Doctrine #59: Dispensations

Of all the trees, two of them are given specific names:

1. Tree of Life

2. Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The garden was a specific hedged location protected from the rest of the earth. In verse 15 there were four important words:

• "Took" meant "placed within Adam all of the mental instruction and process ability to fulfill his abilities."
• "Put" meant "placed in assigned dominion."
• "Dress" meant "till, worship and serve."
• "Keep" meant "watch, guard, shepherd."

So, "took" and "put" was the stage when God matured Adam's thinking ability to fulfill his purpose and officially gave him the right to be a first cause. Adam's first job was to "dress" and "keep" the garden. This meant to serve/worship and shepherd/guard. Notice, "dress" was like doing the First Command: Love God while "keep" was like the Second Command: Love others. From the beginning of Adam's creation, God specifically gave man abilities and dominion in order to do the First and Second Commands.

God did not ask the serpent a question. God did not give the serpent an opportunity to confess and repent. The serpent was given legal right to eat the "dust" in our lives. Dust represented "sin" and "flesh."

Genesis 3:15 was the first Messianic prophecy:

Jesus will "bruise" the serpent's head. The serpent was a follower of Satan.

The serpent (followers of Satan) will "bruise" Jesus' heel. Jesus is a follower of God the Father, born of a woman ("her seed"). It will not be a fatal wound as Jesus is victorious even in death.

This is all connected to Christ's death (bruised heel) for the sin of man and in Christ's defeat (bruised head) of the Antichrist.

Adam sinned against Eve. Eve sinned against Adam. The serpent sinned against Eve. The previous verses represented God's judgment of sin between beings. This was a Reward judgment. The judgments pronounced were in direct response to the sins committed against each other.

Notice, Adam was still dressing and tending to vegetation, however it was now by physical effort. Was it possible Adam's two occupations during the 1st Dispensation (dressing the garden and naming the animals) were both done by speaking?

The first animal sacrifice was done by God in order to clothe Adam and Eve.

In the last chapter of the Bible (Revelation 22:2) it stated that in eternity the ability to repair (live) forever is in eating the fruit of the tree of life which produces a different fruit each month, twelve in all. If Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of life, they would have been able to remain in their fallen state for as long as they were able to eat of the tree of life. God removed them from paradise and they lost the ability to live on earth forever. This was a Salvation judgment. This was in response to sinning against God. The 1st Dispensation ended with a Reward judgment and a Salvation judgment. In the next chapter, we will see the conditions of the 2nd Dispensation.

At this point in time, the thought process of man was evil: only evil and continually evil. Meaning quantitative and qualitative. God will not make man again.

The ASV got this right by saying "Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah." Most other translations stated "grace" instead of "favor." This was not the "grace" of our Salvation and it was different from the Greek word charis.

Noah was the father of everyone alive. The following story was referenced in Hebrews 11:7 as proof that Noah was an example of faith to us.

The whole earth was of one language.

The people journeyed east to the land of Shinar. "Shinar" was an ancient name for what would become Babel and eventually Babylon.

The people wanted to build a city so that they would not be scattered throughout the whole earth. They wanted to build a city that they could live in together. Remember, God gave man a command through Noah in Genesis 9:7 to multiply in the earth: to scatter. So, these people were doing the opposite of God's command.

This city would be high enough to reach God. This sounded like an attempt to build the new Jerusalem: The Bride (from Revelation 21) where all believers will live forever. The new Jerusalem will be 1500 miles high. Notice, they used bricks, which represented a falsification of truth. The Israelites used bricks to build while they were in Egypt (Exodus 5:7). This was an attempt to accomplish God's plan for eternity their way. This was an attempt to attain eternal life.

Notice, people working together with one language are able to do anything. At the end of the Bible (Revelation 19-22), people will inhabit the new Jerusalem together, speak one language, and act together as the Bride in Marriage to Jesus. At Babel, the people used this ability to attempt to reach God in their flesh, in a physical manner, and to prevent emigration.

Nothing was withholding the people from what they had purposed (imagined) to do. Since they remained focused on the physical instead of the spiritual, God scattered the people and made multiple languages. God did exactly what they were trying to prevent and scattered the people. This was Just because of their focus on the physical.

