God's Plan through the Ages
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God's Plan Through the Ages
This table summarizes how God has dealt with humanity across different historical periods, from Eden to eternity. Each dispensation reveals a new phase in God's unfolding plan — highlighting human failure, divine mercy, and the ultimate establishment of God's Kingdom.
| Dispensation | Period | God's Focus | Human Condition | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innocence | Adam & Eve in Eden | Obedience to one command | Innocent but untested | Fall into sin; expelled from Eden |
| Conscience | Adam to Noah | Governed by moral conscience | Increasing violence and corruption | Judgment by flood |
| Human Government | Noah to Babel | Authority to govern righteously | Rebellion at Babel | Nations scattered and confused |
| Promise | Abraham to Moses | Trust in God's covenant promises | Faith mixed with disobedience | Israel grows; enters slavery in Egypt |
| Law | Moses to Christ | Obedience to the Torah | Externally obedient, but inwardly sinful | Repeated failure; exile and longing for Messiah |
| Grace (Church Age) | Pentecost to Second Coming | Salvation by grace through faith in Christ | Sinful, yet offered new life | Some saved; world continues in rebellion |
| Kingdom (Millennial Reign) | Christ’s return to final judgment | Visible reign of Jesus on earth | Redeemed saints reigning with Him | Satan bound; final rebellion crushed |
| Eternity | New Heaven & Earth (Revelation 21–22) | Eternal fellowship with God | Perfected humanity, glorified | No more sin, sorrow, or death |