The Second Dispensation 
by Dr. Renald E. Showers

Thus far in our study of Dispensational Theology we have addressed eight items: (1) a definition of Dispensational Theology, (2) the meaning of the word dispensation, (3) the usage of the word for dispensation in the New Testament, (4) a definition of the term dispensation as it relates to Dispensational Theology, (5) essential characteristics of each dispensation, (6) secondary characteristics of each dispensation, (7) several important points of clarification concerning the dispensations, and (8) an examination of the first dispensation of God’s rule over the earth—the Dispensation of Innocency (its traditional designation) or the Dispensation of an Unconfirmed Favorable Disposition (a more specific designation).

This present article will examine the second dispensation of God’s rule.

The Time. The second dispensation of God’s rule extended from the fall of man through the Noahic Flood.

The Scripture. The Scripture portion which covers the second dispensation is Genesis 4:1-8:19.

The Ruling Factors. The first dispensation of God’s rule demonstrated that mankind would not obey God on the basis of its unconfirmed favorable disposition toward Him. Inasmuch as mankind through its own choice had lost its favorable disposition toward God, that ruling factor of the first dispensation was no longer available. As a result of this radical change in mankind, in the second dispensation God administered His rule over mankind in a different way. It appears that He used two ruling factors to govern mankind during the new dispensation.

The first new ruling factor was the human conscience. In Romans 2:14-15 the Apostle Paul wrote, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." Through these comments Paul indicated that human beings have a conscience. That the conscience functions as a ruling factor over human beings is evident, because Paul declared that it caused pagan Gentiles to "do by nature the things contained in the law," even though they had never been given the Mosaic Law. Paul indicated that the conscience is the awareness of good and evil which exists inside human beings. It condemns people internally when they do something in the category of evil, and it commends them internally when they do something in the category of good.

The Code of Hammurabi is an excellent example of the fact that pagan Gentiles of the ancient world, who had never been given the Mosaic Law, had a concept of moral absolutes very similar to that Law. The Code was produced during the 43-year reign of the powerful Babylonian ruler Hammurabi (2123-2081 B.C.). It consisted of 285 laws which regulated such things as personal property, real estate, trade and business, the family, injuries, and labor. It revealed a recognition that such things as murder, adultery, and stealing were morally wrong (Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963, pp. 219-221, 230-232, 246-247).

Genesis 3:5 and 22 indicate that mankind obtained its awareness of good and evil as a result of eating the forbidden fruit. In other words, the human conscience began when man rebelled against God. Since the conscience functions as a ruling factor over human beings, it became one of the ruling factors of the new dispensation. Because of this, Dispensational theologians have chosen to name the second dispensation after this new ruling factor.

The second ruling factor which God began to use in the second dispensation was the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 6:3 God talked about His Spirit striving with mankind during the days prior to the Noahic Flood. The Hebrew verb which is translated strive signifies to rule (C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary On The Old Testament, Vol. I, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1959, p. 134). Thus, the restraining work of the Holy Spirit was also a ruling factor during the second dispensation.

The Special Revelation. In Genesis 4:3-7 God accepted Abel’s blood sacrifice but rejected Cain’s bloodless sacrifice. This implies that the special revelation which God gave to mankind for the second dispensation was that mankind was to approach God only by means of a blood sacrifice (cf. Hebrews 11:4). Sinful mankind, no matter how sincere, could not come to God in their own way. They could come only in the one way that God had ordained.

Mankind’s Responsibility. Mankind’s responsibility during the second dispensation was to obey God on the basis of the human conscience and the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit.

Mankind’s Test. This responsibility subjected mankind to the following test: would mankind obey God on the basis of the human conscience and the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit?

Mankind’s Failure. Mankind failed the test miserably. Cain refused to bring the kind of sacrifice that God required. When God rejected his improper sacrifice, Cain became so enraged that he murdered his brother Abel. Cain then began to build a godless civilization which became characterized by polygamy and violence. By Noah’s day "the wickedness of man was great in the earth" and "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). Things had become so bad that God could find only one righteous man left—Noah, together with his family.

Mankind’s Judgment. This serious failure brought terrible judgment. Through a worldwide flood, God destroyed the perverted segment of mankind. Through the ark, God preserved Noah and his family. In essence, God wiped the slate clean in order to give man a fresh start.

It should be noted that murder began as the result of mankind’s rebellion against God’s rule, and that the flood took place because of that rebellion and God’s judgment of it.

The second dispensation demonstrated the following truth: as a result of mankind’s original rebellion against God, it had become so sinful that, in spite of the ruling factors of the human conscience and the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit, it would not obediently submit to God’s rule.

For a comparison of Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology obtain the following book: Renald E. Showers, There Really Is A Difference! (The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Telephone: 800-257-7843. Mailing address: P.O. Box 908, Bellmawr, NJ 08099).