​Origins, Meaning, and Understanding  of Dispensations in Scripture

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Introduction

Dispensationalism is a framework for understanding the Bible, history, and God’s relationship with humanity. This study aims to explore the origins of dispensations, what they mean, and how they are defined and understood from a biblical standpoint.

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What Are Dispensations?

The term “dispensation” comes from the Latin dispensatio, meaning “management” or “administration.” In biblical theology, a dispensation refers to a distinct period in which God interacts with humanity in a particular way, assigning specific responsibilities, expectations, and revelations. Each dispensation is marked by a unique arrangement or covenant between God and people.

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Origins of Dispensational Thought

In the Bible the word dispensation is used several time in English but its Greek equivalent oikonomia are used many more times. In Luke 16:2 the Steward was asked to give an account of his Oikonomia. In 1 Cor. 9:17 Paul says a Oikonomia (Stewardship) of the Gospel is committed to him. In Ephesians 1:10, one activity performed by God is to “gather together in one, all things in Christ”  during his Okonomia (Management and Administration) of the fulness of time. This activity is specific to the Okonomia of the fulness of time. The in Eph. 3:2 Paul under the Administration and Management of God was given responsibility for the Okonomia of the Grace of God. in 1 Tim 1:4. The Oikonomia is used which Seems to be saying the stewardship of God should be acknowledged by faith instead of fables and endless genealogies. In 1 Tim 1:4. The Okonomia is used which seems to be saying the stewardship of God should be acknowledged by faith instead of fables and endless genealogies. So that dispensation means the management, plan and administration of God. This varies in content and control. So we have the dispensation of the Law, Grace, The Fulness of time,and while these are not always specifically identified by name but they are identifiable by the characteristics of God’s dealing with mankind  with respect to sin, righteousness, grace and mercy and judgment. E.g. Acts 17:30.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: There are two different times mentioned here. A tine when God “winked” at the ignorance a certain group of people, and a tine when he is nonlonger winking but commanding all men everywhere to repent. Dispensation identify whom God is managing and how he is managing them. In Daniel 2:21 we are told “He changeth the times and the seasons” and the disciples were told it is not for them to know the times and the seasons that the father  hath put in his own power.

The student of God’s word must recognize the characteristics of these times and seasons otherwise they would misapply the word of God. For instance a sister in justifying “save and lost” said to me “he that endures to the end shall be saved”. How do you defend your self or defend the doctrine of eternal security against such a statement.

Dispensational Truth

A divinely appointed order or age. the old Mosaic, or Jewish, dispensation; the new gospel, or Christian, dispensation. This site is guided by the belief that there are different dispensations in the Bible, Durung these dispensations the revelation of God and his will for mankind varies from that of other dispensations. These must not be taken as "mis steps" or "mis-stakes" of God but steps in God's divine plan in bringing all the world bound before God. This activity of bringing all the world guilty before God was an important step in God's salvation plan. 

 

Dispensations

 

Creation to the Fall         Adam and Eve in the Garden    Gen. 1-3           They had perfect communication with God .    It ends with the fall. 

Conscience                         From the Fall to the Flood         Gen. 3 - 8         Humans were guided by moral conscience. It ended with widespread wickedness and the flood

Human Government     Post Flood to Babel   (Gen, 9-11)                            God institutes civil authority which ends with rebellion  and scattering of the nations

Promise                         Abraham to Moses (Gen. 12 - Ex.)                   God's covenant with Abraham,  faith and obedience to promises. Ends with Egyptian Bondage​

​Law                                         Moses to Christ                                                    Mosaic Law governs Israel. Ends with the crucifixtion of Christ and the Birth of the Church

Grace                                     Pentecost to the Second Coming                        Church Age. Pentecost to the second coming. Salvation by Grace thru faith,  The Gospel preached

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Even if you do not believe in the precise demarcation of the periods identified. Can you identify periods where God's dealing with mankind and sin is remarkably different from other times?  For example, if we take modern times, how God dealt with sexual immorality is clearly different from how it was with during the time of Moses or the times before Moses.

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The  Hebrew word Zehman used here alludes to not seasons as we know it (spring summer, autumn and winter, it is  used eleven times in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel, זְמָן marks a distinct “appointed time” determined either by royal decree or, ultimately, by the sovereign will of God. Whether referring to a brief moment, a recurring daily practice, an historical season, or an eschatological span, the word consistently underscores that every period of history is ordered from above. Bible Hub says “Together these verses locate human history within measurable spans that God foreknows and controls, assuring believers that tribulation itself is on a divinely fixed leash.  God is in charge of all seasons, The scripture speaks God controlling the “times” of Gentile empires, God prepared the stage for the advent of Messiah “when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus’ proclamation, “The time is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15).  All these times and seasons God is in control so the scripture speaks of the dispensation or administration of the fullness of times. God’s actions and dealings with mankind during these epochs can and may be different e.g.

1. The times of this ignorance God winked at

2. Acts 3: 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

There is coming for the Jewish nation a time of refreshing, a time of restitution of all things. We know from this scripture that Christ will never come until God is ready to ushering the Epoch of restitution. For instance the Lion and the lamb feeding together belongs to the times of restitution. Understanding and appreciating dispensational truth is critical to understanding and interpreting the Word of God.

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In Gen. 15:16 God's timetable for Israel is impacted on by the fulfillment of the iniquity of the Amorites. In other words, God delays the return of Israel to Canaan while the Amorites' judgment is delayed until it has come to a full, similar to God giving Jezebel time to repent.

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The most significant characteristic of these seasons and times is How God dealt and deals with win and judgement for sin. This is most obvious in Paul's " But Now, commands all men every where to repent".  No more forberance, no more blighs and tolerance. Repent or perish. Why? Mankind now has the clear word of God.