven blessed with Christ.

Dispensations have often been confused with ages. Some have tried to homogenize them and make them into the same thing. For instance, Unger's Bible Dictionary says, "A dispensation is an era of time during which man is tested." C. I. Scofield's scheme of "Seven Dispensations" is another example of this mixture. However, ages and dispensations are not the same. W. Kelly said, “The word ‘dispensation’ has no reference to a particular period or age” (Lectures on the Epistle to the Ephesians, p. 27 – footnote). An "age" is a period of time, and a "dispensation" is a moral and spiritual ordering of God during a period of time, in relation to some specific truth that He has given to His house. In accord with this, J. N. Darby spoke of being "in" an age, but "under" a dispensation (Collected Writings, vol. 10, p. 12).

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