CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO DISPENSATIONALISM
In this set of notes we will be studying "DISPENSATIONS." This is a big word and we want to try to understand what it
means. But before we take a look at the word itself, there is something that we must first understand.

Recognizing Differences

God never changes. He is always the same. In Malachi 3:6 we read these important words spoken by God Himself: "I am
the ___________, I ____________ ________; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." We can always count
on God being God. We never have to worry about God suddenly becoming different from what He is.

But this unchanging God has different ways of dealing with different men throughout the course of history. God deals
with different men at different times in different ways! God did not deal with the Apostle Paul in the same way that He
dealt with Abraham. God was merciful to both of these men and God saved both of these men and God will spend
eternity with both of these men, but God did not deal with these two men in the same way. These two men lived at
different times in history and they had different responsibilities and obligations before God. The same could be said
about Noah and Solomon. God dealt differently with these two men. Noah's responsibility was to build an ark. Solomon
lived hundreds of years later and his responsibility was to build a temple.

Difference in the Amount of Truth Revealed

Throughout the thousands of years of human history God has been revealing His truth to men. We must understand that
God reveals His truth to men gradually and not all at once. God revealed certain things to Adam, but there were many
things that God did not reveal to him. Later God revealed even more things to Abraham. Later in history God revealed
even more things to Moses and to David. When Jesus walked this earth He revealed certain things to His disciples which
had never been revealed to Old Testament believers:

"For verily I say unto you, that many_________________ and_______________________

men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to ______________ those things which
ye hear, and have ________ heard them." (Matthew 13:17)

But even these disciples were not given all of the truth. There were many things that Jesus did not tell them because they
were not ready to hear them:

"I have yet ______________ things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12)

Later after the death and resurrection of Christ God revealed even more things to the Apostle Paul (see Galatians 1:11-
12; Ephesians 3:3-5). Finally after Paul and the other apostles had died, God revealed even more of His truth to the
Apostle John, the man who penned the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:1-3,9-12,etc.).

God uses the same kind of method with individuals as well. When you were saved, did God suddenly teach you
everything that you need to know?_________ Does God reveal His truth to believers all at once or does He reveal His
truth to believers gradually? _________________ God gives "baby" Christians "milk" and He wants to give more mature
Christians "meat" (1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1-2). If God were to give us all of His deep truths when we first get
saved, we would never be able to "digest" it all! We would not be ready for it! [It would be like serving steak and
potatoes to a newborn!] A first grader is not ready to do geometry! Geometry, algebra, calculus, etc. will come at a later
stage and at an older age, but the young student must first learn to add and subtract!

What Bible Do You Have?

God has revealed Himself in a Book which we call THE BIBLE. Did you know that the Bible did not come all at once?
Did you know that Noah never had a Bible? Did you know that when the Church first began (on the day of Pentecost,
Acts chapter 2), the believers did not have any of the books of the New Testament?

God has been revealing His truth progressively and gradually through the centuries. He did not give man the Bible all at
once. Let's think about some of the famous and godly men of history and let's ask them what kind of Bible they had:

Adam:
"I had no Bible at all, but I walked with God in the cool of the garden."

Abraham: "I had no Bible at all, but at different times God would appear to me and speak
to me" (see Genesis 17:1; 18:1; etc.)

Moses: "My Bible contained 5 books–Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and

Deuteronomy"

David: "My Bible contained the same 5 books that Moses had as well as Joshua and
Judges and many of the Psalms which I wrote, etc."

Ezra: "My Bible contained most of the Old Testament books but not all of them"

John the Baptist: "My Bible contained all of the Old Testament books but none of the New
Testament books"

Paul: "My Bible contained the Old Testament books and most of the New Testament
books but not all of them"

John: "My Bible contained all of the Old Testament books and all of the New
Testament books. Shortly before I died God used me to write the last New
Testament book."

________________
"My Bible contains all of the Old and New Testament books – _____________
(write your own
books (how many?) in all!"
name)

The Bible you have in your hands is much thicker than the Bible that David had!

Some Obvious Differences

Throughout history God has been merciful and gracious to man and He has made it possible for men and women to have
a wonderful, personal relationship with Himself. Throughout the centuries God has been saving people "by
G___________ through faith" (see Ephesians 2:8). Was Abraham saved this way (Genesis 15:6)? _____ This is how
Abraham was saved (Romans 4:3); this is how David was saved (Romans 4:6); and this is how we are saved also
(Romans 4:5)! Those who are eternally saved (whether Noah, Isaiah or Peter) will all be able to say the same thing: "I
AM SAVED ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD (God's kindness and love to me which I did not even deserve). THANK
YOU LORD FOR SAVING MY SOUL!"

Throughout the years of history this GRACIOUS GOD has been saving SINFUL MEN, but we must remember that God
deals with different men at different times in different ways. We need to carefully think about some of these differences.

Consider this: When you came to church, did you bring a lamb with you? _____ Have you ever brought a lamb to be
offered as a sacrifice for sin? _____ Did Old Testament believers do this (1 Samuel 7:9; Leviticus 3:7; 4:32)? _____ Do
believers living today still offer animal sacrifices? _______ Moses and Joshua and David and Solomon offered animal
sacrifices but we no longer do this today. This is an important difference.
Here is something else to think about: What do we do today if we find someone working on Saturday (the seventh day of
the week)? Do we put this person to death? _____ Was there once a law which said that those who work on Saturday
must be put to death (Exodus 35:2)? _____ Compare also Numbers 15:32-36 where we learn that a man was actually put
to death for "gathering sticks" (violating the Sabbath law) on Saturday! Certainly we do not do this today, do we?

Today when we want to worship God do we go to a TEMPLE in Jerusalem?_____ The Jews in the Old Testament were
told to worship God in this way. In Bible believing churches today you will find Pastors and Elders and Deacons, but
will you find a special group of men called PRIESTS? _____ In Old Testament times the sons of Aaron were PRIESTS
and no one else could be a priest. Today every believer is a PRIEST (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6), which means that we
can come directly to God through Christ and we do not need to go through any other man. Today parents are not required
to circumcise their baby boys. Parents can choose to have this done or not to have this done. In Old Testament times did
Jewish parents have a choice or was it required (Genesis 17:10-14)? ____________________________

Long ago Adam was told that there was one fruit tree that he was not to eat from (Genesis 2:16-17). Is this true today? Is
there a fruit tree today that people are commanded not to eat from? _____ Is there a "forbidden tree" in the world
today?________ Did God deal with Adam in the same way that He deals with us today? _____

Think about this: Did Abraham assemble together with other believers every Sunday? _____ Did David ever baptize
people in water? _____ Did Moses ever gather all of the children of Israel together so that they could have a Communion
service? _______ Was Solomon ever told to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (compare
Mark 16:15)? ________ These are obvious differences that we need to recognize. God did not require the same thing
from these men as He does from us and God does not require the same thing from us as He did from these men. God
deals with different men in different ways at different times.

Here is another difference: Read Matthew 10:5-7. Who did Jesus tell His disciples to preach to?
_________________________________________________ Who did Jesus tell His disciples not to preach to?
________________________________ Now read Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15. Who did Jesus tell His disciples to
preach to? _____________________________________________________________ Jesus told these men different
things at different times and as we read the Bible we need to learn to recognize these differences.

Differences Before and After

As we read and study the Bible we soon learn that there are certain key events which took place that made a big
difference! These events brought about some amazing changes and differences. Some of the major events of the Bible
are these:

The fall of man (when Adam sinned)

The flood in the days of Noah
The judgment of the tower of Babel
The call of Abraham (Genesis 12)
The giving of the law (Exodus 19-20)
The crucifixion of Christ
The coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)
The coming of Jesus Christ to the earth (His second coming)

Let us briefly consider some of these events and think about the difference that they made:

First, let us consider the fall of man:

Can you think of how things were different before the fall and how things changed after the fall? Is there a difference
between Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:7?________ Is the FALL OF MAN an event which affects people even today
(Romans 5:12)? ______

Before the Flood, what was man's diet to consist of (Gen. 1:29)? _________________________________ After the
Flood, what was man's diet to consist of (Gen. 9:2-3)? __________________________________ Before the Flood, were
murderers put to death by capital punishment (Gen. 4:15)? ________ After the Flood, were murderers to be put to death
by capital punishment (Gen. 9:6)? _________

Before the Babel judgment, how many languages were there on the earth (Gen. 11:1)? _________________ After this
judgment, how many languages were there (Gen. 11:7-9)? _________________________ Before Babel the peoples of
the world were together in one place; after Babel the peoples of the world were divided into nations in many places (see
Genesis 10, the table of nations, which chronologically follows Genesis 11).

Prior to Abraham there was only one group of people in the world, commonly referred to as "GENTILES." After
Abraham there were two groups of people in the world, JEWS AND GENTILES. Before Abraham circumcision was
never commanded by God to be a sign for anything, but in Abraham's time and after it was (Romans 4:9-12).

Prior to Moses there were no written commandments, but after Moses received the law from God then there were written
commandments. Prior to Moses there was no Sabbath observance. Such was instituted during the days of Moses. Prior
to Moses there were no detailed dietary laws (Leviticus 11), but such laws were incorporated in the law which God gave
to Moses and to the children of Israel.

We have already mentioned some of these differences. As we move from before the cross to after the cross we notice
these changes: from the Sabbath to Sunday, from animal sacrifices to the perfect sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-14),
from the sons of Aaron as priests to every believer being a priest, etc. Before the cross, under the law of Moses there
were dietary regulations (Leviticus 11--things they could eat and things they were told not to eat). After the cross, notice
the difference in 1 Timothy 4:3-5. Can you think of other changes or differences?
Before Pentecost the Holy Spirit was W_________ the disciples but after Pentecost the Holy Spirit was I___ the
disciples (see John 14:17). Before Pentecost there were two groups of people in the world (Jews and Gentiles). After
Pentecost there were three groups of people in the world (Jews, Gentiles and God's Church--see 1 Corinthians
10:32). After Pentecost there was a unique organism on earth---the CHURCH which is Christ's BODY, but prior to
Pentecost this was not the case [see our study, When Did The Church Begin?].

Before the rapture there are three groups of people in the world: J________, Gentiles and the
______________________ of God (1 Cor. 10:32). After the rapture there are only two groups in the world (Jews and
Gentiles). Before the rapture the Holy Spirit is dwelling in a unique TEMPLE (1 Cor. 3:16-17; and compare 1 Cor.
6:19-20). After the rapture the Holy Spirit is still active in the world but He no longer indwells this TEMPLE. The next
temple we read of is a temple of God located in Jerusalem (2 Thess. 2:4) which is a temple not consisting of believers but
consisting of a literal building.

Jesus spoke about a day when the KINGDOM would come (Matthew 6:10), but this kingdom has not yet come. We are
not living in the kingdom age yet! But when this kingdom does come (ushered in by the second coming of Christ), then
the world will be very different than it is today. The careful Bible student will recognize these differences.

For example, consider the animals that will live in the kingdom (see Isaiah 11:6-9). Will the animals living then behave
differently than the animals living today? ______ In the world as we know it today there are WARS and fighting among
men (compare Matthew 24:6-7). Will things be different in the kingdom age (Micah 4:3)? _______ Today we need to
spread the gospel and tell people about the Lord so that they will come to know Him (Mark 16:15; etc.). Will this be
necessary in the Kingdom Age (Jeremiah 31:34 and Isaiah 11:9)? ______ These are important differences and we need
to learn to recognize them!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A dispensationalist is a person who believes the Bible [that God means what He says and says what He means] and who
has learned to recognize these important differences that are found throughout history. Now we are ready to think again
of this word "DISPENSATION" and find out what it means!

The Word "DISPENSATION" This word is found 4 times in the New Testament. Look up the following chapters and find
the verse where the word "dispensation" is found:

1. Ephesians Chapter 1, Verse ______

2. Ephesians Chapter 3, Verse ______
3. 1 Corinthians Chapter 9, Verse _______
4. Colossians Chapter 1, Verse ________
The Greek word for "DISPENSATION" is the word oikonomia (compare the English word "ECONOMY"). This Greek
word is actually made up of two words: 1. oikos=house 2. nomos=law. Thus the word means, "the law of the house,
house-law." Think about the family in which you live. Are there any "laws of the house"? Are there any "house rules" for
you to follow? Has the "head of the house" given you any responsibilities or obligations to fulfill? Do you get into
trouble if you "break the rules"?

This same Greek word is translated by the word STEWARDSHIP in Luke 16:2,3,4. Therefore, if we are to learn what a
dispensation is then we must learn something about STEWARDSHIP!

Stewardship

What is a STEWARD? A steward is a "household manager." He is one who looks after the goods and property of
another. He is one who takes care of that which belongs to another. Most of us do not need stewards because we are not
rich enough! We can take care of the few things we have by ourselves! But if a man has 10 houses, 8 boats, 2000 acres
of land, 500 head of cattle, 3 swimming pools, 25 cars, 8 trucks and one oil field, then certainly he would not be able to
take care of all of these things by himself. He would need men to help him to manage all of these things. A steward is a
MANAGER – one who is responsible to take care of those things that belong to someone else.

There is one essential requirement for a STEWARD. He must be . . . (see 1 Corinthians 4:2 and circle the correct answer)

a. good looking
b. a brilliant thinker
c. very talented
d. faithful (takes care of the responsibilities that have been given to him)

Consider the steward described in Luke 16:1-4. Was this man a faithful or unfaithful steward?
_________________________ We learn about a faithful steward in Genesis chapter 39. Read Genesis 39:1-6. Who was
Potiphar's steward? __________________ All that Potiphar had was put into this man's H__________ (Genesis 39:4,6).
Joseph took care of everything that belonged to his master and his master (Potiphar) knew that his house and his
possessions were "in good hands."

Remember, a steward is the MANAGER of the house but he is not the OWNER of the house. Who was the MANAGER
of the house – Potiphar or Joseph? _______________ Who was the OWNER of the house – Potiphar or Joseph?
___________________ It was Potiphar's house! It did not belong to Joseph! In Luke 16:1, who was the OWNER of the
house? ______________________________________

Privileges and Responsibilities

Joseph had the responsibility and privilege of handling whatever Potiphar put into his hand or into his care. So it is with
man's stewardship before God. The believer, in whatever age he lives, has the responsibility and privilege of handling
whatever God has put into his hand. God put into Abraham's hand some great and wonderful promises (Genesis 12:1-3;
17:1-8). God put into Moses' hand a set of holy laws and commandments (Exodus 19-21). God put into Paul's hand a
new understanding of the matchless grace of God (Ephesians chapter 3). Each believer has the joy and duty of handling
whatever God has put into his hand. This is what stewardship is all about.

Stewardship may be compared to a person who has been given a job. Suppose the owner of a very nice store in town
were to come to you and offer you a job in this place of business. This is a job which has not been given to everyone but
it has been given to you.

This job carries with it certain privileges. There are probably many who would like to have this kind of a job, but it has
not been given to them. It has been given to you. You are the one who receives the benefits that come from working in
this store. You will learn many things, you will gain valuable experience, you will profit from working with other
people, you will receive hourly wages and someday if you are faithful you may even get promoted!
This job carries with it certain responsibilities. The owner of the store is going to expect certain things out of you. If you
are lazy and often late to work and if you are rude to the customers, do you think your boss will be very happy? The
owner of the store will expect you to faithfully carry out your duties and to handle rightly whatever has been placed in
your hands. If you handle the job well you will be rewarded. If you fail to handle the job well, you may even be fired.

Stewardship means that God has put something into man's hand, and it is man's responsibility and privilege to handle it
in the right way.

What is a Dispensation?

Let us now come back to the word we are trying to understand. The word "DISPENSATION" means the same as the
word "STEWARDSHIP." A DISPENSATION is a stewardship and this stewardship involves three things:

1. THE LORD OF THE HOUSE

If there is a stewardship then there must be a LORD or OWNER of the house! There must be One who lays down the
"laws of the house." There must be One who sets forth the obligations and responsibilities and privileges. As we read the
Bible we discover that the LORD OF THE HOUSE is the LIVING GOD (compare Hebrews 3:4). He is the MOST
HIGH GOD, the LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH (Genesis 14:19, 22). God is the OWNER and He is the BOSS!

2. THE HOUSE

Not only must there be a Lord or an Owner, but there also must be a domain over which the Lord executes His rule and
shows His authority. God's house is the WORLD: "The earth is the ___________ and the fullness thereof; the
________________, and they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1 and see also Exodus 9:29 and Genesis 18:25). The world
belongs to Him and He rules over it and He governs it according to His will and according to His wisdom.

3. THE STEWARD

There must be a Lord (Owner) and there must be a House and there must also be a steward. The steward is the one who
has been made responsible. He is to be faithful and obedient to the known will of the Lord of the house. The steward is
assigned certain duties or directed to be in charge over certain things or responsible to do certain things (compare Acts
17:30 and 1 John 3:23 where we see that all men today have a responsibility before God). The steward must follow the
"house rules" that the Lord has given him. If the steward fails to follow these "house rules" then he will be in trouble.
MANKIND is God's steward (see Titus 1:7; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 and 1 Peter 4:10).

Let us summarize these three points:

The Lord of the house is THE LIVING GOD.

The house is THE WORLD.
The steward of the house is MANKIND.

Not Just One Dispensation

God has ruled His house in different ways at different times. This means that God's HOUSE RULES have not always
been the same. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and the Apostle Paul all lived in the same world under the same God but
they all lived under DIFFERENT HOUSE RULES. The house rules that Abraham lived under were not the same house
rules that Peter lived under. If there have been different HOUSE RULES then this means that there have been different
DISPENSATIONS.

We should be careful to note that a dispensation is more than just "HOUSE RULES." In every dispensation God has
given to man not just rules but also a certain amount of TRUTH which man is to believe and obey and handle in the right
way. Along with the rules and laws there are also privileges and opportunities and responsibilities that are involved
because God has put His truth into man's hand.
Also, when we talk about "different house rules" we do not mean that in every dispensation there is a completely
different set of rules and responsibilities and privileges. Some of the rules and privileges remain the same, but some
change.

Consider the following illustration: This illustration involves the same Father who has
different sons born at different times: Mr. Jones is a father who has 3 different sets of "house rules and privileges." This
is because he has three different boys, each of a different age. This father has put more into the hand of his oldest boy
because he is better able to handle it. The older son has more privileges but he also has more responsibilities. Here are
the three sets of "house rules and privileges":

House Rules for 10 year old boy

 He must not disobey his parents.

 He must honor and respect his parents.
 He must not lie, steal, etc.
 He may stay up until 8:30p.m.
 He is given a small weekly allowance (money).
 He has some homework rules. He does not have the privilege of driving a car.
 ETC.

House Rules for 15 year old boy

 He must not disobey his parents.

 He must honor and respect his parents.
 He must not lie, steal, etc.
 He may stay up until 10:00 p.m.
 He is given a larger weekly allowance.
 He is given more rules about homework.
 He does not have the privilege of driving a car.
 ETC.

House Rules for 20 year old boy

 He must not disobey his parents.

 He must honor and respect his parents.
 He must not lie, steal, etc.
 He has a different bedtime rule.
 He is not given any allowance -- he must earn his own money by working.
 He has no homework rules because he is no longer in school.
 He has the privilege and responsibility of driving a car.
 ETC.

Do you see some things that are the same for all three of these boys? Why is this so? Do you see some things that change
as a person gets older? Why is this so?

The same is true with the different dispensations. Just as we considered the same father (Mr. Jones) with different Sons
born at different times, so we have the same God but different believers born at different times. There are some rules and
privileges which remain the same and there are some rules and privileges that are new or different. Consider these three
men who were born at different times and who all lived during different dispensations:

Noah (after the flood)

  He had the privilege and responsibility of believing what God had said.
 He had the privilege of walking with God (Gen. 6:9).
 He had the responsibility of obeying God (compare Heb. 11:7).
 The murderer should be put to death (Genesis 9:6).
 Animals should be sacrificed to God (Genesis 8:20).
 God did not tell him to keep the Sabbath or to circumcise male children or to baptize
believers in water.

David (under the law of Moses)

 He had the privilege and responsibility of believing what God had said (and he knew more
about what God said than Noah did).
 He had the privilege of walking with God.
 He had the responsibility of obeying God (Deut. 8:1).
 The murderer should be put to death (Exodus 21:12).
 Animals should be sacrificed to God (Leviticus 1-5).
 God told him to keep the Sabbath and to circumcise male children (Deut. 5:12-14 and
Leviticus 12:3).
 God did not tell him to baptize believers in water.

Paul (a New Testament believer under grace)

 He had the privilege and responsibility of believing what God had said (and he knew more
about what God said than Noah or David).
 He had the privilege of walking with God.
 He had the responsibility of obeying God (1 John 2:3-5).
 The murderer should be put to death (Romans 13:1-4).
 Animal sacrifices are no longer necessary (Hebrews 10).
 God did not tell him to keep the Sabbath or circumcise male children.
 God did tell him to baptize believers in water (Matthew 28:19-20).

Do you see certain things that remain the same for each of these men? Why is this so? Do you see certain things that
change or are different? Why is this so?

When one enters into a new dispensation or stewardship, this does not mean that all of the rules and conditions change.
Some things remain the same. For example, in every dispensation it has been wrong to lie and murder and steal. Also in
every dispensation it has been right to believe what God has said (see Hebrews chapter 11). There are certain things that
the different dispensations share in common. But as we have seen in this chapter, there are also important differences
that must be recognized. We need to pay close attention to the things that are different and the things that have changed.

Here is another illustration that may help. What if you lived 200 years ago? Would you have a TV? a car? electricity?
Conditions were very different in those days. Instead of washing the car you might need to take care of the horse! Instead
of washing clothes in a washing machine, you would use a hand scrub board, soap and water, etc. On cold winter days
you might have to go out and bring in some logs instead of simply turning up the thermostat (although many heat with
wood even today). Your responsibilities would be different if you lived then instead of today. Some things would remain
the same. You would need to eat then just as people need to eat today. Etc.

The same would be true if you were to live 100 years from now (if the Lord has not come by then). Conditions would be
very different. Instead of cars there might be some other means of transportation. It's hard to imagine what kind of
computers they would have then! Some things would remain the same but many things would be different.
Joshua, David and Isaiah all lived under the SAME SET OF HOUSE RULES AND PRIVILEGES. This means that they
all lived during the same dispensation. The house rules and privileges that belonged to them were spelled out in the law
of Moses. Peter, Paul, John and Timothy all lived under the same HOUSE RULES AND PRIVILEGES. The house rules
and privileges that belonged to these men are found in the New Testament letters (from Romans to Revelation chapters
1-3). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph all lived under the same set of HOUSE RULES AND PRIVILEGES and thus
these men lived during the same dispensation. These men were responsible to believe the promises that God had given to
them.

The Different Dispensations Consider the seven dispensations:

(1) INNOCENCE
Innocence ends with man's fall into sin.
(Adam)
(2) CONSCIENCE In future dispensations, men continue to live under
conscience.
(Enoch)
(3) HUMAN GOVERNMENT In future dispensations, men continue to live under
human government (until the kingdom age when men
(Noah, after the flood) will live under God's direct and absolute rule)..

(4) PROMISE In future dispensations, the promise is not put aside

nor is it annulled (see Galatians 3).
(Abraham)
(5) LAW The law is temporary, "until the Seed should come"
(Gal. 3:19). The dispensation of law ended at
(David, John the Baptist) Calvary's cross.

(6) GRACE While the grace of God was evident in other ages, it
receives its fullest manifestation and demonstration
(Paul) during this present age (Ephesians 2-3).

The rule of God has been operative throughout all

(7) KINGDOM dispensations, but supremely manifested when Christ
Himself rules over the nations from the throne of
David in Jerusalem. God's rule will continue in the
eternal state.

THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH (THE ETERNAL STATE)

In the above chart, under the name of each dispensation is also given the name of a man who lived during this time
(except for the KINGDOM dispensation which is yet future).
Each dispensation is a period in which God had different HOUSE RULES AND PRIVILEGES and men were given
different responsibilities according to the light and truth which God had given to them. In each new dispensation God
gives more truth and more light than was given in the previous dispensation. Thus throughout history there is a
PROGRESS OF REVELATION (God's truth is gradually and progressively revealed to man).

Each of these dispensations will be studied in detail in later chapters (beginning with Chapter 3). At that time some of
the statements made in the above chart will be further explained and clarified.

Four Things To Look For

When we study each of these dispensations we will be looking for four things:
1. MAN'S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.

What were things like at the beginning of the dispensation? What was man responsible to do? What did God reveal to
man? What truth did God put into man's hand?
2. MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY.

God has given man certain responsibilities and man is required to be a faithful steward of what God has placed in his
hand. What responsibilities and obligations has God given to man? What was man told to do or not to do?
3. MAN'S FAILURE.

How has man succeeded or failed to meet his responsibilities? In what ways did man obey or disobey the HOUSE
RULES? In every dispensation we will see the terrible failure of man. This reminds us again and again that man is a
great sinner who is in need of a great Saviour!
4. GOD'S JUDGMENT

When God puts something into man's hand and man fails to handle it properly, then judgment must follow. We will learn
that each dispensation ends in man's failure and God's judgment.

A dispensationalists is one who believes that

God means what He says
and says what He means,
and that it is the responsibility of every believer
to humbly take God at His Word (Isaiah 66:1-2).

CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION TO DISPENSATIONALISM

(PART 2)
In the last chapter we tried to answer the important question, “What is a DISPENSATION?” Can you remember what
this word means? What do we mean when we say that Abraham and Paul lived during different dispensations? How was
David's stewardship different from Paul's stewardship? Even though Abraham and David and Paul lived in different
dispensations, they were all believers in the living God. What did they share in common?

In this chapter we want to try to answer another important question: “What is a DISPENSATIONALIST?” A
dispensationalist is a PERSON who understand God’s dispensations and who seeks to enter into the STEWARDSHIP
which he has been given by God. God has entrusted him with certain privileges and responsibilities in light of the day in
which he lives, and he is seeking to faithfully handle all that God has put in his hand.

Not everyone who reads and studies the Bible is a dispensationalist. Not everyone has a clear understanding of the things
which were discussed in Chapter 1 of these notes. To better understand what a DISPENSATIONALIST is, let us
describe this person. A dispensationalist can be described in at least 4 ways:

1. A DISPENSATIONALIST RECOGNIZES CERTAIN OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES THAT ARE

FOUND IN THE BIBLE.

As we studied in the last chapter, a dispensationalist realizes that God has different ways of dealing with different men at
different times throughout the course of history. He also realizes that God has been gradually revealing more and more of
His truth to men. For example, Paul was told certain truths that David was never told and David had certain information
from God that Noah never had. The Bible that Moses had was not the same as the Bible that Isaiah had; the Bible that
Isaiah had was not the same as the Bible that the Apostle John had. As the centuries passed, God gave more and more
books of the Bible. More and more truth was revealed. Today we have a completed Bible, containing 66 Books.

The dispensationalist recognizes these important differences:

1. The differences that took place after the fall of man.

2. The differences that took place after the great flood.
3. The differences that took place after the judgment on the tower of Babel.
4. The differences that took place after God called Abraham.
5. The differences that took place after the giving of the law.
6. The differences that took place after the death and resurrection of Christ.
7. The differences that will take place after the rapture of the church (when Christ will remove the church from the
earth–see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and John 14:3).
8. The differences that will take place after Satan is cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-12).
9. The differences that will take place at the end of the thousand year kingdom (Revelation chapters 20-22).

We will carefully study these differences later in this set of notes when we study each of the dispensations.
2. A DISPENSATIONALIST INTERPRETS OR UNDERSTANDS THE BIBLE LITERALLY.

The word “literally” means "word for word, without exaggeration; without imagination.” When a person interprets the
Bible literally he understands the words that he reads in their ordinary or primary meaning, in their usual and normal
sense. He does not try to find secret or imaginary meanings for the words found in the Bible

A dispensationalist is a person who take the Bible seriously! He believes what the Bible says. He simply takes God at
His Word and he believes that God MEANS WHAT HE SAYS and SAYS WHAT HE MEANS! He does not make
God’s Word say something else, but he lets God’s Word say just what it says.

Let’s consider some examples: According to the Bible God created the universe, the world and everything in the world in
how many days (Exodus 20:11 and compare Genesis chapter 1)? ________________ The person who interprets this
literally says this: “Six days means six days! God said that He created everything in six days and God means what He
says! God said it, I believe it and that settles it!” [Or better, "God said it and that settles it, whether I believer it or not!"]

Did you know that there are many people today who do not believe that God created everything in six days? There are
many people who say that the “days” mentioned in Genesis chapter one do not really mean “days” but they mean
something else. They say that the days of creation were not really days at all but each “day” was really an age (a long
period of time, with each “day-age” lasting thousands or perhaps even millions of years). They would say that creation
took place in six very long ages! This is an example of how people take what God has said and make it mean something
else (“day does not mean day but it means a very long age”). The person who takes the Bible literally believes that
when God says “six days” (Exodus 20:9,11), He means “six days” and not something else.
Note: It is possible that the word “DAY” can be used to refer to a period of time that is longer than 24 hours. For
example in Jeremiah 30:7 we read about a DAY which refers to the time of Jacob’s trouble. This day will last 3½ years
(Revelation 12:6,14). Also we could say “we are now living in the day of grace” (the day of God’s longsuffering–2
Peter 3:8-9). Is this more than a 24-hour day? Consider this: “George Washington lived in a day when there were no cars
or telephones or airplanes!” Did Abraham and Moses and Paul also live in this same day? In this last example the word
“means “time” (“George Washington lived in a time when there were no cars, etc.”). When the word “day” does not
mean a 24-hour period the context will usually make this clear. But when the word “day” is used in the plural (“days”)
and when a number is put before it such as in Exodus 20:11 (six days) or in Genesis 1:13 (“the third day”) then we can
be sure that it is talking about a 24-hour day. See our study: The Six Days of Creation.

Another example of taking the Bible literally is found in Revelation Chapter 20. Read the first seven verses of this
chapter. How many times do you read these words: “thousand years” ? ______________ These verses teach us that Jesus
Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years! What does God mean when He says “a thousand years”? The
dispensationalist takes the Bible literally and says, "A thousand years means a thousand years! If God says a thousand
years then it must mean a thousand years!" But here again there are many people who claim to believe the Bible and yet
they do not believe that Jesus Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years. They try to make the thousand years mean
something else.

Here is an example of a non-literal approach to the "thousand years" mentioned in Revelation 20. The thousand years
represent...

"...a vast, undefined period of time....It has already lasted almost 2,000 years, and will probably go on for many more. The
thousand years is to be understood as a symbolical number, denoting a long period...It may require a million years” David
Chilton, The Days of Vengeance--An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Ft. Worth: Dominion Press, 1987), 507.

This writer says that the thousand years is "a vast, undefined period of time" whereas the Bible defines it as a period of a
thousand years. This writer says that it is a symbolical number, but this approach is dangerous because when a person
abandons the literal sense ("a thousand years"), then he can make it mean anything he wants. This writer went so far as
to say that the thousand years might even last a million years! If it does not mean what it says, then the interpreter can
make it mean whatever he wants it to mean.

Did you know that when people read the newspaper they understand it literally? Suppose you saw these headlines: “THE
PRESIDENT WILL VISIT CHINA IN FOUR DAYS.” How would you understand this? Would you say, “This must not
mean the President, it must mean the Secretary of State. This visit will not be in four days, it will probably be in a month.
China does not mean China; it must mean India.” This would be silly! No one would interpret a newspaper article in
such a way. If we make the words mean something other than what they are supposed to mean then nothing would make
sense! Any intelligent person would understand that “president” means “president” and “China” means “China” and
“four days” means “four days.” This is the normal, natural and literal way of understanding these simple words! This is
the way we need to understand the Bible also.

