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God's
Ways of Working in the Past,
the Present, and the Future
An Introduction to the Study
of Dispensations
by WordExplain
Before God created
the
Earth, our Solar
System, our Galaxy, the Universe ... did He have a Master Plan?
When God created the first humans, Adam and Eve, did He have
to
change His plans when they disobeyed Him? Does God always
work
the same way throughout the thousands of years of human history?
If we are to understand how God will work in the future, we
must
understand how He used to work in the past. First, as we
study
through the Bible, we quickly observe that
God works with different people in different ways at different times.
For example when God
was
working with Adam and Eve before they sinned, God had a very limited
set of ground rules. Adam and Eve could eat of any tree of
the Garden except for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
If they ate of this tree, God said, they would die.
We know that Adam
and Eve
both ate of the forbidden fruit. When they did so, they died
spiritually instantly (they hid from God), and the process of
physical
decay and physical
death began to work in their bodies instantly,
although it would take many years before their bodies perished.
After they sinned (The Fall of Man), God's ground rules
changed dramatically. First, God predicted enmity between the
woman and the serpent, and between her seed (a certain offspring) and
his offspring. Second, God told Eve she would bear children
in great pain, yet she would still have a desire for her husband, and
he would rule over her. Third, God cursed the ground that
Adam had to work. He would have to toil strenuously to grow
food, and thorns and thistles would always oppose him. Work
would become arduous and Adam would succumb to death and would decay
into the
soil from which he had been made. Fourth, God sacrificed the
life of an animal or animals to make skins for clothing for the pair.
Fifth, God banished man forever from the Garden of Eden, lest
man eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in a decaying,
increasingly
decrepit body.
I say all that to
say this
again: Throughout man's history, God has worked in DIFFERENT
WAYS with DIFFERENT PEOPLE at DIFFERENT TIMES.
Let me now
outline very
briefly the ways in which God has worked with man in the past, how He
is working now, and how He will work in the future. Theologians call
these different eras DISPENSATIONS, taken from Ephesians
1:10
(King James Version - KJV): "That 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."
The word dispensation (in Eph.
1:10) is
translated in The New American
Standard Bible ( NASB)
as " administration."
Frequently the same Greek word is translated in NASB as management
(Luke
16:2-4), and
sometimes as stewardship
(1
Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25). The idea is that
God
entrusts to mankind, and at times, to certain groups of people, a
stewardship -- a responsibility to run the earth and manage it for the
glory of God,
fulfilling God's plan for us to serve Him. So a Biblical
understanding of our time here on earth is this, that we are not here
for our own pleasure. We exist on earth to cooperate with
God, to serve as benevolent stewards over the earth and its people, to
endeavor to bring people into right relationship with God.
There follows now, a brief list of the Dispensations, or
Administrations, or Stewardships -- the ways in which
God works
with man. These different arrangements that God
has entered into with man will show us what man's responsibility used
to be, what it is now
(in the Church
Age), and
what it will be in the future.
It is important
to notice that certain features carry over from one
dispensation to another, while other features may end with the closing
of a dispensation.
For example, faith in God and what He says is of paramount
importance in any dispensation. The Law (Torah), with all of
its ceremonial and sacrificial commands was imperative for Israel
during the Dispensation of Law, but "Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to everyone who believes" (Rom.
10:4) in the
dispensation
of Grace or Church.
Here
are the Eight
Dispensations.
Some believe
there are fewer, some, perhaps more, but I have chosen eight different
ways God works in eight different eras.
The
Dispensation of Innocence
Genesis
1:26 - 3:6
| Beginning |
Creation.
Gen.
1:26-27 |
| Human
Responsibility (Test) |
1.
Reflect the image of
God. Gen.
1:26
2. Multiply and replenish the earth. Gen.
1:28
3. Subdue the earth and rule the animals benevolently. Gen.
1:28
4. Cultivate the Garden of Eden. Gen.
2:15
5. Eat freely of any tree in the Garden. Gen.
2:16
6. Do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Gen.
2:17
7. Trust God and His command (exercise faith)
8. Name the animals. Gen.
2:19 |
| Advantages |
1.
