Introduction to Dispensations

Jewish Dispensations	Representatives	Guide for Life	Start	Finish
1 - Innocence	Adam and Eve	God	Creation	Fall
2 - Conscience	Seth, Methusala, Enoch	Decrees of God, Visitations, and Human Conscience	Fall	Flood
3 - Human Government¹	Noah, Descendants, Nations		Noahic Covenant	Continues, being overlaid by following dispensations.
4 - Promise²	Abraham		Call of Abraham	Continues until fulfilled
5 - Law	Moses, Samuel, David	Law of Moses, Living Prophets	Covenant at Mt. Sinai	Crucifixion
Transition Period³	Jesus, Apostles	Jesus, Apostles	Baptism of Christ	Death of the apostle John
6 - Grace (Church Age)	Peter, Paul	Scripture and Indwelling Spirit	Pentecost	Rapture of the Church
Tribulation⁴	Jews and Nations	Scripture and Prophets	After the rapture	7 Years
7 - Millenial Kingdom	Jesus, Saved, Nations	Jesus, Scripture, and Indwelling Spirit	Return of Christ	1,000 Literal years
Eternal State⁵

Gentile Dispensations	Representatives	Guide for Life	Start	Finish
1 - Innocence	Adam and Eve	God	Creation	Fall
2 - Conscience	Seth, Methusala, Enoch	Decrees of God, Visitations, and Human Conscience	Fall	Flood
3 - Human Government¹	Noah, Descendants, Nations	Decrees of God, Visitations, and Human Conscience	Noahic Covenant	Continues
6 - Grace (Church Age)	Peter, Paul	Scripture and Indwelling Spirit	Pentecost	Rapture of the Church
Tribulation⁴	Jews and Nations	Scripture and Prophets	After the rapture	7 Years
7 - Millenial Kingdom	Jesus, Saved, Nations	Jesus, Scripture, and Indwelling Spirit	Return of Christ	1,000 Literal years
Eternal State⁵

Notes:
1) Human Government - This dispensation does not have an endpoint - being very general in nature, it is overlaid with the dispensations which follow, and when they are stripped away, this dispensation remains as the foundational rule for post-dilluvian humans.
2) Promise - This dispensation does not need to be defined separately from the dispensation of Human Government, but it is traditionally set apart as a distinct dispensation, as I do here. The value of marking a dispensation of Promise is that it gives an origin to the Jewish people and their separation unto God. If considered as a dispensation, then it continues until the Millenial Kingdom, overlaid by the Church Age. Likewise, If this is not considered as a dispensation, but rather as promises of God under the dispensation of Human Government, then the promises are still valid until they are fulfilled in the Millenial Kingdom.
3) Transition Period - The Transition Period is not a dispensation, per se, overlapping into the dispensations of Human Government, Law, and Grace. During the first advent of Christ the Law is observed, and Jesus is offered and rejected as Messiah. During the life of the apostles, the indwelling of the Spirit, the first Guide for Life for the age of Grace, begins - first as a sign, secondly as an invisible fact. Also during the life of the apostles, the Scriptures, the second Guide for Life for the age of Grace, is completed and established as authorative.
4) Tribulation - The 7 year tribulation is not a dispensation, but a time of judgement. It is the 70th week of Daniel for the Jews, and the judgement of God upon the nations. During this period, the dispensation of Grace has ended, and God and Satan interact directly with mankind in the context of the dispensations of Human Government for the nations, and Promise for the Jews.
5) Eternal State - This falls outside the scope of a dispensation, but is shown for continuity.