Category Archives: Old Testament

POSTMILLENNIALISM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Old Testament February 10, 2023 Comments: 4

PMW 2023-011 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.OT hope

In this article I will briefly summarize the case for postmillennialism from the Old Testament.

Scripture opens with the creation account, which teaches that man, the world, and the universe were created by God, not by random, impersonal, evolutionary forces. Within this opening narrative we discover God’s purpose for history. He creates man in his own image (Gen 1:26) as a material-spiritual being (Gen 2:7) and places him in the world to bring honor and glory to his Creator. He is called to exercise godly dominion throughout the world (Gen 1:26–30), beginning in Eden (Gen 2:15). Continue reading →

AMILL OBJECTIONS TO PSALM 2 USE

Interpretation, Old Testament November 23, 2021 1 Comment

VictoryPMW 2021-084 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

An important postmillennial text is Psalm 2. Psalm 2:8 states:

Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, / And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

An Amillennial Objection

Amillennialists often object to postmillennialism’s use of this verse. They complain that postmillennialists apply the terms ‘nations’ and ‘earth’ in a way that Jesus and the apostles never intended: as political entities. The amillennialist argues that the NT teaches that Christ’s making the nations and the earth his footstool simply refers to the salvation of scattered Gentiles from every tribe tongue and nation, not Christ’s influence on political structures, etc. Continue reading →

ZECHARIAH 14 IN POSTMILLENNIALISM (2)

Dispensationalism, Objections, Old Testament May 11, 2021 Comments: 11

Mount Olives split 2PMW 2021-038 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In my last article I began a two-part study on Zechariah 14. Having presented the dispensational view, I will now present a postmillennial interpretation of this famous passage.

The Siege of Jerusalem

The siege of Jerusalem described in Zechariah 14:1–2 points to the AD 70 judgment upon Jerusalem. J. Dwight Pentecost admits that the disciples who hear the Olivet Discourse would naturally apply Zechariah 14 to that event. But then, he says, such requires the confusing of God’s program for the church with that for Israel. So, he and other dispen-sationalists interpret the passage literalistically, with all the topographical and redemptive historical absurdities this creates. As they do this they totally omit any reference to the destruction of the very city and temple being rebuilt in Zechariah’s day. Yet this literal temple (the second temple) is destroyed in AD 70, as all agree. Continue reading →

MEASURING EZEKIEL’S TEMPLE

Dispensationalism, Old Testament, Temple April 28, 2020 Comments: 6

PMW 2020-033 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I appreciate the questions readers send to me. I regret that I am not able to answer them quickly, due to my schedule. However, here is one that is a favorite among dispensationalists. And it is an intriguing one.

Reader’s question:

You argue that John must be measuring an actual, historical temple in Rev 11:1-2. Yet Ezekiel measures a temple, even though it does not exist in history. This suggests that the temple does not need to exist for John to measure it. How do you explain this problem for your view?

My response:

Thanks for your perceptive question. Please consider the following response. Continue reading →

HARLOTRY AND COVENANT IN BIBLICAL IMAGERY

Israel, Old Testament, Revelation August 16, 2019 Comments: 2

PMW 2019-066 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Harlot drunk 3An insightful question.
Recently one of my blog readers made the following perceptive comment regarding my statement that Rome could not be Revelation’s “harlot” because Rome was never in a covenantal relationship with God:

“You said: ‘Fourth, Rome cannot commit adultery against God, for she had never been God’s wife.’ The language of harlot/marriage is spoken of Tyre in Isaiah, and as far as I know, they weren’t in a marriage with God either. Tyre is also spoken of as committing fornication. Continue reading →

THE ORDER OF BOOKS IN THE OT

Interesting Stuff, Old Testament May 31, 2019 Comments: 2

PMW 2019-044 by Zachary Garris

Gentry note: I thought this was an interesting article providing much food for thought.

Have you ever thought about why the Old Testament (OT) books are ordered the way they are in our English Bibles? If you have given this much thought, you have probably noticed that the English OT is ordered is by genre (history, poetry, prophecy). While understandable, this order has some serious shortcomings. More helpful is the order of the books that the ancient Israelites used, including Jesus.

Jesus Used the Hebrew Order

As mentioned in a previous article, Jesus used the three-fold division of the Old Testament used by the Jews in His day—the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Continue reading →

UNHITCHING JESUS FROM THE OT?

Christ, Law, Old Testament June 19, 2018 Leave a comment

PMW 2018-049 by Stephen Altrogge (The Blazing Center)

Gentry note: One of the evangelical tragedies of our times is the dismissal of the Old Testament, as if it were God’s word emeritus. Too many in the contemporary church are preaching a truncated gospel based on a truncated Bible. Andy Stanley, son of famous Baptist pastor Charles Stanley, became a tragic case-in-point when he recently declared himself unhitched from the Old Testament. Stephen Altrogge demonstrates the faulty logic of such a declaration in his amusing expose of Stanley’s error.

Following the advice of pastor Andy Stanley, I just unhitched Jesus from the Old Testament. Boy does it ever feel good to be rid of that old thing. It totally cluttered up the first 2/3 of my Bible. And really, it was so irrelevant to modern Christians, am I right?

Plus, have you ever tried to find the book of Habakkuk? It’s like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles, which I can tell you from experience is extraordinarily painful. Continue reading →