Supremely beautiful
environment. Gen.
2:9
2. Positive goodness; absence of any sin or sinful motives. Gen.
1:31
3. Man had a wonderful companion and helper. Gen.
2:18-25
4. Intimate fellowship with God. Gen.
2:7-25 (Cf. Gen. 3:8) |
| Human
Failure |
Man
disobeyed
God by eating the forbidden fruit. Gen.
3:1-6; Rom. 5:12 |
| Divine
Judgment |
1.
Loss
of innocence
(ashamed of nakedness). Gen.
3:7
2. Instant spiritual
death (separated from fellowship with God). Gen.
3:8
3. Perpetual enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between
their offspring. Gen.
3:15
4. Eve would have painful childbirth, and would be ruled over by her
husband. Gen.
3:16
5. The ground Adam was to till was cursed. Work would be
difficult and nature would oppose him with thorns and thistles. Gen.
3:17-19a
6.
He would eventually age and die physically. Gen.
3:19b; 5:5.
7. The pair were expelled from the Garden. Gen.
3:24 |
| Divine
Grace |
1.
Man
was promised a
redeemer who would destroy the serpent. Gen.
3:15
2. Man was prevented from eating of the Tree of Life, which would have
perpetuated him in a sin-cursed, decrepit body. Gen.
3:22-24
3. Man was given longevity.
Gen.
5 |
| End
of
the Dispensation |
Expulsion
from the Garden. Gen.
3:24 |
| Application |
Even
in
the most perfect
environment and without any sin
nature, man
will fail his moral test, disobey God, and suffer disastrous
consequences. |
The
Dispensation of Conscience (or Moral Responsibility)
Genesis
3:7 - 8:19
| Beginning |
An experiential
knowledge
of good and evil. Gen.
3:7-8 |
Human
Responsibility
(Test) |
1. The same as
Innocence.
(Reflect the Image of God; Multiply and replenish the
earth; Subdue the earth and rule the animals benevolently.
But now also:
2. Live in accordance with the curses God placed on them. Gen.
3:16-24
3. Live according to conscience. Rom.
2:15
4. Apparently, acknowledge God with an offering. Gen.
4:3-4
5. Trust God. Rom. 1:17 |
| Advantages |
1. They lived with a
first-hand
knowledge of God. Gen.
4:1
2. They interacted personally with God. Gen.
4:4-15. |
| Human
Failure |
1. Cain offered an
offering apparently without faith. Heb.
11:4
2. Cain became angry at God. Gen.
4:5
3. Murder. Gen.
4:6
4. Great evil. Gen.
6:5
5. Great corruption and violence. Gen.
6:11-12 |
| Divine
Judgment |
1. The ground was
cursed
for Cain. He could no longer grow crops. He became
a fugitive nomad. Gen.
4:11-12
2. God destroyed all animals on the earth and all mankind
except for selected animal representatives and Noah's family through a
world-wide Flood. Gen.
6 - 8 |
| Divine
Grace |
God preserved Noah's
family and selected animals. Gen.
6:8 - 7:8 |
| End
of
the Dispensation |
The Great Flood. |
| Application |
Left to his own
devices,
man becomes utterly corrupt, worthy only of annihilation. |
The
Dispensation of Human Government
Genesis
8:20-11:9
| Beginning |
The Covenant with
Noah
after the Flood. Gen.
9:8-17 |
Human
Responsibility
(Test) |
1. "Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth ... abundantly" Gen.
9:1, 7
2. Man may eat animals, but not the blood of animals. Gen.
9:3-4
3. If any man or animal sheds human blood, men
are to shed his (or its)
blood to protect the image of God in man. Gen.
9:5-6 |
| Advantages |
1. With the
presumable
decrease in vegetation, man was now permitted to eat meat.
Gen.
9:3
2. With animals becoming carnivorous also, God placed a dread of
mankind in the animal kingdom for man's protection. Gen.
9:2
3. Capital punishment, implying the existence of human government,
would help control violence and anarchy on the earth. Gen.
