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Dispensation of Conscience

II. Dispensation of Conscience



      1. From the expulsion from Eden to the Flood.



Man, as a result of the Fall, lost his “God-consciousness” and was now to be governed by his own “self-consciousness” the results of his “eyes being opened”. Conscience produces fear and remorse, but it cannot keep men from doing wrong, for conscience imparts no power.



      1. Man had a most favorable beginning in this age.



He had the promise of the curse being lifted. However 1536 years later according to Gen. 6:11-13 the earth was corrupt and filled with violence.



      1. Adam and Eve had no children before the fall.



The number of their family must have been large. Gen. 5:3,4


        1. The three sons that are recorded -

          1. Cain - means acquired or getting
          2. Abel - means - vapor or vanity
          3. Seth - means - appointed or replacing


        1. Cain and Abel are representatives of the two opposing forces in the world today.

    1. Faith - Abel, being the righteous. Heb. 11:4

    2. Religious - Cain, being the evil. I John 3:12


        1. Cain and Abel offered sacrifices -

          1. Cain brought a sacrifice of fruit (Gen. 4:3) From the cursed ground
          1. Abel brought a sacrifice of blood - vs 4

“Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Heb. 9:22; 11:4, 6)


4. The First-Fruits of the Fall -

          1. There is a fixed principle in Gal. 6:7-8; 5:19-21 fulfilled in Gen. 4:8
          1. Cain becomes the first murderer as well as the first son.
          2. The principle of sin and Satan’s kingdom at work from the beginning. Pride - Jealousy - Division – Death
          3. Satan’s desire to destroy Abel was to destroy the Promised Seed. Gen. 3:15
          4. The Way of Cain - Gen. 4:11-16 Jude 11. The way of Cain was his own way. Today they have a group called “The Way”.
          5. Cain in going his own way went to the Land of Nod. Gen. 4:16 Means wandering - fugitive - the results of going your own way.


5. The Product of Sin - Gen. 4:16-24


These were signs of the times. Solomon wrote, “there is no new thing under the sun” Ecc. 1:9 Knowledge without God can only produce a “god-less” civilization.


(1) vs. 17 “Enoch” means dedicated

“He builded a city and called the name of the city”

Enoch - “dedicated” to sin. / A sign - “City building”


(2) vs. 18 “Irad” means “fugitive” (Dan. 12:4)

Sin produces wanderers. / Another sign - “Wanderers, travelers”

(3) vs. 18 “Mehujael” means grief of God (Heb. 10:22)

Sin is a grief to God. / Another sign -This generation is a grief.

Sin ALWAYS is a grief to God. Hebrews 10:22 expresses the importance of being clean before God. Because of their sin, this generation was a grief to God.


(4) vs. 18 “Methusael” means “death from God”

Sin when it is finished brings death. (James 1:15)

Another sign - Infirmity and death.

“As it was, so shall it be.” (Matt. 24:37) Our hospitals and jails are always overflowing and constantly in need of expansion. We find cots in hospital corridors and jail houses over populated. We cannot expect God to bless when we are disobedient. (i.e., withholding tithes, Mal. 3:8)


(5) vs. 18,19 “Lamech” means “wild man” overthrower

Sin makes psychopaths (Mark 5) - First Polygamist

ANOTHER SIGN-The Number one sickness is mental illness.

Mental illnesses, in general, are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 4 people, or 25% per cent of individuals, develops one or more mental disorders at some stage in life. Today, 450 million people globally suffer from mental disorders. Of these, 154 million suffer from depression and 25 million from schizophrenia.1

“Psychopathy’s symptoms include a lack of conscience, a disregard for social norms, and a disturbing absence of empathy. They appear to be "wearing a mask," or simply "going through the motions," copying what they observe because they have no real feelings of their own to draw upon.”2 A report by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000 suggested 3% of men are psychopathic while 1% of woman are. That is 18 million men world-wide and 6 million woman! We do not know exactly how many individuals are psychopathic; however, most experts testify to a rise in the prevalence of psychopathy and that is why some claim that numbers are higher. Dr. Ronald Black claims that psychopathy leads in commonality right behind depression, along with schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.



ALSO—The Breakdown of marriage.

