The concept of dispensations has often caught my attention and piqued my interest. A dispensation may be defined as: the divine order of the affairs of this world, or a period during which God has or will deal with his creation. The Bible speaks of nine periods, or dispensations, during which God has ordered the affairs of this world. Teachers and preachers call these dispensations the Plan of the Ages. You may have heard about the Plan of Ages through commentaries on the Bible or local church teachings. These dispensations span the entire history of mankind, are of great interest to many, and are studied both in theological seminaries and educational institutions around the world. The first dispensation was one of the most intriguing periods in all of history. This period covered the time before the creation of Adam and Eve. What many scientists commonly call the Pleistocene period, or ice age, occurred during this period of history. This was the result of Satan's rebellion, which caused God to blot out the sun and freeze all life in our solar system. Dinosaurs, War in Heaven, and Creation Week all happened during this time. In this dispensation, there are many explanations of our origins and many topics for debate. The first dispensation led to the creation of man and the actions of God in our lives. In the Garden of Eden, during the dispensation of Innocence, God dealt with man according to his innocence. They had everything they needed and everything they could want. Life was perfect and they knew no illness or pain. They did what they wanted and lived in paradise. They had only one test and one rule: “do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” This can...... middle of paper ......w dwell and live according to the Grace given to us by God through Jesus Christ in this dispensation. As it says in Ephesians 2:9, “Not of works, lest any man boast,” this has taken away works without faith. The dispensation of Grace will extend until the second coming of Christ and will bring about the eighth and ninth dispensations. The eighth and ninth dispensations are the periods covering the millennial reign of Christ and the remainder of eternity. The Bible speaks of these dispensations sporadically and offers a glimpse of what is to come. The interests in future times, from the end of this period through the eighth and ninth dispensations, are intriguing and studied by many. These writings about the future warn against wrongdoing and encourage moral living and honesty. The periods covered in the future, like many events in history, are the subject of much debate..