9:6
4. God covenanted never again to destroy the earth with a flood.
The rainbow is the sign of God's covenant. Gen.
9:8-17 |
| Human
Failure |
Instead of filling
the
whole earth, mankind united (and built the Tower of Babel or Babylon)
to avoid being
scattered. Gen.
11:4 |
| Divine
Judgment |
1. God proliferated
human
languages. Gen.
11:7
2. God scattered mankind upon the face of the earth. Gen.
11:8
|
| Divine
Grace |
God put none to
death for
their rebellion. |
| End
of
the Dispensation |
The dispersion of
the
human race at Babel. (Gen.
11:8-9) |
| Application |
Even with the
knowledge of
God's catastrophic judgment for evil (the Flood), man still chose to
defy God and go his own way. |
The
Dispensation of Promise
Genesis
11:10-Exodus 19:2
| Beginning |
The Promise to
Abraham.
Gen.
12:1-3 |
Human
Responsibility
(Test) |
1. Abraham was to
leave
his country, his relatives, and his father's house and travel to the
land God would show him. Gen.
12:1
2. He was to be a blessing. Gen.
12:2
3. He was to travel about through the land God had promised him and his
descendants forever. Gen.
13:14-17
4. It is implied that he was to believe in God's promises. Gen.
12:1-3;
15:1-6; 17:19-21, etc. |
| Advantages |
1. God's
promises
were initially conditioned on Abraham's faith, as evidenced by his
obedience (Gen.
12:1-4). Once Abraham responded, however,
those promises, reinforced by a unilateral Divine covenant (Gen.
15),
were worded in unconditional, eternal
terms. In other words, God's promises to Abraham are guaranteed.
These promises included that
(a) Abraham would become a great nation;
(b) God would bless him;
(c) God would make his name great;
(d) God would bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who cursed
him;
(e) in Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed (all Gen.
12:1-3);
(f) God would give Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan
forever (Gen.
13:14-17; 15:18-21; 17:3-8);
(g) and that God's chosen line of Abraham's descendants was Isaac
through Sarah (not Ishmael through Hagar) (Gen.
17:15-22; 21:9-12).
2. The blessings to Abraham, God passed on to Isaac (Gen.
25:11;
26:2-5).
3. Isaac passed on the blessings of Abraham to his son Jacob
(Gen.
27:26-29, 37; 28:1-4), and God confirmed his actions (Gen.
28:12-15).
4. God's blessings to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob included vast material
prosperity (Gen.
13:2; 20:14-16; 26:12-14; 30:43).
5. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob experienced God's
powerful deliverance on their behalf . Exod.
14 |
| Human
Failure |
1. Abraham departed
from
the land of blessing (Gen.
12:10-20).
2. Abraham and Sarah didn't believe God would given them a son, so they
had Abraham impregnate her servant girl, Hagar (Gen.
16).
3. The Israelis repeatedly failed to trust God in difficult
circumstances. Exod.
14:10-12; 16:2-3; 17:1-4 |
| Divine
Judgment |
1. When Abraham went
to
Egypt, his wife probably acquired Hagar there.
2. When Abraham and Sarah had a child by Hagar, great strife erupted in
the family. The strife is still seen between the descendants
of Isaac (Israel) and the descendants of Ishmael (the Arabs).
|
| Divine
Grace |
1. Even through
Abraham
and his descendants were imperfect, God still made unconditional
promises and covenants ultimately guaranteeing Abraham's descendants
through Isaac and Jacob God's blessing, supremacy in the world, a title
to the land of Canaan, and being a great blessing to all the clans of
the earth.
2. God blessed the Hebrew people by delivering them out of great
bondage in Egypt (the Exodus) Exodus
7 - 14.
|
| End
of
the Dispensation |
The Giving of the
Law in Exodus
19:1-31:18 |
| Application |
Man is flawed sinner
at
heart. The only way he can be redeemed is if God sovereignly
reaches into a his life and chooses to bless him. |
| Beginning |
The
Giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. Exodus
19:3 - 23:33 |
| Human
Responsibility (Test) |
1.
Obey
God and keep His covenant. Ex.
