Dispensation of Conscience

Return to content Page Return to Home Page E Mail Comments or Questions

Chapter 19 - Dispensation of Conscience

The Administration rules:

The Adamic Covenant: Gen. 3:14-19

Dispensation of Conscience

The Administration rules:

The Adamic Covenant: Gen. 3:14-19

Scripture: Gen 3:6-7:24

New Beginning: After the expulsion.

Setting: Man no longer in one area but moved over the face of the earth, Gen.3:23,24; Gen. 6:1.

Dealings: The whole human race,[ key charters: Adam, Eve, Able, Cain and his decedents, Seth and his decedents, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah and his family.

Failure: Man's failure Gen. 6:1-5,11,12. The program failure was evil permeated the society to the point that only one family stayed faithful to God and righteousness

Judgment: Gen. 6:12,17; Flood chapter 7

Transition: Many years passed in the transition, Gen. 6-7 from the failure to the pronouncement of the judgment and the carrying out of the judgment by the flood, (total to flood about 1656 years) and Noah walks out of the Ark.

Dispensation of Conscience

The dispensation is called Conscience because man's guilt becomes alive. He shows guilt when Adam and Eve hides themselves from God after they sinned, Gen. 3:8. They became ashamed of their nakedness, Gen. 3:7. Their knowledge now is capable of both good and evil, Gen. 3:22.

There are changes which accrue between dispensations. Certain rules stay the same, while others will change because of God's desire to provide a way to show His mercy to man. The rule to understanding of God's specific administration and it's changes is if a rule has not specifically been addressed and changed then they probably stay the same for that next dispensation.

The Administration rules: The Adamic Covenant: Gen. 3:14-19

I. Angels; (The following are only fallen Angels, there are also the ones that did not fall and they maintain their original attributes.)

A. Fallen Angels: There is no hope of salvation for fallen spirit beings, (Matt. 25:41; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). Jesus Christ is said to have died to redeem the human race not angels, (Heb. 2:16-18).

l. Satan, Serpent, Lucifer, Dragon ( Rev. 12:9),
2. Loose ones ( Mk. 5:9,15; I Tim. 4:1 ) ( Angels & Demons ),
3. Bound ones ( II Pet. 1 2:4; Jude 6).
4. 1/3 of the Angels are believed to have fallen with Satan, (Revelation 12:1-9).
5. Demons:

a. They are Satan's emissaries ( Matt. 12:22-30),
b. They are Spirit beings ( Matt. 8:16; Lk. 10:17,20),
c. There are multitudes ( Mk. 5:9 ),
d. They are unclean spirits ( Matt. 10:1; 12:43 ),
e. They can enter unbelievers and control them ( Mk. 5:8,11-13),
f. They can oppress believers ( Eph. 6:10-12),
g. They afflict men with sicknesses both physically and mentally ( Matt. 12:22; Mk. 5:4-5).
h. Disposed for eternity in lake of fire with Satan, (Rev. 20:10; Matt. 25:41).

B. Satan's Fall:

l. Heart lifted up with pride ( Ezek. 28:17),
2. Heart full of wrong ambition ( Ezek. 28:16,18),
3. Lied to Eve and tempted her to disobey (Gen. 3; Ezek. 28:13).

a. Satan's Judgment:

1. Degraded in moral character ( Ezek. 28:16),
2. Deposed from on high ( Ezek. 28:16),
3. Declared to be judged at the Garden ( Gen. 3:14-15 ), and by Jesus Christ at the cross ( Jn. 16:11 )
4. Defeated at the Cross ( I Cor. 2:6-8),
5. Destroyed at the Cross ( Heb. 2:14),
6. Disposed for eternity in lake of fire ( Rev. 20:10; Matt 25:41

b. Satan's Work Today:

l. Instigates sin ( Gen. 3:1-6; I Pet. 5:8 ),
2. Affliction and suffering caused ( Acts 10:38; Lk. 13:16 ),
3. Causes death ( Ac. 5:3 cf. v5; Heb. 2:14; Job 1:2-19; 2:6),
4. He Captures men ( I Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:26 ),
5. All the meanings of the names given to Satan are his traits practiced in the world.

c. Names of Satan used in Scripture:

1. Satan ( Rev. 12:9; I Tim. 1:20 ) ( KJV Adversary ),
2. Lucifer ( Isa. 14:12 ) ( light bearer ),
3. Devil ( Rev. 20:7,10) ( Lyre ),
4. Ancient Serpent ( Rev. 12:9 ),
5. Prince ( or ruler ), the power ( or kingdom ) of the air, ( Eph. 2:2), ( Leader of Evil Angels),
6. Prince of the World ( Jn. 14:30; 12:31 ) ( influence of Satan over government and world affairs),
7. The god of this age ( II Cor. 4:4 ) ( False worship and religion ),
8. Dragon ( Rev. 12:9 ),
9. King of Tyre ( Ezek. 28:1 ),
10. Morning Star ( Isa. 14:12 ),
11. Beelzebub ( Matt. 10:25 ) ( Prince of devils ),
12. Belial ( II Cor. 6:15 ) ( worthless ),
13. Angel of Light ( 2 Cor. 11:14 ),
14. Tempter ( Matt 4:3; I Thess. 3:5 ) ( Desire to incite man to sin),
15. Accuser ( Rev. 12:10; Job 1:6-12) ( slanderer ),
16. Leviathan ( Job 41:1-11; Is. 27:1).

