I don’t know about you, but I had a wonderful time Wednesday night, jumping in and going through the entire Bible from start to finish. It was a whirlwind look at how the bible is divided. We all understand the obvious divisions — Old and New Testaments, and the 66 individual books. We saw that the OT is divided into 3 basic divisions — History & Law (Genesis – Ruth), Poetry (Job – Song of Solomon), and Prophecy (Isaiah – Malachi). The NT has similar divisions — History (Matthew – Acts), Church Doctrine (Romans – Philemon), Prophecy (Hebrews – Revelation). The general epistles of 1 Peter – 3 John are in this section.
Understanding the dispensations of the history of God’s dealings with man will help you in your Bible study. I suggest that you write the dispensation in the margin of your Bible, where each dispensation begins. For example: write — Dispensation of Promise: Genesis 12 – 50 on the page where Genesis 12 is; Dispensation of Law: Exodus 1 – Matthew 27 on the page where Exodus 1 is. Dispensation of Grace or Church Age: Matthew 28 – Revelation 3. Of course, each dispensation has a transition time into the following dispensation. The transition from Promise to Law was the 400 years of bondage, including the life of Moses up to the exodus from Egypt. The book and chapter that each dispensation begins is a general landmark to remind us that things are changing into a new relationship with God.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Putting the Bible in proper divisions will produce immediate results in your personal Bible study!
I look forward to each week as we bulldoze through prophecy and how the Book of Revelation is laid out to help us clearly see what is in store us at the Judgment Seat of Christ and what is in store for the world in the tribulation. Be faithful each week. Pray everyday that God will reveal the glorious truth He has prepared for us. Remember Isaiah 28 — precept upon precept, line upon line…