The Bible is not some mysterious Book with secret meanings. The Bible is a very simple Book, and the only reason men
do not understand it is due to unbelief and a failure to take God at His Word. The Bible is not a Book whose message
must be decoded by brilliant men who have learned the secret code. No, the Bible is so simple that a young child can
understand its message and receive the Saviour by faith. Do not look for hidden meanings in the Bible. Just come to
God with a humble and open heart that is willing to believe and obey whatever God says in clear language that is not
difficult to understand. See our paper, Spiritual Requirements for Understanding God's Word.

When we receive a letter from someone, we understand the letter literally. Suppose your friend sends you a letter and
writes, “I fell off a horse and broke my leg and spent two days in the hospital.” Would you make these words say
something else or would you accept these words as they are? It would be silly to say that “horse” really means
“elephant” and “leg” really means “head” and “two days” really means “two months.” If your friend had meant to say
“elephant” instead of “horse” then he would have made that clear in his letter.

A Simple Rule
When we study the Bible we always should understand a word in its literal, normal, natural and basic meaning unless
this meaning does not make sense. Here is our rule: IF THE PLAIN (BASIC, NORMAL) SENSE MAKES GOOD
SENSE, SEEK NO OTHER SENSE LEST IT RESULT IN NONSENSE.

We have already seen that the “days” in Genesis chapter one make good sense. It is no problem for the ALMIGHTY
GOD to create this universe in six days! We should not try to make these days mean something else (“seek no other
sense!”). The same is true with the “thousand years” found in Revelation 20. We should not try to make the "thousand
years" mean something else.

Sometimes when we are reading the Bible the plain sense will not make good sense. For example, in John 10:9 Jesus
said, “I am the ____________.” Now we know that Jesus was not actually a door that sheep pass through (see John
10:1,2,7). This does not make good sense. Jesus meant that He was like a door. A door is something that animals or
people must pass through. To get into a room you must open a door and pass through. To be saved a person must go
through Christ. He is the only Saviour! It is only through Him that we can enter in and find God's great salvation.

Another example is found in John 15:5. Jesus was not actually a vine and his disciples were not actually branches. But
again we understand what Jesus meant. The vine and the branches give us a beautiful picture of the Saviour and His
believers. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it stays connected to the vine, so believers cannot bear fruit unless
they stay connected with Jesus Christ (stay in close fellowship with Him).

Here is one more example. On the night before He went to the cross Jesus took bread and said to His disciples, “Take,
eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). He also took the cup and said, “This is my blood” (Matthew 26:27-28). Was this
bread really His body? Did this cup actually contain His blood? Did the disciples really eat His body and did they drink
His actual blood? Of course not! This does not make sense and this is not what Jesus meant.

This illustration might help: Suppose a man has a picture or a photograph of his wife. One day he shows it to a friend
and says, “Look, this is my wife.” What does he mean? Obviously he does not mean that this small piece of photographic
paper is actually his wife! He is merely using a common figure of speech called a metaphor. What he really means is,
“This represents my wife. This is a picture of my wife. When you look at this picture you will think of my wife.”

This is what Jesus meant when He spoke of the bread and the cup. Our Lord was saying, “This bread represents My
body and this cup is a picture of my blood. When you eat this bread and drink this cup you will be reminded of Me and
what I am going to do for you on the cross.” This is what we remember every time we take communion (1 Corinthians
11:24-25).

Let the Bible Say What It Says!

We need to always let the Bible say what it says. We must never force the Bible to say what we want it to say. Just let
the words say what they say, and don’t look for the words to have some strange or secret meaning! Consider 1 Samuel
17:40. How many stones did David take out of the brook? ________ Someone might take a verse like this and make it
say what it never was meant to say. He might say something like this: “These five stones mean five different things. The
first stone is for courage, the second stone is for faith, the third stone is for strength, the fourth stone is for victory and
the fifth stone is for success!” Does the Bible say this about these stones? _______ These stones were just stones. And
one of these stones went into the forehead of Goliath! It is true that David had courage and faith and that God gave him
strength and victory and success, but we learn about this by reading the 17th chapter of 1 Samuel, not from the five
stones that David picked up. We need to be careful that we do not give strange meanings to simple words!

A dispensationalist is a person who takes the Bible seriously and who interprets the Bible literally. He lets the Bible say
just what it says! See the MBC paper, Do I Interpret the Bible Literally? Seven Tests to See if I Do.

3. A DISPENSATIONALIST MAKES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE

CHURCH.

Those who read the Bible need to make a very careful difference between Israel and the Church. There are many people
who believe that saved Israelites (Jews) who lived during Old Testament times were part of the church. This is not true.
The church did not begin until the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2). Before this time no one
was part of the church.

An Israelite is a person who has descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see Romans 9:4-5; and keep in mind that
Jacob's other name was "Israel"). Moses and Joshua and David and Solomon and Isaiah--all of these men were Israelites.
Today Israelites are often called “JEWS.”

Gentiles are those who are not Israelites. A Gentile person is a person who has not come from the line of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob (see Ephesians 2:11-12).

The Church is something new that God is doing. Moses and Joshua and David and Isaiah were saved men and were
Israelites but they were not part of the church. In Ephesians 1:22-23 and Colossians 1:18 we learn that the CHURCH is
the body of Christ. Today when a person is saved he is “baptized” or placed into the body of Christ and he becomes a
part of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:13). Peter and John and Paul and Timothy were all members of the body of Christ.
They were all part of the Church. Those who believe in Christ today become part of the Church also.

The following diagram may be helpful:

As we see from the above diagram, those who lived in the days before the cross were not members of the church. The
Church did not begin until after the death and resurrection of Christ. (See Matthew 16:18--Jesus said, “I WILL build My
Church.” The building of the church was something that Christ would do in the future.)

For further help see the following MBC study: When Did the Church Begin?

There are many people who misunderstand the Bible because when God tells us something about ISRAEL (the Jewish
people), they think that He is speaking about the CHURCH. Suppose that you read in the newspaper that Sally was given
a free trip to Boston and Betty was given a free trip to New York City. If you were to then go and tell everyone that
Betty was going to Boston, this would be very confusing! The same kind of confusion comes if we read the Bible the
wrong way. God has something very special for the Church and God has something very special for the nation Israel. But
we must be careful not to take the wonderful promises that God has given to the nation Israel and say that these are for
the church! That is like saying that Sally’s trip to Boston should be given to Betty.

A dispensationalist is one who makes a difference between Israel and the church. He also believes that God has made
some wonderful promises concerning the future of the nation of Israel and that God will keep these promises (compare
Romans chapter 11). See the paper, A Comparison and Contrast Between Israel and the Church.
4. A DISPENSATIONALIST SEES THE GLORY OF GOD AS THE UNIFYING THEME
OF THE BIBLE.

God is doing something very special in each and every dispensation. There is one thing that God is concerned about
more than anything else: HIS GLORY! The glory of God is the outward expression of who God is. The glory of God is
the making known of God’s WEALTH and WORTH and WEIGHT. God is a great God and throughout history He has
been making Himself known to men and angels.

We have been studying many of the differences found in the Bible. However, we must also realize that there is
something that God has always been doing, even though He has been doing this in different ways and at different times
and with different people. Consider the following verses and see if you can tell what God has been doing in the world:
 1. Joshua 4:24 (the days of Joshua). What does God want people to know?
_______________________________________________________________________

2. 1 Samuel 17:46 (the days of David and Goliath). What does God want all the earth to know?
_______________________________________________________________________

3. 1 Kings 8:43 (the days of Solomon). What does God want all people to
know? _______________________________________________________________________

4. 1 Kings 18:36 (the days of Elijah). What does God want people to know?
_______________________________________________________________________

5. 2 Kings 19:19 (the days of King Hezekiah). What does God want all the kingdoms of the earth to know?
__________________________________________________________________________

6. Ezekiel 36:23 (the days of Ezekiel). What does God want unsaved people (heathen) to know?
___________________________________________________________________________

7. Psalm 46:10. What does God want every person who has ever lived to know?
__________________________________________________________________________

For a related study see the paper, God's Primary Purpose.

Throughout history God has been making Himself known to men. Whether men are saved or not saved, God will be
glorified and all will know that HE IS GOD! Someday every knee shall _________ and every tongue shall
___________________ that Jesus Christ is Lord (see Philippians 2:10-11).

There are many people who believe that God’s main purpose is to SAVE PEOPLE. The Bible clearly teaches that God
desires to save all men (1 Timothy 2:4; John 3:16; etc.) and that God sent His Son to be the Saviour of the
_________________ (1 John 4:14 and compare John 3:17). But the salvation of men is not God’s main purpose.

Consider for example the days of Noah. How many people were saved in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20)?
_______________ Only eight people were on that ark! All the rest of the people on the face of the earth PERISHED (2
Peter 3:6)! Does this mean that God was a failure because so few people were saved? If saving lost men were the one
thing that God was most concerned about, then we would have to say that in the days of Noah God must have failed
because so few were saved and so many perished. Even today the Bible says that only F______ will be saved (Matthew
7:14). We know that GOD HAS NEVER BEEN A FAILURE! Even in the days of Noah God was making Himself
known to men. God made it known to all men that He was a HOLY GOD who hates sin and must judge sin. He also
showed that He was a GRACIOUS God to those who believe Him and obey His Word (Genesis 6:8-9; Hebrews
11:7). God succeeded in making Himself known, even to a world that rejected Him.

No matter what period of history you are reading about in the Bible, you can be sure that God is demonstrating and
revealing and making known WHO HE IS to men! A dispensationalist is one who recognizes that God’s main purpose is
to bring GLORY to Himself in each and every period of human history.

For further study, see the paper, The Glory of God.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT DISPENSATIONALISTS

As we mentioned before, not everyone is a dispensationalist. There are many who believe in what they call “Covenant
Theology.” Instead of believing in the different dispensations, they believe in what they call TWO MAIN
COVENANTS. Let us briefly consider what these people believe:

Covenant Theology
Those who believe in Covenant Theology (including many who believe in REFORMED THEOLOGY--see our study,
Problems with Reformed Theology) say that there are two main covenants and that all of God’s dealings with men can
be explained in light of these two covenants:
1. The Covenant of Works.

A Covenant is a special agreement between God and man. Those who believe in Covenant Theology say that God made
a special covenant with Adam which is called THE COVENANT OF WORKS. Four things are said about this
covenant:

1. It was an agreement which God made with Adam.

2. It contained the promise of eternal life.
3. The condition which Adam had to meet was PERFECT OBEDIENCE. He had to do exactly what God said.
4. The penalty for disobedience was DEATH (see Genesis 2:15-17).

Of course, Adam disobeyed God’s command and thus Adam failed to meet the requirements of the “covenant of works.”
2. The Covenant of Grace.

Because of Adam’s sin and failure, a second, covenant, THE COVENANT OF GRACE, was brought into operation.
This covenant is defined as a gracious agreement between an offended God and sinful man, in which God promises
salvation to man if man will believe in the promised Saviour (compare Genesis 3:15). The Covenant of Grace is the only
hope that sinful men have of entering into eternal life. The only way sinful men can be saved is by the grace of God
through faith in God’s Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some Problems

Much of what these people say is very true. It is true that Adam failed to obey God and it is also true that God has
devised a gracious plan whereby He can save lost sinners. But those who believe in Covenant Theology try to use these
two Covenants alone (especially the Covenant of Grace) to explain all relationships between God and men from the
beginning to the end of time.

If these two Covenants are so important you would think that the Bible would mention them many times. But the fact is
that the Bible never says anything about a “Covenant of Works” or a “Covenant of Grace.” These are terms that men
have made up and they are not found in the Bible.

The Bible does mention several different covenants, but it never mentions the “covenant of works” or the “covenant of
grace.” Here are some of the covenants that we do find mentioned in the Bible:

1. The covenant God made with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17).

2. The covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 17:1-4).
3. The covenant God made with Moses and the children of Israel (Exodus 19:5-8).
4. The covenant God made with David (2 Samuel 7).
5. The covenant God made with Israel called “the new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Many different covenants are mentioned in the Bible, but the Bible never talks about a “Covenant of Works” or a
“Covenant of Grace.”

Those who believe in Covenant Theology try to understand all of the Bible in light of the “Covenant of Grace.” They
believe that God’s main purpose in the world, in any age, is the redemption and salvation of lost men. The
dispensationalist does not minimize the importance of God's plan of redemption in the Bible, but he also understands
that God has even a greater purpose: TO BRING GLORY TO HIMSELF. The salvation and redemption of men by
God’s grace is one of the chief ways that God receives glory unto Himself:
 Ephesians 1:6 “to the _____________________ of the
_____________________ of His grace”

Ephesians l:12 "that we should be to the ________________

of His ____________________”

Ephesians 1:14 "unto the ________________of His

____________________”

God will even be glorified by the damnation of lost men (such as Pharaoh–see Romans 9:21-22). This means that even
men suffering in hell will bring glory to God. Whether men are saved or lost, God’s purpose will be fulfilled and God
will make Himself known to all men!

Ultra-Dispensationalists
Another wrong understanding of the Bible is known as Ultradispensationalism. The word “ultra” means “going beyond
others, going beyond due limits, being extreme.” An ultra-dispensationalist is a person who has carried the idea of
dispensations too far! This person sees too many differences in the Bible and this results in confusion.

The main problem centers around this very important question: WHEN DID THE CHURCH BEGIN? Dispensationalists
believe that the Church began when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost (about 30 A.D.), as described in Acts
chapter 2 Ultra-dispensationalists believe that the Church began much later. Some say the church began in Acts
Chapter 13 (about 47 A.D.) and some say the church began in Acts Chapter 28 (about 60 A.D.).

Because they begin the church much later, ultra-dispensationalists say that there are certain things that we read in the
New Testament which are not for today. For example, they teach the following:

1. Water baptism is not for today.

2. The Lord’s Table (Communion) is not for today (not all Ultra-dispensationalists believe this but many do).
3. The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-16 is not for today. They would say that
these commands given by Christ were never meant for the Church.

Did the Church really begin in Acts Chapter 13 or Acts Chapter 28? There is a simple way to show from the Bible that
this is not true. According to Acts 2:47 we learn that God was adding people to His _________________. Therefore the
Church must have already begun! Also in 1 Corinthians 15:9 the Apostle Paul said, “I persecuted the
_________________ of God.” We read about this persecution in Acts 7:58; 8:1-3 and 9:1-2. In Acts chapter 9 we read
about Saul’s (Paul’s) conversion. This is when Paul was saved! If Paul persecuted the Church before he was saved, then
the Church must have been in existence at this time! You cannot persecute something that does not exist. Therefore the
Church must have begun before Paul was saved. The Church could not have begun in Acts Chapter 13 or in Acts Chapter
28 because Paul was already saved by then! For a more detailed study on when the church began, see When Did The
Church Begin?

Terms To Understand
 THESE NUMBERS ARE EXPLAINED AS FOLLOWS:

The Lord Jesus Christ is crucified for the sins of the world.

The risen Christ returns to heaven (Acts 1).

The Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost and the Church Begins (Acts chapter 2).

The Church Age (every person who believes in Christ becomes a member of the Church which is the body of
Christ–see 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:47).

The rapture of the Church (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The seven year period of tribulation (time of great trouble on the earth). The last half of this seven year period is
called the time of “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21 and see Jeremiah 30:7).

The middle of the tribulation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15).

The return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Revelation 19; Mt.24:30).

The thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth (Rev. 20).

QUESTION NUMBER 1–When will the rapture take place?

(see Number on the chart given above)

* Pre-tribulation Rapture: This is the belief that the church will be

raptured (taken to heaven) before the seven years of
tribulation.

Mid-tribulation Rapture: This is the belief that the church will be raptured in
the middle of the seven years of tribulation.

Pre-wrath Rapture: This is the belief that the church will be raptured
about 3/4 of the way through the seven years of
tribulation.

Post-tribulation Rapture: This is the belief that the church will be

raptured after the 7 years of tribulation.

QUESTION NUMBER 2–When will Jesus Christ come to the earth?

(see Number on the chart given earlier)

* Premillennial: This is the belief that Jesus Christ will come to the earth before the 1000
year kingdom. The term “millennium” refers to that thousand year period
described in Revelation 20:1-7.

Postmillennial: This is the belief that through the preaching of the gospel man will bring
in the kingdom and that Christ will not come until after the kingdom has
already come to earth.

Amillennial: [This term means “no kingdom” or “no millennium”.] This is the belief
that there will be no literal, earthly kingdom of Christ. Those who are
 amillennial usually believe that the many verses in the Bible that describe
the kingdom are being fulfilled today in the Church.

* The asterisk indicates that this is the view which is taught in the Bible.

A Dispensationalist believes that Christ's coming to earth as King will take place before the millennium (premillennial)
and he believes that Christ will come for His church before the tribulation period (pretribulation rapture).

For more information on Prophecy, see the MBC set of Bible study worksheets entitled Prophecy--Preview of Coming
Events.

CHAPTER 3 THE DISPENSATION OF INNOCENCE

As we study each of the seven dispensations, we will consider the following outline:

1) Man's State at the Beginning

2) Man's Responsibility
3) Man's Failure
4) God's Judgment
As we begin our study of the different dispensations, we need to go all the way back to the dawn of human history.
Human history began thousands of years ago with the creation of Adam and Eve.

1. MAN'S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.

Man Was Made to Reflect God
In Genesis 1:26-27 we learn about the creation of man: "And God said, Let Us make man in Our
______________________, after Our ________________________ . . .So God created man in His Own
________________, in the___________________ of God created He him."

Adam was created in the image and likeness of God! What is an image?

We know that an image can be found on most coins. Read Matthew 22:18-21. Whose IMAGE was on this Roman
coin?____________________ When they looked at this coin, whose face did they see? _______________________
Whose image is found on our penny? on our nickel? on our dime? When you look at a quarter, who do you see? Whose
LIKENESS and whose IMAGE is found on a dollar bill?

When you look into a mirror in the morning, whose IMAGE do you see? _____________________________________
Does the mirror reflect you? __________ Your IMAGE is in that mirror! According to Genesis 1:26-27, God's IMAGE
was in man!

Man was created to reflect God and to mirror God! This was man's responsibility. Adam was to be like a mirror and this
mirror was to reflect God and what God is like. Adam was also told to have D_________________________ (rule) over
all of the animals (Genesis 1:26). God put Adam on the earth as the "KING OF THE BEASTS" (not Mr. Lion). Was
God's blessing on Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:28)? _______
God Did Not Make A Sinner
At the end of the sixth day of creation God saw everything that He had made (including Adam), and behold it was
_________ ____________ (Genesis 1:31). We must always remember that what God created was GOOD! God is not
the Author or the Cause of sin. God did not create a sinful man. He created Adam who later became a sinner. But when
God first created Adam he did not have a sinful heart. He was perfectly INNOCENT.

The word INNOCENT means free from sin or wrong or guilt. In the beginning Adam was without sin. He was "NOT
GUILTY" of any crime or of any sin. He had never disobeyed God. He had never broken God's law. His mind was not
filled with evil thoughts. Adam was unacquainted with evil. He could have said, "I have no sin" (compare 1 John 1:8)
and he would have been speaking the truth. He could have said, "I have not sinned!" (compare 1 John 1:10) and he
would have been speaking the truth. If we say these things today are we telling the truth? _______ Adam was not a slave
of sin. He was free and he was innocent!

Adam also enjoyed a wonderful relationship with God. He could walk with God and talk with God and enjoy wonderful
fellowship with God. Also there was no sin in his life which would come between him and God (compare Isaiah 59:2).

Also Adam lived in a PERFECT ENVIRONMENT. He did not live in a sin-cursed world as we do today. Was there any
crime in Adam's world? Was there any disease? Was there any death? Was there any poverty? The world Adam lived in
was quite different from the world we live in. There was only one thing in Adam's world that was not good was THE
DEVIL (Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9).

2. MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY.
What responsibilities did God give to Adam? What kind of stewardship did Adam have? What did God place in Adam's
hand? What was Adam told to do or not to do?

According to Genesis 2:15, what task was given to Adam?

_____________________________________________________________________ From the very beginning Adam
had work to do and a job to fulfill.

According to Genesis 2:16, what privilege was Adam given?

________________________________________________________________________ He was given a great deal of
freedom to eat all kinds of delicious fruit. Could he eat apples? ______ oranges? ________ peaches? _______ cherries?
_______ pineapples? _______ coconuts? _______ Adam did not have a very restricted diet. He could enjoy the
wonderful varieties of fruit that God had made.

According to Genesis 2:17, what responsibility did Adam have? What was he told not to do?
____________________________________________________________________ God put into Adam's hand a very
simple commandment. It was his duty to obey this commandment and not to eat from the fruit of one particular tree in
the middle of the garden (compare Genesis 2:9). God gave Adam this very simple test of obedience. It was as if God
were saying, "Adam, will you obey My Word or not?" As we shall see, Adam flunked the test!

What did God say would happen to Adam if he should eat the fruit (Genesis 2:17)?
___________________________________________________

3. MAN'S FAILURE.
Can you find the verse in Genesis Chapter 3 which tells us that Adam disobeyed God's simple command and fell into
sin? Genesis 3, Verse _____. Adam chose to disobey God and to break God's command. Adam chose DEATH instead of
LIFE.

According to 1 Timothy 2:14, who was deceived by Satan, Adam or Eve? _______ This verse tells us that Adam was
_______ deceived! He was not tricked. He knew what he was doing and he chose to do it anyway. Adam was fully
responsible for what he did. He fell into sin and he was GUILTY! He was no longer innocent!

4. GOD'S JUDGMENT.
Because of Adam's sin, God removed him from the garden of Eden. We read about this in Genesis 3:22-24:

Genesis 3:23 – "the LORD God _______________ him _____________from the garden of Eden"

Genesis 3:24 – "So He ____________________ _______ the man"

Adam and Eve no longer had access to "the tree of life" and God placed at the east of the garden two angelic creatures
called "cherubim", with a revolving sword like flame flashing around them like lightning bolts, making it impossible for
people to come near this place again.

5. THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADAM'S SIN.

What are the last 3 words of Genesis 3:6? ______ ______ ______ These three words describe an event which
completely changed our world! This earthshaking event had consequences and results that were more harmful and
disastrous and far-reaching than any other event that has ever taken place. TODAY THE RESULTS OF ADAM'S SIN
CAN BE SEEN AND NOTICED ALMOST EVERYWHERE WE LOOK! Here are some of the consequences of
Adam's sin (please MATCH):

1. _____ Sin entered the world and death passed upon all men. A. Genesis 3:16
Difficult toil is required in order to eat. Also each man must
2. _____ B. Genesis 3:17-18
face physical death (back to the dust!).
3. _____ Pain and sorrow in bringing forth children. C. Genesis 3:19
4. _____ Many were made sinners. D. Romans 5:12
5. _____ All men condemned. E. Romans 5:18
6. _____ The ground cursed. F. Romans 5:19

Today we live in a fallen and wicked world made up of sinful people who are all marching to the grave. All of this
because of the three words we find at the end of Genesis 3:6!

Think about the following occupations, and then explain how Adam's sin has created the need for such occupations:

1) policeman 2) doctor 3) Judge 4) soldier 5) pastor 6) missionary 7) undertaker 8) detective 9) life insurance
salesman 10) nurse. Can you think of others?

Explain why the following are a direct result of Adam's sin? Jails, funeral homes, a cemetery, a lock on a door or on a
car, hospitals, etc. (Can you think of other things?)

Can you see the results of Adam's sin in your own life (in the things you do and do not do? in the things you say and do
not say? in the things you think? in your dealings with others? etc.). How has the fall of man affected you?
Remember, Adam's sin has affected every member of the human race. One lit match could fall in a forest and as a result
thousands of trees could fall (compare Romans 5:12). Adam fell and as a result the entire human race fell ("IN ADAM'S
FALL WE SINNED ALL!"--New England Primer).

Has God done anything to overcome the terrible results of Adam's sin? Thousands of years later another great and far-
reaching event took place as God's Son came to DIE for lost and fallen men: "For as by _________ man's (Adam's)
disobedience __________ were made _____________________ (does this include you?), so by the obedience of
__________ (the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ) shall many be made__________________________" (Romans 5:19).
"For as in ___________________ all ________________, even so in ___________________ shall all be made
_______________ (1 Corinthians 15:22). Death comes from Adam but Life comes from Jesus Christ!

The Marred Image

When Adam sinned the image of God that was in Adam was marred and spoiled and ruined. This means that Adam no
longer had the capacity to reflect God. Have you ever found a coin that was so scratched and worn that the image on the
coin could not be seen? This is what sin did to God's image in man! Adam, instead of reflecting God, began reflecting
SIN, SELF and SATAN.

Man was made to REFLECT! Before Adam sinned, man's soul was innocent and apart from sin. Man was given the
opportunity to KNOW and to SHOW and to REFLECT God.

After Adam sinned man's condition changed greatly. Man's soul was in sin and polluted by sin. Man could on1y reflect
the wrong thingWhen a sinful man is saved he has both a new nature and an old nature (Ephesians 4:22-24) and he can
either reflect the SAVIOUR or he can reflect SIN, SELF and SATAN:

The Saved Man

After his fall into sin, Adam gave birth to several children. Who did Adam’s children reflect? The answer is found in
Genesis 5:3: “And Adam lived 130 years and begat a son in his own ________________(in Adam’s likeness), after his
_______________ (after Adam’s image); and called his name Seth.” Whom did Seth reflect, God or Adam? __________
If you were to look at Seth, whose image and likeness would you see? _____________________ Every child that has
been born into this world (except for Jesus Christ) has been born in Adam’s likeness!

There is only one way for a sinner to stop reflecting SIN, SELF and SATAN. He must be saved! Every person is either
IN ADAM (unsaved) or IN CHRIST (saved--see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Only those who are IN CHRIST are able once
again to reflect God (Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10). For an additional study dealing with man's responsibility to
reflect God, see Science, the Scripture and the Saviour, Chapter 7 (The Creation of Man).

We Must Make A Choice!

Adam was given a very important choice. He had to choose to obey God or disobey God. He had to choose LIFE or
DEATH.

The same is true today. Every person must choose between life and death. Every person must choose between a blessing
or a cursing. God sets this choice before every man (see Deuteronomy 30:19). What choice does God want us to make
(Deuteronomy 30:19)? _______________________________________________

Adam's important decision centered around a tree--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Today man's decision also
centers around a tree--the tree on which Jesus Christ died (1 Peter 2:24). WHAT WILL YOUR CHOICE BE?
 TO BELIEVE TO REFUSE TO
ON CHRIST BELIEVE ON
AND LIVE CHRIST AND
DIE
John 3:36 John 3:36
1 John 5:12 1 John 5:12
? ?
You Must Choose!
CHAPTER 4 THE DISPENSATION OF CONSCIENCE
From the Fall to the Flood
In the last chapter we studied man's fall into sin. God put into the hand of innocent Adam a very simple command and
Adam failed to obey it. Adam's act of disobedience is spoken of in Romans 5:19: "For as by one man's
____________________________ many were made __________________" What were some of the consequences or
results of Adam's fall into sin (see the last chapter)?

The second dispensation has been called "the dispensation of conscience." As we begin this dispensation men are no
longer INNOCENT. Men are fallen, sinful creatures who are in great need of the GRACE of God (see Genesis 6:8). The
dispensation of conscience extends from the FALL to the FLOOD.
1. MAN'S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.
What was the name of the tree whose fruit Adam was told not to eat (Genesis 2:17)?
____________________________________________________________ In Genesis chapter 3 Satan came along to
tempt Eve. Satan wanted her to think that God was not really being good to them and that they were really missing out
on something. In Genesis 3:5 the devil told Eve that three things would happen to them in the day when they eat the
forbidden fruit:

1. Your ____________ will be ______________________

2. Ye shall be as God ["gods" should be translated as "God." It is the word "Elohim" as in Genesis
1:1, "In the beginning God..."]

3. Ye shall know "good and _________________"

The devil wanted to make them think that they would GAIN from eating, but God had told them that they would LOSE
(Genesis 2:17). Temptation is like a mousetrap or a fishing hook. The bait in the trap looks good to the mouse and the
worm on the hook looks good to the fish. The mouse and the fish think that they are going to GAIN something but they
end up big LOSERS! Eve got trapped and ended up a LOSER!

What verse in Genesis chapter 3 tells us that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit? _______ In Genesis 3:7 we learn
about the state of Adam and Eve immediately after they ate:

"And the ___________ of them both were ___________________ and they ____________ that they were naked."
(Compare Genesis 2:25)
Did God need to tell Adam and Eve that they had sinned or did they know this themselves?
____________________________________ Adam and Eve KNEW SOMETHING immediately (Genesis 3:7)! They
knew that they had done evil and failed to do good. They were aware of their sinful and shameful condition before a
holy God. They were conscious of their failure and of their sin. They were not in the dark about this. Their EYES WERE
OPENED and they knew about their sin. They KNEW that something was wrong!

When it was too late Adam and Eve saw the folly of what they had done. They saw the happiness they had fallen from
and they saw the misery they had fallen into. They saw the good they had missed and they saw the evil which they had
committed. God knows all about evil even though He has never experienced it. Adam and Eve learned about evil
because they EXPERIENCED it. Before he sinned Adam never really knew evil.

Think of a young child who is strongly warned by parents not to touch a hot stove. In spite of the warnings, however,
one day the child touches the stove and is burned. The young child now knows something that he never knew before. He
now knows how good the stove feels untouched and how terrible it feels when touched! He never really knew this until
he touched it and EXPERIENCED the pain. Likewise, Adam and Eve never really knew good and evil until the time
when they sinned (SEE GENESIS 3:22–"to know __________ and ________").

What is the CONSCIENCE?

As we learn in the case of Adam and Eve, God has given to man the capacity or the ability to KNOW when he has
sinned or when he has done right. Every person has a certain awareness or sense of what is right and what is wrong. This
is something that God has built into man FOR MAN'S GOOD. God wants man to know when things are not right in his
life so that man might fix whatever is wrong. When man sins or does wrong, God wants him to feel bad about it and to
feel guilty about it. If man felt good about sin then man would never want to get the problem fixed!

Think about the physical body that God has given to us. God has built into our body certain indicators that tell us when
things are not right. These are called NERVES. When something is wrong with the body or when the body gets injured,
we feel it! It hurts! Are nerves helpful to man or harmful? None of us really enjoy PAIN, but if we think about it, we
should be very thankful for the nerves that God has put into our body. What if you put your hand on a hot stove and did
not feel any pain and did not even know that the stove was hot? Your hand would burn up without you even knowing it.
The reason this does not happen is because the nerves send a quick message to the brain which says, "OUCH! REMOVE
HAND FROM STOVE RIGHT AWAY! IT HURTS!" Did you know that if you had no nerves you might chew up and
eat your own tongue (thinking that it's just part of your sandwich)? But with nerves working properly we do not need to
worry about this. We may bite our tongue once, but that is all! It hurts! God wants us to know when things are not right
with our body.

God also wants us to know when things are not right with our soul. This is why God has given to man a CONSCIENCE.
The conscience is to the soul what nerves are to the body. The conscience lets us know when things are not right. When
we sin the conscience triggers bad feelings. We know we have done wrong and we feel guilty about it. Animals do not
have a conscience. An animal has no knowledge of good and evil. They live according to the instinctive patterns that
God has built into them and they can be trained to do what men want them to do, but they do not have a conscience as
men do. If a dog eats something that he should not eat or if a dog messes on the living room rug, he does not feel guilty
about it (although he may have been trained to fear punishment if he does such things).