C. Angels that did not fall from their created state they maintain their original attributes and were given additional responsibility because of man's sin:

1. Work in the affairs of nations ( Dan. 10:10-14; 20,21).
2. Work and guard over believers ( Ps. 91:11).
3. Defend and deliver God's servants ( 2 Kings 6:17).
4. Will accompany Christ at His return ( Matt. 25:31; I Thess. 4:16).
5. Involved in separating the righteous & unrighteous, ( Matt. 13:49).
6. Aid in the punishment of the wicked ( 2 Thess. 1:7-8).
7. Aid in God's wrath on earth ( Rev. 15 ).
8. They are involved with the transportation and entry into eternity, ( Luke 16:22).

II. Animals:

1. Were part of the fall through the serpent.
2. The serpent carried the maximum judgment of all the animals, Gen. 3:14
3. Animals now carry the curses in the same way as man, Rom. 8:18-22.
4. They will not be delivered before man experiences deliverance.

III. Man: Dispensational rules Spelled out in the Adamic Covenant, Gen. 3:14-19.

Pronouncement to man in the garden and carried out historically in the expulsion. Gen. 3:22-24.

1. Man now new both good and evil, Gen.3:7,8.
2. There would be a battle between Satin and man and in the end man's seed who is Jesus Christ would win over Satin, Gen. 3:15.
3. Women would experience sorrow in both child bearing and conception.
4. The relationship with her husband would have conflict in leadership and desire, Gen. 3:16.
5. Man because he was not deceived followed his wife in disobedience and eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil he would experience sorrow in his labor, Gen.3:17-19, 2 Cor. 11:3, 1 Tim. 2:14.
6. Mankind would die and return to the dust, Gen. 3:19, Rom. 5:12,17, I Cor. 15:21.
7. Animal sacrifice was to be required for sin until Jesus Christ finished the work on the cross and the resurrection. God's gracious act was shown to Adam and Eve by covering their nakedness with the animal coats. This symbolic act of the blood shed and the body given portrays being in Christ today through Christ shedding his blood and the giving of His body, Gen. 3:21, Heb. 9:22; 10:4,5,10-12.
8. Man was required to offer the blood sacrifice individually for himself, Gen. 4:3-7.
9. Capitol punishment was not permitted, God was the judge and He handed out the judgment for capitol punishment sins, Gen. 4:11-15,23,24.

IV. World: The consequence of Adam and Eve's sin fell on the whole earth and had lasting influence, 1 Cor. 15:21, Rom. 5:12.

Changes: Changes which accrued from the dispensation of Innocence:

1. Now man had sin and needed to offer a blood sacrifice to be obedient. Men were to be clothed to cover their shame.
2. Able was a keeper of sheep for an offering and clothing.
3. Now man had to weigh his actions. Is the action either good or evil. If their actions were bad how does that effect my relationship with God and my fellow man.
4. Man was no longer innocent and could not be on his own. Total depravity now came into existence for mankind. He could not face each day as if they were innocent. All sin now could be performed, evil is a part of man's nature. The correction of man's sin is not a question of genies and gene manipulation but a blood sacrifice as payment for the penalty required by God.
5. Man could not act as if they were living in the protective environment of the Garden of Eden, but now in a world of sweet, tears and death.
6. Now there would be conflict. Conflict in submission between man and woman. There would be stress, conflict, and murder in the human race.
7. Death came into existence both animals and men.

A. Transition at the end of the Dispensation of Conscience many years passed from the failure in the Dispensation of Conscience to, Gen. 6-7 the punitive judgment of the world wide flood, (total to flood was about 1656 years) and the next dispensation, the Dispensation of Human Government.

The failure of the Dispensation of Conscience happened over 400 years before the food. The coming out of the ark starts the next dispensation in it historical setting, Gen. 8:14.

Gen. 5:3 130 yr. Adam' age at birth of child

        5:6 105 yrs. Seth

        5:9 90 yrs. Enosh (NIV), Enos (KJV)

        5:12 70 yrs. Kenan (NIV), Cainan (KJV)

        5:15 65 yrs. Mahalalel (NIV), or Mahalaleel (KJV)

        5:18 162 yrs. Jared

        5:21 65 yrs. Enoch

        5:25 187 yrs. Methuselah

        5:28&29 182 yrs. Lamech

        5:32 500 yrs. old Noah was when Shem was born

        7:6&11 600 yrs Noah age when flood was on the earth

1 yr Flood = 1656 yrs. since creation flood years record from birth of Noah not Shem to get number of years from creation to flood.

B. Bible: chapters and verses which cover this dispensation: Gen. 3 - 8:14. Gen. 4 the new Dispensation is in full operation in it's historical setting. (The sin began in the Garden and the explanation ended the previous dispensation.)