This article was published in the The Journal of The Home Bible College International Dispensational Theology for Today under the title What is Dispensationalism? in November 2024.

According to the note in the Scofield Reference Bible, “a dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect to obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.” A dispensation is a system of divine administration, a way of ordering things during a particular period of time. Each dispensation in Scripture is a divinely appointed age.

Dispensationalism is a theological understanding of the Bible. Dispensationalism has two main distinctives. Firstly, a literal interpretation of Scripture, especially regarding Biblical prophecy. Secondly, a consistent view of the nation of Israel and the Church being unique and separate in God’s plan. Classical dispensationalism identifies seven dispensations in God’s plan for humanity.

We are going to look at the seven dispensations of the Bible. We are also going to learn the revelation of God in each dispensation, man’s responsibility in each dispensation, how man failed in each dispensation, and the judgement of God that ended each dispensation.

The First Dispensation – Innocence

The first dispensation of Scripture is innocence. Man was created in innocence. God created mankind to live in perfect harmony and fellowship with Him. God created man in His image and placed him in a perfect environment (Garden of Eden), and gave him just one simple commandment, to walk in obedience. Man had other responsibilities in the Garden of Eden such as to tend to the garden, but obedience was the chief principle in this dispensation. God warned man of the consequences of disobedience (death). Man fell by a deliberate act of rebellion. God said, “…for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). We also see the grace of God on display, as Adam and Eve did not die immediately they continued to live. However, their bodies began to die and one day they died physically. Death came into the world as a punishment and judgement on mankind by God. This dispensation ended by expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

In the first dispensation we also learn of the first of the Bible’s Covenants. The first covenant is the Edenic Covenant. The Scofield Reference Bible identifies eight covenants. The other seven are Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Land, Davidic and New of which we will read about later in this paper.

The Edenic Covenant

God made a covenant with Adam in the Garden of Eden. This is called the Edenic Covenant which is sometimes called the Covenant of Works. In Scripture we learn of two types of covenants, some are unconditional and some are based on conditions. The Edenic Covenant is an example of a covenant based on conditions because Adam was required by God to obey the terms and conditions that came with the covenant. The conditions of the Edenic Covenant was obedience. Man had to obey God to receive the blessings of the covenant established. The Edenic Covenant is not explicitly called a covenant in the Book of Genesis; but it is called a covenant in Hosea 6:7 where the Bible says,

“But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me” (Darby).

In the Edenic Covenant, God promised Adam life and blessing based on his obedience to the boundary that God set. The penalty for breaking the conditions was physical and spiritual death as well as a curse from God on the ground. One of the consequences of Adam’s sin was hard work to grow crops and to toil all the days of his life (Genesis 3:17-19). This covenant lays the basics for God’s plan of redemption as it shows man’s inability to walk in obedience to God all the days of his life and to keep a right relationship with God.

The Adamic Covenant

We see the second of the Bible’s covenants established in Genesis 3:14-19. The Adamic Covenant can be explained in two parts; the Edenic Covenant (works) and the Adamic Covenant (grace). This covenant of God can be found in Genesis 1:26-30 and Genesis 2:16-17. The Adamic Covenant conditions the life of fallen mankind. The elements of this covenant are as follows.

(1) The serpent was cursed and became God’s example of the nature of fallen man and sin.
(2) The first promise of a Redeemer.
(3) The changed state of the woman. Particularly in regards to childbirth and the headship of the man.
(4) The earth is cursed for man’s sake.
(5) The sorrow and suffering of life.
(6) Physical death.

We see here the promise of God to send a Redeemer to reconcile man to Himself. Here God promises the One born of the woman’s seed will crush the head of the serpent. Even during the curse God is merciful.

The Second Dispensation – Conscience

By disobedience man came to a personal understanding of good (by obedience) and evil (by disobedience). By this man’s conscience was awoken and was required by God to do all known good and to refrain from doing evil. The testing of man in this dispensation is found in Genesis 6:5 and ended in divine judgement of the Flood. This dispensation covers a period of about 1,650 years.