The conscience is that ability in man to make judgments about himself. When Adam sinned God did not need to appear
to him and say, "YOU HAVE SINNED AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS!" God never had to say this to Adam
because Adam already knew it. Adam was able to make a self-judgment: "ADAM, YOU ARE GUILTY! YOU HAVE
SINNED AND DISOBEYED GOD!" As we learned from Genesis 3:7, Adam was very much aware of his sin.

The Red Light on the Dashboard

The conscience is like a "warning system" which God has built into man. It alerts us to the fact that something is wrong
and something needs to be fixed!
The conscience can be compared to the red light or warning light that is found on the dashboard of many cars. This light
was built into the car as a warning system to let the driver know that the motor is getting too hot (or that the brakes have
a problem or that the engine needs service, etc.). When the red light flashes this means that there is a problem that needs
to be fixed. The wise driver will heed the warning and do something about the problem. He will open the hood and get to
work or bring the car into the auto repair shop!

The foolish driver might say, "I hate that little red light that keeps flashing. It bothers me!" He then takes a hammer and
smashes it! But does this really solve the problem? This is like touching the hot stove without nerves in your hand! The
foolish driver may keep driving and he may be glad that the annoying light no longer flashes, but later he finds that his
car will not work at all (because of over-heating or some other problem). He failed to realize that the red light was his
friend not his foe.

There are many people who try to use this "hammer method" on their conscience. When their conscience bothers them,
instead of fixing the problem they try to get rid of the bad feelings which the conscience has triggered. This is like
smashing the red light with a hammer. They may try using pills or drugs or alcohol or shock treatments or other things,
but none of these things are helping to fix the real problem. If Adam had gotten drunk, he may not have felt so bad, but
he would still have the same problem!

If a person keeps hitting the red light with his fist, the day might come when the red light does not work at all! It is
broken and no longer sensitive. The motor might get very hot due to a broken fan belt, but the light will not even go on.
The Bible tells us that people can have the kind of conscience that no longer works as it should. Notice 1 Timothy 4:2--
"speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their _______________________ seared with a hot iron." The word "sear" means "to
brand, to burn or scorch with intense heat." A man's conscience can be seared and branded with sin and wrong so that it
does not convict him or judge him as it should. The conscience has been so burnt that it no longer sends out the right
signals. It is like the red light that no longer flashes even though there might be something very wrong with the car.

It is wise for a person to listen to his conscience. The story is told of a man who was sleeping, but his dog was barking
so loud that the noise woke him up. He kept trying to go back to sleep but the dog keep on barking. The dog's owner,
who was half asleep, was so annoyed that he finally took a gun and shot his dog. The next morning he discovered that
there had been a major robbery in the lower level of his home and in his garage. The dog was trying to warn him about
the robber but the dog's message was not well received. Instead he shot the messenger. So also many people refuse to
listen to the voice of conscience when it warns them against doing the wrong thing.

Weighing Scales
The conscience may be compared to weighing scales. We can think of the conscience as a scale of SELF JUDGMENT.
We need to weigh our actions and our words and our deeds, and before we act or speak we need to make a judgment: IS
THIS RIGHT OR WRONG? IS THIS GOOD OR EVIL? SHOULD I OR SHOULD I NOT? Also after we act or speak
the conscience makes a judgment: WAS THIS RIGHT OR WRONG? SHOULD I HAVE DONE THIS OR NOT? To
get the right answers we must have an accurate scale.

We must notice that the scale's accuracy depends on how good the standard weight is. Suppose the standard weight was
labeled as 3 pounds but actually only weighed 2 pounds. When the scale is balanced, how many pounds of salt will you
really have measured out? _____________ You will only have two pounds of salt but you will think that you have three
pounds. If you were to really put three pounds of salt on the right hand side, then the scale would be out of balance
(because the weight on the left hand side really only weighs 2 pounds). This will lead to problems.

The conscience is like a scale. In order to weigh things accurately it needs an accurate standard of truth. If the conscience
does not have the right information or if it lacks an accurate knowledge of good and evil, then it will not weigh things
properly. Something may be wrong that is judged right or something may be right that is judged wrong. The conscience
can only work with the information which it has. A scale can only work well if it has accurate weights. The more a
person learns and understands God's Word, the more accurate his scale will be.

Usually the Conscience Works Well

God has put into men a basic knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. Man must judge his behavior in light of this
basic knowledge that he has. A man's conscience is only as good as his own knowledge of good and evil.

God gave the children of Israel the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and other laws so that they would know what is
right and what is wrong. They knew that it was wrong to murder and steal and covet (desire what belongs to someone
else), because their written laws clearly spoke against all these things.

But what about people who never had God's written law? Do they know what is good and what is evil? Do they know
what is right and what is wrong? The surprising answer to these questions is found in Romans 2:14-15. Paul is talking
about the Gentiles who "have _______ the law" (Romans 2:14). These are people who have never seen the Ten
Commandments. But Romans 2:15 says that the Gentiles "show the work of the law _____________________ in their
_______________________, their __________________________ also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean
while accusing ("YOU'RE GUILTY! WHAT YOU DID IS WRONG!") or else excusing ("YOU'RE NOT GUILTY!
WHAT YOU DID IS RIGHT!") one another."

In these verses we learn that even in the hearts of those people who do not have the written law, God has put a
knowledge of right and wrong. When they do RIGHT their conscience applauds them and cheers. When the do
WRONG their conscience condemns them and says "boo!" Their conscience (the "nerves of their soul") works very
well.

Here are two examples of people who did not have God's written law, but who certainly knew right and wrong:

1) ABIMELECH, A GENTILE KING

In Genesis 26:6-16 we have the story of Isaac and Abimelech. Abimelech was a Philistine king. He was a Gentile king
who did not have a copy of the 10 Commandments and he did not have a Bible.

Isaac lied to this man and told him that Rebekah was his S________________ (Genesis 26:7) even though she was really
his wife. When Abimelech discovered that she was married to Isaac he was very concerned. If one of his men had taken
Rebekah as a wife, this would have been ADULTERY! A man must never take a woman who is already married! Did
this king know that adultery was wrong (see Genesis 26:10-11)? _______ This man was not saved and he did not have
the 10 Commandments, but he knew that adultery was wrong! He had the works of the law written in his heart and his
conscience condemned the idea of taking a woman who already was married.

2) THE BARBARIANS OF MELITA (or Malta).

In Acts 28:1-6 we learn about a group of friendly barbarians or foreigners who lived on the island of Melita. These were
unsaved people who had no Bible and who had no copy of the Ten Commandments. They were ignorant of God's written
law, but they had the works of the law written in their hearts. What creature bit Paul on the hand (Acts 28:3)?
___________________ When the barbarians saw this they said, "No doubt this man is a _____________________"
(Acts 28:4). These people knew that it was evil and wrong to murder and they also knew that murderers deserve to die!
They thought that Paul was getting just what he deserved. They thought they were witnessing the penalty being carried
out, so they assumed the crime. They soon found out that they were wrong about Paul (Acts 28:5-6), but they were right
in their knowledge of good and evil. They knew that murder was evil because they had the works of the law written in
their hearts! They also knew that the death penalty was appropriate for murderers (compare Genesis 9:6 and see our
study on Capital Punishment).

All men, whether Jews (those who directly have the written Old Testament law) and Gentiles (those who do not have the
written Old Testament law) are responsible for their actions before God. This is because God has revealed to all men
what is right and what is wrong.

Sometimes the Conscience Does Not Work Quite Right

Think again of the red warning light in the car. This light was made to work well and to warn people when the car has a
problem. It is possible, however, for this light to give the wrong signal. For example, suppose there is some kind of
electrical problem. This might cause the light to go on even though there is nothing wrong with the car. The signal says,
"Something is wrong!" but when you open the hood you see that everything is fine. The problem was with the light and
not with the car.

It is possible to have a conscience that does not work quite right. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-8 we learn about some believers
who thought that it was wrong to eat things that were offered unto idols. Their conscience was W_________ (1
Corinthians 8:7) and they needed more knowledge. What they were doing was not wrong in itself, but they thought it
was wrong, and when they did it their conscience condemned them and made them feel guilty.

Some people today feel it is wrong to kill animals. If they step on a beetle or swat a fly they feel real bad about it. They
should not have a problem with this but they do because their conscience (in this particular area) is weak. Another person
could slaughter a pig and not feel bad about it at all (assuming he was doing this for the right reason, and not just to be
cruel to animals).

Saul of Tarsus (also known as Paul) had a conscience that was sending signals based on wrong information. He thought
that persecuting Christians was the right thing to do (Acts 26:9-11)! He actually thought that he was serving God by
waging war on Christian believers (compare John 16:2)! Later Paul received some needed information (Acts chapter 9)
and he realized how wrong he had been!

In most cases, however, men know what is right and what is wrong and their conscience sends them the right signal.
Adam and Eve and their children had a conscience that worked very well. They had a keen awareness of the difference
between right and wrong.

2. MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY.
Man had a knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:22). With knowledge there also comes responsibility. Man was
responsible to live according to the knowledge which he had. Man was obligated to do what was good and to refrain
from doing what was evil. Man was to do what his conscience would approve and man was to avoid doing what his
conscience would condemn.

Consider Genesis 4:2-5. Which man did what was good (compare Hebrews 11:4)? ___________________ Which man
did what was evil (compare 1 John 3:12)? _____________ After Cain did the wrong thing he was angry and depressed
(Genesis 4:5). These bad feelings which he had were triggered by his conscience and he should have recognized them as
"warning signals." Something was wrong with his life that needed to be fixed!
God came to Cain and gave him an opportunity to get things fixed (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain had two choices. He could "do
W________ " (Genesis 4:7) or he could "not do well" (Genesis 4:7). He was responsible to DO WELL (do what is right
and good). Failure to DO WELL would mean that SIN (his old sin nature) would be lying at the door like a wild animal
ready to pounce on him and destroy him! Did Cain do well or did he go and do evil (Genesis 4:8-9)?
_______________________________ Cain refused to heed God's warnings and he refused to heed the "warning lights"
of his own conscience.

3. MAN'S FAILURE.
In Genesis chapter 6 we read about the sad failure of man in the days before the flood. What was "very great" in the earth
(Genesis 6:5)?_________________________________ What kind of thoughts did man continually form in his mind
(Genesis 6:5)? _____________________ We also learn that the earth was __________________ (spoiled) before God
and the earth was filled with ___________________ (Genesis 6:11). This corruption was the rule and not the exception.
It was a corruption that had spread among all of humanity: "for ______ flesh had _______________________ his way
upon the earth." (see Genesis 6:12).

These days were very dark, but there were a few bright spots. There were a few people who "DID WELL" and who
believed God. In Hebrews 11:4-7 we have the names of three men who lived during this time and who pleased God.
What were their names?

1. ___________________________ (see Genesis 4)

2. ___________________________ (see Genesis 5)
3. ___________________________ (see Genesis 6)

There were a few godly men in these days, but not many. In Jude 14-15 we read the words of a message that godly
Enoch preached to the people of his day. How many times do you find the word "UNGODLY" in verse 15?
_____________ Enoch was a very godly man who lived in a very ungodly world!

4. GOD'S JUDGMENT.
What was the judgment that God brought upon this world which had become so corrupt (Genesis 7:11,12,23)?
________________________________________________________________________________ How many people
were spared this judgment (1 Peter 3:20 and 2 Peter 2:5)? _______ At the end of this dispensation there were only
______ people left! Will such a judgment (WORLD WIDE FLOOD) ever be repeated again (Genesis 9:11,15-16)?
_____

The Dispensation Ends But Conscience Continues

Even though the dispensation of conscience ends, men continue to live under conscience. The conscience is something
that all men possess regardless of when they have lived on the earth. In every dispensation (including today) men are
responsible to follow that which is good and avoid that which is evil. This is what Job did (Job 1:1–"eschewed" means
"avoided" or "departed from"). This is what we are commanded to do today (Romans 12:9 and 1 Peter 3:11). God does
not want us to "let our conscience be our guide." The Word of God (the Bible) is our guide. It is the Bible that tells us
what is good and what is evil. It is the Bible that we should follow. Jesus said, "Thy Word (God's Word) is
______________" (John 17:17). Remember the scale illustration. That which is true and right needs to be added to the
scale so that we can more and more weigh accurately the right and the wrong. If a person's conscience has been
enlightened by God's Word, then it will approve what God's Word approves and condemn what God's Word condemns.
In other words, it will send out the right signals. The scale will be very accurate.

The "happy" person, according to Romans 14:22, is the person who does only what his conscience will approve of. It is
never safe to do something that your conscience will condemn. Only do it if your conscience gives a green light. If it
gives a red light or even a yellow light (CAUTION!) then you better not do it. "Whatsoever is not
of ___________________ is __________" (Romans 14:23). This verse means that it is very dangerous for a person to
do what he believes is wrong. It is dangerous to ignore the signals that come from your conscience. In some cases it is
possible that your conscience might be weak and sending the wrong signals. Additional knowledge or information from
God's Word will correct this. You may discover that what you thought was wrong was not wrong at all and what you
thought was right was not right at all. Always be careful to follow this rule: NEVER DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS
WRONG! ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT!

How accurate is your conscience? How keen is your sense of right and wrong? When you need to weigh right and wrong
(and we need to do this every day), how accurate is your scale? Are you reading the Bible to find out what is really right
and what is really wrong? Are you giving your scale the kind of information it needs to weigh things accurately? A little
child cannot make adult judgments. A little child may take candy from a store and not even feel bad about it. An older
child may do this but his conscience will probably bother him because he knows that what he is doing is wrong.

May our scale be an accurate scale, and may we be careful to do what we know is good and avoid what we know is evil.

CHAPTER 5
THE DISPENSATION OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT
(POST-FLOOD)
In the last chapter we studied the sad failure of those who lived in the days before the great flood. In this chapter we
want to study those people who lived after the great flood. What new truths and what responsibilities did God give to
these people? Did these people succeed in doing what God wanted them to do or did they fail?

The dispensation of Human Government extended from the end of the great flood (Genesis chapters 8-9) to the
dispersion or scattering of the people at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11). [Although as we learned in Chapter 1, the
principles of human government continue into the subsequent dispensations.] Let us go to the Bible and see what we can
learn about this very interesting period of human history:

1. MAN’S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.

After God judged the world by sending a worldwide flood, how many people were left alive (Genesis 8:15-16,18 and
compare 1 Peter 3 :20)? ____________________

What kind of a man was Noah? In Genesis 6:9 we learn that Noah was a J_________ (righteous) man who walked with
God. In Genesis 7:1 God Himself says something about this man: “for thee (Noah) have I seen
__________________________ before me in this generation.”

Why was Noah a righteous man? What was Noah's secret? How did this man become RIGHTEOUS? The answer is
found in the last part of Hebrews 11:7–"and (Noah) became heir of the __________________________ which is by
_______________." The righteousness which Noah had, he received BY FAITH. He was a man who BELIEVED GOD
and acted upon what God had said. Did Abraham also receive his righteousness BY FAITH (Genesis 15:5-6)? ______

What about you? When God looks at you, does He see you as RIGHTEOUS or UNRIGHTEOUS (Romans 3:10)?
_____________________ There is really only one person who is truly RIGHTEOUS. Who is the RIGHTEOUS ONE (1
John 2:1)? ___________________________________
Jesus died for our sins so that we might receive His righteousness: “For He (God the Father) hath made Him (Christ) to
be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the ______________________________ of God _______ Him
(Christ)” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When a person believes in Jesus Christ, God then sees this person as perfectly righteous
IN CHRIST:
 The unsaved person The saved person who is
outside of Christ “IN CHRIST” (2 Cor. 5:17)

“even
“There is none
the___________________________
_______________________
of God which is _____ _________ of
no, not one!”
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that
(Romans 3:10)
believe” (Romans 3:22)

After the great flood, there were only eight people on the face of the earth: righteous Noah, his wife, his three sons and
their three wives. Let us go to the Bible and see some of the things which God told these eight people after the flood:

1. God told Noah and his family that there were certain things that they could always count on. What were some of
these things (see Genesis 8:22)?
_____________________________________________________________________________ Does Spring
always follow Winter? Does Summer always follow Spring? Does day always follow night? Even today we can
see God’s great faithfulness in the seasons and in the day-night cycle. How long did God promise these
things? “While the ______________ remains” (Genesis 8:22). Does this promise hold true today? _______

2. According to what God told Noah in Genesis 9:2, who would be afraid of man?
___________________________________________________ Was man given permission to eat animals
(Genesis 9:3) ____________ For a study on why God created the animals, see Science, the Scriptures and the
Saviour, Chapter 8.

3. What did God promise that He would never do again (Genesis 9:11,15)?
___________________________________________________________________________ This does not mean
that there would never be any more floods in certain areas of the world. Every year there are certain areas of the
world that have local flooding. But God was saying that there would never be another worldwide flood which
would destroy all men on the face of the earth.

We should also remember that Noah and his family only spoke ONE LANGUAGE (compare Genesis 11:1).

2. MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY.
In Genesis 8:17 we read about all of the animals that were kept safe on the ark. God’s plan for these creatures was that
they should “breed abundantly in the earth, and be ____________________ and ________________________ upon the
earth.”

God desired the same thing for mankind. God spoke to Noah and his sons and said, “Be ________________________
and ________________________, and replenish (FILL) the _____________________" (Genesis 9:1). Does God say the
same thing in Genesis 9:7? ______ God wanted mankind to have children, multiply, spread out and re-populate the earth.
Compare Genesis 1:28. Later we will see that instead of filling the earth, man tried to stay together in one location
(Genesis 11).
The Responsibility of Human Government
Human life is something that God places great value upon. This is why it is such a great crime for a man to take the life
of another human being by an act of brutal murder. In Genesis 9:6 God gave a wonderful law which was meant to protect
human life: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, _____ ________ shall his blood be shed: for in the __________________
of God made he man.”

What does Genesis 9:6 really mean? This verse teaches that THE MURDERER (the person who “sheds man’s blood”)
MUST BE PUT TO DEATH BY MAN (“by man shall his blood be shed”). God has given man the responsibility of
putting the murderer to death. Today we call this CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. Human life is very sacred: “for in the
image of God made He man” (Genesis 9:6). Therefore, the person who wickedly destroys human life deserves the
greatest kind of punishment.

Capital Punishment
There are many ways to punish a criminal. Circle what you would consider the greatest punishment of all:

a. jail for five years

b. a $50,000 fine
c. death, by the electric chair
d. jail for as long as the person lives (life sentence)
e. 39 lashes with a whip

There is nothing that man fears more than death (see Hebrews 2:15--death is the “King of Fears”). If you were a criminal
who was thinking about killing someone, what thought would be the most terrifying to you (circle the most terrifying):

a. If I kill this person and get caught, I will spend 20 years in jail.
b. If I kill this person and get caught, I will be put to death on the electric chair or be hung or be executed in
some other way.
c. If I kill this person and get caught, I will be punished for one hour with a whip.

Criminals who know that they will die if caught will think twice before committing the crime!

If God had wished, He could have made Himself responsible to punish the murderer. God could have said, “If any one
sheds blood (commits an act of murder), I will strike him dead!” Is God able to do this if He so desires? _______ God
has no problem protecting the lives of people and He has no problem punishing those who do wrong (see Genesis 4:15).
But after the flood God gave MAN this responsibility. It is man’s responsibility to punish criminals. God has given
HUMAN GOVERNMENT the right and the responsibility to punish criminals and to even use the greatest punishment
of all--the DEATH PENALTY! This is a blessing to mankind because it does three things:

1. It punishes evildoers.
2. It prevents and deters crime (because criminals are afraid to do something that will cost them their life).
3. It protects the innocent.

Was CAPITAL PUNISHMENT something that was carried out in the days of Moses (Exodus 21:12,15,16,17)? ______
What were some of the crimes that demanded the death penalty (see the same verses)?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Even today it is the responsibility of the governments of the world to exercise capital punishment. We learn this in
Romans 13:1-4. In Romans 13:3 we learn that human governments generally reward the good and punish the evil. If a
person is a law-abiding citizen then he has nothing to fear. But if a person is a law-breaker, then he is in trouble! If a
person does what is evil, then he should "be _________________" (Romans 13:4). Romans 13:4 teaches us that the
governmental ruler is the "MINISTER of ________." God does not directly punish criminals today. He will certainly do
this in the next life. But today God has His “ministers” who do His work for Him. God has police officers and judges and
governmental rulers to punish criminals. This is the responsibility of human government. And sometimes it is even
necessary for the government to use “the sword” (Romans 13:4–the sword was used as an instrument of capital
punishment). Today we might use other instruments for executing criminals such as an electric chair or lethal injection,
etc. In different historical periods other methods were used such as hanging, the guillotine, or even death by crucifixion.

Did the Apostle Paul believe that people should be put to death if they have done something to deserve it (Acts 25:11)?
_______ Did one of the criminals who died next to Christ realize that he was getting just what he deserved (Luke 23:40-
41)? ______ Did the barbarians realize that murderers deserve to die (Acts 28:4 and see Chapter 4 of these notes)?
____________

Actually the Bible teaches that all men are criminals and that all men are guilty lawbreakers! We all deserve the death
penalty (Romans 6:23). Consider the list of sins found in Romans 1:29-31. Are you guilty of any of these crimes?
________ According to Romans 1:32, those who do such things are worthy of _______________ .

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ came into the world to die for guilty lawbreakers (1 Timothy 1:15).
Jesus was executed by the Romans even though He was innocent and perfectly sinless. But Jesus paid the death penalty
and died the death that we deserved (Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; and 1 Peter 3:18). The penalty must be paid, and
CHRIST PAID IT! Do you believe He did this for you? Instead of God striking YOU dead, He struck His own Son dead:
“Christ died for _______ sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). He died so that we might live!

For more information see our study entitled, Capital Punishment.

3. MAN’S FAILURE.
There were eight people who survived the great flood in the days of Noah. These people carried something with them on
the ark (besides the animals). It was like a terrible disease (Jeremiah 17:9--heart disease!), namely SIN! They each
possessed a sinful nature which was inherited or passed down from Adam. How does Genesis 9:20-21 show the problem
of sin even in the heart of righteous Noah?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Noah’s family began to multiply. Noah’s sons had children. Did these children have sinful hearts just like their parents?
__________ Noah had many grandchildren, and then many, many great grandchildren. As years went by, the number of
the original eight survivors had multiplied into thousands of people. These people stayed together and journeyed from
A__________________ (Genesis 8:4) where the ark had rested to the land of S________________ (Genesis 11:2)
which was located on a broad plain between two great rivers (the Tigris and Euphrates), one of the most fertile regions in
the whole world. They dwelt here and made this place their home.

How many different languages were spoken by these people (Genesis 11:1)? ______________ One language tends to
unite people; many languages tend to divide people. Suppose there were 100 people invited to a party. Some of the
people speak only English, some only French, some only Spanish, some only German and some only Russian. Soon after
the party begins, how many groups of people would you probably have? ________________

These people who lived in Shinar decided to begin a massive building project (Genesis 11:3). There were no great stones
in this area of the world, so they could not make their city out of stone. The great pyramids of Egypt and the great
temples of Greece were made out of stone, but not the Tower of Babel. Even though they were without stone, these
people in Shinar did have large quantities of clay from which they could make bricks and also asphalt (bitumen) which
could be used as mortar or cement. Ordinarily bricks were dried in the sun, but in this case they were burned thoroughly
so as to make them much harder, like stone (Genesis 11:3).
There is nothing sinful in building a building. King Solomon built a magnificent temple for his magnificent God (1
Kings 6). But these people were not building their tower for God or for God’s glory. They were building a city and a
tower FOR MAN, in opposition to God. They wanted to be INDEPENDENT OF GOD. They did not want to be under
GOD’S GOOD GOVERNMENT. In Genesis 11:4 we learn that they wanted a city and a high tower FOR
THEMSELVES and they wanted a NAME FOR THEMSELVES. What was one thing they did not want (Genesis11:4)?
______________________________________________________________ They did not want to do the very thing
God had told them to do (Genesis 9:1,7). Their desire was to UNITE together and build their great city so they would not
be scattered throughout the earth.

4. GOD’S JUDGMENT.
The LORD knew all about these people and their city and their tower and their evil plans. The LORD said, “Behold the
P____________ is O_______, and they all have __________ language” (Genesis 11:6). The LORD knew that when
sinful men get together and become one (unified), there is no limit to the evil they might do! The building project was
just the beginning. Unless God slows them down and RESTRAINS THEM (holds them back from doing evil), they
would sin more and more and fall deeper and deeper into sin and go lower and lower into the depths of wickedness
(Genesis 11:6).

What sinful things would you possibly do if there were no parents or policemen or teachers or laws or conscience to
SLOW YOU DOWN? If you could get away with it and if no one would ever see you and if you were never punished,
what things might you possibly do? God has given us RESTRAINTS to slow us down and keep us from doing what we
otherwise might do. Think of a dangerous dog on a leash. The leash is a RESTRAINT because it HOLDS BACK.
Without the leash the dog would be free to harm someone or get into trouble. Today God uses HUMAN
GOVERNMENT (policemen, judges, laws, etc.) in order to RESTRAIN sinful men.

In judging the people of Babel, God performed a mighty miracle. He confounded or confused their language so that they
could not __________________ one another (Genesis 11:7). Suddenly there was not one but many languages on the
earth (today there are about 3,000 languages). As a result the building project ceased and came to an abrupt halt and the
name of the city was called ______________________ which means CONFUSION (Genesis 11:8-9). It is extremely
difficult to work together if you are not able to communicate together. Thus the people had to go their separate ways, and
they were forced to scatter and fill the earth. This is the beginning of NATIONS (see Genesis 10, especially verses
5,20,31,32). [Please note that Genesis 10 actually follows Genesis 11 chronologically.]

With many nations there is safety, because there is a balance of power and no one nation can become all powerful. When
all nations unite together, then there is a great danger because all the power will fall into the hands of one wicked world
leader and dictator. The Bible predicts that toward the end of the age the world will be united under one man and one
government, and those who do not join this wicked system will be in danger of being put to death (see Revelation 13).

Can you think of anything in our world today that reminds us of God’s judgment on Babel resulting in languages and
nations? Which of these classes in school would remind you of Babel (please circle):

Math Spanish English geography government science French politics history

Explain how the following would remind you of God’s judgment on Babel:

missionaries (Matthew 28:19) the King James translation of the Bible the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11)
the United Nations a world atlas dictionaries stamp collections coins and currency from all over the world
races (red and yellow, black and white) wars Chinese restaurants Italian restaurants different customs in
different lands National Geographic, etc.

Can you think of anything taking place in our world today which is bringing us closer to a one world government as
predicted in the book of Revelation? In the field of communication, what are some things which have served to make
our world “smaller” and more unified? How has the computer and the internet helped to do this? What about in the field
of transportation?

Is there anything wrong with world government if the right man is in power (Isaiah 2:1-5; 9:6-7; 33:22; Jeremiah 23:5-
6)? _______. Is He the King and Ruler of your life? Have you put yourself under God’s good government or are you
trying to live your life INDEPENDENT OF GOD?

My Responsibility Today
Today we live not only under God’s government but also under man’s government. We are under the government of the
United States of America. How does God expect us to live under this government?

1) Pray for your leaders.

The Bible tells Christians to be very careful to pray “for kings (or Presidents) and for _______ that are in authority” (1
Timothy 2:1-2). Do you pray for the leaders of your country? For your governor and state leaders? For policemen and
firemen and judges and school teachers? Do you pray for them that they will do their job in the right way? Do you pray
that they will stand for the right and stand against the wrong? Do you pray for their salvation?

2) Be the best citizen you can possibly be.

As a Christian you are a CITIZEN OF HEAVEN (Philippians 3:20, where the word "conversation” means “citizenship”),
but you are also a CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES. God wants you to be a good, law-abiding citizen, submitting
yourself to the rulers who are over you (Romans 13:1). Good citizens usually do not need to fear being punished by
those in authority (see Romans 13:3).

Is it ever right to disobey the government or to disobey man’s laws? The answer is found in Acts 5:29. Peter said to the
Jewish leaders of his day, “We ought to obey _______ rather than _______." This means that we must obey God first. A
Christian must never disobey God. If those in authority over us tell us to disobey God we must never do it. If the laws of
man tell us to break the laws of God (found in the Bible), then we must never do it. Obedience to God must come first.

Here are two examples of the right kind of disobedience:

1. In Daniel 6:7-9 a law was made which said that no one could pray to God for 30 days. Did Daniel obey this law
(Daniel 6:10)? ______ Daniel’s government said DON’T PRAY but Daniel’s God said PRAY! Daniel chose to
obey God rather than man! He did the right thing. Daniel also submitted to the punishment (the lion's den), even
though he had done no crime, and God took care of it.

2. In Acts 4:18 we learn that the Jewish leaders commanded the Apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus. They
were told not to preach the gospel any more. Did God want them to speak or not to speak (Mark 16:15)?
_____________________________ Who did Peter decide to obey (Acts 5:28-29)? ___________________

Most of the time Christians must obey the government, but if there is ever a choice between obeying man or obeying
God, the Christian must choose to obey God.

3) Don’t break the law or you will suffer.

If a person breaks the laws of the land and does what is evil, then this person should "be _______________________"
(Romans 13:4). God has established human government for the purpose of punishing those that do evil. If you decide to
break the laws of the land and be a criminal, you will probably get yourself into much trouble. You will reap what you
have sown! Read 1 Peter 4:15. If you suffer for these things (murder, stealing, etc.) then you are getting just what you
deserve!
Sometimes the government of a country does not carry out its responsibilities as it should. Some nations (including the
United States) rarely put criminals to death even though many of them have done crimes worthy of death. Often
criminals are not punished as they should be. Sometimes murderers or other criminals are even allowed to go free.
Sometimes criminals are never caught. Man may fail to do the job God has given him, but we can be sure that God will
never fail. Criminals may think that they have escaped punishment, but someday they must stand before the true
JUDGE! No one can really get away with crime. A criminal may escape punishment in this life but can he escape in the
next life (Romans 2:3)? __________ Men and rulers may fail, but God will never fail.

4) Obey Jesus Christ no matter what the cost.

Sometimes God’s people suffer, not because they have done wrong or broken laws, but simply because they are living
for God (see 1 Peter 4:14,16; 1 Peter 3:17). Even the Apostle Paul was put to death by the Roman government. What was
his crime? Did he murder someone? Did he steal? No, Paul’s only crime was that he preached the gospel and did just
what Christ told him to do. If believers find it necessary to suffer for doing what is RIGHT, should they complain and
cry about it (Matthew 5:10-12)? __________ Can you think of other men in the Bible who suffered and were punished
because they obeyed God and did what was right? God will help His children when it is necessary for them to suffer for
righteousness sake. We need to make sure that if we suffer we are suffering for WELL DOING and not for
__________ _______________ (1 Peter 3:17). Suppose a Christian is caught robbing a bank. Should he be given less
of a punishment just because he is a Christian? ________

*******************

Are you thankful for your government? Remember, the government is something that God has set up and established for
man’s good and for man’s protection. Are you thankful for the country you live in? Why? Are you a part of God’s
kingdom (Colossians 1:13)? Are you obedient and submissive to your King? Are you a part of the United States of
America? Are you obedient and submissive to the laws of the land? Are you thankful for the laws that we have? Are you
thankful for policemen? Do you respect them and honor them? Are you thankful for soldiers?

