Broadly speaking, we today live in this ‘present evil world [Gk. aion, ‘age,’ cf. Gal. 1:4) that is characterized by the presence of ‘sin and death,’ extending from Adam (by whom “sin entered the world”) until the millennial kingdom comes on earth. While the evil world age is one in its essential character, it is sub-divided into different periods called ‘dispensations,’ wherein God deals with mankind in different ways in each age.

The following list is not necessarily complete or without fault, it will indicate to the Bible student some of the outstanding divisions and characters which he must observe if he would ‘rightly divide the Word of truth.’ Each age has something distinctive as we trace God’s great purpose, seeing it develops with Adam, Noah, Moses, the prophets of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, The Twelve, Peter, Paul, and the 2^nd coming of Christ.

Various Dispensations:

1st. The six-day recreation (post-katabole) to Adam’s fall.
2nd. From the fall of Adam to Noah’s flood.
3rd. From the ‘renewed’ physical world to the call of Abraham.
4th. From the call of Abraham to the Exodus from Egypt.
5th. From Exodus 19:5 Israel set “above all people” to enter Canaan, as His ‘betrothed’ (Hosea 2:19).

6th. From Canaan to setting up of the 1^st iteration of ‘the kingdom on earth.’
7th. From David as King to the Babylonian captivity.
8th. From the Israel’s captivity to the birth of Jesus Christ.
9th. From Jesus’ birth to His death and the resurrection of Christ.
10th. From the day of Pentecost to ‘Israel’s fall’ in Acts 28:26-28 (cf. Rom. 11:10-12, 15, 25).
11th. The prison ministry of Paul revealing the current Gentile “dispensation” of “the mystery” that ends with its believers who will “appear with Him in [heaven’s] glory” (cf. Col. 3:4), “far above all heavens.” (Eph 1:21).
12th. Then recognition again of the Nation Israel which is to be first characterized by God’s promised “wrath” as seen in the bulk of the Book of the Revelation and with His 2^nd coming to reign on earth.
13th. Christ’s Millennial kingdom on earth with Israel as a nation of ‘kings and priests’ on earth (Rev 1;6).

14th. There is a period that intervenes between the Millennium and the “great white throne” judgement.
15th. New Creation; wherein ‘God is all and in all’ and there’s a new heaven, and a new earth wherein there is no more sin, death, pain, or curse on earth.

It is evident that to note the change of dispensations is of the utmost importance in studying the Scriptures. E.g., many things true before the Fall of the Nation Israel in Acts 28:28, are untrue after Israel’s fall. Things that were true before the Law would not be true after the Law came, and so throughout the dispensational ages.

Several Gospels:
The word ‘gospel’ simply means God’s ‘good news,’ or ‘glad tidings.’ God has ‘good news’ about many different things, and a careful examination of the Scriptural usage of the word “gospel” will show us that here again, just as with the word ‘church,’ we need to use great care.

Usage of the Term ‘Gospel’: Many of the gospels may be classed by the following:

• The gospel of the kingdom. (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14)
• The gospel of God. (Rom. 1:1; 1 Thess. 2:2)
• The gospel of the circumcision [Israel]. (Gal. 2:7a)
• The gospel of the uncircumcision [The Non-Jews]. (Gal. 2:7b)
• The gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)
• The gospel of the glory of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:4)
• The everlasting gospel of God (Rev. 14:6)

All are called ‘gospels.’

By way of drawing attention to some of the outstanding differences in these gospels, let’s now note the Scriptural definition given of the Acts period “the gospel of the kingdom” in contrast with the Post-Acts gospel that was preached by Paul as “the Apostle to the Gentiles” (cf. Eph. 3:1-10, Rom. 11:13).

 Now consider how Jesus’ words in Mark 1:14-15 clearly define His “gospel of the kingdom of God”: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15

(1) The time is fulfilled. (2) The [promised] kingdom of God is at hand. (3) Repent and believe the good news.

By contrast; Paul’s Acts period “Gospel of the grace of God” is summarized here.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you that gospel which I [Paul] preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ² By Which Also Ye Are Saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received [from the ascended Lord], how THAT CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES; ⁴AND THAT HE WAS BURIED, AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES: (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

The three points of Paul’s gospel as seen above in 1 Cor.15:1-4 are Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. The only requirement to be saved was: “… Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:3).

The difference in Jesus’ and Paul’s gospels is that Belief in the Atoning Cross-Work of ‘Christ’ [i.e., savior] is the heart of Paul’s gospel of the grace of God but it’s not in Jesus’ “gospel of the Kingdom” for Israel. Not one of The Twelve Apostles knew that Christ was to “be killed and rise again the third day” until they were told by Jesus in Matt. 16:21 saying: ‘from that time forth began Jesus’ to share that He would be murdered. Even then, Peter’s response was unbelief, saying; “Be it far from Thee, Lord” (Matt 16:22), indicating that Peter is hearing this truth for the first time (v. 22), Peter did not understand the importance of the cross of Christ until he later learned it from Paul (cf. 2Peter 3:15-16). Paul preached ‘the cross’ in both the Acts period and Post-Acts.

In the time of the gospels Jesus preached, “Repent; for The kingdom of [from] heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17). We should note that Jesus’ “gospel of the kingdom” at that time was a CROSSLESS gospel, being was preached to ISRAEL ONLY (Matt. 10:6-7). This clearly was NOT the Post-Acts gospel of today. Who of us today would accept any gospel that doesn’t proclaim that ‘Christ died, was buried, and rose again”?

The ‘Church’ and The ‘Kingdom’:
When seeking to draw attention to the difference between the ‘church’ and the ‘kingdom,’ we are sometimes confronted with ‘kingdom’ references in Paul’s Post-Acts epistles for the “one Body” (i.e., Eph. 5:5, Col. 1:13, 4:11). This is because the overarching kingdom of God includes every phase and sphere of redemption. Within the widest of all spheres there are subdivisions.

Today’s Non-Jewish heaven-bound church (Eph. 1:3) of the “one Body” (Eph. 4:4) must be kept distinct from Israel’s long-promised “kingdom come ON EARTH.” Yet the church of the “one Body” is within the overarching kingdom of God destined for “the HEAVENLY places.” When, therefore, we draw distinctions between ‘kingdom truth’ and ‘church truth,’ it must be understood that we are comparing various sections of that great overarching kingdom that “the Son of God” will ultimately bring to its completeness.

“For he [Jesus] must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he [the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him [the Son]. ²⁸ And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [The Father] that put all things [in heaven and on earth] under him [Christ], that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:25-28 (KJV)

“That In The Dispensation Of The FULNESS Of Times he [God] might gather together in one all things in

Christ, both which are IN HEAVEN, and which are ON EARTH; even In Him [in Christ]:” Eph. 1:10 (KJV)

• With Paul’s Acts 28:28 declaration Israel and her program were set aside, ‘the church’ of the Non-Jewish “One Body” will “appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4) to reign “In ‘HEAVENLY Places” “Far Above” (Eph. 1:3, 21, 2Tim. 2:12).

Then, with the 2^nd coming of Christ the “kingdom of [from] heaven” is to be set up ON Earth with Israel as its “kingdom of priests” (cf. Exo 19:6) … to bless the Gentiles believers ON EARTH during the Millennium.