Marriage appears to have lost its sacredness to the majority of people including Christians. Actor Clint Eastwood epitomized a common feeling toward marriage when he said, “They say marriages are made in Heaven, but so is thunder and lightning.” There is in fact no “perfect marriage”, but it said that so many people do not make things work. God hates putting away (Malachi 2:16) and the ones that suffer most are the children. Andre Maurois spoke more tenderly about marriage, “A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short.”

50% of marriages end in divorce. One of the leading cause of divorce is adultery. A poll3 of 150,000 women was conducted and the result was that –

  • Almost 55% women had caught their spouse committing adultery red-handed

  • About 36% women suspected their spouse of adultery

  • 7 % women were of the opinion that their spouse had never cheated them

A poll of 8,495 women was executed and this resulted as under –

  • 19% of the women were of the opinion that adultery is immoral and hence they would not do it

  • 45% of the women were ready for adultery, if they could get away with it


The family as God ordained it is heavily under attack—one man, one woman. Even though the majority of people polled4 strongly oppose same-sex marriage, the trend has been that the number of people in favor of same-sex marriage has increased at least 1% annually the last 20 years. If this trend holds true, the majority of Americans will be in favor of same-sex marriage by 2012-14.


(6) vs. 20 “Jabal” means “wanderer”

Nomad “such as dwell in tents”; Rancher “and of such as have cattle”; Another sign - Agriculture, Cattle, Farming


(7) vs. 21 “Jubal” means “Music” constant stream

“The father of all such as handle the harp and organ.”

Another sign - A constant stream of music.

Music is called the universal language. The more universally corrupt mankind becomes, the more corrupt his music becomes. Popular artists sell albums by the millions singing about violence, suicide, hate, nudity and perversion. Backmasking and subliminal messaging declare messages like “my sweet lord satan” (Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven) as people dance to the rhythms.


(8) vs. 22 “Tubal-cain” means “Flowing forth in Cain”

“An instructor of every artificer in brass and iron;”

A metal worker, weapons

Another sign - The most deadly weapons.

(9) vs. 23 Lamech became a murderer.

Unborn - New Born - Homicide - Suicide - Genocide - Matricide - Patricide


6. Gen. 5 deals with the genealogy of the patriarchs from Adam until Noah.

          1. Reveals also the confirmation of the curse. “And he died”
          1. Enoch was the one exception to the rule. Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. 11:5
          2. Enoch means dedicated, instructed, disciplined, initiated, acquainted with mystery or secrets.
          3. Enoch was the seventh from Adam. He was translated during the time of his father Jared. Enoch walked with God after the Revelation.
          4. Enoch is a type of the Bride – Overcomer; Translated before the Judgment.
          5. Methuselah is a type of the Church - His name is a compound Hebrew word - “When he is gone it will come”; He lived until the time of the Flood. vs. 25 187 years vs. 28 182 Chpt. 7:6 600; From Methuselah’s birth to the Flood was 969 years; Methuselah lived 969 years - Chpt. 5:27 He was a sign.
          6. Noah is a type of the saved, preserved through the Judgment.


7. Gen. 6 reveals the rapid increase of evil.


(1) vs. 2 reveals a cause for this condition.

“Sons of God saw” “the daughters of men” “that they were fair” “they took them wives”“of all which they chose” Deut. 7:1-4 I Kings 11:1-4 Ezra 9:1-3 II Cor. 6:14


(2) Who are the Sons of God referred to in vs. 2 -

  1. Some believe “sons of Seth” - Chpt. 4:26

This seems to place the reference in chapter 4 in a completely different light than its context does. As we read 4:26, we know a ‘positive’ change took place after Seth begat Enos—then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.. The “Sons of God” were not a positive influence, but a negative one.


  1. Some believe fallen angels - Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7

The problem with this interpretation is that Angels have no seed with which to reproduce. They are a spiritual creation.


  1. Some believe Demon Possessed Men

It is most probable that Demons could have possessed men who had relations with the “daughters of men” who conceived giants.

Because of the evil spiritual influence of the fallen angels upon these men, they could have caused the woman to conceive an offspring of grotesque or even exceptional qualities such as the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4. The Nephilim were giants and the word nephilim comes from the root Naphol feller; tyrant; bully; cause to fall. (Num. 13:33)


(3) The results of this union- Gen. 6:4-6


(4) God’s reaction to this godless civilization.

vs. 6 “repented” “grieved”

vs. 7 “I will destroy”

8. The Flood -


(1) God warned the people of judgment.

