Category Archives: Olivet Discourse

ORTHODOX PRETERIST DANIEL COMMENTARY

Books, Daniel, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse, Revelation February 8, 2019 Comments: 3

PMW 2019-012 by Various Authors

For all those interested in eschatology, three biblical texts stand out as essential for our study: Daniel, the Olivet Discourse, and Revelation. I have written a commentary on Revelation (which should be available this Spring, 2019). I am writing a commentary on the Olivet Discourse in context, covering Matthew 21–25 (which should be available in early 2019). But regarding Daniel, I have only written a brief commentary on Daniel 9 (which is available in my book Perilous Times).

Thus, I am pleased to announce the publication of Jay Rogers’, In the Days of These Kings: The Book of Daniel in Preterist Perspective (740 pages). Rogers’ work is a fully-orthodox preterist analysis of Daniel. I highly recommend this book to my readership. Thus, in this blog article, I will list the endorsements to In the Days of These Kings, which I hope will whet your appetite. Continue reading →

Advertisements

THE BEST COMMENTARIES ON MATTHEW

AD 70, Interpretation, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse January 18, 2019 Comments: 3

PMW 2019-006 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I am working on a commentary on Matt. 21:1–25:46, tentatively titled The Olivet Discourse in Context. As I engage the research, I am investigating a number of commentaries on Matthew (I do not fly by the seat of my pants as some preterist enthusiasts do!). I have found help in many of them, even when they do not hold to a preterist understanding of Olivet. Yet, several commentaries have become absolutely essential in my investigation. And I highly recommend them to my reader.

In this brief article I will recommend some good commentaries for you. If you are interested in the Olivet Discourse in particular (which is also found in Mark and Luke) or the Gospel of Matthew in general, you really need to get hold of these (legally, of course). Continue reading →

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (4)

AD 70, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse January 15, 2019 Comments: 13

PMW 2019-005 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is my fourth and final presentation in demonstrating that the disciples’ question to Jesus in Matt. 24:3 shows that they are confused. You might say that this is my “final judgment” on the matter.

When the disciples ask their double question in response to his short prophecy on the destruction of the temple, they bring in concepts that are not related to his prophecy. We have been seeing that they are often confused and how Jesus in the Olivet Discourse is seeking to dispel their confusion.

In the preceding article I noted that Jesus directly interacts with their confusion. In this one I will briefly demonstrate that he will clearly distinguish the events that they have merged. Continue reading →

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (3)

AD 70, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse January 11, 2019 Leave a comment

PMW 2019-004 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the third installment in a four-part series on the disciples’ two questions to Jesus in Matt. 24:3: “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'”

I have been showing that throughout his ministry the disciples display confusion regarding his teaching. I believe this explains why they are confused with his short prophecy in Matt. 24:2.

You need to read the two prior articles before reading this one. I will wait a few minutes to give you the time. . . . . There, that should do it.

My previous articles

In the two previous articles I point out: Continue reading →

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (2)

AD 70, Olivet Discourse, Temple January 8, 2019 Comments: 10

PMW 2019-003 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the second in a four-part series on the disciples’ confusion regarding Jesus’ prophecy of the temple’s destruction in Matt. 24:2. In Matt. 24:3 they ask privately: “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” It is important that we recognize that Jesus untangles their confused thoughts in the Olivet Discourse that follows. What the disciples have joined together, the Son of Man has separated, you might say.

In my forthcoming commentary on Matt. 21–25 and very briefly in this blog series, I will be explaining Jesus’ resolution to the disciples’ confusion. I will be showing that the disciples assume the destruction of the temple will occur at the end of history, the end of the age when the Final Judgment is to occur (of which he had taught them earlier, Matt. 13:39–43, 47–50). Though they claim to understand Jesus’ teaching (Matt. 13:51), Jesus will correct their error by unscrewing what to them was inscrutable. That is, though he will affirm the theological linkage of AD 70 and the Final Judgment, he will declare the historical distinction of these two events: one occurs at the beginning of Christian history, the other at the end of human history. Continue reading →

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (1)

AD 70, Interpretation, Olivet Discourse January 4, 2019 Comments: 2

PMW 2019-002 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

The Olivet Discourse is a popular and important text in eschatological discussions. Indeed, it is Jesus’ largest recorded eschatological instruction.

Unfortunately, verses can be yanked from their context and be used in a seemingly compelling construct that goes against what Christ is actually teaching. This passage in particular requires careful investigation and thoughtful deliberation. For as D. A. Carson notes (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 8:488): “Few chapters of the Bible have called forth more disagreement among interpreters.” Sentiments such as Carson’s could be multiplied to distraction. (In fact, I am distracted just now, and will go get a Krispy Kreme doughnut. But I will return.) Continue reading →

GENTRY COMMENTARY UPDATES

Books, Olivet Discourse, Revelation November 9, 2018 Comments: 2

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.”