19:5
2. Be God's unique national possession. Ex.
19:5
3. Be to God a kingdom of priests (i. e. be a priesthood to bring
people from other nations into right relationship with God). Ex.
19:6
4. Be God's holy nation (set apart from sin to Himself). Ex.
19:6; Lev.
20:26 |
| Advantages |
1.
God would continue to provide for them and protect them as He already
had. Ex.
19:4
2. God would guide them to Canaan and help them conquer the land so
they could inhabit it. Ex.
23:20-33; 34:10-11
3. God would live among them. Ex.
25-27; 40:34-38
4. God would be their invisible King. 1
Sam. 8:7
5. God would bless them in every possible way. Deut.
28:1-14 |
| Human
Failure |
1.
Israel refused to believe that God could give them the victory over
their opponents and conquer the Promised Land. Num.
13:31 - 14:4
2. Israel repeatedly worshiped false gods. Exod.
32-33; Judges 2:11-13;
1 Kings 12:26-33, etc.
3. Israel repeatedly broke the Law. Num.
15:32-36; Num. 25;
2 Chron. 36:21; Amos 2:4-8, etc.
4. Israel rejected God as her invisible king, desiring instead a
visible human king. 1
Sam. 8:4-22
5. Israel ultimately rejected the Divine / Human King God sent, and had
the Romans crucify him. Isaiah
53; Psalm 22:1, 7-8, 15-18;
Matt. 27:20-54; Acts 4:25-28 |
| Divine
Judgment |
1.
Under
Moses, God consigned the nation to wander in the desert for 40 years
until the older generation had died off. Num.
14:27-35
2. God gave Israel what they asked for - a human king who would draft
their sons and daughters and tax them heavily. 1
Sam. 8:9-22
3. God divided the Kingdom into two because of King Solomon's idolatry.
1
Kings 11:1-8
4. God used the Assyrians to conquer the Northern Kingdom and carry the
people into captivity. 2
Kings 17:7-23
5. God used the Babylonians to conquer the Southern Kingdom (Judah) and
carry the people into exile. 2
Kings 24:1-4; 10-17; 25:1-22; 2 Chron.
36:11-21
6. God allowed the Romans to occupy Israel during the days of Jesus.
Matt.
22:21; Luke 2:1-4. |
| Divine
Grace |
1.
God
provided sacrifices whereby Israeli citizens could stay in fellowship
with God. Leviticus
1-7
2. God provided the Day of Atonement whereby the nation could, annually
have its corporate sins forgiven. Leviticus
16
3. God promised David an ultimate descendant who would sit on David's
throne forever as an obedient King. 2
Sam. 7:1-16 (See also Isaiah
9:6-7; Psalm 2; Psalm 110; Isa. 11:1-10; Daniel
7:9-14.) The people of Israel will
mourn for having pierced this king and God will forgive their
sins. Zech.
12:10 - 13:1.
4. God promised Israel a New Covenant in which He would give them soft
hearts so they would obey Him, and He would forgive them their sins.
Jer.
31:31-37; Ezek. 11:19-20; 36:21-36.
|
| End
of
the Dispensation |
The
Crucifixion of Christ on the Cross. Matt.
27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19 |
| Application |
Even
with a complete revelation of God's righteous standards as given in the
Law, reinforced in the Writings and the Prophets, the Jewish
people were unable to worship God exclusively or keep His commands.
Even when God reveals to us all His standards, we are incapable of
meeting them without His assistance. Man needs a heart of
flesh
to replace his heart of stone.
God has promised that in the New Covenant. |
The
Dispensation of Grace
(The
Church Age)
| Beginning |
The
Day
of Pentecost, the beginning of the Church. Acts
2 |
| Human
Responsibility (Test) |
1.
Believe in Jesus
Christ, the only way to the Father (John
14:6), who died to pay for our
sins and rose again that we may have eternal life. John
1:11-12;
3:16-18, 36; 5:24, 11:25-27; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Rom. 3:21-26; 4:23-25;
5:8-10; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; 1 Pet. 3:18.