Guided by conscience, man was commanded by God to choose to do good and to offer sacrifices to Him (Genesis 4:4). As we read the Scriptures during this dispensation we see that man waxed worse and worse. We learn of the first murder in the Bible when Cain killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8). Abel’s offering was pleasing unto God, but Cain’s was not. Cain had the chance to bring an acceptable offering to God. However, Cain grew jealous of his brother and slew him. This mindset is still with us today, as people try to attempt to approach God on their own terms, rather than on God’s terms.

This is just one example of how mankind violated his conscience by failing to do good and committing evil. During this time of testing God showed us that conscience alone is not enough. We must live by something more than just our conscience. Only Abel, Enoch, and Noah were called righteous (Hebrews 11:2-7; Genesis 5:22-24; 6:8-9). Conscience continues in all future dispensations.

The Third Dispensation – Human Government

We have seen that man failed in the first two dispensations. As a result God brought judgement on the world with a flood. Only eight people survived the flood, Noah and his family.

The Flood marks the end of the second dispensation and the beginning of the third. This dispensation continues today.

In this next dispensation, God established Human Government and the Noahic Covenant. Man is now responsible for governing the world for God. This includes all mankind both Jew and Gentile. The highest function of civil government is the judicial taking of life. Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” Here capital punishment is established. The Dispensation of Human Government continues to this day.

After the Flood God made man an agent of governing the world with the purpose to restrain evil and protect man from his own sinful nature. Noah and his family had the responsibility to repopulate the earth. Shem became the father of the Mediterranean and Jewish world. Ham’s generations populated Africa and Japheth’s descendants went to Europe and Asia. The failure to keep this dispensation resulted in God’s judgement again. God scattered his people and confused the language of the people. The Gentile nations are now introduced.

The Noahic Covenant

God made a covenant with Noah and his seed. The elements of which are as follows.

(1) The connection between humanity and the earth as established by the Adamic Covenant is reaffirmed.
(2) The natural order is validated.
(3) The establishment of human governance is outlined.
(4) The earth is guaranteed protection from another global deluge.

This covenant is unconditional. It was made to Noah and all his descendants and to all mankind and with all creatures

This covenant was sealed with a sign, the rainbow.

The Fourth Dispensation – Promise

In the fourth dispensation we see the establishment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Abraham and his descendants became heirs of the promise. This covenant is wholly of God and unconditional. Abraham and his descendants had to abide in their own land to inherit the blessings of the promise. In Egypt they lost the blessing, but not the covenant. The Dispensation of Promise ended when Israel accepted the law (Exd. 19:8).

This dispensation continues today for the promised seed.

The fourth dispensation is from Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 19:8. This dispensation was exclusively for Israel. Therefore the dispensation must be distinguished from the covenant. The dispensation is a time of testing and the covenant is everlasting. This is the only dispensation that was a testing of Israel, which ended at the giving of the law. The law did not revoke the Abrahamic Covenant (Gal. 3:15-18).

The Abrahamic Covenant

The Abrahamic Covenant is formed in Genesis 12:1-4 and confirmed in Genesis 13:14-17, 15:1-7 and 17:1-8. God promised to make from Abraham a great nation. That nation will be blessed spiritually and naturally (Gal. 3:13-14). God also said that he will bless those blesses that nation and curse those who cursed it (Gen. 12:1). This covenant also solidifies the promises made in the Adamic Covenant concerning the seed of the woman that would come through the line of Abraham and his descendants. The sign of this covenant is circumcision. The fulfilment of this covenant will come to pass in the Millennial Kingdom at Christ’s second coming (Luke 1:71-75 and Rom. 4:13).

The conferment of land is accompanied by predictions concerning three instances of dispossession and subsequent restoration (Gen. 15:13-16, Jer. 25:11-12, Deut. 28:62-65 and Deut. 30:1-3). Two of these instances of dispossession and restoration have already occurred. Currently, Israel is undergoing the third dispersion, from which it will be restored upon the return of the Lord as King, in accordance with the Davidic Covenant (Deut. 30:3, Jer. 23:5-8, Ezk. 37:21-25, Luke 1:30-33 and Acts 15:14-17).

In Genesis 12 God says five times, “I will.” Clearly, God is taking the responsibility of the covenant upon Himself. One day national Israel will repent and be restored to God’s favour (Zec. 12:10-14 and Rom. 11:25-27). One day Israel will possess all the land that God promised to them. This will happen when the Messiah returns to earth to establish His throne and rule the entire world. This time will be a time of peace, pleasure, and prosperity like the world has never seen before.

