Postmillennial Worldview

PMW 2024-045 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

We are continuing our survey of the opening chapters of Matthew, showing how Israel is presented as opposed to God’s will and the Gentiles will gradually begin entering God’s kingdom.

In chapter three Matthew presents us with the first sermon recorded in his Gospel. It is by Jesus’ forerunner John the Baptist, who introduces the Messiah to Israel. The very first words we hear out of John’s mouth are foreboding: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:1). These are also Jesus’ first words in his ministry, as recorded by Matthew: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (4:17). John and Jesus are confronting Israel with her sin and calling her to repent (cf. Matt. 23:37).

In this sermon John warns the Jewish religious leaders (Matt. 3:7) that they need to “bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance” (v. 8). Later we will discover that Israel does not bring forth the fruit of repentance, for Jesus acts out a prophetic curse against fruitless Israel (21:19) and declares that he will secure another nation to bear the proper fruit (21:43). Continue reading →

PMW 2024-013 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

A quick summation of Genesis 12 and 13 regarding the precovenantal promise of God to Abraham.

Gen. 12:1a
Now the LORD said to Abram
At this point the Genesis narrative moves out of primeval history and into patriarchal history toward which it has been heading since Gen. 1:1. Like Adam and Noah before him, Abraham initiates a new beginning in advancing God’s plan in history. Although the Abrahamic Covenant will not be established until a little later (15:17–21), here we have the pre-covenantal promise that leads to it. God speaks to Abraham through direct, objective revelation (cp. Gen. 12:7; 17:1; 18:1; Acts 7:2).
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PMW 2024-012 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I have offered two articles on Israel in my two previous installments of this study. I am currently rebutting the dispensational view of Scripture and theology, which presents a Judeo-centric focus. I will continue with my critique.

4. The new covenant church is not a mystery wholly unrevealed

Based on Ephesians 3, dispensationalist argue that the new covenant era, international church was a mystery that is “completely unrevealed in the Old Testament.” Certainly the clarity of the revelation of God’s expanding people increases in the New Testament. But that revelation was, in fact, given in the Old Testament.

Let’s look at dispensationalism’s key passage for this concept. Ephesians 3:5–6 reads: “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” We have already seen that the Old Testament anticipated this. Now we must note that Ryrie and the dispensationalists misread Paul’s statement. Consider the following.

To begin with, we must discern for whom the revelation was a mystery. Ephesians 3:3–6 reads: “By revelation he made known unto me the mystery . . . which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.” Thus, the “mystery” now revealed was not previously made known to the “sons of men,” that is, the Gentiles. It was made known to the “sons of Israel” through their prophets. The phrase “sons of Israel” appears often in the Old Testament (e.g., Exo 3:3, 14–15; 4:31; 5:14–15; 6:5; etc.), setting them over against the rest of the world, the Gentiles, the “sons of men.” When God speaks to Ananias he distinguishes between “the Gentiles” and “the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15; cp. Luke 2:32; Acts 4:27).
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PMW 2023-091 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Isa. 43:5–7 is a glorious prophecy. It reads:

“Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”

Despite initial appearances, these verses do not refer solely to Israel’s return from the Babylonian dispersion. Rather they refer beyond historic Israel to spiritual Israel gathered out from the nations through the worldwide spread of the gospel (Psa. 22:27–28; Isa. 2:2–4; Matt. 28:18–20; John 12:32; 1 Cor. 15:24–26). Isaiah is looking beyond the Babylonian exile to ultimate eschatological issues. Israel’s return from exile was an historical event that served as a typological pointer to worldwide redemption.

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