2. Be witnesses to all the world of Jesus, making disciples
for
him and teaching them to obey him. Acts
1:8; Matt. 28:16-20.
3. Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Col.
3:17
4. Preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. John
17:11,
20-23; Eph. 4:3 |
| Advantages |
1.
We
are saved by grace through faith apart from the works of the Law. Gal.
2:16; Eph. 2:8-10.
2. Christians today are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2
Cor. 1:21-22;
Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30), whom Jesus gave us in His absence to
indwell us
and motivate us, (John
14:16-17) for evangelism (John
16:7-11), and for
guidance and empowering (Rom.
8:14, 18; Gal. 5:22-25).
3. Jesus is the complete propitiation (legal satisfaction) for our sin
(Heb.
2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10) something the Law could never
accomplish
(Rom.
3:21-25).
4. There is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ. Rom.
8:1
5. Jesus Christ is forever our great high priest who constantly
intercedes for us. Heb.
3:1; 4:14-16; 7:23-27
6. Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant, the New
Covenant, which alone can provide the hearts needed to obey
God. Heb.
7:22; 8:6-12
7. Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ. Rom.
8:35-39 |
| Human
Failure |
1. The
Jewish people repeatedly failed to trust in Jesus as their Messiah /
King. Acts
13:44-47; 14:1-2; 17:1-5, 10-15; 18:4-6, 12-13;
19:8-9.
2. Few of any people, whether Jewish or Gentile, accept God's salvation
in Jesus. Matt.
7:13-14; 22:14.
3. Some within the church were fleshly, acting like unregenerate men,
exhibiting disunity (1
Cor. 3:1-3), immorality (1
Cor. 5:1),
litigation by believers against believers in an unbelieving law court
(1
Cor. 6:1-6), and divisive, discriminatory worship (1
Cor. 11:17-22).
4. The Church would experience apostasy (1
Tim. 4:1-3), savage
dismemberment of the flock (Acts
20:29-30), doctrinal defection (Jude
1:3-4), losing its first love for Christ (Rev. 2:4),
incomplete
obedience (Rev.
3:1-3), and apathy (Rev.
3:15-17). |
| Divine
Judgment |
1.
Those
who
reject Jesus' sacrifice for their sins remain under God's wrath and
judgment. John
3:16-20, 36; Romans 1:18-32; 2:1-9; 5:9; Eph. 2:1-3.
2. Believers in Christ who live loosely can experience disciplinary
sickness and even physical death. Acts
5:1-11; 1 Cor. 5:1-5;
11:27-32; 1 John 5:16; Rev. 2:20-23. |
| Divine
Grace |
1.
Grace
is the
distinctive feature of the Church Age: John
1:17; Rom.
3:21-24;
5:15, 17, 20-21; 11:5-6; Eph. 2:4-9; 1 Tim. 2:12-16; Titus 2:11-14.
2. God's grace is displayed in that, though all mankind is deserving of
eternal death because of sin, yet God has chosen some to salvation
without reference to any merit on their part. Rom.
9:10-16;
Eph.
1:2-6; Col. 3:12; Tit. 1:1-2; James 2:5; 1 Pet. 1:1-2.
3. God's grace is displayed in that, though He chose Israel as his
special nation (Ex.
19:1-6), when they rejected Jesus, God's anointed
King, God gave the other nations of the world (Gentiles) the
opportunity for reconciliation with God through faith in Jesus! Rom.
9:22-25, 30-33; 11:5-11, 25; 15:8-12.
|
| End
of
the Dispensation |
The
Rapture of
the Church (Christ's return to the air near earth to draw all
believers, living and dead, from Acts
2 onward -- to be His Bride):
John
14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 3:10;
Rev. 4
- 5 |
| Application |
Even
despite
the personal presence of Jesus of Nazareth, the God / Man Messiah upon
the earth, paying the death penalty for the sins of the entire world.
the Jewish people did not receive Him (John
1:11), and most of mankind
has not received Him. When offered forgiveness in
Jesus by
God, most humans will reject God's gracious gift. "...[F]or
the
gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there
are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the
way
is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Matt.