The Fifth Dispensation – Law

The dispensation of the law extends from the giving of the law at Sinai to the death of Christ on the Cross of Calvary.

The dispensation of law goes from the Giving of the Law to The Day of the LORD. The children of Israel continue in this Dispensation today and will do so until the coming of Christ in Glory to establish the New Covenant. However Christ made an end of the Law to all those who believe and are in Him.

The history and indictment of Israel in the wilderness is an endless record of sin, rebellion and the violation of the law. The testing of the nation of Israel ended in the judgement of the Captivities, but the dispensation ended when Christ died on the Cross.

Under this dispensation man had the responsibility to obey the law (Exd. 19:5-6 and Rom. 10:5). Man failed to obey the law of God (2 Kings 17:7-19 and Acts 2:22-23). This resulted in the judgement of God upon the children of Israel (2 Kings 17:1-6, 2 Kings 25:1-11 and Luke 21:20-24).

The history of Israel, spanning from Mount Sinai to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, represents a continuous record of transgressing God’s Law.

That’s true for the Wicked but not for the Righteous.

Nevertheless, the Law was ultimately fulfilled, as indicated by Christ’s words in Matthew 5:17, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Christ met the demands of the Law. Due to Jesus’ flawless adherence to the Law, salvation is obtained through Him. Through his cross not by his obedience to the Law.

We are not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we must put our faith in Christ to be justified before God (Gal. 2:16).

The Mosaic Covenant

The Mosaic Covenant was given to Israel. The distinct parts of this covenant are as follows. (1) The commandments of God given to Moses which express the divine will of God (Exd. 20.1-26).
(2) The judgments of God concerning the social and religious life of the nation of Israel (Exd. 21:1-24:11 and 24:12-31).

There were also the Ordinances of Divine Worship. Including sacrifices for sin and restoration.

These elements are called “the law” as that is what they are referred to in the New Testament (Mat. 5:17-18). The sign of this covenant was the keeping of the Sabbath (Exd. 31:13). This covenant was abolished in the death of Christ (2 Cor. 3:9-11, Heb. 7:12-18, 8:13). There are 613 laws given which cover ceremonial, national and moral practices.
The Commandments and ordinances of God formed one religious system that had to be followed by Israel. The Christian is not under the conditional Mosaic Covenant of works and law, but under the New unconditional Covenant of Grace.

(Rom. 3:21-27, 6:14-15, Gal. 2:16, 3:10-26, 4:21-31 and Heb. 10:11-17).

The Land Covenant

The Land Covenant is sometimes referred to as the “Palestinian Covenant” and is recorded in Deuteronomy 29 and 30:1-10. The term “Palestinian Covenant” is never used in the Bible and the land that it speaks of is not called “Palestine” but Israel. In Deuteronomy 29:1 we learn that God made a covenant with Moses concerning the children of Israel. That is the reason why this covenant is called the Land Covenant because it relates to Israel’s possession of the Promised Land.

The Lord established this covenant with Israel following the Mosaic Covenant and after the Israelites had spent forty years in the wilderness. This covenant was made while they were in Moab, in anticipation of entering the Promised Land, and it was intended to remind this new generation of Israelites of their unique covenant relationship with God. The Land Covenant has many similarities to the Mosaic Covenant made at Mount Sinai but is a separate and distinct covenant as clearly seen in Deuteronomy 29:1.

Prior to establishing this covenant with Israel, God reminded them that adherence to the Mosaic Law would lead to abundant blessings for the nation, while disobedience to the Law would incur His curses upon them (Deuteronomy 28:1-68). Today the Jewish people are scattered in every nation of the world. When Christ returns to earth He will gather the Jews and restore them to the Land of Israel. The Land Covenant not only assures blessings for following God’s commandments and curses for disobedience but also contains specific promises to Israel that will only be fully realised during Christ’s millennial reign.

