Dispensational truth is very important to learn in order to understand the Bible clearly. The centerfold of this January 1988 issue has a dispensation times chart. In reading God's Word we need to carefully notice to whom God is speaking and about whom He is speaking. Of course, all Scripture is for us but not all is about us nor expressed directly to us.
One unique feature of this chart is that when it is folded the Old Testament times are before our eyes and uninterruptedly connected with the part that is still future. To see this plainly is a great help in understanding the prophetic teachings of much of the Old Testament.
Notice especially how the word ISRAEL fits together and also EARTHLY PEOPLE are then connected. When the chart is opened, they are separated and show this present period when God is not dealing directly with Israel. But the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and He will, in His own time, fulfill all His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham will reign in righteousness for 1000 years.
Time is like a parenthesis in eternity. The line from one arc to the other arc shows time past and time ahead. The circle is the present interval of grace when a heavenly people are being called out and prophetic time is not calculated.
Proceeding on the line from left to right: Innocence was the first test of man; Conscience came in with the fall and serves as a check against sin. With no other restraint though, "the wickedness of man was very great in the earth," and because "the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence," God judged it with a flood.
Next, upon the cleansed earth God put authority or government into the hands of man. This is a further check on evil and, along with conscience, still goes on. If we think of these two as dispensations, we have to say that they began but they have not stopped.
Promise was given to one man, Abraham, and his descendants through Israel. Promise is not yet completed but will be in the millennium.
The law is clearly a dispensation that involved one nation and began with Moses and ended with Christ on the cross. He fulfilled the law but died under it and now that test of man in the flesh is over. (Rom. 10:44For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:4).)
The present nearly 2000 years we speak of as the dispensation of grace. Today God is not requiring something from man but rather offering free and full salvation to man in pure sovereign grace.
The last and coming dispensation is the millennial kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Each successive dispensation becomes more favorable to man as a test. That is, conscience received was a help to man to guide and check his behavior. In addition when government or authority came it was a further help. When law was given, Israel had a perfect rule of life in addition to conscience and government. During the present dispensation, salvation is known and received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is given to indwell the believer. Also we have the complete Word of God and the Lord Jesus as our faithful and merciful High Priest interceding for us at God's right hand.
Still beyond this, the people on earth in the next dispensation will have a perfect, righteous government tinder Christ as King. Also Satan will be bound and so not able to tempt man in the flesh. Truly this long series of tests tinder which God has placed man shows His patience and long-suffering mercy toward us. We learn that He has purposed in Himself, "that in the dispensation 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." 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). Ed