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The Purpose of the Ages.
Course 100: Paper #4.
pp. 127, 128
We have seen that God has a purpose, that the purpose is being worked out through
the ages, that the six days' creation is its platform and foreshadowing, that the ages have
various "times", and "seasons", and "days", that it includes the heavens as well as the
earth, and that a new creation, new heavens and new earth complete the cycle of the ages.
DISPENSATIONS.--The ages are divided into a series of dispensations in which
God's attitude and revealed will is made known in different ways, carrying with it
different obligations and bringing into action different phases of His purpose. These
should be carefully examined (a fuller examination of some of them will be given in
subsequent papers); we first seek a bird's-eye view before attempting details.
The first dispensation is clearly that during which God treated with Adam
unfallen.
The second commences with the fall of Adam and ends at the flood.
The third commences with the renewed world after the flood, and ends
with the confusion at Babel.
The fourth reaches from the call of Abraham to the Exodus from Egypt.
The fifth (which should be sub-divided in order to see the dispensations
fully) commences with deliverance from Egypt and ends with
the birth of Christ.
The sixth commences with the birth, and ends with the death of Christ.
The seventh commences with the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:), and ends with
Israel's rejection (Acts 28:).
The eighth is covered by the "Acts" ministry of the apostle Paul ending in
Prison.
The ninth is encompassed by Paul's "prison" ministry--"The dispensation
of the mystery".
The tenth commences with the recognition of Israel again, ends in
apostacy, and is characterized by wrath.
The eleventh occupies 1000 years (the Millennial Kingdom) and ends in
rebellion.
The twelvth completes the series, and commences with the new creation,
and ends with "God, all in all".