The Sixth Dispensation – Grace/Church

The sixth dispensation is the Church Age or the Age of Grace and it is the dispensation that we are currently under. The Church is distinct and separate from Israel. The Church is not Israel, and Israel is not the Church. Some of the characteristics of the Dispensation of Grace is that God’s grace is available to all people, and is dispensed to the world through the Church. During this dispensation Christ will build His Church and give the Church the responsibility of preaching the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Another key aspect of this current dispensation is the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells with the Church which gives Christians the ability to live as Christ intended.

John 1:17 says, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The Dispensation of Grace began with the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 3:24-25, 4:24-25). In this dispensation there is no legal obedience as a condition of salvation. The testing in this dispensation is the acceptance or rejection of Christ as Lord and Saviour.

I don’t think that this dispensation is tested as the other covenants are. Certainly not failure and judgement but glory and victory. Grace has a twofold manifestation (1) In salvation (Rom. 3:24). (2) In the walk and service of Christians (Rom. 6:15). In this dispensation God speaks through His Son, to his holy Apostles and in their scriptures.

The New Covenant

We also see the establishment of a new and better covenant than the Mosaic covenant (Rom. 8:3-4 and Heb. 7:19). The New Covenant is better because it is established on unconditional promises. In the Mosaic Covenant God said, “If ye will” in the New Covenant God says, “I will” (Exd. 19:5 and Heb. 8:10-12). The New Covenant secures the personal salvation of every believer (Mat. 26:27-28, 1 Cor. 11:25 and Heb. 9:11-12). The New Covenant began with Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20). It was founded then but not begun then.

We are no longer under Law but under grace (Rom. 6:14-15). The Old Covenant has been replaced by a better covenant (Heb. 7:22 and 8:6). Under the New Covenant sinners are saved from the penalty of their sins as a free gift by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). We are required by God to exercise faith in Christ, the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and by His sacrificial death on the cross brought an end to the Law’s sacrifices.

The Seventh Dispensation – The Millennial Kingdom

In the Scofield Reference Bible the seventh and final dispensation is called The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. This is an apt name for the Seventh Dispensation as Ephesians 1:10 says, 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.

This dispensation marks the time when oppression and misrule on earth will end by Christ taking His kingdom (Isa. 11:3-4). The time of toil ends in rest and reward (2 Thess. 1:6-7). The time of suffering ends in glory (Rom. 8:17-18). The time of Israel’s rejection ends and is restored (Rom. 11:25-27 and Ezk. 39:25-29). The time of the Gentiles ends and the setting up of the kingdom is established (Dan. 2:34-35 and Rev. 19:15-21). Some of the characteristics of this dispensation is Christ reigning as King (Zec. 14:9), Righteousness reigning (Isa. 11:4-5), Satan being bound, creation freed, and worldwide peace. This is the final test of man under 1,000 years of peace under the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

The Davidic Covenant

This Dispensation of the Kingdom deals with the condition of life on earth and is identical to the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:8-17 and Zec. 12:8). Christ is the seed of David (2 Tim. 2:8 and Rev. 22:16). This covenant is what the kingdom of Christ is going to be built upon. This covenant promises a Davidic family, royal authority and a kingdom that is perpetual.

Only one monarch from the Davidic lineage has been anointed in Jerusalem, and he was crowned with thorns.

However, the Davidic Covenant, which was affirmed to David through God’s oath and reiterated to Mary by the angel Gabriel, remains unchanging (Psa. 89:30-37). The Lord will ultimately bestow upon that thorn-crowned King “the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:31-33, Acts 2:29-32, 15:14-17). The sign of this covenant is Christ’s resurrection and enthronement.

Closing Remarks

This paper is written as an introduction to understanding the dispensations and covenants of the Bible. It is not intended to be a deep theological thesis on the subject matter, but merely as a taster, to whet your appetite to read and learn more on the topics written about.

The covenants in this paper are Biblical covenants. It is not to be confused with “Covenant Theology” which was established by Reformed theologians. In Covenant Theology there are only three covenants.

(1) Covenant of Redemption.
(2) Covenant of Works.
(3) Covenant of Grace.

None of these three are called covenants in the Bible. Also in Covenant Theology there is no difference made between Israel and the Church. Covenant Theology also teaches that there will not be a literal 1,000 year kingdom reign of Christ on earth. Therefore, Covenant Theology is an insufficient system for understanding the true covenants of Holy Scripture.

Nathan A. Hughes
Wrexham
November 2024