Continuing the study of the Seven Dispensations of Man, we will now look at the sixth dispensation, the Dispensation of Grace.  As a reminder, dispensations are time periods that show the evolution of God’s relationship with man from creation to the end of this world.

Previous writings presented the following:

1. Dispensation of Innocence – the beginning of man’s relationship with God and his fall into sin which led to his expulsion from the Garden and separation from the Presence of God.
2. Dispensation of Conscience – in the absence of God’s counsel, mankind resorts to his conscience as his guide which led to gross wickedness. In judgement, God destroyed all mankind, except for eight souls, with the Great Flood.
3. Dispensation of Human Government – mankind unites to exalt themselves rather than God which led to the judgement of God confusing their language.
4. Dispensation of Promise – God chooses a forever people through the Abrahamic Covenant, that through Abraham the nations of the whole world would be blessed with the promise of a Savior. This dispensation ends with the tribe of Israel being enslaved in Egypt.
5. Dispensation of Law- Israel is given God’s commandments for godly living of which they continually fall short. This dispensation ends with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

We will now look at the sixth dispensation, the Dispensation of Grace, the age we are living in today. As previously noted, common to each dispensation is the focus on a particular people, a falling away from God, a judgement, and a promise.

The Dispensation of Grace

Time Period:

From the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost through the Second Coming of Christ (33 AD – Future Event).

Bible Books Covered:

Acts, Matthew 24, 25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians, Daniel, and Revelation

People Focus:

The Church – Jews and Gentiles

God-Man Relationship:

Man is reconciled back to God by the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10) and perfected through sanctification by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

Highlighted Events:

Each of the events mentioned is a teaching complete in themselves but I will only touch on highlights in this writing with the intent of going deeper on certain aspects in follow-up publications.

• Birth, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

• New Covenant in Christ

Luke 22:20 NIV

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

• Holy Spirit Given on Pentecost
  • Indwelling Spirit

Acts 2:38 NIV

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• Our Intercessor

Romans 8:26-27 NIV

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 

²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

• Our Seal until the Time of Redemption

Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV

¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 

¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

• The Church, the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23-29; Revelation 19:7-9)

Traditional Jewish Marriage

The traditional Jewish marriage is a two-part marriage ceremony called the Kiddushin and Nisuin.

Kiddushin (‘Kid-u-shin) is from the Hebrew root word “sanctification”. The bride is promised (engaged) to her soon to be husband. This ceremony is legally binding and can only be dissolved by the husband divorcing the woman or by death.

The Nisuin (ne-‘shoe-in) means “elevation”  and is part two of the marriage ceremony. This part can occur a year or more after the Kiddushin. The husband uses this time to build a home for them. When it is ready, he returns to conduct the Nisuin ceremony and then and only then is the marriage consummated.

This is the script woven into how Christ will be joined with the Church. He has left her with the Holy Spirit as a promise as a seal until his return. He has gone to prepare a place for her and will come back to receive her!

The Early Church

• Composed of Gentiles and Jews
• Immediate Divisions – Law vs Grace

Contention: Do we keep portions of the Law or are we saved by Grace through Faith alone?

• Persecution and Martyrdom

• • Peter and others crucified.
  • James, brother of John beheaded, as was Paul.
  • Mark drawn by ropes into fire.
  • James, brother of Jesus thrown off temple roof and bludgeoned.
  • Men, women, children, babies killed by any means imagined.

Church in Middles Ages

• Church declines during Dark Ages. Europe is overrun with barbarians and constant warfare.
• Rise of the Roman Catholic Church
  • People subject to papal authority
  • Subject to confessions, penance, Mary sainted and worshipped, corruption, overlording, persecution and land confiscations
• Reformation 1378 – 1685 Martin Luther and John Calvin et al
  • Movement to purify the church based on the tenants of Biblical principles rather than traditions of men
  • Divisions into formal denominations evolve

Last Days of the Church

• Knowledge will increase

Daniel 12:4 NIV

⁴ But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

• Many messiahs (Jim Jones, David Koresh, others) and false prophets (Matthew 24:5)
• The earth groans in anticipation of His coming (Romans 8:21-22)

Two Major Opponents in Operation

• World-wide Evangelism (Matthew 24:14)
• Gross Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 3:1-5)

2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV

¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 

² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 

³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 

⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 

⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

• The Church is Caught Up to Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 

¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 

¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

• Judgement Seat of Christ- Believers Rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 John 1:8)
• Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Revelation 19:7-9

⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

[Fine linen represents the righteous acts of God’s holy people.]

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

The Relationship Spoiler:

Church’s apostasy. They abandon their belief in and practice of the holy Scriptures.                

The Judgement:

• The Tribulation Period – 7 year period (2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; Revelation 13, 14:1-11)

• Second Coming of Christ (Matthew 24; Revelation 19)

• The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19: 17-21)
• Antichrist and false prophet are destroyed (Revelation 19:19-20)
• Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3)

Summary:

The Dispensation of Grace is the age were the church flourishes and then declines in morality. Despite its degenerated state, out comes a people faithful to God. It is the age where the Holy Spirit is at work in the heart of God’s people but once the church is caught away from the earth so is the corporate manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Anyone left behind is left to endure unimaginable suffering and unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved during the Tribulation (Mark 13:19-20).

Let’s Go Home Church!

Next Dispensation:

The Dispensation of The Kingdom, the seventh and final dispensation before Time ends and Eternity takes front and center again.

 

References

 The New Panorama Bible Study Course