Has God Dealt Differently To People Of Different Ages?
Question: Do you believe in dispensation? Has God dealt differently to people of different ages? If it is true, then how can salvation of one's soul be based on the faith in the universal Messiah of whole humanity who is Jesus Christ, when people who lived before Christ's coming could not even come to know him as their Savior and Lord in those ages as Christ was revealed to the world just two thousand years ago only?
Answer: Greetings in Jesus wonderful name!
I believe in dispensation, which means 'a political, religious, or social system prevailing at a particular time.' In other words, God dealing with humans were divided in to seven different category of time within a group of generations or a generation, through which God in various ways with various system of reaching out took place uniquely towards humans which made them respond universally and differently.
The curse is the result of human volition used selfishly without God, and the blessings of restoration comes through belief in Christ which makes them live above self for the will of God.
The five major aspects of influence for the division of dispensation by God in reaching out to humans differently and uniquely are due to the following reasons, 1) a curse on the serpent, 2) a change in womanhood and childbearing, 3) a curse on nature, 4) the imposing of difficult work on mankind to produce food, and 5) the promise of Christ as the seed who will bruise the serpent's head (Satan).
THE 7 TIMES OF DISPENSATION
In the Bible seven distinct administrations are set before us. Each has its own beginning and ending; each is characterized by certain distinctive principles of God's dealings; each ends in a crisis or judgment peculiar to itself, save No. 7, which is without end. These may be tabulated thus :
1) The Edenic state of innocence (Gen 1:26; 2:20; 3:8, 11).
End -- the expulsion from Eden.
2) The period "without law" (the times of ignorance, Acts 17:30).
End -- The Flood, and the judgment on Babel.
3) The era under law (John 1:17; Matt 21:43-44).
End - The rejection of Israel.
4) The period of grace (John 1:17).
End - The "day of the Lord".
5) The epoch of judgment of the world system (Rev 13:1-10; John 12:31).
End - The destruction of Antichrist.
6) The millennial age (Rev 20:4-6).
End - The destruction of Satan, and the judgment of the great white throne.
7) The eternal state of glory (Dan 7:27; 4:34-35; 2:44-45).
No End
All seven dispensations exhibit differing characteristics which call for the close attention of the Bible students.
Regarding the salvation of one's soul, the Lord has not changed one bit from the time of first Adam our forefather to the present time we live which is the end of this age. God has always saved humans by faith in Him (Heb 11:1, 6), the eternal void in humans was kept by design to make him seek God and find Him (Eccl 3:11). Faith comes in to people when they hear God's word written in the Bible, or God speaking to them in dreams and visions, or through circumstances, or by any other means and methods that God has chosen to reveal in His will and in His time to those who seek Him (Rom 10:17). God is not just a God of the past to only speak through the written Word to limit his reach though it is the primary way of his outreach to humanity, but He is also the God who lives in the present time and is in control of the future time who is able to reveal himself to the seeking heart through any means, methods and models outside of time in which He lives. So though the dispensation have changed in reaching to humans through different ways, God has revealed himself through creation and nature itself which must lead all humans to seek for God sincerely and be saved through it (Acts 17:26-27). Human's problem is not in finding revelation of God, but rather they are without excuse for the times they wasted without seeking God because what they did further with whatever revelation they have received is what they are accountable for at the end before God (Rom 1:19-21; Luke 12:43-44, 47-48). God is just and therefore He has sent forth his call to all people to get saved to the ends of the earth, and therefore thereafter seek him with their whole heart (Isa 45:22).
So salvation is not dependent upon any of the way of the dispensation of God's reaching out to humans, but it is in their response to God back through faith with whatever way God has reached out to them. God will never demand anything unjustly for which we are not able to respond by faith in whatever generation we have lived from the beginning to the end. If we take one step towards God, God will respond back to us by taking two step towards us who are seeking Him (Jam 4:8).
Christ came at the appointed time so that God's planned mystery which has been hidden from previous generations and ages could be revealed to the Church, and through the Church to the whole world in this present age of grace which we live for the Glory of God in Christ Jesus (Heb 1:1-2). And thus the "time past" is obviously distinguished from "these last days" in which we live presently (Heb. 1:2), so that we might be able to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). It is essential to regard the times in which the words were spoken, as well as the times to which they refer, to properly believe the truth and receive the power of heaven to be rewarded by God and walk in His favor presently.
The present administration of God is in grace, not in law, judgment, or glory, and belongs to the "dispensation" (oikonomia) of the Mystery, that secret "which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1:26), that secret "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men" (Eph. 3:5). Hid in God from the beginning of the world (see Eph. 3:9), it was kept secret since the world began (see Rom. 16:25).
Humans cannot save themselves, God has to save them from sin in every generation. So in each generation whoever have walked in faith automatically gets saved by God whether they have know the mystery of Christ or not previously before the coming of Christ to this earth. But God reveals to all humans the ultimate reason why they ended up in heaven is all because of Christ and His work for them (Eph 4:8; 1 Pet 3:18-20; 4:5-6; 1 John 2:2). For the same reason, those who will be in hell will know justly why they ended up in hell fire because of choosing life without God based on their own self-life.