This ended the Flood Dispensation, the 3rd Dispensation. So far, all three dispensations have ended unsuccessfully and with a dispersion of people. This dispensation also ended with a "Salvation" judgment and a "Reward" judgment. The people attempted to attain Salvation by not being dispersed, so the (loss of) Salvation judgment was to scatter the people, everyone got the same effect. The Reward judgment was their languages were confounded, groups of people got different languages. Notice, this confusing of the "tongues" led to the beginning of the 4th Dispensation. In Acts 2, the "unconfusing of the tongues" began the 6th Dispensation. Pentecost began the Dispensation of Grace.

"Babel" (and Babylon) meant "confusion (by mixing)."

The following was the line of descent from Shem to Abram. Notice how the length of time people lived steadily declined...

Thirteen years elapsed between chapter 16 and chapter 17. Abram was ninety-nine years old. Abram and Sarai violated their Covenant with God and appeared to have no communication with God during that time. Then, God started a new covenant...

God "killed" Abram and Sarai. He made a new covenant with Abraham and Sarah.

• "Abram" meant "exalted father."
• "Abraham" meant "father of a multitude."

Paul referenced verses 4 and 5 in Romans 4:17.

God stated this Covenant would be "everlasting". The first Covenant was not an everlasting covenant, not only because it did not last, but God did not state it would be everlasting. Everlasting did not mean it couldn't be ended for a time. Everlasting meant that it would exist in eternity. Even if it was ended, it would eventually be reinstated.

They went over on "dry ground." Several people have theorized ways the Red Sea may have momentarily ebbed so they could wade across. However, this passage said the ground was dry and there were walls of water on the right and left. In verses 21 and 22, the etymology behind the word "waters" referenced the waters of the womb during birth. This was the moment that the nation of Israel was reborn in order to live in the 5th Dispensation.

Covenant Part 2: The people agreed to the deal with God. The third part of a covenant was "sharing."

This chapter concerned documentation.

The people agreed to do the words of the Lord. This was a confirmation of the second part of a covenant: agreement. Hebrews 9:20-22 referenced the next five verses.

Moses wrote the words of the Lord. There was also built an altar and twelve pillars.

This was the fourth part of a covenant: death. The fifth and final part of a covenant was bloodshed.

This chapter concerned documentation.

Once all five parts of the Covenant were about to be completed, Moses read the "book of the covenant" and the people agreed again. They could now do the fifth part of a covenant: bloodshed.

The Covenant between God and Israel through the Law was completed. The 5th Dispensation had officially begun. God would reach people through the Law. Anyone, even people outside of Israel, would be accepted into community if they followed the Law.

A "week" was a period of seven years.

• Seventy weeks = 490 years.

Daniel was told that Israel was being given 490 years to complete their dispensation, and bring in the Millennial Reign of the Messiah. This verse was focused on the Jews and Jerusalem (Dispensation of the Law). Notice, this list has still not been completed.

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem (which would be given by Cyrus according to Ezra 1) would begin the 490 years. Notice, there would be 483 years between the command and the Anointed One, the Christ. Notice also the temple was not being used for offerings. In Daniel 8, Daniel was told the offerings would cease in the temple. So, temple worship would need to be restored in order for it to be ceased, and the temple used for a gymnasium. Here, God specifically stated a commandment to rebuild the temple would be given.

Daniel gave a time period for the Messiah!!!

This was an example of "complex prophecy."

• "Simple prophecy" was when God knew the causes that existed and simply stated the naturally resulting effects.
• "Complex prophecy" was when the causes that existed would eventually result in God having value through Justice and God stated His future decision of HOW He would respond to that value.

Notice, God did not state when the command would be given to build the temple. The causes were not in place well enough for God to specify a year. However, God knew the causes were in place for that command to eventually be given. In fact, God retaining value (according to Daniel's prayer) could have been used to make this commandment happen. God also knew that God removing His wrath and anger would result in Israel doing more sin (to the point of eventually turning the temple into a gymnasium) which would allow God to respond through Justice to the point of having Jesus be born and die according to God's timing...and eventually be able to respond through Justice to have a seven-year period of Tribulation that He could cut short with the battle of Armageddon. Every prophecy in the Bible was either simple prophecy or complex prophecy. It was important to know which type the prophecy was.

The "one week" was the "70th Week": the seven-year Tribulation. Notice, in between the time of the Christ and the "70th Week," there was another dispensation. The purpose of this dispensation was for God to directly reach out to the people outside of Israel: Dispensation of Grace, our current dispensation. Daniel prayed that God would cease His wrath and anger in order to reach the people outside of Israel. Gabriel's response to Daniel's prayer was to explain the circumstances of the 6th dispensation: the Dispensation of Grace in which God directly reaches out to people outside of Israel via the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the individual...as well as the Holy Spirit being on all flesh.

