Exploring the Concept of Dispensation and the Nine Dispensations Referred to in the Bible

The concept of the dispensations has frequently caught my attention and sparked my interest. A dispensation can be defined as; the divine ordering of the affairs of this world, or a period in which God dealt or will deal with his creation. The Bible speaks about nine periods, or dispensations, in which God ordered the affairs of this world. Teachers and Preachers refer to these dispensations as the Plan of the Ages. You may have heard of the Plan of the Ages from commentaries on the Bible or teaching at the local church. These dispensations cover all of human history, are of great interest to many, and they are studied in both Theological Seminaries and Educational Institutions throughout the world.

The first dispensation was one of the most intriguing periods in all of history. This period covered the time before the creation of Adam and Eve. What many scientists commonly refer to as the Pleistocene period, or Ice Age, did occurred during this period in history. This was the result of Satan’s rebellion, which caused God to blot out the sun and all life in our solar system to freeze. The Dinosaurs, the war in Heaven, and the week of Creation all happened during this period. In this dispensation, there are numerous explanations about our origins and many topics of debates. The first of the dispensations led to the creation of man and God’s dealings in our lives.

In the Garden of Eden during the dispensation of Innocence, God dealt with man according to their innocence. They had all they needed and all they could desire. Life was perfect and they knew no sickness or pain. They did as they pleased and lived in paradise. They had only one test and only one rule, “do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. This may...

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...w dwell in and are live with according to the Grace given to us by God through Jesus Christ in this dispensation. As it is stated in Ephesians 2:9, “Not of works, lest any man shall boast” this took away works without faith. The dispensation of Grace will extend until the second advent of Christ and will bring about the eighth and ninth dispensation.

The eighth and ninth dispensations are the periods covering the millennial rule of Christ and the rest of eternity. The Bible speaks of these dispensations sporadically and offer some glimpse of what is to come. Interests in future times, from the end of this period through the eighth and ninth dispensations, are intriguing and studied by many. These writings on the future warn of wrongdoing, and encourage moral living and honesty. The periods covered in the future, as many of the events in history, are widely debated.