The following is a review study for an upcoming Bible study I shall be doing. The original 13 pages of the detailed study can be found on my September 28 and 30, 2016 entries.
A REVIEW OF THE THREE DISPENSATIONS
By Larry A. Smail
Much time has elapsed since we have studied the first four books of the New Testament through the early chapters of Acts. I believe a review may be needed to remind us of the three dispensations over that forty year time frame of transitions. Remember, dispensations are times of transitional changes. As stated, this time frame covered approximately forty years from Christ’s ministry; the cross; resurrection; the disciples’ Jewish kingdom messages; Paul’s Gentile, believing with faith, message; ending with Israel’s removal from the scene in 70 A.D.
I believe it is sad that these facts of scripture are seldom to, mostly, never heard. The usual attempt has been to try to pick and choose from scripture to fit the pre-conceived years of thought and teachings. Also, most people attempt to place all these dispensations in a blender, but they need to remain separate and understood just where they stand in scripture. This is especially true due to the fact these dispensations are scriptural and provable upon a willingness to see for oneself and throw aside any pre-conceived or denominational teachings. Once these times are understood the Bible will open up like you never thought possible!
FIRST DISPENSATIONAL TIME
Jesus’ ministry included many, many signs, wonders and miracles. Why did Jesus do these things? He was proving to the Jews just who he was! Jesus was their Promised One; their King and ready to usher in the promised kingdom on earth. This is known as the Kingdom of the Gospel. The only “catch” was the Nation of Israel had to BELIEVE HE WAS THEIR PROMISED ONE! All those parables Christ used to teach were directed to the Jews of Israel to help them grasp their coming kingdom, if they would only believe. This is the NUMBER ONE TIME OF DISPENSATION AND THAT WAS TO BELIEVE WHO JESUS WAS! That takes a faith the Jews didn’t have despite seeing so many miracles!
In Romans 15:8 we can learn why Christ came to Israel. Paul wrote: …Christ became a minister (Servant) to the circumcised (Jews) to show God’s truthfulness, (Faithfulness) in order to confirm (Fulfill) the promises given to the fathers; (Covenant promises of Genesis.) in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. (Grace) Read again using words in parenthesis.
Remember, in Exodus 19: 5-6 when God told the young nation of Israel if they were obedient to the covenant they would be his own possession (Chosen People) among all people (Gentiles)…and they were to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation! WOW!
Despite the miracles, the nation of Israel, the Jewish people, rejected Jesus leading to the cross and his death. They could not accept this man, but anything, other than a man of Nazareth. Israel would not be that kingdom and not be that holy nation of priests and they would not be taking God’s mercy to the Gentiles from the Exodus 19 words of God. However, Israel would be given another chance.
Jesus was hastily entombed to beat the HOLY “ANNUAL” SABBATH of the Feast of Unleavened Bread including Passover. The timing of this was exact since prophetically Christ would be required to be in the grave for three days and three nights. (See Matthew 12: 38-41.) This would prove beyond doubt that he had died! Also, Christ to be the sacrificial Lamb had to be killed during Passover season to become the savior.
On the Sunday morning following the WEEKLY SABBATH the tomb was found to be empty. Christ was resurrected from the dead! Annual Sabbaths can occur any day of the week. (Note the differences in the two Sabbath times. Important!) Weekly Sabbaths begin on Friday evening at sunset and go to Saturday evening.
After his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days on the earth in his glorified body to add more proof as to who he was! During those forty days what did Christ talk about? He talked about the very same thing as he did during his ministry…the KINGDOM! (See Acts 1:3.) Israel was to receive a second chance to believe Jesus was their Promised One! Their KING! Their Messiah! Christ was “setting the stage” again for what was very soon to begin…that second chance for Israel!
The disciples asked Jesus if he was going to restore the kingdom to Israel, now. Christ told them it was not for them to know. However, their success or failure with the Nation of Israel would determine when that kingdom would come to reality. Israel’s first opportunity to be that Exodus 19 nation was over!
2.
SECOND DISPENSATIONAL TIME
After Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples began the second dispensational time for Israel. Peter, James, John… preached, as did Jesus, the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom to who?…The JEWS. There is no Gentile language here at all!
However, this dispensational time was a little different than what Christ preached. In Acts 2 and 3 Peter preached to whom? He preached to the NATION OF ISRAEL, the JEWS, after the cross. Notice the Jews had to repent first. Ask yourself, repent of what? The answer is twofold. The Jews needed to repent of their UNBELIEF AS TO WHO JESUS WAS WHICH LED TO CHRIST’S DEATH ON THE CROSS! And, they, now, needed to BELIEVE CHRIST WAS INDEED THEIR KING AND CLEANSE THEMSELVES AS PER JEWISH LAW VIA BAPTISM!
Notice Peter’s language here; if ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL repented and was baptized Christ would return and bring along the promised kingdom. (This is the Gospel of the Kingdom.) There is still no Gentile language being used here! Many did as Peter preached, but it must be understood these Jews became part of the ASSEMBLY OF JEWISH BELIEVERS. (The Greek word is ecclesia which means “a called out assembly.”) Most everyone thinks these are Christians, but they were still law-keeping, works required, religious Jews with the only difference being they believed Christ was their Promised One. These Jewish believers attended synagogues and the temple; ate only foods allowed by Jewish law; followed all Jewish feast days; (Annual Sabbath times) Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset weekly Sabbaths, law-keeping, circumcision, etc. Notice Peter, also, used other words such as: men of Israel and men of Judea to describe the people who he was addressing. Jesus never once told them to do anything other than go to the Jews. (See Matthew 10: 5-7.)
For more proof on this fact study Acts 10 where Peter went to a Gentile against his will because, as he stated; you know it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with a Gentile. Read Acts 11: 19 for more proof.