Taking these last three chapters together, here was what we have learned about end times prophecy:

There will be four great world leaders (beasts) culminating in the fourth world leader who will bring peace for 3 1/2 years which will cause people to relax. During this time, the world's economy will prosper. Then, after 2300 days of offerings being given in the temple, this fourth world leader will commit a transgression that makes desolate in the temple and torment God's people for 3 1/2 years before God permanently defeats evil and establishes His Kingdom...seven years total. This fourth world leader will get power from ten smaller world leaders (beasts). There would be a dispensation that occurred before the seven-year period that brought about the completion of the Dispensation of the Law. The purpose of the 6th dispensation was for God to directly reach out to people outside of Israel. From the time the command to rebuild the temple would be given, the people of Israel had 490 years to complete their dispensation. There would be 483 years between the time of the command to rebuild the temple and the death of the Messiah. Then after the 6th dispensation, the final seven years (known as the "70th Week") would bring the completion of the 5th dispensation. This "70th Week" was the same seven-year period mentioned in conjunction with the fourth beast.

Again, Daniel 7-9 contained a lot of critical and complex prophetic information concerning the end times. Please take the time to reread this information if necessary. Also, please feel free to reach out to me with questions through the comments section below. Any discussion about Biblical end times prophecy ought to begin with these three chapters. If these three chapters are not understood, the rest of the references to end times prophecy in the Bible will only bring confusion.

Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant (grace) which was established on better promises (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Paul made a bold premise.

Reason: If the first Covenant was faultless there would be no second Covenant.

Paul referenced Jeremiah 31:31-34. In Jeremiah, it was recorded that God divorced Israel. Knowing this, what would you say to someone who said divorce is wrong?

The Greek word for "mind" in this verse was dianoia. It was composed of two Greek words that meant "the channel through which the Mind/Soul operates"...which is the conscious brain! The word brain is a relatively new word and was created more than a thousand years after the New Testament was written. The laws being written on the heart would be as an effect of the person intentionally choosing to allow this influence in the conscious brain to come out in their actions.

Verses 10-12 were the rest of Jeremiah 31:32-34 with verse 33 (verse 10 in this passage) referencing grace. God's guidance would not be outside of the individual through the Law. It would be inside the individual in their conscious brain and upon their heart as an effect of them choosing to allow these actions out. Verse 12 stated God would "remember no more" the sins and iniquities of His children. Paul concluded this chapter restating his premise: we have a better Covenant.

Theme of Chapter 8: Paul stated we have a better Covenant based on better promises. The old Covenant was through the Law. The new Covenant is through grace: the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.

Chapter 2 started the 6th (and current) Dispensation: Pentecost. God administrated this dispensation by grace to individuals by the Holy Spirit upon our hearts. Everything prior to this (excluding the Book of Genesis and including the four Gospels) documented the 5th Dispensation. So, the first book of the Bible covered the first four dispensations. The next forty-two books of the Bible covered the 5th Dispensation. This book was the first of twenty-three books that covered the current 6th Dispensation.

"Pentecost" meant the "Fiftieth Day." According to Leviticus 23:15-16, this was the fiftieth day from the day after the first Passover Sabbath. Jesus rose three days after Passover and walked among the disciples for forty days. It looked like the Disciples only had to wait seven days after Jesus ascended for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The upper room was filled by a sound that was as of the rushing of a mighty wind. The word spirit came from "a movement of air or breath." In the next verse we will see another description of the Holy Spirit. The "tongues parting asunder" or "cloven tongues" were tongue-shaped, flame-like objects. These symbolized the Holy Spirit baptizing with fire. So far, the two descriptions associated with the Holy Spirit were not plain. This account did not say a mighty wind filled the house. It said a sound from heaven filled the room as of the rushing of a mighty wind. This account did not say tongues of fire sat on each one of them. It said tongues parting asunder sat upon each one of them that were like as of fire. However, this was not the first account in the New Testament that described the Holy Spirit's appearance. During Jesus' Baptism, Matthew 3:16 stated the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. The rest of the Gospels focused much more on Jesus instead of the Holy Spirit.

When a member of the Trinity first appeared in the Bible, they were most like their True Nature. Once they interacted with people, they ended up having to adjust to the flaws in people and we see less of their True Nature and more of their adjustments.