Do you remember to pray for your country? Do you pray for your leaders? Do you pray that God will help you to live a
godly and honest life (1 Timothy 2:2)? What are some of the freedoms you enjoy in your country that many countries do
not enjoy? (Note: Perhaps the class could end by having a time of prayer, remembering some of these things just
mentioned.)

CHAPTER 6 THE DISPENSATION OF PROMISE

(From the Call of Abraham to The Giving of the Law)
Many different nations resulted from God's judgment on the city of Babel (see the last chapter of these notes). We can
read about these different nations in Genesis chapter 10 (see especially verses 5, 20, 31-32). Years passed, and then God
did something very special. God chose one man who would be the father of a very special nation. What was his name
(Genesis 12:1-3; 17:5)? __________________

From now on God would deal in a very special way with...

ONE MAN Abraham

ONE FAMILY Abraham's family

ONE NATION The nation that would come from Abraham (ISRAEL)

Abraham' s family tree can be sketched as follows:

 ABRAHAM

ISAAC

OUT OF THESE 12 MEN CAME THE NATION ISRAEL (CHILDREN OF ISRAEL)

1. Man's State At The Beginning.

We learn about the call of Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. In Genesis 12:1 we learn that God called Abraham out of one
place (away from home and family and friends) and God called him to a new place–"unto a _______________ that I will
show thee." This was not an easy assignment. Suppose you were asked to leave your home and your country and your
parents and your relatives and your friends and go to a place (a strange land) where you had never been before. Would
this be difficult for you?

The Bible does not tell us too much about Abraham's family, but in Joshua 24:2 we learn something about Terah who
was Abraham's father (see Genesis 11:27). We learn that Terah "served_____________ ________" (see the last part of
Joshua 24:2). Abraham's family did not worship and serve the one true and living God. They were IDOLATERS. They
served false gods that did not even exist. Abraham's family was involved in a false religion and God called Abraham out
of this. Does God want to bring people out of false religion even today (see 1 Thessalonians 1:9)? ______

In Genesis 12:2-3 God gave Abraham some wonderful PROMISES. God had never promised these things to any other
man on the face of the earth. These were very special promises that were given to Abraham and to Abraham's children.
In Genesis 12:2-3, how many times does God say "I WILL"? __________________ When a person makes a PROMISE
he is giving his word that he will do something or not do something. In these verses God is giving His Word that He will
do certain things for Abraham. Let 's think about some of these promises:

GOD SAID…
1. I WILL make of thee (of Abraham) a great nation (Genesis 12:2). This would later be called THE NATION
ISRAEL.

2. I WILL bless thee (Genesis 12:2). God's blessing would be on Abraham and on his descendants.

3. I WILL bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee (Genesis 12:3). This means that God would
bless Israel's friends and curse Israel's enemies.

4. IN THEE (in Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Out of Abraham would someday
come the Saviour, Christ Jesus the Lord (see Matthew 1:1 and compare Galatians 3:16) and He would be the
Saviour not just of Israel, but He would be the Saviour of the entire world (1 John 4:14).
In these two verses (Genesis 12:2-3) God actually promised Abraham four things:

1) A GREAT NATION (v.2).

2) A GREAT BLESSING (v.2).
3) A GREAT PROTECTION (from enemies)-(v.3).
4) A GREAT SAVIOUR (v.3).

Did Abraham do just what God told him to do (Genesis 12:4 and see Hebrews 11:8)? ________

Another promise that God gave to Abraham is found in Genesis 13:14-17. What did God promise to give to Abraham?
________________________________________ In Genesis 15:18 we find this very same promise repeated again.
According to this verse God would give Abraham the land from the river of Egypt (THE NILE RIVER) to the river
EUPHRATES. Can you locate these two rivers on a Bible map? God gave to Israel the LAND between these two rivers!

God's wonderful promises to Abraham are also found in Genesis chapter 17, verses 5-6. How many times does God say
"I WILL" in these verses? ______________ God promised that He would have a very special relationship with Abraham
and Abraham's seed (descendants): "and I WILL BE ______________ ________" (see the last part of Genesis 17:8).

Did God give these same promises to Abraham's son Isaac (see Genesis 26:1-5)? ______ Did God give these same
promises to Isaac's son Jacob (see Genesis 28:10-15)?_______

These three men (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) were given very special promises. God had given them His Word that He
would do certain things. Men may break their promises, but God never breaks His promises. A man may not keep his
word but God always keeps His Word! There is a faithful, promise-keeping God in heaven. Look up each of the
following verses and complete the sentence following each verse:

1. Titus 1:2 God always keeps His promises because

__________________________________________________
2. Hebrews 6:18. God always keeps His promises because
__________________________________________________
3. Numbers 23:19. God always keeps His promises because
___________________________________________________
4. Joshua 23:14. God always keeps His promises because
___________________________________________________
5. Romans 4:21. God always keeps His promises because
___________________________________________________
6. Hebrews 11:11. God always keeps His promises because
___________________________________________________

2. Man's Responsibility.
God had put some great and precious promises into the hands of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Jacob's children.
When God gives a promise man's responsibility is to BELIEVE it! When God gives a promise men must grab that
promise and embrace it and hug it and firmly believe that what God said is true (see Hebrews 11:13)–GOD SAID IT, I
BELIEVE IT, THAT SETTLES IT! Faith is simply taking God at His word. Faith is simply believing that God will do
exactly as He said!

Abraham's faith is seen in Genesis 15:5-6. On one starry night God told Abraham to try to count the stars (verse 5). Do
you think Abraham was able to do this?_______ There are countless numbers of stars in the universe. The more you look
the more stars you see. The closer you look (even with big telescopes) the more stars you discover. There are so many
stars that they cannot be numbered! Then God said to Abraham: "so shall thy ______________ (children, descendants)
be" (end of verse 5).
At this point in time Abraham did not even have one child, but God gave him this amazing promise: YOU WILL HAVE
COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF CHILDREN (DESCENDANTS) JUST AS THERE ARE COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF
STARS! Did Abraham BELIEVE God's promise (Genesis 15:6)? ______ God kept His promise in a wonderful way (see
also the promise in Genesis 22:17). When Abraham's children went down into Egypt, the total count was only 70 (see
Exodus 1:5), and you could have easily counted that number of people. Did God MULTIPLY this nation and make it
great and numerous? To find the answer, read Exodus 1:7-12,20; 5:5 and compare Acts 7:17. Today there are
MILLIONS of Jews (Abraham's children) in the world!

Abraham was God's example of what a person is supposed to do. We must believe God like Abraham did. All men,
whether Jews or Gentiles are to believe God like Abraham. The responsibility of all men is to BELIEVE GOD and to
have the faith of Abraham who was "fully _________________________ (convinced) that, what He (God) had
______________________, He was ___________ also to perform" (Romans 4:21).

It was also needful to stay in the place of blessing. In Genesis 26:3 God told Isaac to "Sojourn (stay) in this
__________________, and I WILL BE WITH THEE." Isaac was also told not to go into the land of
__________________ (Genesis 26:2). The promised land (the land of Palestine) was the land of BLESSING. When the
children of Israel came out of the promised land they usually got into trouble, such as when they were slaves in Egypt or
exiles in Babylon. God had given them a very special LAND and they were to stay in this land and BELIEVE God and
serve Him!

3. Man's Failure.
Abraham' s Failure
Abraham was a man of faith (Genesis 15:6), but there were times in his life when he had problems believing God's
promise. For example, in Genesis chapter 16 Abraham did not believe that God was able to give him a child by his wife
Sarai. So instead he had a child by Sarai's maid whose name was Hager. Instead of listening to his wife's suggestion (see
verse 2), Abraham should have said something like this: "Sarai, God has promised us a child, and even though we are
very old and even though we do not have a child yet, I believe that God will keep His Word! Nothing is too hard for
Him!"

Later Abraham did believe God's promise (see Romans 4:20-21)! ________

Isaac's Failure
Before Esau and Jacob were born God promised that Jacob ("the younger") would be the child who would receive God's
blessing (Genesis 25:21-23). But Isaac favored his other son Esau (Genesis 25:28). Which son did Isaac decide to bless
(Genesis 27:1-4)? __________________ God had said, "I WILL BLESS JACOB!" and Isaac contradicted God's Word
and said, "I WILL BLESS ESAU!" Instead of taking God at His Word (FAITH), Isaac was contradicting God's Word
(UNBELIEF). As things turned out Isaac was tricked and be actually blessed Jacob without knowing it! Finally when
Isaac found out what really had happened he decided to stop contradicting God and he started agreeing with God: " . . .
yea, and he (Jacob) shall be ____________________" (Genesis 27:33). God had said, "I WILL BLESS JACOB!" and
Isaac finally agreed and said "JACOB SHALL BE BLESSED!" The man of faith agrees with God's Word and does not
contradict God's Word (see Hebrews 11:20).

Jacob's Failure
Again and again God had promised to BLESS Jacob (see Genesis 28:13-15; 32:24-29; 35:9-12). But there were times
when Jacob had difficulty believing that God's blessing was really upon him. Read Genesis 42:36. Jacob was now an old
man. He thought that his beloved son Joseph was dead (compare Genesis 37:31-35). He thought that he might also lose
his son Benjamin and he thought that he would never again see his son Simeon. Jacob cried out in despair, "ALL THESE
THINGS ARE __________________ ME" (Genesis 42:36). Instead of believing that God's blessing was upon him, he
was acting as if God's CURSE were upon him!
Before long Jacob found out how wrong he was. God was working out His wonderful plan and Jacob would see all of his
sons ALIVE, including Joseph! Instead of all things being against him, all things were really working together for his
good (compare Romans 8:28). In the middle of his difficulties he should have said, "I do not understand why all of these
things are happening to me, but I believe that God knows what He is doing and that God is going to bless me through it
all!"

The Failure of the Sons of Jacob

Jacob had 12 sons (see the chart at the beginning of this chapter). In Genesis chapter 37 we read about a very terrible
thing that 10 of these sons did to Joseph their brother. They planned to murder him (Genesis 37:20) but as things turned
out they sold him into Egypt to be a slave (Genesis 37:28) and then covered up their sin by deceiving their father
(Genesis 37:31-34). All of these things happened because these sons were JEALOUS over Joseph because Joseph was
favored and blessed more than they were.

These 10 sons should have remembered God's PROMISE! God's PROMISE OF BLESSING was for all of the sons of
Jacob, not just for Joseph. If these brothers had believed God's promise their entire attitude towards Joseph would have
been different. They could have said something like this: "Even though Joseph is receiving special treatment (Genesis
37:3) we need to remember that God's blessing is for all those who are the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is
going to bless us too but we need to be patient and wait for God to do exactly as He said!"

The Unbelief of the Children of Israel

Throughout their history, the children of Israel have failed to take God at His Word and have failed to believe God's
promises. Read the following passages and explain how the children of Israel failed to believe God:

(1) Exodus 14:10-14

(2) Exodus 15:23-26

(3) Exodus 16:1-8

(4) Exodus 17:1-7 (especially verse 7).

God had promised to bless them and meet every need that they had, but the children of Israel would not believe this.

4. God's Judgment.
When the brothers of Joseph sold him into Egypt as a slave, they did not realize that the day would come when all of'
their children (descendants) would also be slaves in Egypt.

Long before it ever happened God told Abraham about the Egyptian slavery. We read about this in Genesis 15:12-14.
One night Abraham had a terrible nightmare (verse 12). God then explained to Abraham that his seed (descendants)
would be in a land that is not theirs (EGYPT) and that they would SERVE these people and they would be AFFLICTED
for how many years (Genesis 15:13)? __________ God also promised that He would JUDGE the Egyptian nation and
make it possible for the children of Israel to come out of that land (Genesis 15:14).

In Genesis 46:3-4, 27 we learn about the time when Jacob and his sons went down to live in Egypt. This was during a
time of severe famine which lasted for seven years. After these years of famine were over the sons of Jacob remained in
Egypt and did not return to the promised land. In fact, Jacob's 12 sons all died in the land of Egypt. In Exodus chapter 1
we learn how the children of Israel became SLAVES in this land.. This terrible SLAVERY can be seen by completing
the following MATCHING problem:
 1._____ They were made to toil and labor so hard that their lives
A. EXODUS 1:11
became bitter because of the work they were forced to do.
2._____ They were told to make the same amount of bricks even B. EXODUS 1:14
though they were given less materials to work with.
3. They were forced to build cities for Pharaoh, the King of C. EXODUS 5:6-19
_____ Egypt.

After years of hardship and suffering, the children of Israel cried out because of their terrible slavery and ________
heard their cry (Exodus 2:23-25 Acts 7:34). God was the only One who could DELIVER them from this terrible
bondage and slavery.

Even in the middle of this SLAVERY God gave this nation some wonderful promises. Read Exodus 6:6-8. Can you find
the seven "I WILL's found in these verses? Did God keep all of these promises? ______ God brought His people out of
the land of bondage and back into the land of PROMISE! The book of Exodus tells about GOING OUT of Egypt and the
book of Joshua tells about GOING IN to the promised land.

We must remember that God has never broken His word to the nation Israel and God has never gone back on His
promises to them. There was once a man who was hired to CURSE the nation of Israel (see Numbers 23:7-18). His name
was Balaam. This man was unable to curse Israel (see Numbers 23:8) and the reason is found in Numbers 23:19! God
has promised certain things for the nation Israel and God cannot go back on His Word!

God's Promises to Us
What are you doing with the great and wonderful promises that God has given to you? God's wonderful promises do not
do us any good unless we believe them. Consider Hebrews 4:1-2. The children of Israel were given a promise but they
did not believe the promise. God's Word will not profit us unless we mix it with ______________ (Hebrews 4:2).

Think of a seed. That seed when planted in the ground can grow up into a wonderful plant and bring forth much fruit.
But if that seed is kept on your kitchen table or on some other hard surface it would never do anyone any good. God's
Word is like that seed. God's promises must be planted deep in our hearts and we must believe what God says. Suppose
your father says, "I will put $20.00 into your coat pocket so that you will have money to spend in town." If you do not
believe this, then you could go to town and the money would do you no good, because you cannot spend something that
you do not believe you have! The smart thing to do would be to believe what your father said, reach into the pocket, grab
the money and USE IT! We need to take God's promises and grab them and use them!

What are you doing with these promises?

1. The promise of eternal life (1 John 2:25; John 5:24).

2. The promise of salvation (Acts 16:30-31 and Romans 10:9,13).

3. The promise of forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43 and Acts 3:19).

4. The promise of being safe and secure in Christ forever (John 10:28-30; Romans 8:1,38-39).

5. The promise of God's care (1 Peter 5:7).

6. The promise of God's constant presence (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20).

7. The promise of God always meeting our needs (Philippians 4:19; Psalm 23:1).
 8. The promise of strength (Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Isaiah 41:10).

9. The promise of God's help (Hebrews 13:6; Isaiah 41:10,13).

10. The promise of forgiveness and cleansing from sin (1 John 1:9).

How are you using these promises in your daily life? Can you think of other promises that God has given you and that
He wants you to believe? What promises can you find in Philippians chapter 4?

As you think about the above promises (in the list given above), which promises could you use in the following
situations:

1. When I am afraid of what others might do to me?

2. When I worry about losing my salvation?
3. When I face a difficult task (something that seems too hard for me to do)?
4. When I feel all alone?
5. When I have sinned and disobeyed God?

For another study on how to claim the promises of God, see chapter 9 in the set of study notes entitled Spiritual Life.

The safest and smartest thing a person can do is to simply BELIEVE whatever God says! Is there any other way to please
God (Hebrews 11:6)? _______

"Faith is just believing what God said He will do!

He will never fail us, His promises are true.
If we but receive Him, His children we become (John 1:12)
Faith is just believing this wondrous thing is done!"

CHAPTER 7 THE DISPENSATION OF LAW

(FROM MOUNT SINAI TO MOUNT CALVARY)

The dispensation of law began when God gave the law to the children of Israel in the days of Moses (Exodus 19-20 and
it came to an end with the crucifixion of Christ and the beginning of the Church on the day of Pentecost (Matthew 27 and
Acts 2). This dispensation, therefore, covered a span of time approximately 1500 years in length. During this time almost
all of the Old Testament books were written. Also during this time the children of Israel developed as a nation and went
through various historical periods:

THE The Period of Wilderness Wanderings under Moses

HISTORY
The Period of Conquest under Joshua
OF
ISRAEL The Period of the Judges
(UNDER
THE LAW) The Period of the Kings

The Period of the Captivities (under Assyria & Babylon)

 From Moses The Period of Restoration to the Land under Zerubbabel and
To Ezra and Nehemiah
the Cross The Period of History Covered by the Four
Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

Some of the important people who lived under the dispensation of law are these: Moses, Joshua, Samson, Samuel, King
Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra, Nehemiah, John the Baptist and many others. Most
of the people we read about on the pages of the Bible lived during this dispensation of law.

1. MAN'S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.

What great thing did the LORD do for the children of Israel (Exodus 20:2)?
__________________________________________________________________________________ The children of
Israel were slaves in the land of Egypt for about 400 years (Genesis 15:13). God delivered and redeemed His people and
brought them out of that land by a mighty miracle (see Exodus 14). The children of Israel saw God's power and greatness
in a very special way (Exodus 14:30-31). In a wonderful way God proved beyond any doubt that He is able to take care
of His people. The miracle at the Red Sea proved it!

In the last chapter we learned that the children of Israel were responsible to trust God and BELIEVE GOD'S
PROMISES. In Exodus 3:8 and 17 we find a promise which God gave to Moses. Did God promise to bring the children
of Israel out of Egypt? ________ Did God promise to bring the children of Israel into the land of Palestine (the land of
the Canaanites)? _______ According to this promise, would the children of Israel come into the promised land or would
they die in the wilderness? ___________________________________________________________________________

Thus, the children of Israel should have remembered two things:

1. God promised to bring them into the land (Exodus 3:6,17).

2. God proved that He was able to take care of His people

(Exodus 14--the crossing of the Red Sea; God's mighty act of redemption).

As we continue reading in the book of Exodus, we learn that the children of Israel failed to trust the God who had given
them such a promise and had showed them such power. Consider the following examples of Israel's UNBELIEF:

1) Exodus 15:22-26 (only 3 days after the Red Sea crossing).

A BITTER WATER PROBLEM!

Did the children of Israel trust the Lord for the solution of this problem? Did they believe that God would
take care of them? Did they thank God that He would take care of them or did they murmur against the
Lord?

2) Exodus 16:1-15 (about a month after the Red Sea crossing).

A NO FOOD PROBLEM!

Did the children of Israel trust God or did they murmur? Did they believe God's promise that He would
bring them into the land (see verse 3)?

3) Exodus 17:1-7.
 A NO WATER PROBLEM!

Did the children of Israel believe that God was able to provide water for them? Did they believe God
would bring them into the land or did they worry that they might die in the wilderness (see verse 3)?
Were they convinced that God was among them to meet every need that they had (verse 7)?

Israel At Mount Sinai

In the third month after coming out of Egypt, the children of Israel arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-2).
This was the place where God would give to the children of Israel His laws and His commandments. After they arrived
at Mount Sinai, God had a message for His people. God reminded them about something. What are the first three words
in Exodus 19:4? _________________________________

The children of Israel had seen what God did to the Egyptians (Exodus 14:30-31). The children of Israel had seen the
way God made the bitter water sweet (Exodus 15:25). The children of Israel had seen how God provided food in the
middle of a desert (Exodus 16:11-15). They had seen how God brought forth water out of a rock (Exodus 17:6). They
had seen how GRACIOUS and MERCIFUL God had been to them in spite of their murmurings and their UNBELIEF!
They had seen God's power and greatness demonstrated again and again.

In Exodus 19:5 we learn that God was going to make an agreement or a covenant with the children of Israel. This is
sometimes called the MOSAIC COVENANT (named after Moses who was Israel's leader at this time).

Let us consider the terms of this covenant. According to Exodus 19:5-6, God promised to bless the children of' Israel in a
special way IF the children of Israel would keep their part of' the deal--"if ye will ____________________ My voice
indeed, and _______________ My covenant" (Exodus 19:5). If Israel would obey, God would bless.

Were the children of Israel willing to accept the terms of this agreement? Were they willing to keep their part of the deal
(see Exodus 19:8)? ________

The Danger of Self-Confidence

In Exodus 19:8 all of the people said, "All that the LORD hath spoken ______ will _______." In other words they were
saying, "We will obey whatever God tells us to do!" Later when Moses gave them God's laws, did they say the same
thing (Exodus 24:3)? _______ In Exodus 24:7 the people said, "All that the LORD hath said will we_______, and (we
will) be _____________________________."

These people had too much confidence in SELF. These people failed to realize that in themselves they did not have the
power to obey the Lord. Consider Deuteronomy 5:27-29. The children of Israel had a HEART PROBLEM (verse 29).
The kind of heart they had (verse 29) did not match the kind of words they spoke (verse 28). They each had a sinful and
rebellious heart. They each had the kind of a heart that was prone to DISOBEDIENCE.

The children of Israel should have realized how sinful their hearts really were. Before God ever gave the children of
Israel the law, He gave them a test to see how well they could keep His commandments. In Exodus 16 God gave His
people some very simple rules or commandments concerning how to gather manna. One rule is found in Exodus
16:19: Don't leave the manna until the next morning. Did they obey this simple rule (Exodus 16:20)? _____ Another
rule was that no manna should be gathered on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22-26). Did they obey this simple rule
(Exodus 16:27)? ______ What should they have learned about their heart (see Exodus 16:28)?
________________________________________________________________________

In Exodus 19:8 (and in Exodus 24:3,7) the children of Israel should have answered differently. They should have said
something like this:
"LORD, we cannot keep Your commandments. Our hearts are wicked and rebellious and sinful. In and of ourselves
we do not have the power to obey. We could not even keep two simple manna-gathering rules. Unless You help us
and give us the ability, we will surely fail. Lord, we cannot do it. You must help us!"

It is wrong to have SELF-CONFIDENCE and it is also wrong to have NO CONFIDENCE. Think of a pendulum of a
clock which moves back and forth. We need to avoid the two extremes:

"I can do ______ _____________

through _____________ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)

How much can a believer do without Christ's help and power (John 15:5)? _______________________ The children of
Israel should have said, "Without the LORD we can do none of these things that He has commanded. We can only do it
if God helps us and gives us the power and does a work in our hearts." Read Mark 14:29-31 and Mark 14:66-72. Did
Peter have GOD-CONFIDENCE or did Peter have SELF-CONFIDENCE?
_________________________________________________

The Laws That God Gave

God gave to the children of Israel a unique set of laws. This was something that no other nation on the face of the earth
had ever received (see Deuteronomy 4:5-8). God gave His people 613 commandments in the law of Moses (according to
Jewish calculations). These commands cover all phases of life and activity. The most famous and the most important of
these commands are called the 10 COMMANDMENTS and are found in Exodus chapter 20 (and also in Deuteronomy
chapter 5). If you want to read some of the other commandments which God gave, see Exodus chapters 21-23.

We should remember that Mount Sinai was not the first time that God gave commandments to men. What commandment
did God give to Adam (Genesis 2:17)?
____________________________________________________________________________ Did God give any
commandments to Noah and his children after the flood (Genesis 9:1-7)? _______ Did God give any commands to
Abraham (Genesis 17:9-12)? _______ Did the children of Israel have certain laws and commandments even before they
were given the law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 15:26 and Exodus 16:28)?

God had given certain laws to men even before Mount Sinai, but at Mount Sinai God gave a special package of laws to
His people which God called "MY COVENANT" (Exodus 19:5). This package included the 10 Commandments as well
as many, many other laws which included rules and regulations for every area of life.

We need to also understand that the law was given only to the nation Israel, the nation which God brought out of Egypt
(see Exodus 19:3; 20:2). God's law was not given to the Egyptians or to the Canaanites or to the Babylonians or to any
other nation. God made this covenant with Moses and with ____________________ (Exodus 34:27). This special
package, containing numerous laws and commandments, was given to a very special nation--Israel. No other nation had
such a law (Deuteronomy 4:8). See also Romans 9:4.

2. MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY.
God had put His holy laws into Israel's hands. The children of Israel had a great responsibility: they were to obey God's
___________________ and they were to keep God's ________________________ (Exodus 19:5). What responsibility
did the children of Israel have according to Deuteronomy 6:1-2?
_____________________________________________________________________________

According to the conditions of the Mosaic Covenant, the children of Israel would be blessed for obedience and they
would be cursed for disobedience. This is most clearly seen in Deuteronomy chapter 28:

Why did God give the children of Israel all of these commandments (read Deuteronomy 6:24 and circle the correct
answer)?

a. to make them miserable

b. to make them unhappy
c. these commands were given "for their good always"
d. to curse them

We should also keep in mind that the children of Israel were responsible to keep ALL OF THE LAW, not just some of
the law. They were to obey ALL OF THE COMMANDMENTS. Do you find the word "ALL" in Deuteronomy 6:2?
______ Do you find the word "ALL" in Deuteronomy 28:1 and 15? _______ When God gave the law to the children of
Israel the people said, "_______ that the LORD hath spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8 and see Exodus 24:3,7). God did
not want PARTIAL OBEDIENCE (obey some of the laws and disobey others) but He wanted TOTAL OBEDIENCE
(obey them all). Does God expect TOTAL OBEDIENCE from believers who live today (Matthew 28:20)?______

What to Do in Case of Failure

God knew that no man (except Jesus Christ) would ever keep the law perfectly. God knew that even the best of men
would fail and disobey and sin. Therefore, God's law contained many commandments which told men what to do about
sin. For example, in Old Testament times (according to the law of Moses) men were told to bring animals for sacrifice
(see Leviticus chapters 1-5). The children of Israel were responsible to follow God's instructions carefully and to bring
the right kind of animal for the right kind of sacrifice. God had important rules and regulations for His people to follow
whenever they sinned.

The same is true for believers living today. When we sin, God has told us exactly what we should do. When a believer
sins, what is his responsibility according to 1 John 1:9? ___________________________________________ We do not
need to bring an animal sacrifice to the altar because Christ has already died and He is the perfect sacrifice. But we do
need to obey God by confessing our sins. If we confess our sins, what does God promise to do (1 John1:9)?
___________________________________________________________________

3. MAN'S FAILURE.
Did the nation Israel keep God's law or not? The Israelites said, "ALL THAT THE LORD HATH SPOKEN WE WILL
DO!" Did they really do this or not? In Jeremiah 31:32 we learn that they BROKE this covenant! They failed to keep the
law.

The history of the nation of Israel is one long and sad record of flagrant and persistent violation (breaking) of the law.

The children of Israel broke God's law in a hurry! They wasted no time in disobeying God. They broke the 10
Commandments even before Moses came down from Mount Sinai. This sad story is found in Exodus 32:1-6 (and
compare Exodus 20:3-5). After this great sin God said, "They have turned aside __________________ out of the way
which I commanded them" (Exodus 32:8).

During the period of the Judges, the children of Israel did not follow God's law, but instead "every man did that which
was right in _______ ________ eyes" (Judges 21:25). During the time of most of the kings, the Israelites served
other gods (idols). They ignored God's law. "For they served _______________, whereof the LORD had said unto them,
Ye shall _______ do this thing" (2 Kings 17:12). Israel's failure can be seen by reading 2 Kings 17:7-19 (and see
especially verses 15 and 19).

Later on the children of Israel committed the greatest crime of all. They crucified their own Messiah--the Lord Jesus
Christ (Acts 2:22-23 and 1 Thessalonians 2:15). The sad thing is that this crime was carried out by people who thought
they were keeping God's law! For example, in John 18:28 we learn that these Jews did not want to be defiled by stepping
into Pilate's palace because Pilate was a pagan Gentile. But these were the very same Jews who were doing everything
they could to have Christ crucified. This would be like a bank robber who carefully wipes his feet on the door mat so that
he won't dirty up the bank's nice rug, and then he comes in the bank and shoots the teller at the window and runs away
with $300,000! Jesus described this kind of people in Matthew 23:23-24. They get all upset when they find a tiny bug in
their orange juice and they carefully strain it out. But they could care less when a camel is in their orange juice and they
swallow the whole huge animal with one big gulp! Stepping into Pilate's palace is like the tiny bug (gnat) and crucifying
Christ is like the camel.

This does not mean that every Jew failed to keep the law. There were some Jews who believed in God and God gave
them the help and power that they needed in order to keep His laws and commandments. John the Baptist's parents kept
the law in this way (see Luke 1:5-6), though they did not keep it perfectly. But for the most part the children of Israel
FAILED to keep God's holy law.

4. THE JUDGMENT.
We have already seen that DISOBEDIENCE to God's law must be followed by God's CURSES (Deuteronomy 28:15).
This is exactly what happened to the nation Israel. The many curses that we read about in Deuteronomy 28:16-26 have
actually happened to this nation. Three of the great judgments upon the nation of Israel are these:

1) THE ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY

722 B.C.
The 10 northern tribes of' Israel were carried away
captive by the mighty Assyrian army.

See 2 Kings 17:3-6.

The reason for this judgment: 2 Kings 17:7-18.

2) THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

605 B.C. (with the temple destroyed in 586 B.C.).
 The southern kingdom of Judah was carried away captive
by the mighty Babylonian army.

See 2 Kings 25:1-11.

The reason for this judgment: 2 Chronicles 36:14-17.

3) THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY THE ROMANS

70 A.D.
The city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the
Romans and the Jews were dispersed and scattered throughout the world.

See Matthew 23:38; 24:1-2.

The reason for this judgment: Matthew 23:37; 27:23-25 and John 1:11.

God's Commands To Us
Believers living today are not told to obey the law of Moses. We are not told to obey the package of commandments that
God gave to the children of Israel. But there are certain commandments which God has given us to obey. What are you
doing with the commands that God has given to you in His Word? How can a believer prove that he really loves Jesus
(John 14:15,21,23)?____________________________________

How can a person really be a FRIEND of Christ (John 15:14)?

__________________________________________________________________ If Jesus Christ is really my Lord, then
what should I do (Luke 6:46)? ___________________________________________We have a wonderful Lord who
expects us to obey Him!

Can you find some commandments in Ephesians chapter 4? Ephesians chapter 5? 1 Thessalonians chapter 5?

What is the first commandment that God wants you to obey (1 John 3:23–the first part of this verse, and compare Acts
16:31)? ____________________________________________________________
Have you obeyed this command?

We are much like the children of Israel. Our hearts are sinful and rebellious. We are prone to disobey God's Word and
God's commands. This is even true for believers. Without God's help and power we could never live an obedient life.
Who is it that WORKS IN US to make us willing and to give us the ability to obey God and do His good pleasure
(Philippians 2:13)? __________ Apart from Him we would only fail, but with Him we must succeed! "I can do
______ ______________ through _______________ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

May God help each one of us to walk as ____________________ children" (1 Peter 1:14 )!

For an additional study on OBEYING GOD, see Obeying Christ's Commands

CHAPTER 8
THINKING ABOUT THE LAW AND THE COMMANDMENTS
Why did God give the law? What can the law do for a person? Can the law save a person? Can a person gain eternal life
by trying to keep the law? Suppose a person keeps all of the commandments except for one. Would this person be
considered a keeper of the law or a breaker of the law? What is the penalty for breaking the law? In what ways can the
law be compared to a mirror? Is the law something bad or is the law something good? Did anyone ever keep the law and
obey the commandments perfectly?

These are some of the questions we will answer as we think about God’s law and God’s commandments.