God wants us to believe what has been revealed to us and also to humans in every generation they have lived, not worry about what has been hidden to us in His will (Deut 29:29), which might be revealed later to us if we presently continue to hear Him and obey what he says to us day by day.
Praise the Lord!
Much Blessings...
Answer: Greetings in Jesus wonderful name!
I believe in dispensation, which means 'a political, religious, or social system prevailing at a particular time.' In other words, God dealing with humans were divided in to seven different category of time within a group of generations or a generation, through which God in various ways with various system of reaching out took place uniquely towards humans which made them respond universally and differently.
The curse is the result of human volition used selfishly without God, and the blessings of restoration comes through belief in Christ which makes them live above self for the will of God.
The five major aspects of influence for the division of dispensation by God in reaching out to humans differently and uniquely are due to the following reasons, 1) a curse on the serpent, 2) a change in womanhood and childbearing, 3) a curse on nature, 4) the imposing of difficult work on mankind to produce food, and 5) the promise of Christ as the seed who will bruise the serpent's head (Satan).
THE 7 TIMES OF DISPENSATION
In the Bible seven distinct administrations are set before us. Each has its own beginning and ending; each is characterized by certain distinctive principles of God's dealings; each ends in a crisis or judgment peculiar to itself, save No. 7, which is without end. These may be tabulated thus :
1) The Edenic state of innocence (Gen 1:26; 2:20; 3:8, 11).
End -- the expulsion from Eden.
2) The period "without law" (the times of ignorance, Acts 17:30).
End -- The Flood, and the judgment on Babel.
3) The era under law (John 1:17; Matt 21:43-44).
End - The rejection of Israel.
4) The period of grace (John 1:17).
End - The "day of the Lord".
5) The epoch of judgment of the world system (Rev 13:1-10; John 12:31).
End - The destruction of Antichrist.
6) The millennial age (Rev 20:4-6).
End - The destruction of Satan, and the judgment of the great white throne.
7) The eternal state of glory (Dan 7:27; 4:34-35; 2:44-45).
No End
All seven dispensations exhibit differing characteristics which call for the close attention of the Bible students.
Regarding the salvation of one's soul, the Lord has not changed one bit from the time of first Adam our forefather to the present time we live which is the end of this age. God has always saved humans by faith in Him (Heb 11:1, 6), the eternal void in humans was kept by design to make him seek God and find Him (Eccl 3:11). Faith comes in to people when they hear God's word written in the Bible, or God speaking to them in dreams and visions, or through circumstances, or by any other means and methods that God has chosen to reveal in His will and in His time to those who seek Him (Rom 10:17). God is not just a God of the past to only speak through the written Word to limit his reach though it is the primary way of his outreach to humanity, but He is also the God who lives in the present time and is in control of the future time who is able to reveal himself to the seeking heart through any means, methods and models outside of time in which He lives. So though the dispensation have changed in reaching to humans through different ways, God has revealed himself through creation and nature itself which must lead all humans to seek for God sincerely and be saved through it (Acts 17:26-27). Human's problem is not in finding revelation of God, but rather they are without excuse for the times they wasted without seeking God because what they did further with whatever revelation they have received is what they are accountable for at the end before God (Rom 1:19-21; Luke 12:43-44, 47-48). God is just and therefore He has sent forth his call to all people to get saved to the ends of the earth, and therefore thereafter seek him with their whole heart (Isa 45:22).
So salvation is not dependent upon any of the way of the dispensation of God's reaching out to humans, but it is in their response to God back through faith with whatever way God has reached out to them. God will never demand anything unjustly for which we are not able to respond by faith in whatever generation we have lived from the beginning to the end. If we take one step towards God, God will respond back to us by taking two step towards us who are seeking Him (Jam 4:8).
Christ came at the appointed time so that God's planned mystery which has been hidden from previous generations and ages could be revealed to the Church, and through the Church to the whole world in this present age of grace which we live for the Glory of God in Christ Jesus (Heb 1:1-2). And thus the "time past" is obviously distinguished from "these last days" in which we live presently (Heb. 1:2), so that we might be able to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). It is essential to regard the times in which the words were spoken, as well as the times to which they refer, to properly believe the truth and receive the power of heaven to be rewarded by God and walk in His favor presently.
The present administration of God is in grace, not in law, judgment, or glory, and belongs to the "dispensation" (oikonomia) of the Mystery, that secret "which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1:26), that secret "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men" (Eph. 3:5). Hid in God from the beginning of the world (see Eph. 3:9), it was kept secret since the world began (see Rom. 16:25).
Humans cannot save themselves, God has to save them from sin in every generation. So in each generation whoever have walked in faith automatically gets saved by God whether they have know the mystery of Christ or not previously before the coming of Christ to this earth. But God reveals to all humans the ultimate reason why they ended up in heaven is all because of Christ and His work for them (Eph 4:8; 1 Pet 3:18-20; 4:5-6; 1 John 2:2). For the same reason, those who will be in hell will know justly why they ended up in hell fire because of choosing life without God based on their own self-life.
God wants us to believe what has been revealed to us and also to humans in every generation they have lived, not worry about what has been hidden to us in His will (Deut 29:29), which might be revealed later to us if we presently continue to hear Him and obey what he says to us day by day.
Praise the Lord!
Much Blessings...
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