God the Father during Creation and His interactions with Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel were the best accounts of HOW/WHY God interacted with people: Genesis 1-3. God the Father asked questions and tried to guide people through questions and if/then's with promise of reward, not statements and not punishment. It was only when people would not respond to this approach that God gave a list of Commandments (Exodus 34:28) with punishments for those who would not do the statements. By the time the New Testament was written, God the Father made very few appearances. The focus became Jesus.

When Jesus began His ministry, He taught directly through principles: Matthew 5. However, this resulted in the religious leaders becoming worse. It was only after people were not able to handle principles taught directly that Jesus taught through parables, through presenting principles indirectly: Matthew 13. We saw Jesus in Acts chapter 1. Jesus also appeared to Saul/Paul in Acts 9 and to John in the Book of Revelation. However, from this point forward in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was the focus, and these chapters (and this book) were the best accounts of the True Nature of the Holy Spirit.

Those in the upper room, who were all believers, were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit led them to speak. These people were taking direction from the Holy Spirit to the point they spoke in other tongues.

Paul dealt directly with the false teachers who claimed Paul said the Day of the Lord had already happened.

Verse 3 covered two events that will precede Christ's spiritual coming to Rapture His Church:

1. There will be a falling away.

2. Then, the man of sin (Antichrist) will be revealed.

Doctrine: The Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself against God. He will sit in the temple and claim to be God. We covered this in 1 Thessalonians: Jesus' spiritual coming for His Church will end our current dispensation with the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, which was known as the "Day of the Lord."

The Tribulation is a seven year period that concludes the previous dispensation (the Law) that is re-established and was also known as the "Seventieth Week of Daniel" (Daniel 9:24-27). The first three and a half years of the Tribulation will be a time of peace and safety with the Jews worshipping God in His temple. Halfway through the Tribulation, the Antichrist will declare himself as God and set up an idol (known as "the abomination of desolation") in the temple and cause people to worship it or be killed. Jesus stated (Matthew 24) that Jews who see this event ought to immediately flee in hiding so they would make it through to the end of the Tribulation.

At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Raptures those who became believers during the Tribulation and returns with all the believers at the battle of Armageddon. This physical return to the earth when Jesus will put His Foot on the Mount of Olives was also known as the "Day of the Lord." Verse 4 showed Paul was speaking of the Antichrist at the midpoint of the Tribulation.

This was the only question in this letter, and it was rhetorical. Paul spoke about these events when he was present with them. Notice, Paul did cover "end times" Doctrine with new believers.

Paul referenced that someone was currently restraining the Antichrist so that the Antichrist would be revealed at the right time. Paul stated this to prove that the Day of the Lord had not occurred yet. Notice, the spiritual Day of the Lord will occur just before the Antichrist is revealed and the physical Day of the Lord will occur to defeat the Antichrist.

Paul stated that the One currently restraining the Antichrist will eventually be taken out of the way. Notice, the One restraining was referred to as a HE.

Doctrine: The Antichrist will be revealed after HE that restraineth is taken out of the way. The Lord Jesus will slay the Antichrist, at the end of the Tribulation, with the "breath of his mouth"…with His words.

Remember, the Church is the Bride, a she. The One that restraineth, the only One on earth during our dispensation able to restrain the Antichrist, is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is removed from this earth, then the Antichrist will be revealed. Our dispensation is characterized by the Holy Spirit being upon all flesh and within all believers. When the believers are Raptured prior to the beginning of the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit will leave this earth with the believers. Not only does that conclude our dispensation of personal grace via the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it re-establishes the previous dispensation (the Law) during which the Holy Spirit only dwelt within the prophets. Without the Holy Spirit upon all flesh and within believers during the Tribulation, the only way people can be approached will be logically, like they were during the Old Testament through the Law. The Book of Revelation was written for people who would be on earth during the Tribulation, and the explanation was logical and objective, right down to the number of days between key events. Also, the fact that believers will be missing from the earth and the revelation/influence from the Holy Spirit will also be missing will create an environment where unrighteousness will rule.

Doctrine: People chose not to love the truth, which caused them to not attain Salvation. Everything necessary for Salvation has been provided by God, however, it is the responsibility of the individual to choose to receive it. Paul stated the Antichrist's coming will involve all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceit of unrighteousness. Notice, these signs will not happen until the Church along with the Holy Spirit has been removed.

An angel shouted for the birds to have a great supper (due to the carcasses there will be after the battle). This is the battle of Armageddon...

