Category Archives: Preterism

REVELATION AND ORIGINAL INTENT

Interpretation, Preterism, Revelation August 29, 2017 Leave a comment

PMW 2017-070 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I am concluding a brief series presenting interpretive issues necessary for understanding Revelation rightly, i.e., from the preterist perspective. Many evangelicals deem Revelation’s judgment passages to be counter-indicative to postmillennialism’s long term hope. In this article I will focus on John’s original intent which shows he was not speaking past his audience to an audience thousands of years in the future.

Today we are so distant from the events of A.D. 70, so removed from the ancient culture, so little acquainted with the first century Jewish outlook, and so accustomed to the Christian perspective, we tend to overlook the enormous redemptive-historical significance of A.D. 70. Those events are not merely another sad instance in the history of “man’s inhumanity to man which makes countless thousands mourn.” They serve not as demonstration of “nature, red in tooth and claw.” Neither do they merely remind us of “the carnage of war, the blood-swollen god.” Continue reading →

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HELP FROM JOHN’S AUDIENCE

Interpretation, Preterism, Revelation August 25, 2017 1 Comment

PMT 2017-069 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In my last article I noted the significance of John’s opening time-indicators for interpreting Revelation. These powerfully demonstrate the preterist (past tense) approach to Revelation. That is, that the vast majority of Revelation’s event lie in our distant past and in John’s approaching future.

If you want to explain Revelation to a friend, the first thing you need to do is have them read the first three verses. Then point out to them the near-term indicators (as per my last article). Then you need to point out to them the fact that he is writing to a real, historical audience who would not be inclined to overlook those indicators. Continue reading →

THE KEY KEY TO REVELATION

AD 70, Preterism, Revelation August 22, 2017 1 Comment

PMW 2017-067 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

There are several keys to interpreting the Book of Revelation. But the key key is that of John’s statement regarding the prophetic events being temporarlly near. When I discuss Revelation with folks I begin by urging them to read the first three verses. Once the shock wears off their faces, the gears in their head will often begin to turn.

Thus, the leading preterist evidence derives from John’s temporal delimitations, which he emphasizes by strategic placement, didactic assertion, frequent repetition, and careful variation. Continue reading →

THREE PRETERIST PRINCIPLES

AD 70, Interpretation, Preterism August 18, 2017 1 Comment

PMW 2017-066 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Modern postmillennialism is largely, though not solely, committed to a particular interpretive tool known as “preterism.” This tool is helpful for explaining many of the catastrophic judgment passages as features of the founding of Christianity in the first century rather than evidence for the decline of Christianity in the final century.

However, postmillennialists do not adopt this interpretive approach in order to avoid a negative impact on their eschatological system. Rather, preterism arises naturally from a careful reading of the biblical text. Continue reading →

POSTMILLENNIALISM AND APOLOGETICS (4)

AD 70, apologetics, Preterism June 16, 2017 Leave a comment

PMT 2017-048 By Mike Warren (Christian Civilization Blog)

Point 4:
Postmillennialism is the biblical anecdote to failed predictions of Christ’s Second Coming.

Postmillennialism, with a preterist view of the Great Tribulation, refutes the numerous failed predictions, which have undermined the credibility of the modern evangelical church, that Jesus is coming soon to rapture Christians out of the world. Continue reading →

REVELATION COMMENTARY UPDATE

Preterism, Revelation January 6, 2017 Comments: 13

revelation-commentary-typesetPMT 2016-003 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

A number of my readers have expressed interest in the Revelation commentary I have written. I have finally received notice from the publisher that vol. 1 has been fully typeset. The commentary will be titled: The Divorce of Israel: A Redemptive-Historical Interpretation of Revelation.

The first of two volumes is 880 pages long and covers Introduction through Revelation 9. Of these pages, 208 are the “Introduction.” Introducing the distinctive approach to the commentary is vitally important, hence the depth of the material therein. Continue reading →

ACTS 24:15 AND THE RESURRECTION (2)

AD 70, Preterism, Resurrection December 6, 2016 Leave a comment

PMT 2016-089 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In my previous article, I began a brief consideration of Acts 24:14–15. This passage is often used by Hyper-preterists in an attempt to demonstrate that the corporate, public, universal, systematic Christian faith has not been mistaken on one of its foundational doctrines for 2000 years. They mistakenly hold that this passage points to the expectation of a first-century resurrection of the dead.

In my opening article I focused on the lexical issues involved in the key term mellein in this passage. They believe it means “about to,” which it does not. Please read that article to orient yourself to the argument. In this article I will conclude by noting their syntactical and contextual error. Continue reading →