1. THE LAW CONDEMNS ALL MEN.

Think about yourself. Have you kept God’s law or have you broken God’s law? Are you GUILTY or are you
INNOCENT? Consider the greatest commandment of all. This is the “KING OF ALL LAWS” and it is found in
Matthew 22:36-38 (see also Deuteronomy 6:5). Have you obeyed this command perfectly? Are you able to say this:
“Every day of my life I have loved God with ALL my heart and with ALL my soul and with ALL my mind”?______
Have there been times in your life when you have not loved God as much as you should have? Have you always given
God first place in your life? Has the Lord always been your "first love" or have you loved other things or other people
more than the Lord? Have you kept (obeyed) the greatest commandment of all? _____

Consider the second greatest commandment. It is found in Matthew 22:39 (see also Leviticus 19:18). Have you obeyed
this command perfectly? Have you loved other people perfectly or have you failed to love others as you should? Are
there times when you are selfish (thinking about self before others) and unkind and unthoughtful? Have you kept
(obeyed) the second greatest commandment? ______

Testing Yourself

Let us now consider some of the 10 Commandments (found in Exodus chapter 20). We will only consider six of these
commandments. TEST YOURSELF by checking either TRUE or FALSE:

____ TRUE Read the First Commandment (found in Exodus 20:3).

____ FALSE
I have always put the Lord first and I have always given the Lord first
place in my life. I have never let anything or anyone else take the place
that God should have in my life.

____ TRUE Read the Third Commandment (found in Exodus 20:7).

____ FALSE
I have never taken the Lord’s Name in vain or used God’s Name in a
careless or thoughtless way. I have always treated God’s Name with
utmost reverence and respect.

____ TRUE Read the Fifth Commandment (found in Exodus 20:12).

____ FALSE
I have always honored my parents and have given them the highest
respect. I have never disobeyed my parents and when I was younger I
never needed or deserved a spanking.

____ TRUE Read the Eighth Commandment (found in Exodus 20:15).

____ FALSE
I have never stolen anything from anyone. I have never taken anything
that did not belong to me. I have always respected the property and
possessions of others.

____ TRUE Read the Ninth Commandment (found in Exodus 20:16).

____ FALSE
I have never given a false witness against anyone. I have never said
 something about another person which I knew was not true. I have
never lied; I have always been honest about everything. I only speak
what is true.

____ TRUE Read the Tenth Commandment (found in Exodus 20:17).

____ FALSE
I have never coveted or desired something that someone else had. I
have never had a strong desire for my neighbor's house or swimming
pool or boat or automobile or wife or husband or anything else
belonging to my neighbor. I have always been totally content and
satisfied with what God has given to me.

How did you do? If you answered TRUE, this means you have obeyed the command. If you answered FALSE, this
means you are guilty of breaking the command. How many times did you check TRUE? _______ How many times did
you check FALSE? ______ Are you a GUILTY breaker of the law or are you an INNOCENT keeper of the law?
______________________________________

Suppose that you checked TRUE four times and checked FALSE only once. This means that you kept all of the
commandments except one. Are you a keeper of the law or a breaker of the law? The answer is found in James 2:10--
"For whosoever shall keep the _____________ _______, and yet offend in _______ point, he is ______________ of
all."

What does James 2:10 really mean? Suppose there were a person who kept every single commandment of the law except
for one. He obeyed the law perfectly except for one commandment which he broke. James 2:10 says, “He is
__________________ of all!” Even though he only broke one commandment, HE IS STILL A LAWBREAKER!

A father says to his teenage son: mow the lawn, wash the car, paint the fence and carry out the trash cans. The son mows
the lawn, washes the car and paints the fence, but he does not carry out the trash cans. He does all but one. Is he an
obedient or disobedient son? _________________________________. Is he guilty of disobeying his father?
_______ Partial obedience is actually disobedience.

The 7th Commandment says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Today adultery is being practiced more
and more as married persons are being unfaithful to their marriage partners. But someone might say, "I have never been
unfaithful to my wife and have never committed an act of adultery, so I'm not guilty of breaking this command." But
notice how the Lord Jesus got to the heart of this commandment in Matthew 5:27-28, "You have heard that it was said by
them of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery; But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." A missionary once related a true incident that took place when he
was an unsaved student in high school. For some reason, one of the students had a Bible in the cafeteria even though he
was not a Christian. The table was full of male students, including the person who later became a missionary. The young
man with the Bible had it opened to Matthew 5:28 (the verse quoted above) and he was showing it to everyone at the
table. One of them made this comment: "This condemns everyone of us!" They all recognized that they were guilty of
lust! They were ready at that point for someone to come along with the gospel message! However, no believer was near
the scene. Thankfully one of those students later heard the gospel from a godly campus missionary, Donald Fullerton,
while a student at Princeton University, and passed from death unto life, and became a faithful servant of Christ.

How many laws must be broken for a man to become a LAWBREAKER? ___________

If you have a chain with just one of the links broken, is it still a broken chain? ______ Consider a person who has
committed murder, but who has never committed adultery (see James 2:11). Is this person a transgressor (breaker) of the
law? ______
Think about a rubber band. If you cut the rubber band in 10 places with a pair of scissors, will you have a broken rubber
band? ______ If you cut the rubber band in only one place, will you still have a broken rubber band? _____

Think of a man suspended over a cliff hanging on for dear life to a rope. Suppose that five crows start pecking at the
rope in five different places. The rope then breaks in five places simultaneously, because the five crows all finished
pecking through the rope at the same time. Will the man fall to his doom? _____ Suppose only one crow pecked at the
rope at only one place. If the rope only breaks in one place, will the man still fall to his doom? ______ It only takes one
break to make a broken rope!

Has anyone ever kept God’s law perfectly? Has anyone ever kept the 10 Commandments perfectly? Has anyone ever
obeyed perfectly all of God’s commands? In John 7:19 Jesus spoke to the religious people of His day and He said, “Did
not Moses give you the _________, and yet ____________ of you ___________________ the law.” Not one of them
kept the law! They were all LAWBREAKERS!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Man who ever kept God’s law perfectly. In John 7:18 we learn this about Jesus Christ:
“no __________________________ is in Him.” Also 1 Peter 2:22 tells us that Jesus “did no _________." Jesus never
broke any laws, no, not one!

Jesus was perfectly INNOCENT and RIGHTEOUS. What about you? According to Romans 3:19 are you INNOCENT
or are you GUILTY? ______________________

Is the Law Bad?

When we test ourselves by God’s law, we all discover that we are guilty lawbreakers. Does this mean that the law is
something bad? No, the problem is not with the law, the problem is with us! "The law is ______________, and the
commandment ___________ and ___________ and ___________" (Romans 7:12). There is nothing wrong with the
law!

The law is a reflection of God Himself. God is HOLY and JUST and GOOD. So also the laws that God gave to men are
HOLY and JUST and GOOD. The law shows forth God’s righteous requirements. The problem is that sinful man is
unable to do what God’s holy law requires.

Think of yourself with a dirty face looking into a mirror. You might say, “What’s wrong with this mirror? This mirror
shows me with a dirty face!” Nothing is wrong with the mirror. The real problem is that you have a dirty face. The good
mirror shows you that you have a problem. In the same way God’s good law shows sinful man that he has a problem (see
Romans 7:14--The law does not have a problem, I DO!).

2. THE PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE LAW IS DEATH.

If you get caught stealing something from a store, there is a penalty (punishment) involved. If your parents get caught for
speeding, there is a penalty that they must pay. The same is true for the laws of God. When God’s laws are broken there
is a penalty that must be paid.

Consider Exodus chapter 21 (the chapter which immediately follows the chapter containing the Ten Commandments).
According to verses 12,15,16,17, what penalty (punishment) was given to
LAWBREAKERS? __________________________________________________

In Romans 1:29-31 we have a long list of sins. Are you guilty of any of the sins listed in these three verses? _________
In verse 32 we learn that there is a penalty: “they which commit such things are ______________ of
_______________." We learn the same thing in Romans 6:23--"the wages of _______ is _________________."
LAWBREAKERS (SINNERS) DESERVE DEATH. The penalty for breaking the law is death and death means
separation from God and punishment by God (compare 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Matthew 25:41,46). Guilty lawbreakers
deserve the death penalty.
In Galatians 3:10 we learn that guilty lawbreakers are under God’s curse: “For as many as are of the works of the
________ are under the ____________: for it is written, _______________ is everyone that continueth not in _______
things which are written in the book of the law to ______ them.” This verse is saying that those who do not perfectly
obey the law are under God’s curse.

Galatians 3:10 could also be re-written as a BLESSING: “BLESSED IS EVERYONE THAT CONTINUES IN ALL
THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW TO DO THEM.” This means that the person who
keeps God’s law perfectly (every day of his or her life) is BLESSED. But here is the problem: It is impossible for sinful
men and women to keep God’s holy law perfectly. We have all sinned and come short of doing what God’s holy law
requires (compare Romans 3:23). The BLESSING is out of the reach of sinful men. As LAWBREAKERS God’s curse is
upon us. Is there any hope?

3. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT CHRIST DIED FOR LAWBREAKERS.

Jesus Christ has rescued sinful men from the curse of the law: “Christ hath redeemed us from the _____________ of the
________ being made a _____________ for ____: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians
3:13).

There is good news for every lawbreaker on the face of the earth! Jesus Christ came into the world to save you (1
Timothy 1:15). On the cross He was cursed so that you might be blessed. Do you believe that He did this for you? Are
you thankful? Because of what Christ has done, God now offers men the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). Have you
received this gift?

4. WHAT MUST I DO TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?

The Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22)

Suppose someone were to ask you this question: “What must I do to have eternal life?” (compare Matthew 19:16). How
would you answer this? Those who know the Bible would probably say, “To have eternal life you must believe on Jesus”
(see John 6:47 and John 3:16). But this is not the answer that Jesus gave the rich young ruler. In Matthew 19:17 Jesus
said, "If thou wilt enter into life, __________ the ________________________." According to Jesus, eternal life may be
obtained by keeping the law!

Actually both answers are true. There are two ways to obtain eternal life:

1) A person may obtain eternal life by keeping God’s commandments (by

obeying God’s law perfectly every day of his or her life).

This is the legal way of getting saved.

Problem: Do you think that there has ever been a person (apart from the Lord Jesus Christ) who has ever
done this? _____ Is it possible for sinful men to perfectly keep God’s holy law?
2) A person may obtain eternal life by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ
and receiving Him as Saviour.

This is the grace way of getting saved.

Even though God’s holy law condemns the best men, God’s grace is able to save the worst men
Solution:
IF THEY BELIEVE ON JESUS.

In other words, there are two ways to get to heaven. One way is to live a perfect life (obeying all of God’s laws
perfectly). The other way is to trust the Saviour who came to save sinners.

Jesus knew that this rich young ruler would never be saved by trying to keep the law. Jesus wanted to show this man
how sinful he really was. Did the rich young ruler think that he was a keeper of the law or a breaker of the law (Matthew
19:17-20)? _______________________________ Do you think he really was? ______ The young ruler was a religious
and moral man. He was good enough to deceive himself and bad enough to damn himself. His goodness prevented
him from knowing his badness.

This man was really a guilty LAWBREAKER. Do you remember what the greatest of all commandments is (Matthew
22:36-38)? Did this man love God with all his heart or did he love his possessions more (Matthew 19:21-22)?
________________________________________ Was he guilty of breaking the greatest commandment of all? _______

A Certain Lawyer (Luke 10:25-29)

Notice the question that this lawyer (expert in the law of Moses) asked Jesus in Luke 10:25--"Master, what shall I do to
inherit ____________________ _________?" Jesus then made this man answer his own question (see Luke 10:26-27).
This man quoted the two greatest commandments in the law: TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND TO
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Jesus said to this man: "This _____, and thou shalt ____________." If a person wants to
have eternal life there are only two things he must do:

1. Love God perfectly

2. Love his neighbor perfectly.

The problem is that Jesus Christ is the only Man who has ever done these two things PERFECTLY. Every other person
who has ever lived has failed to love God perfectly and has failed to love others perfectly.

Remember, if we could keep the law perfectly then we would not need a Saviour and the death of Christ would not have
been necessary (see Galatians 2:21). Only guilty lawbreakers need a Saviour, but righteous people who never break the
law do not need a Saviour. How many of these righteous people are there (Romans 3:10)? ____________ Therefore,
how many of us need a Saviour? ________________

5. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW.

The purpose of the law is stated in Romans 3:20--"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
His sight: for by the ______ is the _____________________ of ______." This verse teaches us two important truths:

1. The purpose of the law is not to save (JUSTIFY) a person.

2. The purpose of the law is to show a person his sin (make him knowledgeable about his sin)--
compare Romans 7:7-14.

Think again of a man with a dirty face who looks into a mirror. The DIRT is like SIN and the MIRROR is like the LAW.
The purpose of the mirror is to show a person his dirt! We certainly would not wash our face with the mirror! The mirror
tells us that we need to use the soap and water, just as the law tells us that we have sin and need to be cleansed. The
LAW cannot cleanse us from sin, only the LAMB can do that (John 1:29). Just as the mirror should drive us to the sink,
so the LAW should drive us to the LAMB.

As the sinner stands before God’s holy law, all he can say is, “I’M GUILTY!” As the believing sinner stands before
Jesus Christ, all he can say is, “Praise God! I’M CLEANSED AND FORGIVEN!” What the law could never do, God
did by the sending of his own ________ (Romans 8:3). Praise God for the LAMB!

The law cannot save, but it can show a person that he needs to be saved. The law cannot cleanse a person from sin, but it
can point out a person’s sin. A mirror is not something that can be used to wash yourself, but it sure helps you to see
what the problem is!

The law is holy but the law cannot make a person holy. It can show us how unholy we are. It cannot sanctify us. For a
fuller study on this important subject, see our study entitled, What Is The Believer's Rule of Life?

6. THE LAW OF LOVE.

According to Matthew 22:36-40, all the law can be summed up by two simple commands: LOVE GOD and LOVE
YOUR NEIGHBOR. See also Romans 13:8-10. In these verses we learn that “love is the _______________________ of
the law” (Romans 13:10). This means that the person who LOVES GOD and LOVES HIS NEIGHBOR is fulfilling and
keeping the law. He is not a breaker of the law but he is a keeper of the law.

Consider again some of the 10 Commandments. If a person really loves God, will he put any other god before Him
(Exodus 20:3)? _______ If a person really loves God, will he make and worship idols (Exodus 20:4-5)? ______ If a
person really loves God, will he take God’s Name in vain (Exodus 20:7)? ______

If a person really loves his neighbor, will he murder him (Exodus 20:13)? _____ If a person really loves his neighbor,
will he steal from him (Exodus 20:15)? _____ ALL OF THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD--THE WORD
LOVE (see Galatians 5:14).

It sounds so simple! To keep the law, all you need to do is to LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. This is easy
to say but it is difficult to do. In fact, it is IMPOSSIBLE TO DO! Sinful men and women are totally UNABLE to love in
God’s way. God says that such is a necessary requirement and they are unable to produce ONE DROP OF THIS KIND
OF LOVE!

When a person is saved God does a wonderful thing. God Himself comes to live in the life of the believer. In Galatians
2:20 we read these words: “CHRIST LIVETH _____ _______". We could never do it ourselves, but CHRIST LIVES
IN US! The LAWGIVER (Jesus Christ) has come to live in my heart. He is the only One who ever kept the law
perfectly. I cannot love God and my neighbor, but CHRIST IN ME makes it possible!

In Galatians 5:22 we read this: “The ____________ of the Spirit is __________.” I cannot produce LOVE, but the God
who is in me can! I need to make sure that I am walking in the ________________ (Galatians 5:16) and staying in a
right relationship with the Lord. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts to make it possible for us to do what would be
impossible in and of ourselves.

The following has been attributed to John Bunyan:

Run, John, Run! The Law commands; But gives me neither feet nor hands.
Far grander news the gospel brings; It bids me fly and GIVES ME WINGS!
Are you saved? Do you have the Holy Spirit living in your heart? Has God made it possible for you to do the
impossible? Is the Holy Spirit producing the fruit described in Galatians 5:22-23 in your life? Why or why not?
CHAPTER 9
THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE
We are now ready to study the sixth dispensation which began after the death and resurrection of Christ and which will
continue until Christ comes the second time. In previous chapters we studied past dispensations but now we will
consider the present dispensation which is called the DISPENSATION OF GRACE It is this dispensation in which we
are living right now. Please MATCH the right person with the right dispensation:

The Dispensation of...

1.____ Innocence A. Abraham

2.____ Conscience B. Noah (after the flood)
3.____ Human Government C. You and your family
4.____ Promise D. Adam (before the fall)
5.____ Law E. Cain & Abel
6.____ Grace F. David & Daniel

Paul referred to this present dispensation (stewardship) in Ephesians 3:2– "if ye have heard of the
__________________________ of the ____________ of God which is given me to youward [toward you]." The Apostle
Peter also mentions this important stewardship in 1 Peter 4:10 –"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister
the same one to another as good ____________________ of the manifold ____________ of God."

God gave to Abraham special promises and God gave to Moses His holy law. Today the Lord has given to believers a
special understanding of the GRACE OF GOD. God is making known His grace in a very special way in this present
dispensation. God has always been a GRACIOUS GOD. God was gracious to Adam and Eve when He provided them
with coats of skins (Genesis 3:21). God was gracious to Noah (Genesis 6:8) and God was gracious to the whole earth
when He promised never again to bring a world-wide flood (Genesis 9:11). God was gracious to Abraham and Moses
and David and John the Baptist. But God's grace is most clearly seen today. In past ages God's grace was like a stream.
The stream was always there and it was always flowing and the water of God's grace could be seen in every age. Today,
however, the stream of God's grace has become a mighty river and has FLOODED its banks. God's grace is seen in a
way that it was never seen before. Today God's grace is not only flowing but it is OVERFLOWING. God's grace not
only abounds but it SUPER-ABOUNDS! Today the grace of our Lord
is "E__________________ A__________________ " (1 Timothy 1:14).

Often when we see a stream or a brook we do not think too much about it. When the stream or brook floods and
overflows its banks, then we can't help but think about it. Today the stream of God's grace has overflowed its banks and
God wants people to think about how very gracious He is. During the past 2000 years (approximately) God has been
showing off His grace.

The living God delights in making Himself known. This is God's purpose in any and in every age. Again and again in the
book of Ezekiel we read these words: "AND THEY SHALL ________________ THAT I AM THE ___________" (see
Ezekiel 28:22,23,24,26,etc.). God loves to demonstrate and manifest WHO HE IS! History is the story of God making
Himself known at various times and in various ways.

Let's think of some examples:

In the days of Noah God demonstrated that He is a God of judgment who hates sin (HE SENT THE FLOOD!).

In the days of Abraham God showed that He is a faithful God whose promise cannot be broken.
In the days of Joseph God revealed Himself as a sovereign God who can work all things together for the good of His
people (Genesis 50:20).

At the Red Sea God made known His power and deliverance.

God's holiness was seen in the giving of the law to Moses.

Throughout the pages of history God has been putting Himself on display and making known WHO HE IS.

Today it is still God's purpose to make Himself known to men and angels. The New Testament reveals that today God is
especially concerned with making known the riches and "the glory of HIS____________ " (Ephesians 1:6). The living
God wants to show off His wonderful GRACE. God has been letting the stream of grace overflow and He wants men to
notice!

What is GRACE?
GRACE is an important word and we need to understand what it means. The GRACE of God means "the favor of God."
It is often defined as God's "UNMERITED FAVOR" (God's favor towards man which man did not merit or earn or work
for in any way). The word GRACE is also defined as "UNDESERVED KINDNESS" (God's amazing love and kindness
towards those who do not deserve it at all).

The Bible gives two simple definitions of GRACE:

1. EPHESIANS 2:7
(notice that the context is talking about God's
grace–see verses 7 and 8)

Grace is GOD'S "K____________________ towards

_______ through ________________ _________________" (EPHESIANS 2:7)

Because of Jesus Christ, God is able to be kind even to those who were DEAD in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3)!

2. TITUS 3:4
(notice that the context is talking about God's grace–Titus 2:11; 3:7)

Grace is "the ____________________ and ____________ of God our _______________________

toward _____________"

God is kind TOWARD MAN (even the kind of man who is described in Titus 3:3)! How gracious God is to those who
deserve no kindness at all!

The GRACE OF GOD is also beautifully illustrated in the story of King David and crippled Mephibosheth. We read
about this in 2 Samuel chapter 9. Was David KIND towards Mephibosheth (verses 7 and 13)? ________ Did
Mephibosheth feel that he deserved such kindness (verse 8)? _______ Was David kind to him because of Mephibosheth
or was he kind to him because of someone else (verse 7)?
___________________________________________________________________ In the same way, God is kind to us
NOT BECAUSE OF US but because of Jesus Christ (compare Ephesians 4:32--God has graciously forgiven us "for
_______________________ sake").

God's GRACE has also been defined in this way:

 God's Riches At Christ's Expense!
This is best seen in 2 Corinthians 8:9 – "For ye know the _______________ of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he
was _________, yet for your sakes he became _____________, that ye through his poverty might be _________"

GOD'S RICHES ("that ye might be rich")

AT CHRIST'S EXPENSE ("He became poor" and died on the cross for us).

Only Calvary's cross could open up the fountain of God's grace. Because Christ died on the cross the overflowing grace
of God is able to pour out to sinners. If Christ had not died on the cross then God would not be able to be kind and
gracious towards us. Instead God would need to JUDGE US FOR OUR SINS and condemn each of us to hell. The good
news is that Jesus died for us and God is completely satisfied that the penalty for sin has been paid in full. Therefore God
is free to pour out His grace and kindness and love towards those who believe on His Son.

This is what I deserve:

This is what Jesus Christ did for me (HE TOOK MY JUDGMENT UPON HIMSELF AND HE TOOK MY PLACE):

Because of what Christ did on the cross, God is now FREE to pour out His favor and grace upon me:
1. MAN'S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.

At the beginning of the dispensation of grace we see SIN AT ITS WORST. For the most part, the Jewish nation had
rejected their Saviour and Messiah: "He came unto His own, and His own (the Jewish people) received Him ________"
(John 1:11). They were blinded by their own unbelief and sin and finally they shouted "CRUCIFY HIM!" Man had
reached the depths of sin and the night of sin could hardly become any darker. Man proved that his WICKEDNESS was
very great but God took this opportunity to prove that His GRACE is even greater!

God's grace is far greater than man's sin. We see this in Romans 5:20– "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might
______________ ." This means that the law makes sin look even worse. The law is like a magnifying glass that let's us
see sin more and more as it really is. We learned about this when we studied THE LAW (Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 of these
notes). The law is the mirror that shows men how sinful and dirty they really are. Now look at the last part of Romans
5:20–"But where ________ abounded, ____________ did much more abound" (sin abounded but grace SUPER
ABOUNDED!). Man's sin gave God a wonderful opportunity to show how gracious He really is.

Think of a precious diamond or gem. The right kind of background needs to be chosen if you really want to see this
precious stone in its beauty and color. Some backgrounds will help you to see the stone clearly and other backgrounds
will not. God has chosen to use the black background of sin to bring out the brilliant colors of His grace. God wants to
show off His grace and He wants to demonstrate that His grace is GREATER than man's sin! We are GREAT SINNERS
but we have a GREATER SAVIOUR! When sin was greatest God began to show the "much more" of His grace
(Romans 5:20).

After the Jewish nation crucified their own Messiah, what did God do? When sin really showed itself as something
terrible and ugly (as men refused to receive God's Son and God's salvation), what did God do? Did He destroy the
world? Did He judge everyone? No, God did something very amazing. God began to reach out to ALL MEN
EVERYWHERE. Most of the Jews did not want to come to the Saviour, so God reached out to all men and said,
"WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE _______________ OF __________ FREELY" (Revelation 22:17). The
world was darkened by sin so God decided to flood the world with GRACE. "For the ______________ of God that
bringeth _____________________ hath appeared to _______ _________" (Titus 2.11). God was reaching out to all !

God's wonderful supply of grace is also seen in John 1:16-17: "And of His (Jesus Christ's) fullness have all we received,
and ______________ for ________________." "Grace for grace" means "grace upon grace," just like at the shore of the
ocean you have wave upon wave [one wave following by another wave, followed by another wave, etc.]. God's grace is
like the waves of the sea. His supply of grace never ends as wave upon wave of GRACE comes splashing in: "For the
law was given by _______________ but _____________ and truth came by ______________ _______________"
(John 1:17). Moses was the LAWGIVER; Jesus Christ is the GRACEGIVER! God does not just give us grace, He
gives us "ABUNDANCE OF____________ " (Romans 5:17)! God offers this grace to all men, whether they are Jews or
Gentiles!

Man's State Before A Holy God

Today men need to see themselves in their true state before God. They need to see themselves as God sees them. Do the
following MATCHING problem:

1._____ Luke 19:10 A. Guilty before God

2._____ Romans 3:10 B. Child of Disobedience
3._____ Romans 3:12 C. Child of wrath
4._____ Romans 3:19 D. Lost
5._____ Romans 3:23 E. Dead in Sins
6._____ Ephesians 2:1 F. Not good
7._____ Ephesians 2:2 G. Not righteous
8._____ Ephesians 2:3 H. A sinner!
Can God be gracious to people who are in such a state? He surely can! Jesus Christ came into the world to
_____________ sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Christ died for sinners and God warts to be gracious to sinners. God has a free
gift which He wants to give to ALL MEN! What is this gift (Romans 6:23 and compare Romans 5:15,16,17,18)?
_____________________________________ Is this gift something that man must earn or pay for or is it FREE
(Romans 5:15)? ____________________________

2. MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY The Responsibility of the Unsaved

If a billionaire had $750,000.00 in his hand and reached out his hand to give you this money, what would you do? Would
you take it? Would you accept this gift? Or would you refuse to accept the money and walk away? God has a gift which
is much more valuable than $750,000.00. "The gift of God is ___________________ _____________ through Jesus
Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). This is the gift of God's grace and God offers this gift to all men. The hymn writer says
it this way: "Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe; You that are longing to see His
face, Will you this moment His grace receive?" (Julia Johnston)

God does not force His gift on anyone. Those who refuse to take this gift do not have it. God offers it to all but not all
receive it.

There is only one way to receive God's gift of eternal life. A person must receive Jesus Christ as Saviour by believing on
His Name (John 1:12). According to John 3:16,18,36, what is man's responsibility today?
________________________________________________ What command does God give to unsaved people (the first
part of 1 John 3:23)? ________________________________________________________ Have you obeyed this
command? _________ Have you received God's free gift? __________ Have you discovered how gracious God can be
toward sinners? _______

The Responsibility of the Saved

The living God wants to show off His wonderful grace! God wants men and angels to see how gracious He is. Where can
a person look to see God's grace in action? at a mountain? at the stars in the sky? at the ocean? No, to see God's grace in
action a person must look at SINNERS SAVED BY GRACE!

Every believer is a "SHOWCASE" of God's grace! If you go to a museum you see many SHOWCASES where you can
look and see different things on display. Believers are not locked up in some museum, but they are in the world as
walking showcases of God's grace. This is true not only now but in the eternal ages to come: "that in the __________ to
come He (God) might show the exceeding riches of His _______________ in His kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7). It is our privilege to be trophies of God's grace, not only now, but throughout the ages of eternity.

God also used believers to teach the angels about His grace. We learn about this in Ephesians 3:10 ("principalities and
powers" refers to angels). This verse teaches us the following:

The universe is the schoolroom. God is the teacher The angels are the students

The wisdom and grace of God comprise the subject matter.

The object lesson that God points to in order to teach the angels about His wonderful wisdom and grace is THE
C______________ (believers)--see Ephesians 3:10).

The angels are amazed that God can be so gracious to sinners such as you and me!

The Apostle Paul knew much about the grace of God in his own life (1 Cor. 15:10). Was Paul a great sinner (1 Timothy
1:13-15)? ________ Did Paul have a greater Saviour (1 Timothy 1:15)? _________ God was very longsuffering (long
before getting angry) and gracious to Paul (see 1 Timothy 1:16). In 1 Timothy 1:16 Paul was saying something like this:
"God is showing forth His grace and longsuffering IN ME. I am a trophy of God's longsuffering. The same God who has
been gracious and longsuffering to me is the same God who is willing to be gracious and longsuffering to you!"
Every believer should be able to say the same thing that Paul did! Our message to the unsaved is this: "If God could be
gracious to me then God can be gracious to you! If God could save a sinner like me then God can certainly save a sinner
like you! I am a living and walking proof that God is gracious and is able to save sinners!"

What is my responsibility as a believer? Here are four things I must do:

1) I must C_______________________ in God's grace (Acts 13:43).

God saved me by His grace when I put my trust in His Son. I must continue to live by grace (realizing that God is
everything and I am nothing). I must continue to trust God's Son all through my Christian life. "Oh to grace how great a
debtor daily I'm constrained to be!" I was not only saved by grace, but I must live the Christian life by grace.

2) I must make known the Gospel of _________________ (Acts 20:24).

I need to tell others that there is a gracious God who can save them, just as He saved me. Are you able to clearly present
the way of salvation to another person? Are you able to explain what it means to be SAVED BY GRACE?

3) I must G___________ in grace (2 Peter 3:18).

When I was saved I tasted that the Lord is ________________________ (1 Peter 2:3). Think of food. When you taste
something that is good, you want to have more and more. Just one taste will not do! The same is true of the Christian
life. We want to learn more and more about God's grace. We want to grow and be built up by the "word of His
_____________" (Acts 20:32). We want to please the God who has saved us by His grace.

4) I must not C___________________ in sin (Romans 6:1-2).

Someone might say, "Why don't you sin and live any way that you want to live so that people can see how gracious God
can be to His wicked and disobedient child! The more you sin the more God will show His grace." Is this something that
a true believer should say (Romans 6:1-2)? __________

Answer TRUE or FALSE (but first read Titus 2:11-12): The grace of God that bringeth salvation teaches us that since
we are saved and going to heaven we can live any way we please. ________________

The more a person appreciates and understands God's grace the more he will want to live to please the God who has been
so gracious.

3. MAN'S FAILURE. The Failure of Unsaved People

Even though God has graciously offered men His free gift of salvation, only a very few have believed on Christ and
received this gift (compare Matthew 7:13-14). The great majority of' people have refused to receive God's gift and have
refused to have Christ reign over them as King and as Lord (Luke 19:12-14).

During this age of grace God patiently waits for men to be saved. God does not judge men and strike men dead every
time they commit a serious sin. God is very longsuffering (He waits a long time before judging).

The atheist, Robert Ingersoll, after delivering one of his addresses, pulled his watch from his pocket and said,
"According to the Bible, God has struck men to death for blasphemy. I will blaspheme Him and give Him five minutes to
strike me dead and damn my soul." There followed a period of perfect silence as the minutes ticked away. The
atmosphere was extremely tense. People began to get nervous and a woman fainted. At five minutes, Ingersoll snapped
shut his watch, put it in his pocket, and said, "You see, there is no God, or He would have taken me at my word."

Did Ingersoll really prove that there is no God? Actually this unbeliever proved something else. He proved that we are
living in a day of grace and that God is very longsuffering even to those who blaspheme His Name. [As one observer of
that day said, "Did that fine gentleman think that he could exhaust the patience of God in five minutes?"] As it says in
Isaiah 30:18 "And therefore will the LORD _____________, that He may be ___________________ unto YOU."