Summary of verses 17-21: The Antichrist and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire and the rest of the people that came to Armageddon were killed with the words Jesus spoke. This concluded the seven year Tribulation, also known as the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) which was the last seven years of the Dispensation of the Law. This was the conclusion of the re-establishing of the 5th Dispensation. All that was left to deal with was Satan.

The next chapter documented the events from the beginning to end of the Millennial Reign and is denoted by the "20" and an arrow.

Satan was cast into the bottomless pit and was sealed so he could not deceive the nations until the 1000 years was finished. Satan will be set free for a "little time" at the end of Christ's Millennial reign.

Disclaimer: What follows is an explanation that is possible, but by no means proven. If this explanation does not help you or make sense, continue reading verse 4...

"Notice, the 7th Dispensation consists of Satan being locked up. This "Sabbath" dispensation consists of everyone getting a 1000 year rest from Satan. People who lack disease, poverty, and war will have to be shown the benefits of taking direction from God because they will not have any "problems," Satan is locked up. However, this would also be the perfect time for everyone who has ever been conceived to be witnessed to by those who have been saved. The point is not where (earth or heaven) these people are witnessed to or who (martyrs or saints in heaven) witnesses to them. The point is that every person who was conceived and not born...and every person who was not able to make a conscious decision for God because of their age, mental ability, or even location would be able to make this decision during this rest from Satan. The number of people this entailed could be enormous, even on the order of hundreds of billions."

The martyrs were judged and reigned with Jesus during the Millennium. During the Millennium, the martyrs will serve as "grace" to people who live on earth during this 1000 years. The Jewish believers who hid in Moab and Edom will be the only people on earth who enter the Millennium. Now we see that everyone was "saved by grace through faith"...it's just the method that God influenced the heart of the individual was different for each dispensation:

• During the 1st Dispensation (Eden) God influenced Adam and Eve face to face;
• by angels during the 2nd Dispensation;
• by verbal (spoken and written) means during the 3rd Dispensation;
• by the patriarchs (Israel) during the 4th Dispensation;
• by the Law during the 5th Dispensation;
• by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit during the current (6th) dispensation; and
• by martyrs during the 7th Dispensation.

Summary of verses 1-6: Satan was locked up for 1000 years while Christ reigns on earth with the martyrs. The 1000 years Christ reigns is the 7th Dispensation: The Millennium.

The "lake of fire" will be the final destination for those who are eternally tormented.

The "lake of fire" will be the final destination for those who are eternally tormented.

Summary of verses 7-10: When Satan is loosed at the end of the 1000 year reign, he deceives many of the descendants of the Jewish believers who entered into the Millennium from Moab and Edom. God defeats this group with fire coming down from heaven. God sends Satan into the lake of fire with the Antichrist and the false prophet. This next section covered the Final Judgment also known as The Great White Throne Judgment...

Summary of verses 11-15: There will be two judgments. There will be a Reward Judgment (according to works in books) and a Salvation Judgment (according to one book: the Book of Life).

Everyone will be judged according to all their works, all the works they did of themselves whether good or bad. This will be the only moment in history that Justice is completely equaled out. It will be done in front of everyone proving God is Just.

Some people think we will all have the same amount of Reward. They say that because they know there will not be any jealousy in heaven, and they think the way to do that is through the man-made concept of denying uniqueness. Actually, it would be unjust for everyone to have the same Reward when some people deserve more and some people deserve less. Jesus told us to store up treasure (Reward) in heaven (Matthew 6:20). In fact, earlier in Matthew 6 Jesus said some people get their Reward on earth and others get their Reward in heaven. There will not be jealousy over people having different amounts of Reward because people will know it is Just for some people to have more Reward than them and some to have less.

Also, the Reward judgment occurs first. Then the Salvation judgment. There will be people with Reward who do not make the Salvation judgment. What happens to their Reward? Again, people, in hopes of denying uniqueness, want to say that Reward is given to those who do not have much to get everyone closer to the same amount of Reward. Actually, according to the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), those with the most get the left over Reward, making the difference of Reward between people even greater.

Finally, notice that everyone that does not pass the Salvation judgment will be cast in the lake of fire. One of the places people could spend eternity is the lake of fire. The Bible ended with "bad people go to the lake of fire"...not "bad people go to hell."

Next, we will find out the other place people can spend eternity, which is why the last two chapters (21 and 22) are denoted by the "21,22" in the final section of the diagram which represented eternity.