Time has no beginning just as God has none. All we have is a long stretch of eternity in which we are given the chance to redeem ourselves. The choices we make determine our salvation. The most important purpose of God for man is that he is saved, and time is what man has to use to work his salvation.
Basically time could be divided into three broad sections
- Eternity past (Gen 1:1; Job 38:4 John 1:1)
- Eternity present
- Eternity ( Rev: 21)
Eternity past is that time before the creation of the world (the universe). Eternity present is the time that spans from the beginning of creation till the end of it. Eternity to come is the time that will span after the current creation has been destroyed and a new heaven and a new earth is created.
Understanding our time
What I term "our time" is eternity present. This time could be divided along the events that have been recorded in the Bible. It has passed through many stages in relation to how God related to human beings. The stages are known as dispensations. These are as follows:
Dispensation of Innocence
When man was created he was innocent: he did not know what was good and evil. He depended on God for everything and enjoyed a very excellent relation with Him. (Gen 2: 15 - 17). This was the best state of being the whole human race could ever experience. This lasted till the fall of man.
Dispensation of Guilt
As a result of Sin man lost this perfect state of being and has had to grapple with the consequences of his choice. These consequences were very disastrous to the point that whatever man does, he could not redeem himself. The more he tries the more he buries himself in the quicksand of evil and depravity. Some of the horrible stories associated with this dispensation is the murder of Abel by his brother and the narrative in Gen 6: 1 - 8. It needed divine intervention to rescue man. This he did by destroying the whole race except Noah and his family by the flood. (Gen 6: 9 - 8: 19).
Dispensation of Promise
After destroying the earth with water God saw how painful it was for man. He therefore started dealing with man by promises and covenant. We see the first of this with Noah. Gen 8: 22. Then came the covenant with Abraham with the promise attached to it. Gen 15 and 17. Due to the exemplary faith of Abraham, God kept his promise to his descendants until they came out of Egypt. It became clear then that the Israelites (descendants of Abraham) were finding it difficult to keep to the promise. Therefore God had to change his way of relating to man, thus bringing to end this dispensation.
Dispensation of Law
God entered into another covenant with the people of Israel. This covenant was based on a set of legal codes to serve as a way of behaviour. In this legal code was specified punishments and penalties for various offences with the highest penalty being death. The soul that sins must die. The formal beginning of this dispensation was when God gave the Ten Commandments. The laws were so perfect that no one who disobeyed was spared. Num 12 and 14 20: 12; 1 Chron 13: 9 - 11. God notices that it was very difficult for fallen man to live under a law. He therefore set in motion a plan to redeem man.
Dispensation of Grace
This is the dispensation we are in at the moment. It started from the point Jesus died on the cross. Under this dispensation, man can get back to God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and accepts him as his Lord and personal Saviour is saved. All the sins of such a person are washed away. This dispensation allows those who have not been considered as PeopleofGod to be called such. We read about this dispensation in Roman 6. It is a dispensation which gives virtually every person the chance to repent. It contrasts with the Dispensation of Law. Under Law the sinner dies immediately; under Grace he receives the chance to repent. This is an intervention by God to save all people. (Romans 11: 13 - 20.) Faith is the key to the appropriation of the Grace. This dispensation will not last for ever as there is a time set for judgement.
Dispensation of the End times
This is the time after Jesus has come to take away those who believed in Him. After this those who want to be saved will be given a brief period to do it all by themselves; no grace will be available to them. They will pass through tribulations due to systems put in place by a world government headed by an absolute dictator who is known as the Antichrist. The preparations for the coming of the Antichrist are ongoing but most people are not aware of it. (Even those responsible for it are not aware of what they are doing.).
Conclusion
The world has been going through all these dispensations. It is now left to us to utilise the opportunities that our dispensation brings to us. Ephesians 5 : 15 - 16 exhorts us to understand the times so that we do not live as foolish people, but as wise.