Also, study Acts 15 and Galatians 2 on the Jerusalem Council. This meeting occurred about twenty years after the cross. The decision was the twelve would 3.
continue with the Jews and Paul would continue with the Gentiles. More understanding is available upon reading the disciples’ epistles and to the people they were directed. They were written to the Jews in dispersion. You seldom hear of these realities on a Sunday. Read and study for yourself.
I realize this is not what the vast majority understand today, but these Jesus-believing Jews were not Christians as we have come to understand Christianity today. Labeling these Jewish believers as Christians causes much confusion in studying the Bible. However, if any Jew repented of their disbelief and was baptized they would still be saved under that dispensation. They were doing what they were supposed to do at that time and that was to have Israel believe Jesus was their Promised One! These Jews did not hear of believing only with faith.
In fact, the Holy Spirit first directed the writer in Acts 11:26 to address these faith-based Gentiles as Christians for the first time under Paul’s preaching. This fact alone must demonstrate the importance of the differences between the law following, but believing, Jews and the faith-based only believing Gentiles. However, under grace there were some Jews who would become Christians through faith and abandoning their religion of law, or Judaism. (This was the entire reasoning behind the Book of Hebrews and that was to convince believing Jews to abandon Law to complete faith only. More details under the third dispensation.)
A major event occurred approximately nine years after the cross. In Acts 7, a Holy Spirit inspired man named Stephen was murdered by the non-believing Jews. Although, they didn’t know it, this murder would lead to the steady decline of Israel into oblivion. This was Israel’s final rejection. Jesus’ disciples continued to preach to the Jews hoping the Nation of Israel would repent and believe who Christ was just as they were supposed to do. The above statement concerning Exodus 19: 5-6 would continue to be on hold. Israel would not become that special nation of priests to take the word to Gentiles. That would have to wait! This will occur during the time of the Second Advent of Christ. The Jews will, again, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom during the final seven years. (This is the time Christ prophesied about during the Oliver Discourse. I believe the144, 000 Jews of Revelation will be the Jews carrying this gospel kingdom to the world.)
4.
A zealot Jew, named Saul, immediately rose to the forefront at Stephen’s murder. He instituted a great persecution against those Jews who had become believers in Christ as their Messiah. They were known as the WAY! He hated anything to do with the man, Jesus. He was a Pharisee, so he donned a lot of power. He created widespread fear on these Jewish believers. He had them tortured, imprisoned and killed if they refused to renege on their beliefs. Many believers fled to Gentile countries to get away from Jerusalem and Saul! (See Acts 8:1.) Saul, however, headed for Damascus to remove more of these believing Jews.
Saul was immediately converted on the road to Damascus when the Risen Christ made himself known to him. (Acts 9) He was fearful since the very same person he was trying to stamp out of the area was, now confronting Saul, OUCH!
Saul would, shortly, learn what his role was to be in this plan of God. He would be taking the message to Gentiles since the Jews had lost their opportunity to follow through with the Exodus 19: 5-6 words from God. Like I said, Israel was in decline! The Lord was using another Jew to do what the nation of Israel failed to do and that was to take the gospel of grace, or faith only, to the Gentiles.
Prior to Saul having his mission revealed went to the Jews in the Damascus Synagogue and preached what? He told them the exact message of the other disciples at this time and that was that Jesus was their Promised One. Saul would learn more of his message from the Risen Christ. Saul, soon to be Paul, would be the APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES. Paul would be learning the mysteries of God and going to the Gentiles and all mankind with his words.
THIRD AND PRESENT DISPENSATIONAL TIME
In Galatians 1:17, we learned that Paul went to Arabia sometime, soon, after his conversion for three years. Lots of time would be needed to separate Paul from his strong Jewish indoctrination, Law-keeping ways, and being a Pharisee. Christ began teaching him the mysteries of God pertaining to grace! This time in Arabia strongly implies as this time period when the Risen Christ revealed his mission to the Gentiles. As stated, Paul would learn of grace through faith through the Risen Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12.) The Risen Christ taught him of
5.
the faith through believing, grace doctrine. All through Paul’s writings this doctrine is easily viewed. Watch for the key words and phrases such as: gospel of God; grace; gospel of his Son; gift of his grace; raised from death; faith apart from works; grace of God; abundance of grace; believes… And these are just from the Book of Romans! Look for such key words in all of Paul’s writings!!!
This is, in fact, the THIRD, AND PRESENT, TIME OF DISPENSATION FOR SALVATION THROUGH FAITH ONLY! NO WORKS . Paul, actually, calls this time of dispensation by the name in some translations. (Ephesians 3) In Ephesians 2: 8-9, Paul wrote of GRACE strongly and amplified the words of NO WORKS! PAUL BECOMES THE MINISTER FOR THE GOSPELOF GRACE!
LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE KINGDOM AND GRACE GOSPELS!
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 states very well of THE GOSPEL FOR SALVATION. PAUL WROTE TO BE SAVED ONE IS REQUIRED TO BELIEVE IN FAITH THAT CHRIST DIED, WAS BURIED AND ON THE THIRD DAY ROSE AGAIN. Notice how under the first and second dispensation the nation of Israel was required to believe. Under grace an individual can be saved. An individual may be saved be he/she either a Jew or Gentile, now.
If you feel you need to work for salvation then the gift of grace isn’t a gift at all. Paul stated in Romans that if you do anything other than believe with faith you are doing actions crucifying Christ again.
Whenever, God deems the time of the Gentiles to be over, the kingdom gospel will return, as stated above, for that kingdom was foretold many times to Israel. This will become reality upon Christ’s return! Those covenant promises are very much still in place with Israel.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 