God's day of grace will not last forever. The day finally came when God did strike Ingersoll dead (this man died!). When
men refuse God's grace then they must face God's judgment. In the days before the Genesis Flood there was a time of
grace which lasted for 120 years (Genesis 6:3). During this time God waited to be gracious to men. During this time
Noah built the ark and God gave people the opportunity to believe His Word. But finally after these 120 years the day of
grace ended and the door of the ark closed (Genesis 7:16). Those that had refused God's grace had to face God's
judgment: "and the flood came and ____________________ them all" (Luke 17:27).

The Failure of Saved People

Believers have often failed to make known the grace of God as they should. For example, in the "dark ages" the churches
were no longer teaching the grace of God. Instead they taught people that salvation was something that had to be earned
and worked for. They no longer taught that salvation was a free gift. They taught that salvation depended upon man's
performance rather than upon God's kindness towards undeserving sinners. The churches should have been making
known the "gospel of grace" but they were not doing this. As a result there was spiritual darkness everywhere.

Sad to say, this is true even today. Most churches and most religious groups today teach that salvation is something that
man must work for and earn by his own good works. Very few churches teach that man is "saved by grace." Many have
turned away from the truth and are teaching ERROR.

4. GOD'S JUDGMENT.

As we have seen already, the day of God's grace and longsuffering does not last forever. Romans 2:4 describes those
people who despise the goodness and longsuffering of God. Will these people escape the judgment of God (Romans
2:3,5)? ______ The day is coming when God's judgment will fall on this unbelieving world and upon the apostate
church (those religious people who once knew the truth but who have turned away from the truth--see 1 Timothy 4:1; 2
Timothy 3:5; 4:3-4).

The 120 years of grace in the days of Noah finally came to an end and God judged the world with a flood. This longer
day of grace that we are living in now (nearly 2000 years) will also come to an end and God will again judge the world.
The time of greatest grace (this present age of grace) will be followed by the time of greatest judgment (the time of
GREAT TRIBULATION). Has there ever or will there ever be a time as difficult as the great tribulation (Matthew
24:21)? ________ In Chapter 11 of these notes (entitled, The Time of TRIBULATION) we will study the Tribulation
Period in more detail.

It is a dangerous thing to reject the grace of God. It is a very serious thing for a person to reject the Person and work of
Jesus Christ and to refuse God's free gift of salvation. Are you a sinner saved by grace? Are you pointing others to the
Saviour who is so gracious to sinners who deserve nothing but His wrath?

CHAPTER 10
THE CHURCH GOD'S PROGRAM FOR TODAY
Today we are living in the dispensation of GRACE (See Chapter 9). In this present age of grace, God is doing
something very special and very wonderful. Before we move ahead and study the next dispensation we need to stop and
understand what God is doing in the world today.

In Matthew 16:18 the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples about something that He was going to do in the future: "UPON
THIS ROCK I WILL _________________ MY _______________ AND THE GATES OF HELL (HADES) SHALL
NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT." From this important verse we learn at least four things:

1. JESUS CHRIST IS THE BUILDER!!

2. THE BUILDING IS UPON A ROCK!!

3. THE CHURCH IS THE BUILDING!!

4. THE CHURCH BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST---IT IS HIS

CHURCH ("MY CHURCH")
Today the Lord Jesus Christ is building something. He is building something that is very precious to Him. He is building
something that belongs to Him in a special way: "I WILL BUILD ______ CHURCH" (Matthew 16:18).

This BUILDING is a unique building. It is not like the buildings that we see when we visit a large city. This BUILDING
is not made of lifeless bricks or cement or steel or wood. This BUILDING is made of LIVING STONES (see 1 Peter
2:5) and these "stones" are those PEOPLE who have believed on Christ (the crucified and risen One) and have received
Him as their personal Lord and Saviour (John 1:12).

The Body of Christ

As we have seen, the CHURCH is described as a BUILDING--a building which is made up of LIVING STONES or
LIVING BELIEVERS (see 1 Peter 2:5 – "lively" means "living"). Not only is the Church described as a BUILDING,
but it is also described as a BODY:

1) EPHESIANS 1:22-23

"and gave Him (Christ) to be the _____________ over all things to the _________________, which is His
_____________."

2) COLOSSIANS 1:18

"and He (Christ) is the ____________ of the _________________ (which is) the _______________."

These verses teach us that the Church is the BODY OF CHRIST. Every believer is a member of this body (see 1
Corinthians 12:27). Who is the HEAD of this body (Colossians 1:18)? __________________________ The Church is a
LIVING ORGANISM (a body) made up of LIVING MEMBERS.

How does a person become a member of the true church? How does a person become a "stone" in this building? How
does a person become a member of the body of Christ? Perhaps this diagram will help:
 In the above diagram we see that the Head is in heaven (Col. 3:1-2) and the Church is on the
earth (John 17:15). Each member of the Church is related to the Head and to each other member.
No one can become a member of Christ's Church unless they go through the cross (by faith.)
When a person does this, God places them (baptizes them) into His body (see 1 Cor. 12:13).

Are you a member of the body of Christ? Have you come through the cross (by believing that He died there for you and
paid the full penalty for your sins)? Have you believed on the crucified and risen Saviour? Today all those people who
are really saved are part of the body of Christ which is called THE CHURCH.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

The Church has not always existed. When Adam was created there was no Church. In the days of Noah there was no
Church. Abraham and David and Isaiah were all believers, but they were not members of the Church because the Church
did not yet exist. There was no Church in the days of John the Baptist. In the days when Jesus walked on the earth there
was no Church. The Church did not begin until after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On the night before His death on the cross, Jesus told His disciples about a special day when the Holy Spirit would come
to live in every believer. Look quickly through John chapters 14-16 (these are words that Jesus spoke to His disciples the
night before He died). Can you find any verses that talk about THE COMFORTER? ________________________ The
COMFORTER is another name for the HOLY SPIRIT. The word COMFORTER means "HELPER, the One who is
called to your side to help and comfort and encourage you." Can you find any verses that talk about the HOLY SPIRIT?
__________________________

In John chapters 14-15 can you find any verses that talk about the Holy Spirit being SENT?
__________________________ Consider John16:7,8,13. Do these verses speak about a time when the Holy Spirit
would COME? _______

Jesus promised His disciples that SOMEONE would be SENT to comfort them (John 14:16), to abide with them (John
14:16), to live in them (John 14:17), to teach them (John 14:26), to testify (bear witness) of Christ to them (John 15:26)
and to guide them (John 16:13). Who was this PERSON that the Lord spoke of? _________________________

The coming of the Holy Spirit was one of the most important events of history. It was on this day that the CHURCH
began (see Acts 11:15 where the Day of Pentecost is referred to as the "beginning"). It was on this day that the Church
was born. It was on this day that God came to live in His believers in a special way: THE HOLY SPIRIT "shall be
_____ ________ " (John 14:17) and He will "abide with you FOREVER" (John 14:16).

The Holy Spirit came on a special day called THE DAY OF PENTECOST. We can read about the coming of the Holy
Spirit in Acts chapter 2 (especially the first part of the chapter). The following chart shows WHEN the Holy Spirit came:
 It was on the Day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came and the Church was born. It was on this day that God came to
live in believers in a special way.

We sometimes refer to Christmas as the "birthday of Jesus Christ." Christmas reminds us of the time when God left
heaven and came to live in a human body: "the Word (Jesus Christ) was made (became) _________________ and dwelt
among us" (John 1:14). This is also called the INCARNATION: God in human flesh (see 1 Timothy 3:16 and John
1:14). God came to live in a human body.

THE DAY OF PENTECOST should remind us of the time when GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT came to live in a BODY (the
BODY OF CHRIST which is the CHURCH). It was on this day that the Holy Spirit came to live in believers and the
Church was born. The Church is the H_________________________ of God through the S______________ (Eph.
2:22).

NOTE: In Chapter 2 of this study we learned that there are some people who do not believe that the Church began on
the Day of Pentecost. The Bible clearly teaches that the Church began in Acts chapter 2 (at Pentecost). In Matthew 16:18
Jesus said, "I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH." He used the future tense ("I WILL") which means that the church had not
yet begun but it was something that would be built in the future. In 1 Corinthians 12:13 we learn that people become
members of the Church when God baptizes them into the body of Christ. The key question is this: When did God first
baptize people into the body of Christ? In Matthew 3:11 this baptism is said to be future (it has not yet happened). In
Acts 1:5 this baptism is still future. It has not taken place yet, but we are told that it would the place "not many days
hence" (after a few days). In a few days (10 days to be exact) the Holy Spirit came (Acts chapter 2). In Acts 11:15-17 we
learn that this baptism first took place in Acts chapter 2. It was on that day (the day of Pentecost) that God first placed
people into His body which is the church. We should also notice that when we come to the end of Acts chapter 2 the
church is in existence (see Acts 2:47). [For a fuller discussion of when the church began see the paper, When Did The
Church Begin?]

Adding to the Body and to the Building

According to Acts 1:15, about how many disciples (believers) were there? _______________________ In Acts 2:1-3 we
learn that the Holy Spirit came upon these people and the Church was born. When the Church began it was a body made
up of about 120 members! It was a building with about 120 living bricks!

Later that same day Peter preached a message and many people believed. How many more "bricks" were added to the
building (Acts 2:41)? _________________________________ God was not finished building His church yet. In fact, He
had just begun. In Acts 2:47 we read this: "the Lord ____________________ to the ________________ daily such as
should be _______________." Every day new bricks were being added to the building and new members were being
added to the body. Later in Acts 4:4 we learn that there were _____________________ men who believed. Did God
continue to add believers to His body and bricks to His building (Acts 5:14 and 11:24)? ______

Today God is still building His Church. Someday the building project will be finished, but it is not finished yet. God is
still saving people and adding them to the body of Christ. That which God is doing in the world today is described in
Acts 15:14--God is visiting the Gentiles (the nations of the world), "to take out of them a __________________ for His
_______________."

God's Secret
In Ephesians 3:3-5 the Apostle Paul wrote about a MYSTERY or a SECRET. This mystery was something "which in
other ages was ______ made known unto the sons of men, as it is ____________ revealed unto his holy apostles and
prophets by the Spirit" (Ephesians 3:5).This mystery was something "which from the ________________________ of
the world hath been _________ in God" (Ephesians 3:9). Did God make known this mystery to Paul or did God keep it a
secret (Ephesians 3:3)? ____________________________________________

A boy might have something in his pocket. He knows what it is but no one else does. It is a secret! It is something that is
hidden and concealed in his pocket. No one will be able to know what he has in his pocket until he takes it out and shows
it and lets people see it.

From the beginning of the world God has had a secret (called a "mystery"). God has had something in "His pocket"
which He did not tell anyone about. Adam did not know about this mystery. Abraham and David knew nothing about
this mystery. John the Baptist did not know what was "in God's pocket." But finally in the days of the Apostle Paul God
M____________ K_____________________ the mystery (Ephesians 3:3). Today does God want men to SEE what was
once "in His pocket" (Ephesians 3:9)? ______

What is this mystery? What is this secret which was not made known for such a long time? The answer is found in
Ephesians 3:6 – "that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same _________________, and partakers of His
promise in Christ by the gospel." This wonderful mystery is that saved Jews and saved Gentiles would be united together
in ONE BODY! God has a body on this earth and this body is called THE CHURCH. In Colossians 1:26-27 we also
learn about the mystery. In verse 27 we learn that the MYSTERY is "CHRIST _____ ________ the hope of glory"
(Colossians 1:27). Jesus Christ lives IN THE CHURCH! Jesus Christ lives in the hearts of His believers in a very special
way. The Church is the "HOUSE OF ________" (1 Timothy 3:15). God lives there. It is His home!

The Church Was Not Seen In Old Testament Times

The truth about the Church was not made known in previous ages (Colossians 1:26). The Old Testament believer was
not told about the Church. He was not told that someday God would live in a body of believers. He knew that someday
the Messiah would die (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Daniel 9:26). He also knew that the Messiah would rule and reign on earth
as King (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Jeremiah 23:5-6). He knew something about the first coming of Christ
and he knew something about the second coming of Christ but he did not know about what would happen between the
two comings of Christ.

Did you ever look at mountain peaks from a distance. It is possible to look at what seems to be one mountain peak, but
when you get closer you realize that it was really two mountain peaks with a valley between them. This is much like
what the Old Testament believer saw as he looked ahead into the future. He could see the two mountain peaks (the first
and second comings of Christ) but he could not see the valley in between (the Church age):

Today we are living in the valley between the two comings of Christ. The first coming of Christ is now HISTORY (past)
and the second coming of Christ is PROPHECY (future). The VALLEY in between is called THE CHURCH AGE (or
the age of grace or the age of the Holy Spirit).

Where Is God's Temple?

In the days of Moses where did God dwell? Where did God make His presence known? Where was God's glory seen?
Where could you find God's house? Where did God visibly express His presence? The answer is found in Exodus 40:34-
35: "the GLORY OF THE LORD (the visible manifestation of God) FILLED THE _________________." God made
Himself known in and through a special TENT called the TABERNACLE. God filled this tabernacle in a very special
way.

In the days of Solomon where did God dwell? Where did God make His presence known? Where was God's glory seen?
The answer is found in 1 Kings 8:11 – "for the _____________ of the LORD had ______________________ the house
of the LORD (THE TEMPLE )." God made Himself known in and through a special BUILDING called the TEMPLE.
God dwelt in this temple and filled it with His holy presence.

In the days of the Lord Jesus where was God's glory seen? How did God make Himself known? In John 1:14 we learn
that God came to live in a human body and God's glory was seen. In John 14:7 Jesus said, "If ye had known ______, ye
should have known my ______________. " To know Jesus is to know the Father! In John 14:9 we learn that to see
______________ is to see the Father! God made Himself known in the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. His
body was God's temple (see John 2:19-21).

WHERE IS GOD DWELLING TODAY? WHERE IS GOD'S TEMPLE TODAY? Today there is no tabernacle on the
earth. Today there is no Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The last Jewish temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans.
Today the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer on this earth in a human body. Where is God's temple today? Where is God
making His presence known? Where can God's glory be seen? Where does God live and dwell today? The answer is
found in 1 Corinthians 3:16 – "Know ye not that _______ (believers) are the ______________________ of God and that
the _________________ of God __________________ IN YOU." Today THE CHURCH (made up of believers) is the
TEMPLE OF GOD. God fills the BODY OF CHRIST (THE CHURCH) with His glory (Ephesians 1:22-23). The
Church is GOD'S HOUSE (1 Timothy 3:15) and it is the "habitation (dwelling place) of _________ through the Spirit"
(Ephesians 2:22). Today God has chosen to make Himself known in and through THE CHURCH!

If God lives in all the believers (the church) then it is also true that God lives in each individual believer: "What? know
ye not that your ______________ is the _________________ of the Holy Ghost which is _____ ________ which ye
have of God, and ye are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Are you a believer? ________ If you are, do you really
believe that GOD lives in you? Does this make a difference in your life? If He is your RESIDENT (the One who resides
and lives in your heart) should He not also be your PRESIDENT (the One who rules and governs your heart and your
life)?

Today the Church is the place where God makes known WHO HE IS. The Church is here so that people might know that
there is a living God and Saviour as seen in His living body which is on the earth, even His Church. If you saw the tail of
a cat wiggling under a door, you would know that on the other side of the door is the rest of the cat! When the world sees
the body of Christ (believers) living in the right way, then the world will know that there is a HEAD, even the Lord Jesus
Christ who is in heaven. If there is a body there must also be a Head!

The Church is in the world to make known and to display the living God, before men and angels:

Making known God to angels and to men is something that requires TEAMWORK! Each member of the Church needs
to stay healthy and keep growing in the Lord (becoming more like Christ every day). The healthier the members are the
healthier the body is. If believers are spiritually sick then they will not be doing a very good job at making God known
(because the world will be seeing people who are very UN-CHRISTLIKE). How can a person be a healthy believer?
What are some of the things that a healthy believer should do? What are some of the things that a healthy believer should
not do? Are you a healthy believer? When it comes to making God known, are you HELPING or HINDERING?

The Day When the Building Is Finished

The Church was born almost 2000 years ago (on the Day of Pentecost, not long after Christ's death and resurrection).
Ever since then God has been adding people to His Church. God is still building His church even today. Someday (and
we do not know when) the Church will be complete. Someday the last "brick" will be in place and the building will be
finished. Someday the last member of the Church will be saved (although we do not know who this is or when it will
happen).

Something very wonderful is going to happen the day the Church is completed. Jesus Christ will return to take His
Church to heaven. This great event is called "THE RAPTURE" and is described in John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1
Corinthians 15:51-52 and Titus 2:13. This great event may happen at any time. It is very possible that the Church is
NEARLY COMPLETE. Perhaps God is now working on the "steeple stage" of the Building, as it were. When the steeple
is in place the Church will be finished and Christ will come to take His believers to heaven.

Are you a believer? Are you a member of the Church? The best day to be saved is TODAY, especially while we are
living in this age of GRACE. Are you looking for the Lord's coming for you? Are you ready for the Lord's coming for
you (see 1 John 2:28)?

After Jesus comes for His Church, the world will soon enter a seven year period of TRIBULATION (a time of great
trouble--see Matthew 24:21). The Bible tells us much about this future time of trouble and this will be our subject for
study in the next chapter. Remember, those who belong to Christ's Church will go to heaven (John 14:1-3; Revelation
3:10), but those who do not belong to Christ's Church will enter into the time of TESTING (TRIBULATION) which
will come upon the whole earth (Revelation 3:10). Which will it be for you?

CHAPTER 11 THE TIME OF TRIBULATION

Shortly after the Lord Jesus Christ comes to take His Church to heaven, there will follow a period of seven years known
as the time of TRIBULATION. This 7 year period is also known as DANIEL'S 70th WEEK (Daniel 9:24-27). As we
will explain later, this is a week that consists not of seven days but of seven years. The last half of this seven year period
(the last 3½ years) is often called the G_____________ T_________________ (Matthew 24:21), because it will be the
greatest time of trouble that the world has ever known. Immediately after the tribulation, what great event will take place
(Matthew 24:29-30)?
________________________________________________________________________________

Here is a brief explanation of the key events beginning with the death of Christ:

The 10 items discussed below correspond to the 10 numbers in the chart above:
 The death of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18).

The resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4; Romans 1:4).

The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). This marks the birthday of the Church, which is the
body of Christ.

The present Church Age during which time Jesus Christ is building HIS Church (Matthew 16:18) and calling out a
people for His Name (Acts 15:14). (See CHAPTER 10).

The time when the Lord Jesus Christ will come down from heaven and the Church will be "caught up" (raptured) to
meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18). This event is called the RAPTURE of the Church and it marks the end of
the Church Age.

The beginning of the time of tribulation; also the beginning of Daniel's 70th week. This seven year period will begin
when a covenant (treaty) is made with the nation Israel (Daniel 9:27).

In the middle of this seven year period the covenant or treaty is broken and the "man of sin" (the Antichrist) becomes
the ruler of the world and demands that people worship him as God (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-21; 2 Thessalonians
2:3-4).

Jesus referred to these last 3½ years as a time of "GREAT TRIBULATION" (Matt.24:21) such as the world has never
known. This will be a time of great Satanic activity (Rev. 12:7-12) and Satan's man will be the earth's ruler and
absolute dictator (Rev. 13:1-10).

The time of tribulation will end when Jesus Christ returns to earth in power and great glory (Matthew 24:29-30;
Revelation 19:11-16).

Jesus Christ will establish His kingdom on earth. This is often called the "MILLENNIAL KINGDOM" because it
will last for 1000 years (Revelation chapter 20).

The time of tribulation is described in many places in the Bible, especially in Matthew chapter 24, Daniel chapter 9, 2
Thessalonians chapter 2 and Revelation chapters 4-19. There are many, however, who do not believe that there will be a
future period of tribulation on this earth. They believe that the above passages of Scripture have already been fulfilled.
But the events described in these chapters have never yet taken place in history. For example, consider some of the
judgments or plagues that are mentioned in Revelation 8:7-12. When have such things ever happened? Never has the
world known such plagues. When has a man ruled the entire world and been worshipped as God (Rev. 13:1-12)? When
has the world been required to worship the image of a man (Rev. 13:14-15)? When have people been required to receive
a mark on their right hand or in their foreheads, without which they could not buy or sell (Rev. 13:16-17)? These things
have not taken place in the past. See our study The Great Tribulation - Future or Fulfilled?

The chapters mentioned at the beginning of the preceding paragraph must be understood literally. These chapters
describe events which have never yet happened on this earth. Since these events have not yet happened, then this means
that they must happen in the future. A dispensationalist, taking God at His Word, understands that these events will
happen in the future (perhaps in the very near future) just as God has said.

The tribulation is not something that has already happened in the past, but it is something that will happen in the future.
In Matthew 24:29-30 we learn that the time of tribulation will be immediately followed by the return of Jesus Christ to
the earth. Since the return of Jesus Christ is a future event which has not yet happened, so the tribulation must also be a
future event which has not yet taken place.

How does the time of tribulation fit in with the other dispensations that we have been studying. The seven year
tribulation period is usually not considered as a separate dispensation. These seven years fall at the very end of the
dispensation of Grace (the sixth dispensation) and just before the beginning of the dispensation of the Kingdom (the
seventh dispensation). The seven year tribulation period is usually considered as the time of God's judgment following
the age of grace.

The time of tribulation is a unique period of human history. God's Word has much to say about these seven years. Let us
see how the TRIBULATION PERIOD fits in with and relates to all seven of the Dispensations:

1) INNOCENCE

During the dispensation of Innocence we saw man at one of his best states. Man was innocent, without sin, created in the
image of God and placed in a beautiful garden where he could walk with God in sweet, daily fellowship. During the time
of tribulation we will see man at one of his worst states. We will see man's utter depravity and sinfulness. It will be a
time of great iniquity or LAWLESSNESS (see 2 Thessalonians 2:7). It will be a time when God will pour out His
judgments upon a world that has rejected Him. Will these people turn to the God of judgment and repent and seek His
mercy, or will they refuse to repent (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9,11)?
____________________________________________________

After Adam fell from his innocent state, man began sink deeper and deeper into sin. As we come to the last seven years
(the Tribulation), mankind has reached the depths of wickedness. Satan will concentrate all his efforts on the earth
(Revelation 12:12) and God will allow men to fully express their fallen and sinful natures. Man's heart has always been
"D______________________ above all things and desperately ____________________" (Jeremiah 17:9) but during the
tribulation God will allow this wickedness to be expressed. During the tribulation we will see Adam's children at their
worst!

2) CONSCIENCE

The Bible makes an important comparison between those who lived during the dispensation of Conscience and those
who will live during the last part of the tribulation:

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also

the _____________________ of the Son of man be"
(Matthew 24:37)

This verse gives a comparison between those who lived before the flood (during the dispensation of Conscience) and
those who will live just before the second coming of Jesus Christ (the tribulation). Here are some of the similarities:

IN THE DAYS OF NOAH IN THE DAYS OF TRIBULATION

The ______________________ of man was
The wickedness of man will be very great.
very great (Genesis 6:5).

People continued their daily routines

The same shall be true: People will continue in
(eating, drinking, getting married, etc.) as
their godless ways: ignoring God, leaving God
they ignored God, left God out of their
out of their thinking and refusing to listen to
thinking and refused to listen to God's
God's warnings.
warnings (Matthew 24:38).

God's judgment came very suddenly (THE God's judgment will come very suddenly (THE
FLOOD) and people were totally SECOND COMING OF CHRIST) and people
unprepared for it (Matthew 24:39). will be totally unprepared for it (Matthew
24:40-41 and Luke 17:30-37).

Those who perished in the flood during the dispensation of conscience carry a very important message for those who will
be living during the tribulation just before Christ returns to the earth. Repent or perish (Luke 13:3,5)!
3) HUMAN GOVERNMENT

During the time of tribulation the world will see Human Government at its worst: A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT
UNDER THE CONTROL OF SATAN' S MAN.

As we think back to the city of BABEL (Genesis 11) we remember that men desired to UNITE together arid become
ONE (Genesis 11:6). The LORD knew that when sinful men get together and become UNIFIED, there is no limit to the
evil they might do. Therefore God confused their language and scattered them and from this great event came the origin
of many nations.

With many nations there is safety because there is a balance of power and one nation is not able to become all powerful.
When all nations unite together, then there is great danger, because all the power will fall into the hands of one wicked
world leader. What God hindered and stopped in the days of the tower of Babel, He will someday allow (though only for
a short time). What sinful men tried to do at Babel will develop and will blossom during the last part of the tribulation.
What the people at the tower of Babel failed to do, the devil's man (the man of sin) will succeed to do during the
tribulation.

This great world ruler is described in Revelation 13:1-10. In this passage he is called "THE BEAST." Who will give this
man his power (Revelation 13:2:12:9)? ___________________________ Who will "wonder after the beast" and worship
him (Revelation 13:3-4)? _________________________________ Who will be able to fight against this man
(Revelation 13:4)? _____________________ Who will worship him according to Revelation 13:8?
_______________________________________ What will happen to those who refuse to worship this man (Revelation
13:15)? _______________________________________ This man will be so powerful that he will control the world's
economy (Revelation 13:16-18)!

Before God rules the earth (THE KINGDOM AGE) He is going to let man rule the earth (THE TRIBULATION). It will
be a one world government under the control of a very wicked man. Can you think of any signs in our world today that
might point to the fact that we are headed towards a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT? (Think of the areas of
transportation, communication, world wide web, world bank, etc.).

4) PROMISE

As we studied in Chapter 6 of these notes, God gave Abraham and his descendants (the children of Israel) certain
promises. A faithful God will never break these promises.

During the time of tribulation we will see that God is faithful to His Jewish nation. God will deal with the nation Israel in
a very special way, and at the end of the tribulation this nation will end up a WINNER! In Jeremiah 30:7 the tribulation
period is called "the ______________ of __________________ trouble." This will be a very difficult time for the nation
which came from Jacob (the nation Israel). The devil and his ruler will seek to destroy Israel, but God will protect this
nation: "he shall be ___________________ out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7).

In Revelation chapter 12 the nation Israel is described as a "WOMAN" and the devil is pictured as a dreadful
"DRAGON". During the tribulation, who does the "DRAGON" try to persecute (Revelation 12:13)?
_____________________________ Is the dragon successful or does God protect the woman (Revelation 12:14-
17)? _________________________________________________________________

When Jesus Christ came to earth the first time, did the nation Israel receive Him or reject Him (John 1:11)?
_________________________________ At the end of the tribulation, when Jesus Christ will come to the earth the
second time, will Israel turn to Christ and be saved or will the nation reject Christ (see Romans 11:26-27; Zechariah
12:9-11)___________________________________________________________. Throughout the difficult years of
tribulation God will be doing a special work in the hearts of the Jewish people so that when Jesus Christ returns to earth
they will be ready for His coming.

5) THE LAW
The time of tribulation will show man's utter failure to keep God's law. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 the
tribulation will be a time of great INIQUITY or LAWLESSNESS. The ruler of the world is called "that WICKED ONE"
or "that LAWLESS ONE" (2 Thessalonians 2:8). The future ruler of the world will be totally opposed to God's holy
law.

In God's holy law, the first two commandments (see Exodus 20:3-5) make it very clear that nothing should be put in the
place of God and that only God should be worshipped. In God's law men were forbidden to bow down before any idol or
image or statue or false god. The children of Israel broke this law when they made a golden calf and worshipped it
(Exodus 32).

In the tribulation people will be guilty of the greatest act of idolatry that the world has ever known. A mere MAN will
demand to be worshipped as GOD (2 Thessalonians 2:4). There will be an amazing image or statue of this man put in the
Jewish temple (see Revelation 13:14-15). What will happen to those who refuse to bow down to this image (Revelation
13:15)? __________________________________________ Will the great majority of earth dwellers worship this man
(Revelation 13:8)?_________ This will be LAWLESSNESS in its ugliest form.

6) GRACE

The tribulation will be God's judgment on a world that has rejected His grace. The greatest period of GRACE (this
present Church age) will be followed by the greatest time of JUDGMENT (the seven years of tribulation). When men
reject God's grace then there is nothing left but God's judgment. If men reject God's love then they must face God's wrath
and anger.

The book of Revelation teaches us that there will be three series of judgments or plagues that will fall upon the earth:

1. THE SEVEN SEAL JUDGMENTS

Revelation chapter 6 and 8:1

2. THE SEVEN TRUMPET JUDGMENTS

Revelation chapters 8 and 9 and 11:15

3. THE SEVEN VIAL OR BOWL JUDGMENTS

Revelation chapter 16

These terrible judgments remind us of the plagues that God put on the land of Egypt in the days of Moses (Exodus
chapters 6-12). One difference is this: in the days of Moses the plagues came only upon the land of Egypt. During the
time of great trouble (the tribulation) the plagues and judgments will "come upon ________ the ______________ to try
them that dwell upon the earth" (Revelation 3:10). What will these people do when these plagues come down upon
them? Will they wake up and turn to God? Will they repent and turn from their wicked ways (Revelation 9:20-21)?
______
Grace in the Midst of Judgment
Even though this time of tribulation will be a time when God will judge sinful men, it will also be a time when people
will be saved. Even in the midst of judgment, God's grace can be seen. Even at the darkest hour of human history there
will be a ray of light. God will reach down in love and save people by grace.

Read Revelation chapter 7. This chapter tells us about people who will be saved during this time of great trouble. How
many saved Jews will there be (Revelation 7:4)? ___________________________________ In verse 9 we learn about
another group of saved people from every nation. How many were there?
___________________________________________________ Yes, many saved people will come out of great
tribulation (verse 14). During the tribulation, will there be any GOOD NEWS? Will there be any GOSPEL (see Matthew
24:14)? _____ Even an angel will be used to carry this GOOD NEWS to those who dwell on the earth (Revelation 14:6-
7).

7) THE KINGDOM

Note: We will study this final dispensation in Chapter 12 of this study.

The tribulation will come to an end as the KING sets foot on the earth and begins to establish his KINGDOM (Matthew
24:29-30). The time of greatest trouble will be followed by the time of greatest blessing.

Have you ever seen a thunder storm approaching? Everything gets very dark and then the storm begins and the thunder
crashes and the rain pours down. In some cases the storm quickly passes and the sun comes out and everything is quiet
and peaceful. There might even be a rainbow in the sky! This is the way it will be on earth after the stormy time of
tribulation. The sun will come out (see Malachi 4:2). Jesus Christ will return to this earth. It will be a time of peace and
blessing. It will be the most wonderful time the world has ever known. The worst will be followed by the best. GOD'S
KINGDOM IS COMING (see Matthew 6:10).

A Unique Time of Trouble

The time of tribulation will be the darkest hour that the world has ever known. Our world has gone through some terrible
times already. They have been times of terrible wars (including two WORLD WARS), times of terrible disease, times of
terrible persecution and times when wicked men have been on the throne. All of these things, as terrible as they have
been, are nothing compared to what is coming. THE WORST IS YET TO COME! Planet earth has gone through many
whirlwinds of trouble, but a massive TORNADO is on its way!

