Dispensational 'Tests' - the 7 Dispensations of Chiliasm

Anti-dispensationalists often imagine that the "tests" dispensationalists talk about are in their opinion something like attempts to find something that man will respond to. That is not the correct concept at all, nor is it even something remotely like that.

The "tests" dispensationalists talk about are in the trial and error sense of the word. They are demonstrations, tests made with full knowledge of what the results will be, made to demonstrate a point. As if a man knew that a certain piece of steel had a certain strength, so he put it in a tensile tester to prove it had the strength he already knew it had.

The purpose of the seven dispensations are to demonstrate that man will fail under any conceivable condition. So God is in the process of putting him through seven "tests," to prove that he will fail under every one of them. It is complete vindication man is a sinner in need of salvation as if it was not already known from the fall of the first Adamic man.

The first test, innocence, ended with the flaming sword that turned every way.

The second test, conscience, ended with Noah's flood.

The third test, human government, ended with the confusion of tongues.

The fourth test, promise, ended with the promise forgotten and the chosen people in abject slavery.

The fifth test, law, ended with the only one who ever kept it on a cross.

The sixth test, grace, will end with mankind worshiping the Antichrist.

The seventh and final test, righteousness and recompense, will end with the earth destroyed in fire.

Rewards will be done away with in the new city and new earth in eternity future (the 8th dispensation and no more tests).

This is the concept of dispensationalism, and it has nothing to do with attempts to find a solution and everything to do with demonstrating a point that man is a sinner in need of salvation and through it all the only solution is Christ Jesus who sums up all things. Once saved, the more you focus on the Lord Jesus and the word of God, the more you will be delivered from sin, natural and the supernatural.