Dispensationalism posits distinct historical periods where God interacts uniquely with various groups, assigning separate laws to Jews and Gentiles. Most of these teachers have 7 dispensations, but I have seen as many as 21. They are always a multiple of 7. However, not all people who teach dispensations are dispensationalists. See Also: hermeneutics

We are not dispensationalist we are Historicists, we do not believe that God changes the way He is working. The way He did things in our past is the same way He will do them in the future. God is immutable and therefore does not change. His laws have passed away.

There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” Ex. 12:49

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot of the law to become void. Luke 16:17

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15 

Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Rom. 3:31

Historicist Dispensation

We Historicists count 3 dispensations so far.

These three dispensations are distinct from each other. They have a pattern.

• God reveals His plans and purposes, supported by many miracles.
• Over time, God transmits less and less information until only a few people are listening.
• It ends with 400 years of silence.

The Creation

The first one started with the creation. This is where the Creator made everything that exists. The miracle of creating everything from nothing, and all the information that came from this. The Creator gave the rules of planetary motion, DNA, and everything that is within those six days. Then, the fall, as sin entered to universe, man needed more information. The promise of the Redeemer was necessary. We see that the central characters of this dispensation were Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Joseph. Then, from Joseph to Moses, there were about 400 years of silence.

The Mosaic Law

The second dispensation emerged with the giving of the Torah to Moses and the people of Israel. The Torah offers vast amounts of information. We begin to have a better understanding of God’s plans and purposes. During this period, we see the prophets and kings bring small pieces of information here and there. Four hundred silent years occurred between Malachi and John the Baptist. This dispensation ended with the Messiah and the destruction of the Temple.

The Kingdom Age

The third dispensation began with Messiah announcing that the Kingdom had come. At the beginning, there was a lot of teaching and excitement, then came the tapering off during the Dark Ages. Occasionally, you will note some person or group popping up to keep truth alive, such as Peter Waldo, John Huss, John Wycliffe, and then the Reformers. Since then, we have experienced the silence.

The Millennium or New Jerusalem

We expect that a new dispensation is about to start. It will follow the same format. We assume copious amounts of information and performances of miracles will herald us into the return of the King.

FYI. We are pre-millennialists. However, we are aware that the Post-millennialist and the A-millennialist have very different ideas about what is coming. But we all agree that something or Someone is coming.

It will probably take 40 years to assimilate the new information or teaching, and we could really use those miracles, as this world is a mess. Regardless of whether Messiah himself will return to give us this new information as to God’s plans and purposes in a physical manner, or spiritual manner, we do not really know; only time will tell.

Speculation is fun, but it is all vapor.