7:13-14 |
See The
End of the Church Age
Back toTop
The
Dispensation of the Tribulation
Rev. 6:1-18:24
| Beginning |
1. The Rapture creates the vacuum
that permits lawlessness to flourish. (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:6-7)
2.
The Roman Prince’s establishment of a treaty with Israel triggers
Daniel’s 70th week, in which the Tribulation takes place. (Dan. 9:27; 2
Thess. 2:3)
3. The middle of Daniel’s 70th week
formally begins the onset of “The Great Tribulation.” It is marked by
the breaking of the covenant (Dan. 9:27) and the “Abomination of
Desolation” (Dan. 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4) |
Human Responsibility
(Test) |
1. Believe the truth (2 Thess.
2:12).
2. Take no pleasure in wickedness (2 Thess. 2:12).
3. Repent in response to God’s judgment and give Him
glory (Rev. 9:20-21; 16:9-11).
4.
See through the deceptions of the Beast, false Messiahs, false Prophets
and worship God and His True Messiah (Matt. 24:11, 23-24; 2 Thess.
2:8-12; Rev. 13:3-8, 11-17) |
| Advantages |
1.
The Church is Raptured beforehand, kept from the time of God’s wrath
upon an unbelieving world (1 Thess. 1:9-10; 4:13-18; 5:9; 2 Thess.
2:1-15; Rev. 3:10; 4:1).
2. The elect are not deceived (Matt. 24:24).
3. 144,000 Israelis are sealed and protected (Rev.
7:1-8).
4.
A great multitude are won to Christ through their witness. However,
they lose their lives during the Tribulation, but escape to heavenly
bliss (Rev. 7:9-17).
5. Those days are cut short for the sake of the elect
(Matt. 24:22). |
| Human Failures |
1.
Most will be deceived by the Lawless One, who comes with all power and
signs and false wonders (2 Thess. 2:8-12).
2. Blaspheming God and failing of their evil deeds
despite enormous pain (Rev. 16:10-11).
3. Worshiping the Beast and his image, and taking his
mark on the forehead or hand (Rev. 14:9-11). |
| Divine Judgment |
1. Great loss of life.
2. The wrath of God and the Lamb poured out upon
mankind.
3. The “Day of the LORD” constitutes God’s outpouring
of wrath upon an evil world.
4. Untold and unimaginable plagues sweep over the
world. |
| Divine Grace |
1. Some of the elect will,
miraculously, survive the Tribuation.
2.
Those who have suffered during the Tribulation will eventually see
their persecutors tormented by the Retribution of Christ’s Second
Coming (2 Thess. 1:4-10). |
| End of the Dispensation |
1.
The Second Coming of Christ. (Isa. 63:1-6; Zech. 14:3-4, 12-15; Matt.
13:36-42; 24:27-50; 25:31; 1 Thess. 1:7-8; 2 Thess. 2:8; Tit. 2:13;
Rev. 19:11-21)
2. The Judgments of all survivors of the Tribulation
(Matt. 25:1-46) |
| Application |
1.
Those alive in this present day of Grace prior to the Tribulation must
by all means repent of their evil and submit to Jesus, the Messianic
King who died and rose again to pay for their offenses against God.
They must do so before it is too late to escape the incredible
judgments and wrath of God during the Tribulation.
2.
Even though most humans will be fooled by the miraculous powers of the
False Messiah and his False Prophet, God’s chosen ones will not be
deceived, and will not submit to his coercive numerical identification
scheme. Receive God’s King Jesus and His gift of forgiveness now to
escape having to go through this time of unprecedented trouble. |
The
Dispensation of the Millennial Kingdom
Revelation
20:1-6
| Beginning |
The
Second
Coming of Christ. Psalm
2:4-6; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:13-14; Zech.
14:1-4; Matt. 24:30-31; 26:63-64; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:11; 2 Thess.
1:6-10; 2:8; Rev. 19:11-21. |
| Human
Responsibility (Test) |
Jesus
Christ,
God's Son, Jewish and Gentile Messiah, will reign as the most powerful,
benevolent, and righteous King the world has ever known. Man's
responsibility is simple: Submit to the King, obey His laws,
and
worship Him! Psalm
2:10-12; Isa. 2:1-4; 11:1-5; 66:23-24;
Zech.