There are three passages that very clearly teach us that the time of tribulation will be the most difficult time the world
will ever know. Please MATCH:

"there shall be a time of trouble, such as

1._______ never was since there was a nation even A. Jeremiah 30:7
to that same time"

"then shall be great tribulation such as

was not since the beginning of the
2._______ B. Daniel 12:1
world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be"

"for that day is great, so that none is

3._______ like it: it is even the time of Jacob's C. Matthew 24:21
trouble"

It Will Be A Short Time

There is only one good thing about this time of great trouble. IT WILL NOT LAST VERY LONG! The Great
Tribulation that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:21 will only last 3½ years. This will be good news for those people
who will live on earth during this time. God will not make this a long time; He will make it a short time (see Matthew
24:22). Even though it will be a very difficult time to live, the good news is that it will be over soon! It takes a person
longer to go through a four year college program than it will take a person to go through the last half of the tribulation
(3½ years).
The Length of the Tribulation
In Daniel 9:27 the prophet talks about "ONE W________________." He is talking about the one week just before Jesus
Christ returns to this earth. This is a very special week. Usually when we talk about a week we are talking about a time
period that is made up of seven days. But Daniel is not talking about a week of days. He is talking about a week of years.
When Daniel spoke of ONE WEEK he was talking about 7 YEARS. He was talking about the seven years just prior to
the time when Christ returns to earth:

Jesus Christ returns immediately after these seven years are past.

Also in Daniel 9:27 the prophet talks about "the midst of the week." This means "the MIDDLE of the week". Remember,
this week is made up of 7 years. If you put a line right in the middle of this 7 year week then you have divided this week
into two parts with each part having how many years? __________________

The time of Great Tribulation that Jesus spoke of in Mathew 24:21 is the last 3½ years (the last half of this week). This
time of great trouble will take place during the 3½ years before Jesus Christ returns to earth. The Bible uses
different ways to describe this 3½ years period of time:

1) 1,260 DAYS (Revelation 12:6,14).

2) ____________ MONTHS (Revelation 11:2: 13:5).

3) "a time, times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14)

a time = l year times=2 years half a time =half a year
What is the total number of years?_____________________

4) "a short time" (Revelation 12:12).

The Leading Characters

Who are the characters who have leading parts to play in the tribulation drama? They are as follows:

The Man of Sin (also called the BEAST and the ANTICHRIST)
See Revelation 13:1-10; 2 Thessalonians chapter 2

The False Prophet (also called "the second beast")

See Revelation l3:11-l8
 The Dragon (or devil)
See Revelation chapter 12

The God of Judgment

See Revelation chapters 6,8,9,16

The Nation Israel (also called the woman")

See Revelation 12

The Other Nations of the world

See Zechariah 12:9; 14:2

The Coming King

See Revelation chapters 4-5 and 19:11-16

There is one character who will not be found on earth during the tribulation: The Lord's bride, THE CHURCH. God has
promised in Revelation 3:10 to keep the church from this time of tribulation and trouble that will come upon the whole
world. Revelation chapters 4-19 talk about the time of tribulation, but in none of these chapters is the Church mentioned
as being on the earth during this time. In fact, the word "church" is not even found in these chapters. Jesus Christ will
come to take the Church to heaven before the tribulation begins.

Two Illustrations

1) The Illustration of Enoch (Genesis 5:21-24 and Hebrews 11:5).

ENOCH WAS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH BEFORE THE JUDGMENT CAME
(the judgment of the Flood).
Enoch is a picture of believers who will be removed from the earth (raptured--1 Thess.
4:13-18) before judgment falls upon the earth.

2) The Illustration of Noah (Matthew 24:37-41).

NOAH WENT THROUGH THE JUDGMENT (the Flood) AND SURVIVED
Noah is a picture of those who will be saved during the time of tribulation and who will
survive the tribulation and enter into the kingdom (in their natural bodies). Some of
these people are mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 25:34.

Is There Any Hope?

There are some who teach that those who reject Jesus Christ before the rapture will be unable to be saved after the
rapture. They say that those who have heard and rejected the gospel message before the rapture will have no hope of
being saved after the rapture. They base this on the Scripture found in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 and they say that the only
people that can be saved during the tribulation are those who had never heard the gospel before the rapture.

This is not really what these verses mean. The verses in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 are not talking about people who reject
the truth before the rapture. These verses are talking about people who reject the truth during the time of tribulation.
These are people who willfully decide to follow the devil's man (2 Thess. 2:3-9). These are people who reject the truth
and accept the lie (the LIE that this man should be worshipped!). These are people who deliberately choose to take the
mark of the beast and worship this man. If any man does this (see (Revelation 14:9) then what will happen to him
(Revelation 14:10-11)? _________________________________________________________ During the time of
tribulation those who willfully identify with the devil's man are DOOMED and DAMNED (2 Thess. 2:12). These verses
are not talking about people who reject the truth in a day when the issue will be very clear:
 MEN MAY WORSHIP GOD MEN MAY WORSHIP THE DEVIL’ S MAN
OR
(Revelation 14:6-7) (Revelation 14:9-11)

At the same time, we should be very careful to remember the following:

1. It is always very DANGEROUS to reject the truth, no matter when you live.

2. The time to be saved is TODAY, not TOMORROW. If you refuse to be saved today, what makes you think you
will be willing to be saved in the future?

3. If a person refuses to trust Christ today when it may be easy (little or no persecution), why should this person be
willing to trust Christ tomorrow when it will be hard? Believers will be greatly persecuted during the tribulation
and many will lose their lives for their faith. Those who reject the gospel today are in danger of rejecting the
Gospel tomorrow. The person who rejects the gospel before the rapture may be the person who will worship the
man of sin during the tribulation. Those who are unbelievers today will probably be unbelievers tomorrow.

4. We do not want to think that God cannot save even those who at one time strongly rejected the truth. If a person
will turn to God's Son and trust fully in Him and in His Word, he or she can be saved. Remember, God saved
even Saul of Tarsus!

5. Be saved NOW! Remember, this time of tribulation that we have been studying in this chapter could begin in less
than one year from NOW! It could even begin in less than one month from NOW! The RAPTURE could take
place at any time and the tribulation period will shortly follow!

For more information see our study: Can a person who rejects the gospel prior to the rapture be saved during the
tribulation?

If Christ were to come for His believers today (see John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) would He take you with Him or
would He leave you behind? Are you sure that you are saved? Are you sure that you have eternal life? Are you ready to
FACE THE FUTURE? If not, please talk to your Pastor or your Sunday School teacher today. They want to help you.

CHAPTER 12 THE DISPENSATION OF THE KINGDOM

(From the Second Coming of Christ to the New Heaven and New Earth)
In this chapter we shall study the last of the seven dispensations. Jesus once taught His disciples to pray, “THY
______________________ COME" (Matthew 6:10). God’s great Kingdom is coming (Revelation 11:15). The time is
coming when men will do God’s will IN EARTH (see Matthew 6:10). Is this true today? _____ Is God’s will being
done on earth today or are men, for the most part, ignoring God and doing whatever they want to do?
___________________________________________ God’s kingdom is not here yet, but it is coming!

For centuries people have dreamed of a better world. They have longed for the kind of world that is free from war and
crime and hunger and disease. The Bible teaches that a better world is coming. In fact, it is possible that God’s kingdom
on earth may be less than ten years away! [This is not an attempt at date-setting. We are merely stating that this is a
possibility, but it would only be a reality if the rapture were to come in the next year or so. It is also a possibility
that the arrival of the kingdom will be delayed for many more years. God knows the time, not us].

In the last chapter we studied the time of great tribulation which will be the most difficult time of trouble the world has
ever known (Matthew 24:21). Did you know that the worst will be followed by the best? After the difficult tribulation
years Jesus Christ will return to this earth and will establish His Kingdom (Matthew 24:29-30). This will mark the
beginning of a “better world.” It will be a time of blessing and prosperity such as the world has never known since the
fall of man into sin.

1. MAN’S STATE AT THE BEGINNING.

What will the kingdom be like? How will conditions on earth be different from what they are today? What will life be
like in the future kingdom? How can this “better world” be described? Let us consider 10 things that will be true during
the Kingdom:

1) Christ will be King over all the earth.

“And the LORD shall be King over _______ the ______________" (Zechariah 14:9). Jesus Christ will be the President
and sovereign Ruler of the entire world! Who will serve this King (Daniel 7:14)?
__________________________________________________________ According to Isaiah 2:3, what city will be the
capital of Christ’s kingdom? ______________________________ Christ’s government during the Kingdom is
sometimes described as a THEOCRACY (a government RULED BY GOD). The GOD-MAN will be on the
throne. There could not be a more perfect Ruler.

2) Christ will be the perfect Ruler.

Our world has known some very terrible rulers (such as the Pharaoh of the Exodus, Herod the Great, Hitler, Saddam
Hussein and many others). Many have been cruel and ambitious and selfish and unfair. Even the best rulers and
presidents have been far from perfect. During the Kingdom age there will be a PERFECT RULER: “For the LORD is
our _________________ , the LORD is our _______________________, the LORD is our ______________ " (Isaiah
33:22). This verse reminds us of the three branches of America's federal government. The Lord Jesus will be the
perfect Judge (SUPREME COURT), the perfect King (PRESIDENT) and He will make perfect laws (CONGRESS)!
Jesus Christ will be the SUPREME COURT, the CONGRESS and the PRESIDENT all in One Person!

3) Christ will rule in perfect fairness and righteousness.

He will rule and judge the world with R__________________________ (Isaiah 11:4-5). Everything this King will do
and everything this King will say will be fair and just and right! He will do not wrong. He will rule the world without
making any mistakes. Every decision He makes will be right and fair and just.

4) There will be peace on earth.

“He maketh wars to _______________ unto the end of the earth” (Psalm 46:9). Is this true today? ________ According
to Isaiah 2:4, there will be no need for an Army or Navy or Air Force during the Kingdom age. Warfare will be a thing of
the past because the Prince of ____________________ (Isaiah 9:6) will be on the throne.

5) All men will be taught the truth about God.

Today there are hundreds of religions in the world. Men have all different kinds of ideas about who God is and what God
is like. In the Kingdom age things will be much different. Men will have perfect education. The Lord Himself will be
ruling on earth and teaching men the truth about God (Isaiah 2:3). No false religions will be allowed. Only the truth will
be taught. Everyone must worship the King! Will missionaries be needed to tell people that they need to know the Lord
(Jeremiah 31:34)? _____ Will the whole earth know about the Lord (Isaiah 11:9)? ________ Is this true today? _______

6) Satan will not be around to cause trouble.

In Revelation chapter 20 we learn that the kingdom age will last for 1000 years. Write down the verses in this chapter
that mention these 1000 years: ________________________ This is why the Kingdom age is often called the
MILLENNIUM (this word simply means “period of a thousand years”).

Where is the devil during these 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3)?

_______________________________________________________ The devil will be put in “prison” during the entire
millennium! Will 1 Peter 5:8 be true during the kingdom age? _________ Is it true today? ________ Since the days of
Adam and Eve, Satan has been causing trouble on this earth. But during the Kingdom age he will have no more influence
upon the earth. We will study more about this later on in this chapter.

7) The barren lands will become fruitful.

In Isaiah 32:15 we learn that the wilderness (desert) will be a F__________________ F___________. This new look is
also described in Isaiah 35:1-2. For a desert to blossom and bloom, it is necessary to have plenty of water. Will God
provide plenty of water for the deserts (Isaiah 35:6-7)? _______

8) Sickness and disease will be cured.

Sickness and disease are very much a part of our world today. Is the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, able to do something
about the problem of sickness and disease (Matthew 4:23-24)? _________ The person who lives in the Kingdom will not
say, “I am ______________" (Isaiah 33:24). In that day the deaf shall hear and the blind shall see (Isaiah 29:18 and see
also Isaiah 35:5-6). Citizens of the coming Kingdom will enjoy wonderful health.

9) People will live on and on, even for hundreds of years.

Today if you were to meet a man who was a hundred years old, would you call him an old man or a child?
________________________ Isaiah 65:20 describes the Kingdom. This verse speaks of a child who will be 100 years
old! In Isaiah 65:22 we learn that the days of people will be like the days of a TREE. Did you know that many trees live
to be hundreds of years old? People living in the kingdom will live on and on. During the Kingdom age, Jesus Christ will
sometimes punish sinners with the death penalty (see Isaiah 65:20), but if people follow Christ’s laws and do not get in
trouble with the King, then they will live on and on. Most will live through the entire Kingdom age and be older than
Methuselah (see Genesis 5:27)!

10) There will be a change in the nature of animals.

This amazing change is described in Isaiah 11:6-9 and 65:25. Is this true of animals today? ______ Today, what would
happen if you put a wolf and a lamb together? Today, what would happen if you put a poisonous snake and a young child
together? Even the animal kingdom will be changed for the better! Prior to the kingdom age, was there ever a time in
the history of the world where animals were vegetarians, and none of them were flesh-eaters (Genesis 1:30).

*************************

There are certain people today who believe that we are living in the kingdom age today! There are those who say that the
Church is the Kingdom and the Kingdom is the Church. This cannot be so. We have just studied ten things that the Bible
says will be true during the Kingdom age, and NOT ONE OF THESE TEN THINGS IS TRUE TODAY! All of these
things will be literally fulfilled IN THE FUTURE when Jesus Christ is on the throne of this earth.
How does the Kingdom dispensation relate or compare with the other six dispensations which we have already studied?
Consider the following:

1) INNOCENCE
The dispensation of Innocence and the dispensation of the Kingdom are similar in many ways. In both dispensations man
enjoyed a wonderful world and an ideal environment. It must have been delightful to live in Eden before the fall and it
will certainly be a joy to live in the Kingdom. Adam and Eve lived in a wonderful world that was created by God and
unspoiled by sin. Future citizens of the Kingdom will live in a wonderful world that will be ruled by God.

One advantage that Adam and Eve had was that they did not have hearts that were sinful. As we shall see, those living
during the Kingdom age will still have sinful hearts (that is, those in their natural bodies). Future citizens of the Kingdom
will have an advantage over Adam and Eve. This is because they will not have the presence of the devil to influence
them in the wrong way. Satan will not be released from his “prison” until the thousand years are over (Revelation 20:7).
More will be said about this later on in this chapter.

2) CONSCIENCE
During the dispensation of conscience we are told that “the __________________ of man was _____________ in the
earth” (Genesis 6:5). During the Kingdom age the opposite will be true. In that day RIGHTEOUSNESS will be great in
all the earth (Isaiah 11:4-5). Open rebellion and wickedness will not be tolerated by the King. Men may rebel against the
King in their hearts, but they will be very reluctant to do so outwardly.

3) HUMAN GOVERNMENT
During the Kingdom age the world will be under the best government possible. The GOD-MAN will be on the throne.
He is the ideal King and the perfect Ruler. Our world has never known a perfect government. Human rulers have always
failed. Jesus Christ will succeed.

4) PROMISE
God has made many promises to the nation Israel. God’s Word cannot fail and God’s promises cannot be broken. It is
during the Kingdom age that God’s promises to the nation Israel will find their final fulfillment. During the Kingdom the
following will be true:.

Israel will be a great nation (compare Genesis 12:2).

Israel will be under God’s rich blessing (compare Genesis 12:2).
The Jews will be looked up to and respected more than any other people (Zechariah 8:23).
Israel will finally possess the land that God promised to them (Genesis 15:18).
Israel’s capital city will become the capital city of the world (Isaiah 2:1-3).

Another passage which describes how God will bless the nation Israel during the kingdom age is found in Jeremiah
31:31-34 (THE NEW COVENANT).

5) LAW
The Kingdom will not be an age of lawlessness (unlike the tribulation period, see chapter 11). On the contrary, it will be
a day of strict law enforcement. Some of the people living during the Kingdom age will be saved and will have God’s
law written in their H________________ (Jeremiah 31:33). They will have a heart for God and for God’s law, and they
will want to do what is right. Other people will be unsaved. Many of them will outwardly conform to the law because
they will fear the punishment that will be given to lawbreakers. They will fear the King who rules with a rod of
iron. Inwardly their hearts will be in rebellion against the laws of the King, but this rebellion will not express itself
outwardly until the thousand years are over (see Revelation 20:7-9).

6) GRACE
The grace of God will be seen during the Kingdom Age. The King will still bear the marks of His death (Zechariah
12:10; 13:6 and compare John 20:25-27), reminding people of His gracious sacrifice for the sin of mankind. Also there
will once again be animal sacrifices which will serve as a visual reminder of Christ’s death on the cross (Ezekiel 40:39-
43; 43:18-25; etc.). Also the New Covenant is an example of God’s grace at work (see Jeremiah 31:34), as God will
forgive the sins of the Jews according to the riches of His grace. God will also be able to point to members of His Church
as “trophies” of His grace:

“That in the ages to come (including the Kingdom age) He might show the exceeding riches of His
___________________ in His kindness toward _______ (including all those living today who are saved by grace)
through Christ Jesus” (EPHESIANS 2:7)

*******************

In summary, the Kingdom will be a time of ideal conditions on the earth. The world will be free from so many of the
problems that plague our society today, such as war and crime and disease and poverty. The world will be characterized
by RIGHTEOUSNESS. Perfect government will be enjoyed by all. The nation Israel will finally enjoy the blessings
which God had promised long ago. It will be a “better world” in so many ways!

Only Saved People Will Enter the Kingdom

When the thousand year Kingdom begins, only saved people will be allowed to enter the Kingdom. Jesus will say to
these saved people, “C___________ , ye blessed of my Father, inherit the ____________________ prepared for
_______ from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). What will happen to unsaved people (Matthew 25:41)?
____________________________________________________

We learn the same thing in Matthew 13:41-42. These verses tell us that all the wicked people will be removed from the
earth and cast into a furnace of fire. Who will remain on the earth to be part of the Kingdom--the righteous people or the
unrighteous people (Matthew 13:43)? _________________________________ According to Matthew 13:49-50 the
angels will separate the wicked from among the just (righteous people) and the wicked will be cast into the
________________________ of fire.

These verses teach us that when the kingdom begins, every person on earth is a saved person. The wicked (unsaved) are
removed but the righteous (saved) remain. At that time every person on earth will be able to say, “I HAVE TRUSTED
JESUS CHRIST TO BE MY SAVIOUR AND MY KING!”

2. MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY

During the Kingdom age countless numbers of children will be born. One thousand years is plenty of time for thousands
and thousands of people to be born and to grow up into adults. Today many babies die because of sickness or hunger, but
this will not be true during the Kingdom. Healthy babies will be born all over the world and these babies will grow up
into adults.

As we have seen, the first babies that are born will have saved parents. Does having saved parents automatically make
the baby saved? ______ Today if a person has Christian parents, does this mean that he becomes a Christian at birth?
________ Salvation is not something that parents can give (pass on) to their children through birth (John 1:13). Parents
can teach their children about salvation but each child must believe on Christ for himself. Parents may have faith in
Christ but they cannot pass on their faith to their offspring. [Someone has said, "God has many children but no
grandchildren."]
Salvation is not given (passed on) from parents to children, but there is something that is given (passed on) from parents
to children: SINFULNESS! Even though parents might be saved, they still have sinful natures which they pass on to
their children. David understood this when he said, “Behold, I was shapen in _____________________ ; and in _______
did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). Every child that has ever been born (except Jesus Christ) has received a
wicked end sinful nature from Adam. People are not born saved. People are born in sin. Those who will be born in the
kingdom will be born with wicked, sinful hearts.

What must a person do to be saved (Acts 16:30-31)?

___________________________________________________________________ Children born in the kingdom have a
RESPONSIBILITY to believe on Jesus Christ. They have a RESPONSIBILITY to trust the King and allow the King to
rule in their heart. Some of these children will believe on Christ but many others will not. Outwardly they will obey the
King and follow His rules, but inwardly they will be against the King (compare Mark 7:6). These unsaved people may
bend down on their knees before the King but in their heart they are still standing up. Children sometimes do this with
their parents. Outwardly they do what Mom and Dad say because they fear the punishment that will come if they do not
obey. Inwardly they are angry at their parents. Has this ever happened to you? Is God concerned just with our outward
actions or is He also concerned with our inner heart attitude (Psalm
51:6)? _____________________________________________________

Even during the Kingdom age God will have enemies on earth. Even though these enemies do not want to, they will
submit to the King and obey Him. They will be afraid to disobey Him because of His power and greatness. They will
pretend to honor Him and serve Him and they will do what the King says even though in their hearts they are His
enemies!

3. MAN’S FAILURE

Even during the Kingdom age there will be some people who will outwardly do what is wrong. Will the King bring swift
punishment to such people (Isaiah 65:20)? ___________ What will the King do to those people who refuse to worship
Him at Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:16-17)? _________________________________________ During the Kingdom age it
will not pay to disobey.

The greatest failure is seen by what happens after the thousand years are over. At the end of the thousand years, what
does God do to Satan (Rev.20:7)? __________________________________________________________ Will
people follow Satan (Revelation 20:8)?_______ How many people will follow Satan in this great final rebellion? Is it
possible for a person to count the number of grains of sand at the seashore? _________ Is it possible for a person to
count all the people who will follow Satan at the end of these thousand years (Revelation 20:8)? ________ When Satan
is released from his “prison” he finds men’s hearts as prone to evil as ever (“prone” means leaning toward, having a
natural bent toward, inclined to”). He easily gathers the nations together to battle against the King!

Remember, these people had years of opportunity to put their trust in Jesus Christ the King. They never did this. At the
end of the thousand years they proved how sinful their hearts really were! The rebellion that was on the inside was
allowed to come to the outside so that it could be clearly seen! Man’s sinful heart was fully EXPOSED and brought to
light!

4. GOD’S JUDGMENT

What will happen to these people who follow the devil (Revelation
20:9)? __________________________________________________________________________
Will God have a difficult time bringing an end to this rebellion? _______ It never pays to rebel against God. What will
happen to the devil who will deceive these people (Revelation 20:10)?
_______________________________________________________________ The devil, at that time, will enter his
eternal home (compare Matthew 25:41). The next events that will take place are these:
 1. THE FIRE JUDGMENT -- The old heaven and earth will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10-13 and compare
Revelation 20:11).

2. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT--This is where unbelievers of every dispensation will be raised
up to stand before the God whom they have rejected (Revelation 20:11-15). More will be said about this in the
next chapter.

3. THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH--This is where our study of the dispensations ends because we pass out of
TIME into ETERNITY (Revelation chapters 21-22).

Important Lessons To Learn

1. Man has no one to blame for his problems except himself !
Man has always tried to blame someone else or something else for his problems. Did Eve put the blame on someone else
(Genesis 3:13)? ________ Did Adam put the blame on someone else (Genesis 3:11-12)? ________ Men have been
shifting the blame ever since.

The Kingdom age proves that man cannot blame anyone but himself. Often men try to blame society for their problems:
“All you need to do is to eliminate poverty, build better homes, rid the world of sickness, remove crime from our streets,
etc., and if we do these things all our problems will be solved. If we could only have a perfect environment to live in, this
would be the answer! Man is basically good but it is our bad society that makes man so bad.” Can man blame society
during the kingdom age? _________

Man will not be able to blame the government because there will be a perfect government. He will not be able to blame
poor education because the world will have the best education possible. He will not be able to blame his problems on
ignorance because the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (Isaiah 11:9). He will not even be able
to blame Satan, because during the thousand years Satan will have no influence over the earth, and yet men still will
refuse to be saved!

The Kingdom age demonstrates that man can point the finger of blame only at Himself! HE AND HE ALONE IS TO
BLAME!
2. Man’s basic problem is sin.
The Kingdom age will demonstrate the truth of Jeremiah 17:9--“The heart is ____________________ above all things
and desperately ________________ (incurably sick).” Man has a heart problem!

As we study the Kingdom age we learn that the best conditions in the world do not change the heart of man. A man can
be fed, clothed, cured of all disease, put in a nice home, given an excellent education and placed in an ideal society, but
this does not change his heart ! Only Jesus Christ can change the heart of man. The Kingdom dispensation demonstrates
what every other dispensation has demonstrated: MAN’S BASIC PROBLEM IS SIN and until sin is dealt with a
person’s problems remain. If Christ Jesus is received as Saviour and Lord and if He is given control of the heart, then
external problems and conditions will not be in the way of enjoying the living God.

IF THE HEART IS NOT RIGHT BEFORE GOD, THE BEST CONDITIONS

IN THE WORLD WILL NOT DO ANY GOOD.

IF THE HEART IS RIGHT

BEFORE GOD, THE WORST CONDITIONS IN THE WORLD WILL NOT DO ANY HARM .

THE HEART OF THE MATTER IS THE MATTER OF THE HEART.

3. Jesus Christ is the only Saviour!
The Kingdom age will be the grand demonstration that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour. Society is not the Saviour. Good
government is not the Saviour. Perfect environment is not the Saviour. Education is not the Saviour. All of these things
are good, but none of these things is the real answer to the need of the human heart. The people who will take part in the
final rebellion (Rev. 20:7-9) will have all of these things but they will not have the most important thing: a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ.

SIN IS THE PROBLEM. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY SOLUTION!

LIFE IS SHORT. DEATH IS SURE. SIN THE CAUSE. CHRIST THE CURE!
Have you let the only Saviour do a saving work in your heart?

Supplemental Material on the Kingdom

"There be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till
they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom" (Matthew
16:28).

When was this literally fulfilled?

There are many today who wrongly believe that most of the prophecies of the Bible were fulfilled in our around 70 A.D.
with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. They look upon prophecy as something that is already fulfilled, not as
something that is yet future. They especially do this when it concerns prophecies pertaining to the second coming of
Christ. Theologically, these people are known as preterists.

The above passage of Scripture (Matthew 16:28) refers to Christ coming in His kingdom. Preterists believe that these
words of Jesus were fulfilled in 70 A.D. That Jesus did not come in His kingdom in 70 A.D. is demonstrated by the
following:

There are at least ten things that must take place at or around when Christ comes in His kingdom. Consider the following:

1. When Christ comes in His kingdom, He will return to earth and be seen by every eye (Matthew 24:25-30
and Revelation 1:7).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. In 70 A.D. Christ was not seen by anyone.

2. When Christ comes in His kingdom, the Jewish people will be regathered from every country on earth
and brought into their promised land (Matthew 24:31; Jeremiah 16:14-15; Isaiah 43:5-7; Jeremiah 23:7-8;
Jeremiah 31:7-10; Ezekiel 11:14-18; Ezekiel 36:24).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. Instead of being regathered, the Jews were killed and scattered.

3. When Christ comes in His kingdom, there will be no wars on earth (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3; Psalm 46:9;
Zech. 9:10).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. In 70 A.D. it was a time of fierce warfare executed by the powerful Roman army.
4. When Christ comes in His kingdom, the kingdom will be restored to Israel (Acts 1:6) and the Messiah
will sit on the throne of David which will be located in Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 17:25; 23:5-6; 33:15;
Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:11-15; Luke 1:32-33).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. In 70 A.D. In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple destroyed and no King
from the line of David was reigning on the throne!

5. When Christ comes in His kingdom it will be a time of great deliverance and great blessing for the Jewish
people (Jeremiah 30:7-9; Ezekiel 34:25-31).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. which was a time of great judgment upon the Jewish people who decades earlier had
crucified their Messiah and rejected Him (although some Jews did believe on Him).

6. When Christ comes in His kingdom, God's sanctuary (His temple) will be in the midst of His people
(Ezekiel 37:26-28; Ezekiel 40:5-43:27).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. because it was then that the Jewish temple was destroyed resulting in the Jews having
no temple at all.

7. When Christ comes in His kingdom, there will be a priesthood operating in the temple and animal
sacrifices will be offered (Ezekiel 44:1-46:24).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. because when the Romans destroyed the temple they put an end to a functioning
priesthood and they put an end to animal sacrifices.

8. When Christ comes in His kingdom, "the Jews will possess and settle in all of the promised land, and it
will again be subdivided into the twelve tribal divisions. But these tribal divisions will be different than those
describes in the book of Joshua" (Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Footprints of the Messiah, p. 328). The
description of the location of all of the 12 tribes during the kingdom is described in Ezekiel 47:13-
48:29. Seven tribes will be situated to the north of the temple (Ezekiel 48:1-7) and five tribes will be situated
to the south of the temple (Ezekiel 48:23-29).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. After the Roman destruction of Jerusalem the surviving Jews were scattered throughout
the world until the 20th century when a small remnant returned to the land of Israel and a Jewish state was established.

9. When Christ comes in His kingdom, there will be a message of good news that will be declared to
Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:7-10). This message involves the following elements: 1) The good news of peace; 2)
The good news that Messiah will reign in Zion; 3) The good news that God has comforted His people; 4)
The good news that God has redeemed Jerusalem.

This did not take place in 70 A.D. In 70 A.D. there was only bad news for the Jewish people. It was the bad news of
judgment and destruction and ruin and death.

10. When Christ comes in His kingdom there will be joy and gladness (Isaiah chapter 35). This joy and
gladness will result from the following conditions: 1) the desert will become fertile (verses1-2,6-7); 2)
Messiah will come to deliver Israel (v.3-4); 3) Those who are lame or blind or deaf will be healed (v.5-
6); 4) Wild vicious animals will no longer be a problem (v.9); 5) It will be a time of great rejoicing (v.10).

This did not take place in 70 A.D. In 70 A.D. the Jews who were fortunate enough to survive the Roman invasion did not
have joy and gladness, but only sorrow and sighing (compare Isaiah 35:10).
 * * * * * * * * * *
It is important to see when Matthew 16:28 was literally fulfilled. To find a literal fulfillment we need only look to the next
chapter (Matthew 17), where we find that the "some standing here" refers to Peter, James and John and "seeing the Son of
man coming in His kingdom" refers to the transfiguration. This is confirmed by 2 Peter 1:16-18 where the transfiguration
is said to be "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The transfiguration was a marvelous preview of the Lord's
future coming in His kingdom majesty.

CHAPTER 13
DISCERNING AND DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN...
THE TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST
THE FIVE JUDGMENTS and
THE TWO RESURRECTIONS
There are many things in life that need to be distinguished. Certain differences must be recognized and understood. For
example, snakes are snakes, but most people would want to distinguish between a harmless garter snake and a deadly
rattlesnake. Mushrooms are mushrooms, but those who gather mushrooms for eating must make a difference between the
kinds that are edible (fit to be eaten) and the kinds that are not edible and even poisonous.

Our country has fought in different wars. The student of history must learn to distinguish between these different wars.
The history student who confuses these wars and gets them all mixed up in his mind will not do very well when he is
tested. These wars took place at different times. These wars were fought at different locations. There were wars that were
fought on native soil here in America and there were wars that were fought on foreign soil. The enemies that we have
fought against have been different. In one war we fought against the British. In a more recent war we fought against
Japan and Germany. The more a person knows about these different wars the better he will be able to distinguish
between them and not get confused.

Many people get confused as they study the Bible. One of the reasons for this is that they fail to distinguish between
things that are different. In this chapter we want to take a look at three important topics which people have often been
confused about. God does not want us to be confused (compare 1 Corinthians 14:33 which says "God is not the author of
_____________________"). The Bible was given not to confuse but to shed clear light on these subjects (just as a good
history book should shed clear light on the different wars that our nation has fought in). Let us go to God's Word and
carefully consider these three important topics:
1. THE TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST
Nearly two thousand years ago Jesus Christ came to this earth. He was born of the virgin Mary; He lived a sinless life;
He died on the cross for our sins; He came forth from the tomb in victory; and He ascended up into heaven from whence
He had come. On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus said these words: "I WILL COME ______________"
(John 14:3). He came ONCE, but He promised to come AGAIN. He came ONCE, but He promised to come A SECOND
TIME. The Bible clearly teaches that there are TWO COMINGS of Christ. The FIRST COMING is history; it has
already happened. The SECOND COMING is future; it has not yet happened. Today we are living IN BETWEEN two
great events: the two comings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ came to earth the first time, died on the cross, rose again, and then 40 days after His resurrection what
happened to the Lord (Acts 1:9)? ____________________________________________________ This event marked
the end of our Lord's first coming as He returned back to heaven. Two angels then appeared and what important message
did they announce to the disciples (Acts 1:10-11)?
______________________________________________________________________________ JESUS IS COMING
AGAIN! He came the first time and He will come a second time!