Gen. 6:7 II Peter 2:5 Jude 14,15; Matt. 24:38-39 Luke 17:27


(2) Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came. Gen. 7:6


(3) Those that entered the ark with Noah. Gen. 7:2; 7:13


(4) God shut the door of the ark - Gen. 7:16


(5) There was a period of grace seven days after Noah entered the ark before God closed the door. Gen. 7:7-10


(6) It rained for forty days and forty nights - Gen. 7:12


(7) The waters prevailed upon the earth for a period of an

hundred and fifty days. Gen. 7:24


(8) God dried up the waters with a wind - Gen. 8:1


(9) Noah knew the waters were abated from the earth when

the dove returned with an olive leaf. Gen. 8:11


9. The Dispensation of Conscience ended in judgment -

Jesus said - As it was, so shall it be Matt. 24:37


(1) Enoch translated before the flood


(2) Methuselah removed just before the flood


(3) Noah preserved through the flood


(4) Judgment on the ungodly


Study Questions 3: Conscience


  1. What period of time did the Dispensation of Conscience cover?

The Dispensation of Conscience covered from the expulsion from Eden to the Flood.

  1. What did man lose as a result of his fall?

Man, lost as a result of his fall, his “God-consciousness”.


  1. Why could not the conscience keep man from doing wrong?

The conscience could not keep man from doing wrong because the conscience imparts no power.

  1. What kind of a beginning did man have?

Man had a most favorable beginning in this age.


  1. What happened to the earth in Gen. 6:11-13?

The earth became corrupt and filled with violence.


  1. Who were the sons of Adam and Eve that were recorded?

The sons of Adam and Eve that were recorded were Cain, Abel, and Seth.


  1. What is the meaning of their names?

Cain – means acquired or getting

Abel – means vapor or vanity

Seth – means appointed or replacing


  1. What were the sacrifices that Cain and Abel offered?

Cain offered a sacrifice of fruit and Abel offered a sacrifice of blood.


  1. Why did Satan want to destroy Abel?

Satan wanted to destroy the Promised Seed.


  1. What does knowledge without God produce?

Knowledge without God can only produce a “god-less” civilization.


  1. What does Gen. 5 deal with?

Gen. 5 deals with the genealogy of the patriots from Adam until Noah.


  1. What rule was Enoch an exception to?

Enoch was an exception to the rule of death.


  1. What does Enoch mean?

Enoch means dedicated, instructed, disciplined, initiated, acquainted with mystery or secrets.


  1. How far was Enoch from Adam?

Enoch was the seventh from Adam.


Study Questions 3: Conscience, continued

  1. What is Enoch a type of?

Enoch is a type of the Bride – Overcomer.


  1. What is Methuselah a type of?

Methuselah is a type of the Church.


  1. What is Noah a type of?

Noah is a type of the saved, preserved through Judgment.


  1. What does Gen. 6 reveal?

Gen. 6 reveal the rapid increase of evil.


  1. Who are the Sons of God referred to in Gen. 6:2?

The “sons of Seth”, possibly possessed by demons.


  1. What was God’s reaction to this godless civilization?

God’s reaction to this godless civilization was repented, grieved, and I will destroy.


  1. How old was Noah when the flood came?

Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came.


  1. Who entered the ark with Noah?

Seven of every clean beast, male and female, and two of every unclean beast, male and female, and Shem, Ham, Japheth, their wives, and Noah’s wife.


  1. Who shut the door of the ark? God shut the door of the ark.


  1. How long did it rain? It rained for forty days and forty nights.


  1. How long did the waters prevail?

The waters prevailed upon the earth for a hundred and fifty days.


  1. How did God dry up the waters? God dried up the waters with a wind.


  1. How did Noah know the waters were abated from the earth?

God knew the waters were abated from the earth when the dove returned with an olive leaf.

  1. Where did the ark come to rest?

The ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat.


  1. What did Noah send forth from the ark first?

Noah sent forth from the ark first a raven.


  1. What did the Dispensation of Conscience end in?

The Dispensation of Conscience ended in judgment.

1http://www.myasha.org/node/12, Startling Statistics About Mental Illness.

2Hare, Robert D., PHD. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopath Among Us. New York, NY: Guilford Press,1999.ISBN 157230 451 0.

3www.edivorcepapers.com, statistics via World Nations Fertility Report 2003.

4Pew Research Center, October 2010.