14:16-17. |
| Advantages |
1.
Universal
righteousness and goodness. Throughout the course of the
Tribulation, in excess of one-half the earth's population will have
been destroyed (Rev.
6:8; 9:15-18). When Jesus returns he
will
slay, simply by so commanding, all the wicked who have opposed him in
battle (Isa.
11:4; Zech. 12:8-9; 14:12-15; Rev. 19:11, 15, 21).
All of the survivors of the great Tribulation Period will
then
have to face him in a court of law. He will be able to see
through every defense they make (Isa.
11:1-5). The righteous
will
be permitted to inherit His kingdom, while the wicked will depart into
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt.
25:31-46).
Consequently, there will be only righteous people left to
inhabit
the Millennial earth, and so the Kingdom of Christ will be filled with
righteous people who desire to obey the King!
2. Satan, the ultimate deceiver, will be captive for the 1000 years,
and thus unable to trick people into disobeying the King. Rev.
20:1-3
3. People from all over the world will desire to come to Jerusalem to
learn the ways of the King, and so the earth will be full of the
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea! Isa.
2:1-3;
11:9; Jer. 31:34; Hab. 2:14
4. There will be world-wide peace! Isa.
2:4; 9:6-7; Micah
4:3-4
5. The poor and the weak will be protected. Isa.
11:3
6. There will be bounteous crops. Isa.
27:6; 35:1-2, 7; Joel 3:18; Amos
9:13
7. The curse upon nature will be largely reversed, and man will live in
harmony with the animal kingdom. Isa.
11:6-9; 65:11
8. The Arab - Israeli feud that has existed for millennia will be
solved, and Israel will be able to dwell in her own land in peace and
prosperity without intervention and meddling from the Palestinians,
Muslims, European Union, United States, or United Nations.
Isa.
65:18-24
9. Longevity: Earth's conditions will apparently return to
pre-Flood conditions (Genesis 5), when people lived hundreds of years.
Undoubtedly many will live throughout the entire Millennium.
Isa.
65:20
10. Efficiency in government: A monarchy is the most
efficient
form of government, and a benevolent monarchy will be the most
beneficent. Jesus will be King over all the earth (Zech.
14:9).
Billions will be saved in governmental management, and
organizations such as the impotent and corrupt United Nations will be
obsolete.
|
| Human
Failure |
1.
Prior
to
the Millennium, the earth's nations will be in utter revolt against
God, His Anointed King, and His people, whether Christian or Jewish
(Psalm
2:1-3; Ezek. 38:1-16; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 16:9, 11, 21;
17:1-6). The vast majority of earth's peoples will give their
allegiance to Satan's Messiah, the Antichrist, and his administration
(Rev.
13).
2. Even after 1000 years of the greatest world peace, greatest
world-wide economy, greatest environment, and the personal presence of
Jesus, the God / Man Messiah, Satan will be able to deceive a
significant portion of earth's population into revolting against the
King and His administration in Jerusalem. Rev.
20:7-9 |
| Divine
Judgment |
1.
During the Tribulation, over half the world's population will have been
destroyed (Rev.
6:8; 9:15-18).
2. At the end of the Battle of Armageddon (Rev.
16:13-16), all the
enemy combatants will be destroyed (Joel
3:1-17; Zech. 14:12; Rev.
19:17-21).
3. After the conflict, all the survivors will come before King Jesus to
be judged by Him. All the wicked will be cast into eternal fire (Matt.
25:31-46).
4. All of the rebels who revolt against the King at the close of the
Millennium will be destroyed by fire from heaven (Rev.
20:7-9).
5. The entire universe, corrupted through man's sin and depravity, will
be destroyed (2
Pet. 3:7-13; Rev. 20:11).
6. All the wicked dead of all ages will stand before Christ, where they
will be evaluated by their deeds. All whose names are not
found
written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone (Rev.
20:10-15). |
| Divine
Grace |
1.