HOW DID JESUS GO? HOW WILL JESUS

(Acts 1:9-11) COME?
He went up! He will come down!

He left earth to go to heaven He will leave heaven to come to earth.

He left from the earth. He will come down to the earth.

He left in a cloud (Acts 1:9). He will return in the clouds (Matthew

24:30; Revelation 1:7).

He left in a real body (a resurrection He will return in a real body.

body).

When He left people saw Him (Acts When He comes people will see Him
1:9). (Revelation 1:7).

It was JESUS CHRIST who went up It will be this "SAME JESUS" who will
into heaven. come again (Acts 1:11). The same
Person who left will be the same
Person who will return!

Prophecies Concerning the Coming Messiah

Those living today can look back to the first coming of Christ and they can look ahead to the second coming of Christ:

Suppose you lived in the days of Abraham or Moses or David or Isaiah. These men lived even before Christ came to
earth the first time. They could not look back at Christ's coming because the Lord had not yet come. They had to look
ahead. They knew that the Messiah would someday come, but they did not understand that there would be two separate
comings.
The Old Testament had much to say about the coming of the Messiah. Old Testament believers knew that the Messiah
(the Christ) would someday come into the world. Some of the Old Testament passages described the Messiah as a
glorious King who would rule over all the world. There were other Old Testament passages that described the Messiah as
One who would suffer and die. A person could get confused and think that these Old Testament passages were
describing two different Persons.

The following is written by a Jewish man, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, who also is a believer in Jesus as the Messiah:

Anyone who sets himself to the task of seeking to know what the Old Testament has to say about
the coming of the Messiah soon finds himself involved with a seeming paradox. At times one
even seems to be faced with an outright contradiction. For the Jewish prophets gave a two-fold
picture of the Messiah who was to come.

On the one hand, the inquirer will find numerous predictions regarding the Messiah which
portray him as one who is going to suffer humiliation, physical harm, and finally death in a
violent manner. This death was stated by the Jewish prophets to be a substitutionary death for the
sins of the Jewish people. On the other hand, he will find that the Jewish prophets also spoke of
the Messiah coming as a conquering King who will destroy the enemies of Israel and set up the
messianic kingdom of peace and prosperity.

This is the two-fold picture the Jewish prophets gave of the Messiah. For centuries past, during
the formulation of the Talmud, our rabbis made serious studies of messianic prophecies. They
came up with this conclusion: the prophets spoke of two different Messiahs.

The Messiah who was to come, suffer and die was termed Messiah, the Son of Joseph (Mashiach
ben Yoseph). The second Messiah who would then come following the first was termed Messiah,
the Son of David (Mashiach ben David). This one would raise the first Messiah back to life, and
establish the Messianic kingdom of peace on earth. That the Old Testament presents these two
lines of Messianic prophecy was something that all the early rabbis recognized. The Old
Testament never clearly states that there will be two Messiahs. In fact, many of the paradoxical
descriptions are found side by side in the same passages, in which it seems that only one person
is meant. But for the early rabbis the two-Messiah theory seemed to be the best answer.

Jesus Was A Jew, pages 23-24

The real solution is not to have two Messiahs, but to have TWO COMINGS of the one Messiah: 1) His first coming
where he would suffer and die; 2) His second coming where he would conquer and rule and reign.

Look at the following Old Testament verses which describe the coming Messiah. In front of each description, put either
the letters SM (the Suffering Messiah) or the letter GK (the Glorious King):
 1. _______ "his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel
7:14)

2. _______ "of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom" (Isaiah 9:7).

3. _______ "they pierced my hands and my feet" (Psalm 22:16)

4. _______ "Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty....the LORD is our
King" (Isaiah 33:17,22)

"His visage (face) was so marred more than any man" (Isaiah
5. _______
52:14).

6. _______ "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and

acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).

7. _______ "a King shall reign and prosper" (Jeremiah 23:5)

"and after threescore and two weeks shall MESSIAH BE CUT OFF"
8. _______
(Daniel 9:26).

9. _______ "because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was
numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many"
(Isaiah 53:12).

10. ______ "Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm
shall rule for Him and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and
all flesh shall see it together" (Isaiah 40:10,5).

If you look at two mountain peaks from a distance, it may appear that there is only one mountain. From your vantage
point, it may be difficult to distinguish that there are really two mountains with a valley in between. The Old Testament
believer had difficulty distinguishing two separate comings of the Messiah. To him the coming of the Messiah looked
like one mountain peak in the distance. He did not realize that there were actually two mountain peaks with a valley of
about 2000 years in between.

Read the following passages of Scripture. Underline that which belongs with Christ's first coming and circle that which
belongs with Christ's second coming (the first one is done for you):

1. Micah 5:2

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
2. Isaiah 9:6-7

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his
government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.

3. Isaiah 61:1-2 (compare Luke 4:18-19).

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he
hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that
are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God.

4. Zechariah 9:9-10 (compare Matthew 21:1-7).

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and
having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from
Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen:
and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

5. Isaiah 40:3-5 (compare Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3).

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway
for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be
made straight and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together:
for the mouth of the LORD bath spoken it.

6. Malachi 3:1-2; 4:5 (compare Mark 1:2 and Matthew 17:3,10-13).

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of
hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming?...Behold, I will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the LORD.

7. Luke 1:31-33.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he
shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
_______________________________________________________________

Did you have difficulty with some of these? An Old Testament believer reading these verses would find them even more
difficult to understand. He knew that the Messiah would come but he did not understand that there would be two
separate comings.

As we read the New Testament it is much easier to distinguish between the two comings of Christ. Look up and read the
following verses. If the verse is describing the 1st Coming of Christ, write the Number 1; if the verse is describing the
2nd Coming of Christ, write the Number 2.

1. _____1 Timothy 1:15 11. _____ James 5:8

2. _____ John 3:17 12. _____ 2 Peter 3:4
3. _____ John 14:3 13. _____ John 12:47
4. _____ Matthew 16:27 14. _____ John 18:37
 5. _____ Luke 19:10 15. _____ Revelation 22:20
6. _____ Matthew 24:30 16. _____ John 1:14
7. _____ 1 John 4:2; 5:20 17. _____ Titus 2:13
8. _____ Acts 1:11 18. _____ Galatians 4:4
9. _____ Revelation 19:11-16 19. _____ Revelation 19:11-16
10._____ John 10:10 20. _____ John 6:38,41,42,51

According to these verses, why did Christ come the first time? Why will Christ come the second time?

The following chart distinguishes between the two comings of Christ:

THE FIRST COMING OF THE SECOND COMING

CHRIST OF CHRIST

The Cross The Crown

Christ came to die. Christ will come to rule and reign.

The first coming of Christ is a matter of The second coming of Christ is a matter
HISTORY. of PROPHECY.

It has already happened! God's Word tells us that it will happen!

It took place in the PAST. It will take place in the FUTURE.

Christ HAS COME (1 John 4:2). Christ WILL COME (Acts 1:11).

Christ came to be the SAVIOUR OF Christ will come to be the KING OF

SINNERS (Matthew 1:21). _______________ (Revelation 19:16).

Christ came to be man’s SAVIOUR Christ will come to be man’s JUDGE

(John 3:17). (Jude 14-15).

Which will it be for you? If you do not receive Jesus Christ as your
Saviour, then someday you must face Him as your Judge.
Christ came to earth as a newborn baby Christ will come to earth as a
(Luke 2:7). conquering Warrior (Revelation 19:11-
16).

Christ came with meekness riding on a Christ will come with power riding on a
donkey (Matthew 21:1-5). white horse (Revelation 19:11-16).

Christ came to bring peace to the Christ will come to bring peace to the
human heart (Ephesians 2:13-19; entire world (Isaiah 9:6-7; Zechariah
Romans 5:1). 9:10).
 When Christ came the first time the When Christ comes the second time the
government was in the hands of men government will be in His hands upon
(Herod the Great, the Romans, etc.) His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Christ was killed by His enemies Christ will kill His enemies (2 Thess.
(Matthew 27:20-25). 1:7-10; Rev. 19:21).

When Christ came the first time He was When Christ comes the second time He
rejected by the Jewish people (John will be received by the Jewish people
1:11). They crucified their Messiah. (Zechariah 12:10-11; Romans 11:25-28;
Matthew 23:39).

What have you done with the One who came to save you about 2000 years
ago? What have you done with Him (see John 3:18; 3:36)? He came to save (1
Timothy 1:15). Has He saved you (Acts 16:30-31)? Are You a True Believer?

Jesus Will Come Before and After the Tribulation

There is something else that we need to carefully distinguish. The Second Coming of Christ is actually made up of two
parts or two phases. The first phase of the second coming is called the RAPTURE (for a detailed study on the rapture see
the study entitled, Will The Church Go Through The Tribulation?). The second phase of the second coming takes place
about seven years later. We may call this the Lord's second coming to earth. Consider the following diagram:

The following comparative study distinguishes between the two phases of the second coming of Christ:

A Comparison Between the Rapture (Pre-tribulational Coming) and the

Second Advent (Post-tribulational Coming)
1. TIME

A. RAPTURE--before the tribulation (Revelation 3:10). The church will be kept out of that hour or time of testing
which will come upon the whole world. See our booklet, Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation?

B. SECOND ADVENT--after the tribulation (Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 19:11-16).

2. QUICKNESS

A. RAPTURE--in a "moment" (Greek-"atom," a split-second, literally "uncut, indivisible," we divide and cut time
into years and months and days and hours and minutes and seconds, but the smallest measure of time is an
"atom" of time which we might call a split-second), in the blinking on an eye (1 Cor. 15:52). It is very sudden. It
will happen before people will realize it is happening (even as it was with Enoch, see Genesis 5:24; Hebrews
11:5). An example of a man being raptured away suddenly so as to be seen no more is found in Acts 8:39 (where
the Greek word for rapture, harpazo, is used).
 B. SECOND ADVENT--slow enough for people to realize and see what is happening (Matthew 24:27; Rev. 1:7;
Psalm 2:2; Rev. 19:19). The second coming of Christ to the earth will be visible and obvious to all. No one will
miss it.

3. DATE (THE DAY ON WHICH IT WILL TAKE PLACE)

A. RAPTURE--UNKNOWN DAY. The Lord Jesus will surely come for His Church (John 14:3) but we do not
know when (compare 1 John 2:28 and 3:2 where the subjunctive mood is used indicating that while the fact of
His coming is sure, the time of His coming is unsure). The rapture is imminent which means that He may come at
any time.

B. SECOND ADVENT--KNOWN DAY. The date of the second coming can be calculated to the very day. It will
occur 2520 days (7 years, or 84 months, each month made up of 30 days) from the time that Antichrist makes a
treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27) and it will occur 1260 days (3½ years) from the time of the abomination of
desolation (Matt. 24:15). See Revelation 11:2,3; 12:6,14; 13:5; 2 Thess. 2:8 (Antichrist destroyed at 2nd coming).
Of course, this "known day" cannot be known or calculated by anyone until the treaty is signed (Dan. 9:27).

4. PRECEDING SIGNS

A. RAPTURE--NONE (Tit. 2:13; Rev. 22:20; etc.). He may come for His Church at any time and nothing needs to
be fulfilled before He comes. The only thing we are waiting for is the completion of the church (Matt. 16:18;
Rom. 11:25), and only God knows when this will be.

B. SECOND ADVENT--MANY (Matthew 24:3-28). There is much that must be fulfilled before Christ returns to
the earth (such as all the events in Revelation 6-18 and in Matthew 24).

ILLUSTRATION: The rapture can be likened to Thanksgiving (a holiday without signs) and the second advent can be
likened to Christmas (which is preceded by all kinds of signs). When you see the signs of Christmas (decorations, lights,
trees, etc.) then you can be sure that Thanksgiving will take place at any time. If Christmas is near then Thanksgiving
must be even nearer!

5. VISIBILITY

A. RAPTURE--Christ seen only by the church (1 Thess. 4:17; 1 John 3:2).

B. SECOND ADVENT--Christ seen by every eye (Rev. 1:7; Matthew 24:24-27).

6. LOCATION

A. RAPTURE--in the air (1 Thess. 4:17).

B. SECOND ADVENT--on the earth (Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:11).

7. ASSOCIATED JUDGMENT

A. RAPTURE--the judgment seat of Christ (2 Tim. 4:1,8; 1 Pet. 1:7).

B. SECOND ADVENT--destruction of the wicked armies (Rev. 19:17-19) and the judgment of living nations
(Matthew 25:31-46).

8. IDENTITY OF THOSE REMOVED FROM THE EARTH AND THOSE REMAINING ON THE EARTH

A. RAPTURE--Believers are removed; unbelievers remain (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; John 14:3).
 B. SECOND ADVENT--Unbelievers are removed; believers remain (Matthew 24:37-41 and Luke 17:34-37). See
Matthew 24:38 where the unbelieving world in Noah's day was taken away in judgment.

9. PURPOSE OF CHRIST'S COMING

A. RAPTURE--to receive His bride (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:17).

B. SECOND ADVENT--to receive His kingdom (Luke 19:22; Rev. chapters 19-20)

10. THE BODIES OF LIVING BELIEVERS

A. RAPTURE--church age believers are raised (those who have died) and are translated and "changed" (those who
are living) with the result that they have immortal, resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15:52-53; 1 Thess. 4:17).

B. SECOND ADVENT--believers who survive the tribulation enter the kingdom in natural bodies (Matthew
25:23), and these believers will eventually bear children and re-populate the earth.

For these many reasons, it is necessary to distinguish two phases of our Lord's second coming: 1) THE FIRST
PHASE involving the Lord's coming for His church and taking His believers to heaven (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:13-
18); 2) THE SECOND PHASE, taking place about 7 years later, involving the Lord's coming to earth as the
world's Judge and conquering King (Rev. 19:11-21).

The Lord's Second Coming to Earth will be Public and Spectacular

In Matthew 24:26 "desert" signifies a remote place. You will not find the true Messiah out there in some remote
place. If someone claims that the true Messiah is located in some remote place, don’t be deceived. Or, if they claim
that He is to be found in secret chambers or in a private room, don’t believe them. The Greek term "private room" is
also found in Matthew 6:6 where the Lord was recommending private prayer, rather than public prayer for the purpose
of being seen by men. The Lord’s coming will not be a private affair, known by only a few people. You will not find
Him in some secret location. On the contrary, His coming will be a public affair, known by everyone. "Every eye will
see Him" (Rev. 1:7). The world will not miss this event. No one will say, "I wonder if the Lord has come back to
earth?" It will be clear and obvious to all. His coming will not be obscure in any way.

Matthew 24:27 cements the point further by using the illustration of a huge lightning storm, one that lights up the
entire sky. A lightning storm is very public, very dramatic, very noisy, very spectacular, very hard to miss. The whole
sky lights up. So also the Lord Jesus will come in power and great glory and there will be no mistaking His return.
The whole world will witness this spectacular event.

2. THE FIVE JUDGMENTS

There are many who believe that there will be one GENERAL JUDGMENT. They would describe this as a great event
taking place at the end of the world, when all human beings--saints and sinners, Jews and Gentiles, the living and the
dead--shall stand before God and be judged. This is not what the Bible teaches. As the Scriptures are carefully studied
the believer learns to distinguish between several different judgments. These judgments are different from each other.
They differ with respect to the subjects (those being judged), the place, the time and the result.

We are now ready to consider five of the important judgments that are mentioned in the Bible. These are not the only
judgments mentioned in the Bible, but these five need to be carefully understood and distinguished:
1. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CROSS
God is holy and God must punish sin and judge sin. The Bible tells us the good news that "Christ died for ________
sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3). This means that Christ was punished instead of us! As a guilty sinner, I am the one who
deserves God's judgment, but God's judgment fell upon my Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. I am the one who deserves
the death penalty. I'm the one who should have hung on a cross for my crimes, but my Saviour died for in my
place. "Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

1) Who is the Judge?

The Holy God, the Judge of all the earth (Psalm 22:1,3; Isaiah 53:6,10).

2) Who is the Subject? Who is being judged?

The Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18).

3) Where does the judgment take place?

At the cross (1 Peter 2:24).

4) When did this judgment take place?

About 30 A.D., on the day that Christ died.

5) The result:

Death for Jesus Christ (Romans 5:6,8) but eternal life for the believer (Romans 6:23). Since the judgment fell on Christ,
the believer will never be judged or condemned because of his sin (Romans 8:1; John 5:24).

6) Key passages:

Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 3:18 and many others.

2. THE SELF JUDGMENT OF BELIEVERS.

This judgment is described in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32: "For if we would _______________ ____________________, we

should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are C___________________ of the Lord, that we should not be
C________________ with the world." God wants believers to deal with sin in the right way. When there is sin in my life
I should not ignore it or pretend that it is not very serious or try to cover it over. Sin is something that should be
acknowledged and confessed and made known to God. I should JUDGE MYSELF: "Lord, I'm guilty! I have sinned
against You and I have done wrong. Thank You that Jesus died for me and thank You for forgiving me!"

1) Who is the Judge?

The believer (1 Corinthians 11:28,31; 1 John 1:9).

2) Who is the subject? Who is being judged?

The believer. He is judging himself (1 Corinthians 11:31).

3) Where does the judgment take place?

Anywhere. Any place where the believer is.

4) When does the judgment take place?

At any time throughout the Christian life (compare Psalm 139:23-24).

5) The result:

For the believer who fails to judge himself: CHASTISEMENT (1 Corinthians 11:32). For the believer who does judge
himself: FORGIVENESS (1 John 1:9).

6) Key passages:

1 Corinthians 11:28-32; 1 John 1:5-10.

3. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.

This judgment involves believers. This judgment has nothing to do with the believer's salvation because this has already
been settled when the believer was saved. The issue involved in this judgment will be the BELIEVER'S WORKS: "For
we (believers) must all appear before the ___________________ seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things
done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). This judgment has
nothing to do with how a person lived during his unsaved days but it has everything to do with how a person has lived
since he was saved (during his entire Christian life).

1) Who is the Judge?

The Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10).

2) Who are the subjects? Who will be judged?

Believers only---those who are members of Christ's body, which is the Church. It is clear from the context of 2
Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10 that Paul is talking about believers, not unbelievers.

3) Where does the judgment take place?

In the presence of the Lord (in heaven). See the next point.

4) When does the judgment take place?

Immediately following the rapture (1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Tim.4:8; Rev.22:12).

5) The result:

Faithful believers shall receive a reward (1 Corinthians 3:14). Unfaithful believers shall suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:15),
but "he himself shall be _________________" (1 Corinthians 3:15). He will suffer loss of reward but not loss of
salvation.
6) Key Passages:

2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Cor.3:11-l5; 4:4-5; 2 Timothy 4:8.

4. THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS.

This important judgment is often confused with the Great White Throne Judgment (which we will study under the next
point). These two judgments are not the same as we shall soon learn:

1) Who is the Judge?

The Son of ________ (Matthew 25:31, the great MESSIAH-KING!)

2) Who are the subjects? Who will be judged?

"All the _________________" (Matthew 25:32). These will be Gentiles who will be living on earth at the time of the
second coming of Christ (those whom Christ will not destroy at His coming).

3) Where does this judgment take place?

On the earth, because Christ has just returned to the earth (Matthew 25:31), and these Gentiles are those who have
survived the great tribulation and are still alive on the earth.

4) When does the judgment take place?

"When the ________ of man shall _____________ in his glory" (Matthew 25:31). This coming is also described in
Matthew 24:30.

5) The result:

The sheep (saved) enter the kingdom (Matthew 25:34) and the goats (unsaved) are eternally punished in fire (Matthew
25:41,46).

6) Key Passages:

Matthew 25:31-46 and Joel 3:1,2,13-14.

5. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT.

This is the great final judgment for all the unsaved people who have ever lived. It is described in Revelation 20:11-15. In
2 Peter 3:7 it is called "the day of ____________________ and perdition of ______________ men." As you study the
following six points you will see that it is different from the judgment described in Matthew 25:31-46 (the Judgment of
the Nations):

1) Who is the Judge?

God (Revelation 20:12). John 5:22,27 further identifies this Judge as God the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ).

2) Who are the subjects? Who will be judged?

THE DEAD, small and great (Revelation 20:12). These are people who have never received Christ as Saviour. They are
lifeless because they do not have God's precious gift of eternal life (1 John 5:11-12).
3) Where does this judgment take place?

Not on the earth, because "the earth and heaven ____________ away and there was found no place for them"
(Revelation 20:11 and compare 2 Peter 3:7-12). It takes place before God's great white throne.

4) When does this judgment take place?

Read Revelation 20:1-10. This judgment takes place after the thousand year kingdom, after the final rebellion (verses 7-
9) and after Satan has been cast into the lake of fire. Note: The Judgment of the Nations will take place before the
thousand year kingdom.

5) The result:

The dead were cast into the lake of _____________ (Revelation 20:15).

6) Key passage:

Revelation 20:11-15 (and compare 2 Peter chapter 3).

Other judgments that are mentioned in the Bible include the Judgment of Israel (Ezekiel 20:33-44; Psalm 50:1-21) which
takes place at the beginning of the thousand year kingdom and also the Judgment of Angels which is mentioned in 1
Corinthians 6:3.

What about you? Do you believe that Jesus Christ was judged and punished for your sins? Which judgment will you
someday take part in--the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne Judgment? In the days of Noah there was
only one safe place to be: IN THE ARK! Today there is only one safe place to be: IN CHRIST JESUS (Romans 8:1).
Those who are IN CHRIST JESUS never need to fear the judgment and condemnation of God (Romans 8:1; John 5:24;
John 3:18). There is only one way to FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME, and that is to RUN INTO THE OPEN
ARMS OF CHRIST, the only Saviour. If you come to Him, He will never cast you _________ (John 6:37).

Note: See our study on The Difference Between Salvation and Rewards.

The Great White Throne Judgment - Personal Application

The Scriptures seem to indicate that believers in Christ will be present at the Great White Throne Judgment which is
described for us in Revelation 20:11-15. What are some Biblical passages which might suggest that believers will be
present as witnesses at this final judgment?

1) Beginning with the rapture and thereafter, we have the promise, "and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess.
4:17). We know that the Lord Jesus Christ will be present at the Great White Throne Judgment, because He is the
Judge. Will not His Bride be with Him also?

2) In Revelation 3:9 the believers in the church of Philadelphia were promised that certain unsaved people would
someday worship at their feet (Rev.3:9). At that future time these unsaved people will know that Christ has loved the
very people whom they once persecuted. This is an amazing promise for all of God's people down though the centuries
who have been abused, persecuted, injured and attacked by unsaved people. Prophetically, the only time when the
unsaved will worship at the feet of the saints is at the Great White Throne Judgment. [The Great White Throne
Judgment will take place immediately after all the unsaved are raised from the dead. Immediately following this
judgment the unsaved are cast into the lake of fire.] Apparently this will also be the time when all the unsaved will bow
their knees before Christ and confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).

3) In 1 Corinthians 6:2 Paul writes to the Corinthian believers and says, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the
world?" During the thousand year kingdom age, the Lord Jesus will be the primary Judge (Isaiah 33:22), but church-
age believers in their glorified bodies will also be given delegated authority to exercise judgment. Judgment will be
given unto them (Rev. 20:4; compare Matthew 19:28). The Lord Jesus Christ will be the final Judge of all the unsaved
at the Great White Throne (John 5:22,27), but apparently church-age saints will participate with Him in this judgment as
witnesses.

4) Revelation 20:15 seems to indicate a contrast between those whose names are not found written in the book of life and
those names that are found therein: "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake
of fire." The fact that there are a great host of names not found written in this book implies that there are a great number
of names that are found therein. The saints, if they are present as witnesses at this great event, would represent those
whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. The subjects of this awesome judgment will be "the dead" (Rev.
20:12), that is, the unsaved (all of whose names will not be found in the Lamb's book of life).

5) If the saints are not present at the Great White Throne as witnesses, then where else would they be? In Revelation
20:11 we learn that at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment, "the earth and the heaven fled away." Our Lord
also predicted that the heaven and earth would pass away (Matt. 24:35). The total destruction of the heavens and the
earth is described in detail in 2 Peter chapter 3. The timing of this event is said to be the day when God will judge the
ungodly and cause them to perish (2 Peter 3:7). This can only be the Great White Throne Judgment. So the saints cannot
be on the earth and they cannot be in the heavens because the heavens have passed away and have been destroyed in
fervent heat. The saints cannot be in the new heaven or in the new earth, because these are created immediately after the
Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 21:1). If the "heavens" which are destroyed refer to the first and second heavens
(the universe as we know it), then the only other place for the saints would be the third heaven.

Note: Revelation 14:10 suggests that God's holy angels will also be witnesses of the doom of the ungodly.

Application: We can imagine ourselves being present at the Great White Throne Judgment as witnesses of this
awesome event:

I see the books being opened, condemning the unsaved based on the wicked works which they have done (Rev. 20:12). I
then realize that I too was once guilty of some of those same evil works (see Col. 1:21). I witness these unsaved people
being cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15), and I tremble to realize that I was just as deserving of this punishment as
they, and the only reason I am not cast into the same lake of doom is because of Jesus Christ and His grace. I realize that
I deserve hell as much as they do. I recognize that I was once a child of wrath (Eph. 2:2-3; Col. 3:6-7), guilty of many of
the same crimes and deserving of the same punishment which is now inflicted on those now being cast into the lake of
fire before my very eyes. I know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, and this includes those who
were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, and such like (1 Cor. 6:9-10). And
then Paul's words "and such were some of you" (1 Cor. 6:11) remind me that I was once unrighteous also, guilty of
serious crimes against God, deserving to be barred from the kingdom and consigned to outer darkness and eternal
torment.

Today we have a very small grasp of what it means to be delivered from the wrath to come. At that day, we shall know
more fully:

I Am Debtor

by Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)

When this passing world is done,

When has sunk yon glaring sun,
When we stand with Christ in glory, looking o'er life's finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call

On the rocks and hills to fall,
 When I see them start and shrink, on the fiery deluge brink,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne

Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see Thee as Thou art, Love Thee with unsinning heart,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe.

When the praise of heaven I hear

Loud as thunders to the ear,
Loud as many waters' noise, sweet as harp's melodious voice,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know Something of how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,

Wakened up from wrath to flee,
Hidden in the Saviour's side, by the Spirit sanctified,
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show, by my love, how much I owe.

Oft I walk beneath the cloud,

Dark as midnight's gloomy shroud;
But, when fear is at the height, Jesus comes, and all is light:
Blessed Jesus bid me show doubting saints how much I owe.

When in flowery paths I tread,

Oft by sin I'm captive led;
Oft I fall, but still arise; the Spirit comes, the tempter flies:
Blessed Spirit! Bid me show weary sinners all I owe.

Oft the nights of sorrow reign

Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain,
But a night thine anger burns, morning comes, and joy returns:
God of comforts! bid me show to Thy poor, how much I owe.

May 1837

All the believers who witness the Great White Throne Judgment will surely have a deeper understanding of the grace of
God and what it means to be delivered from so great a death (2 Cor. 1:10).

3. THE TWO RESURRECTIONS

All of the dead, both saved and unsaved, will someday be raised up! A future bodily resurrection is something that will
happen to all men.

Resurrection is something that will happen to the body. Resurrection is something that will happen to "those who are in
the G______________" (John 5:28). When a person dies their body is put in the grave (not their soul or spirit).

Jesus Christ is the One who will call forth the dead. It is HIS voice that they will hear (John 5:28). Will they obey His
voice (John 5:29)? ______ Just as Lazarus came forth in response to the voice of Jesus (John 11:43-44), so also
someday all that are in the graves will H___________ His voice (John 5:28) and shall C_________ F__________ (John
5:29).
The Bible mentions TWO RESURRECTIONS and all men are included in one of these two resurrections. Notice the two
resurrections that are mentioned in John 5:29:

1) the resurrection of __________

2) the resurrection of D ______________________ (judgment).

Notice the two resurrections that are mentioned in Acts 24:15:

1) the resurrection of the J__________ (righteous)

2) the resurrection of the U______________ (unrighteous)

Notice the two resurrections that are mentioned in Daniel 12:2:

1) some shall awake to everlasting _____________________

2) some to shame and ______________________ contempt.

Jesus spoke of the first resurrection in Luke 14:14:

the resurrection of the _____________

The second resurrection is mentioned in Revelation 20:12:

the dead (are raised up to) stand before God (compare Revelation 20:4-6).

Which resurrection would you like to be a part of--the first or the second? ___________________ All of the saved
belong to the first resurrection (see Revelation 20:6). All of the unsaved belong to the second resurrection.

The First Resurrection

All saved people will be a part of the resurrection of life (the first resurrection). God will give each saved person a new
resurrection body that will be perfectly designed for the believer to live in throughout eternity. This resurrection body is
described in 1 Corinthians 15:35-54.

Those who take part in the first resurrection (saved people) are not all raised up at the same time. Who was the first
Person to be raised up (1 Corinthians 15:23). Christ is raised up first. He is the One who leads the "RESURRECTION
PARADE." Other groups of saved people will follow in their proper ORDER (1 Cor. 15:23):

1. Christ is first (1 Corinthians 15:23).

2. The "dead in Christ" (members of the Church who have died) will be raised up at the time of the rapture
(1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:52). Those Christians who are living on earth at the time of the
rapture will also "be changed" and receive new bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

3. Old Testament believers will be raised up after the time of tribulation (about seven years after the rapture)
according to Daniel 12:1-2. Believers who die during the tribulation will also be raised up at this time
according to Revelation 20:4.

4. We must assume that those who are saved during the 1000 year kingdom will receive new bodies at the end
of the Kingdom (although there is no verse that specifically mentions this).

Note: In Matthew 27:52-53 we learn about a very unique event which took place immediately after the resurrection of
Jesus Christ in or around the city of Jerusalem: "And many bodies of the saints that slept arose [were raised], and came
out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Matthew is the only
gospel writer who mentions this event. We know nothing about this event except for what is here said. Notice that they
were raised up bodily and came out of their graves. These who were raised were "saints" (believers), not unsaved
people. They appeared to many people in Jerusalem. Whether these saints were raised like Lazarus, only to die again, or
whether they were raised up in a permanent resurrection body is not stated.

The Second Resurrection

All of the unsaved people will be part of the resurrection of damnation (or judgment), according to John 5:29. Those who
take part in the second resurrection will all be raised at the same time. They will be raised to stand before the GREAT
WHITE THRONE and before the HOLY GOD who sits upon it. This will include all the unsaved who have ever lived,
from wicked Cain (1 John 3:12) to the last group of rebels described in Revelation 20:7-9. These people will be given a
resurrection body that will be perfectly designed for hell so that they will be able to suffer the torments of the lake of fire
forever (to suffer and to burn but to never be consumed in the burning).

Note: Harry Bultema (1884-1952) pastored Christian Reformed churches in Iowa and Michigan. He was a reformed
theologian but in his study of prophecy he came to realize that the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, did not
teach one general resurrection (where all of the saved and unsaved are raised up at the same time, at the end of time). He
published his findings in his book Maranatha--A Study of Unfulfilled Prophecy. This book was re-published by Kregel
Publications in 1985 (it was originally published in the Dutch language). His discussion on the first resurrection is very
insightful and even more detailed than most of the writings of dispensationalists who treat this subject.

Do you believe in the One who is the RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (John 11:25-26)? ______ If you do, then
BLESSED AND HOLY ARE YOU (Revelation 20:6)! You will never experience the "second death" which is the lake
of fire (Revelation 20:6,14-15)!

"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (Rev. 2:11).

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