PMW 2019-096 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the final article summarizing my questions from a postmillennial documentary recently filmed. I hope you find these helpful.

13) In a nutshell what is the book of Revelation about?

It is about the approaching destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70. This is why the book is so Hebraic, even breaking standard Greek grammatical rules. This is why it alludes to more OT passages than any other NT book (over 400 of them). This is why is speaks of the temple still standing (Rev. 11:1-2). This is why it has so much temple and sacrificial imagery.

Its theme verse shows this, when properly interpreted: Rev 1:7 “ BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” John is stating the same thing Jesus stated in Matt. 24:30: “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.” Then four verses later Jesus says “all these things” will occur in “this generation” (Matt. 24:34), just as John states four verses before his statement that the time is “near” (Rev. 1:3).

This coming is a judgment coming, a storm cloud of judgment against all the tribes of the land (the Jews). As John says, this will be witnessed by those who pierced him.

If you are not familiar with all the intricacies of this view, then my nutshell summary may sound more nut than hard shell.

The Climax of the Book of Revelation (Rev 19-22)

Six lectures on six DVDs that introduce Revelation as a whole, then focuses on its glorious conclusion. Provides an important, lengthy Introduction to Revelation also.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

14) Doesn’t Paul tell Timothy that in the last days things will go from bad to worse? What was he speaking of?

We must understand that the “last days” is a phrase that covers the whole period of time from Christ’s first coming to his second coming. The “former days” is the OT era, whereas the “last days” began with Christ’s coming in the first century (Heb. 1:1–2).

So Paul is saying that during this period there will be troublesome times that arise. And he is specifically telling Timothy that he must be ready to endure this. He warns Timothy that evil men will get worse (not that the times will get worse): “evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). However, in v. 9 he clearly states that these evil me will make no further progress (v. 9).

“Jesus, Matthew, and the Rejection of Israel” (downloadable mp3)
by Ken Gentry
Surveys the Gospel of Matthew and highlights the numerous references — direct and indirect — that suggest that Matthew’s Gospel was written (at least in part) to demonstrate that God was rejecting Israel. A great many passages in Matthew are surveyed and briefly elaborated upon.
See more study materials at: http://www.KennethGentry.com

15) Who is the man of Lawlessness mentioned by Paul in 2 Thessalonians? Should we expect a future Antichrist to rise up?

The man of lawlessness is Nero Caesar. We must note that he speaks to the Thessalonians about events currently occurring. He says: (v. 6) you know who restrains him; (v. 7), the mystery of lawlessness is already at work and the who is restrains him will be taken out of the way (v. 7).

This is evidently speaking of Nero Caesar, the first Roman persecutor of Christianity who was of a beastly character. His father Claudius was the emperor at the time Paul wrote. Claudius is built on a Latin word that means to restrain. Thus, while Claudius is in power, Nero is restrained from showing his destructive evil.

Nero deemed himself the equal of the god Apollo, having his own image put on coins with the rays of the sun coming from it, as if he were the sun-god Apollo. He will be destroyed in the context of Christ’s judgment-coming against the temple (v. 8). Nero begins the Jewish War, then dies just before the temple is destroyed.

16) Is the kingdom of God the same thing as the church? What are the similarities and differences?

The church is the historical embodiment of the heavenly kingdom of God. It is not the same thing as the kingdom of God. The kingdom is more like the spiritual power of God that inhabits and motivates the church, like our spirit that motivates out body.

We see the clear linkage of church and kingdom in Matt. 18:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
17) At the end of Rev 20, Satan is loosed again. How do we understand this from a Postmillennial perspective?

This is a brief era that God allows after the Christian faith has come to dominance for a long period of time. The 1000 year reign of Christ begins in the first century and continues until the end. Remember: Christ preached the nearness of the kingdom while on earth: Matt 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He expressly declares in Matt 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Then Christ declares that he is binding Satan: Matt 12:29: “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

Thus, the loosing of Satan is so that he will show his true evil character and in the process cause the tares to come to clear expression. Many will come into the kingdom and the church without being actually converted. This will allows their sorting out. Thus, ater a long era of righteousness, when Satan is released from Christ’s binding, he will quickly return to his old ways. And those who went along with Christianity as merely a dominant cultural issue, will quickly follow his lead. Then Christ’s return will bring judgment on them.

Tagged: Man of Lawlessness, Satan loosed