Under
the
gracious terms of the New Covenant, the remnant of Israel will be
forgiven and be given hearts to follow God and Jesus (Jer.
31:31-34;
Zech. 12:10 - 13:1; Mal. 3:1-6; Rom. 11:25-27).
2. By God's grace many citizens of the nations (Gentiles) of
the
world will be permitted to enter Jesus' Kingdom (Matt.
25:31-46).
3. The world will be graced by the personal presence of Jesus, the
Great King (Isa.
9:6-7; 42:1-4; Zech. 14:9; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 20:4-6)!
4. See all of the details under Advantages,
above.
|
| End
of
the Dispensation |
The
dispensation will end with the quelling of the final revolt inspired by
Satan, the destruction of the existing heavens and earth, and the Great
White Throne judgment of the wicked dead of all ages.
|
| Application |
The
world
will have been blessed with the greatest king, the greatest peace, the
greatest economy, the most benevolent government, the greatest
longevity, the greatest wisdom, and, with Satan's removal, the greatest
freedom from temptation man has known since the Garden of Eden.
Those who enter Christ's kingdom in their natural bodies will
be
believers in Christ. But they will have children, and
apparently
there will be huge numbers who will not share their parents' faith in
Christ. When Satan is unleashed again on the planet, he will
deceive multitudes into revolting against the King to destroy Him and
His City, Jerusalem. The lesson to be learned is that, in the
most ideal environment and observing Jesus alive, sadly, huge numbers
of people will defy God and Jesus. Man's heart is basically
corrupt, and man's persistent rebellion against God cannot be blamed on
environment.
|
The
Dispensation of the Eternal Kingdom
Revelation
21:1-22:5
| Beginning |
The
Creation of the New Heavens and Earth. Rev.
21 - 22 |
| Human
Responsibility (Not a Test) |
1.
Worship God and Christ (Rev.
4:8-11; 5:8-14).
2. Serve God and Christ (Rev.
21:24-26; 22:3).
3. Reign forever (Rev.
22:5).
|
| Advantages |
1.
Confirmed universal
righteousness and goodness.
2. Satan and his angels will forever be banished from the New Heavens
and Earth (Rev.
20:10).
3. There will be no discord. Those who want to do unwholesome
things will not be present. There will be no more lies, murder,
cowardice, immorality, idolatry, or any other sin (Rev.
21:8, 27).
4. Everything will be new (Rev.
21:1, 5).
5. God will be living with us humans forever. (This is what He always
wanted!) Rev.
21:3
6. There will be no more death (Rev.
21:4).
7. There will be no more tears, weeping, sorrow, or pain (Rev.
21:4).
8. There will be incredible beauty (Rev.
21:10-21).
9. There will be meaningful, productive commercial, business, and
agricultural pursuits on the new earth (Rev.
21:24-26).
10. There will be incredibly delicious food (Rev.
22:1-2).
11. There will be incredible friendship with God and Jesus (Rev.
22:3-4).
12. There will be no more night (Rev.
21:25; 22:5).
13. The pleasure of serving God and Jesus and reigning with
them will last forever (Rev.
22:5).
|
| Human
Failure |
There
is
no human failure. All sinners and all sin have been banished
forever. |
| Divine
Judgment |
There
is no judgment in the New Heaven and Earth, for there is no sin.
All (unforgiven) sinners are forever judged in a remote lake
of
fire that is not part of the New Heaven and New Earth.
|
| Divine
Grace |
All
existence in the New Jerusalem, New Heaven, and New Earth is solely
traceable to God's grace. None deserve to be there.
|
| End
of
the Dispensation |
There
is
no end to this dispensation. It will continue forever!
|
| Application |
Any
and
all who wish may take part in the New Jerusalem in the New Heaven and
New Earth. There is an extended invitation. "The Spirit and
the
bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the
one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life
without cost." (Rev.
22:17)
Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I
will give you rest. {29} "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
{30} "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matt.
11:28-30)
|
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(Scripture
quotations
taken from
the NASB 1995.)
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This
Page Published November 8, 2010
Updated February 14, 2022
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