THE DIVORCE OF ISRAEL
Thanks for your interest in my forthcoming Revelation commentary titled: The Divorce of Israel: A Redemptive-Historical Interpretation of Revelation. I completed its research and writing in early 2016. It will be a two-volume set of around 1700 pages.

The publisher is Tolle Lege Publishers. They are currently working on a second proofing. Due to the size and complexity of the work (deeply exegetical; voluminously footnoted), it is taking them longer than anticipated to complete. In fact, in the Spring of 2018 they brought on another proofer to assist them.

They are currently estimating that they should be through the proofing by the end of January, 2019. This will lead to laying out the pages for printing, which may take about a month. After that it should only be a couple of months before it is available in print — Lord willing.

Though I am disappointed at the delay in its completion, I am thankful for the meticulous care (and expense!) that Tolle Lege is putting into the commentary’s final preparation. They want it to be right — just as I do. I hope that it may be available in Spring of 2019. It will be released first in hardcopy, then eventually in digital format. Thanks again for your interest.

In the meantime, you might appreciate two introductory works to Revelation that I have written: The Book of Revelation Made Easy, which hits the high points of Revelation, explaining the fundamentals of its preterist interpretation. Navigating the Book of Revelation, which focuses on several key issues of debate in the preterist interpretation of Revelation. They are available at my website: KennethGentry.com.

OLIVET DISCOURSE RE-VISITED

I am working on a commentary on Matthew 21–25, a distinct unit in Matthew’s Gospel. This is the narrative setting of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus’ climactic discourse of the five around which Matthew’s Gospel is constructed.

This literary unit is clearly marked off by Christ’s important movements (along with other editorial markers which I will present in my study): It opens with his coming (Gk.: erchomai, Matt. 21:1, 9) into Jerusalem (recorded for the only time in Matthew) to declare the judgment of the nation of Israel (Matt. 23:37–24:34). It closes with his coming (Gk.: erchomai, Matt. 25:31) to the world (in his Second Advent) to execute the judgment of all the nations (Matt. 25:31–46).

Thus, this distinct section in Matthew opens with prophecies about the conclusion of Israel’s special role in the history of the world (as the old covenant typological work ends). And it closes with the conclusion of world history itself (as the new covenant redemptive work is completed). All that is in between in Matthew 21–25 is designed to affirm his authority to do so — both over the nation of Israel and the nations of the world.

Consequently, as Matthew presents these crucial scenes: Jesus comes into Jerusalem in the presence of the Jewish crowds (Matt. 21:9) as the Messiah who will be rejected. Then at the end of this section, he comes to the world and gathers all nations before him, as the Lord who will judge all men, saving the elect and judging the non-elect. In this section, the transition from the AD 70 judgment of Israel to that which it pictures, the Second Advent at history’s end, occurs in Matt. 24:34-36.

This is a significant concern of Matthew since he is the only Gospel writing who provides Jesus’ Missionary Discourse, which limits the Disciples ministry to Israel. It is also significant in that Matt. 21-25 greatly emphasizes Jesus’ authority — an authority over Israel and the nations. This section is important to getting to Matthew’s conclusion: the Great Commission over all nations. Interestingly, Matthew intentionally ends his Gospel on an open note, with Christ on the earth giving his promise that he will be with his church “all the days” (literally). Unlike Luke, he does not mention his Ascension into heaven where he leaves the Disciples behind.

As one important feature of my commentary on Matthew 21–25, I will more fully draw out the transition occurring in Matthew 24:34–36 than in my The Olivet Discourse Made Easy. This is crucial for showing that Jesus is not simply a Jewish sage, interested only in the destiny of Israel and functioning as another John the Baptist, as it were. Rather, he is the universal Lord with all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18–19), determining the destiny of all men while functioning as the Lord of lords and king of kings.

The commentary will not be as large as the Revelation commentary. Nor will it be as small as The Olivet Discourse Made Easy. It will be “just right” — you might say, if you are a Goldilocks fan (as I am sure all of you are). I am aiming at somewhere around 250 or so pages. It will be semi-technical, but quite accessible.

Due to how long I worked on my Revelation commentary, and how long it is taking to get into print, I know you think this about me, so I created a shirt that I must wear around, called “I See Slow People.”

Tagged: divorce of Israel, Matthew 21-25 Commentary, Olivet Discourse commentary, Revelation commentary