Title: Covenants and Dispensations
Theme: To show the importance of looking into the Bible as a whole
Text: Eph 3:2
Ephesians 3:2-AV If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Covenant-Contract, sovereign commitments-If The, God has made contracts with man throughout scripture.
3 requirements for a covenant
1) Deposit of Truth, something that is known and must stand (A divine revelation concerning God's will)
2) A stewardship (responsibility, obedience and test)
3) A time period ( and age)
Dispensation-administration of what? Time, God's given man certain lengths of time to administrate we see this from scripture
I. Edenic Covenant and the (1) Dispensation of Innocence
Beginning: Creation
Ending: Fall of Adam and Eve
Scripture: Gen 1,2
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17 AV)
II. Adamic Covenant and the (2) Dispensation of Conscience
Beginning: Fall of Man
Ending: Flood
Scripture: Genesis 3:15
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
III. Noahic Covenant and the (3) Dispensation of Human Government
Beginning: Flood
End: Tower of Babel
Scripture: Gen 9:11
Genesis 9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
IV. Abrahamic Covenant and the (4) Dispensation of Promise
Beginning: Call of Abraham
End: Continues until fulfilled, fulfilled partially in Israel but not
totally
Scripture: Gen 22:17,18
Genesis 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
V. Mosaic Covenant and the (5) Dispensation of Law
Beginning: Moses
End: With coming of Jesus
Scripture: Exodus 19
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5-6
Then we go to Ex 20 the 10 commandments. We see the beginning of the Law.
VI. Palastian Covenant
Beginning: Early beginning with Abraham, reaffirmed on plains of Moab
End: partially fulfilled in Old Testament but will be totally fulfilled in
End Times
Scripture: Dt 27-30
These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. (Deuteronomy 29:1 AV)
VII. Davidic Covenant
Beginning: Reign of David
End: Continues forever but not totally fulfilled until Christ comes
Scripture: 2 Samuel 7
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. (2 Samuel 7:12 AV)
VIII. New Covenant and (6) Dispensation of Grace (the Church)
Beginning: The Resurrection of Christ
End: Continues for ever
Scripture: Heb 8:6
Hebrews 8:6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Other Dispensations to come
(7) Dispensation of Tribulation
Time: After the rapture
End: 7 years
Scripture: Revelation 4-19
2 Thes 2:8 Holy Spirit is gone.
(8) Dispensation of the Millennium
Time: after the tribulation period
End: 1000 yrs.
Scripture: Rev. 20
