Category Archives: Revelation of John

COUNTERING KEN’S CONFUSED COMMENTARY CRITIC

AD 70, Revelation of John November 14, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-090 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In an on-line posting, dispensationalist, Baptist pastor Miska Wilhelmsson (of Finland) has critiqued portions of my Revelation commentary. He does not seem to like it. And if I read it like he did, I would not like it either! One of his articles is titled: “Preterism, Church History, and Kenneth Gentry’s New Revelation Commentary.” I will briefly reply to his concerns.

My critic

Wilhelmsson opens his critique by writing:

“I want to point out a few issues relating to Gentry’s commentary, and how this novel preterist understanding of Revelation 1:7 connects to church history.

“Notice (see picture below from Gentry’s commentary) how after speaking of this preterist understanding of Revelation 1:7, Gentry follows with a paragraph saying ‘This judgment, being a prophetically-determined, redemptive-historical event, had enormous implications. First…Second…Third…Fourth…Fifth…’ And then Gentry follows by saying ‘Early post-Apostolic Christians saw AD 70 in these terms, including Justin (Dial. 1:35), Origen…, Tertullian (Adv. Jud. 8:18)….’

“So, when the reader reads Gentry’s commentary, how is he supposed to understand what Gentry says regarding these early post-apostolic Christians? Well, it certainly seems that the ‘in these terms’ might suggest that they understood Revelation 1:7 as a preteristic ‘judgment-coming’ event in 70AD, which is what Gentry has been here talking about, right? Well… when we actually read the early church fathers, we find out that they would have NOTHING to do with ‘these terms’ of preterist understanding!”

Continue reading →

THE MILLENNIUM EXAGGERATED (2)

Interpretation, Millennium, Revelation of John, Theology October 28, 2025 Leave a comment

MisdirectionPMW 2025-085 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the second and concluding study on the exaggerated role of the millennium in eschatological studies. It is important for you to read the preceding article before jumping into this one. I am arguing that John’s half-chapter is given too much place in prophetic discussions. This has led many Christians to misunderstand the function of the millennium in Revelation, as well as its length.

Properly understood, the thousand-year time frame in Revelation 20 represents a long and glorious era and is not limited to a literal 365,000 days. Continue reading →

SYMBOLISM AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Interpretation, Revelation of John October 17, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-082 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

When opening the book of Revelation, the would-be interpreter must understand that it is a highly figurative book that cannot be approached with a simple, straightforward literalism. It constantly amazes me that when I discuss Revelation with many evangelical laymen they are immediately alarmed that I am not taking Revelation “literally”! Perhaps one of our first tasks in convincing laymen of the preterist view of Revelation is to disabuse them of literalism.

The first thing we need to do is to point out that though Revelation is highly symbolic, the preterist view does understand Revelation’s prophecies as strongly reflecting actual historical events in John’s near future. And this is despite their being set in an apocalyptic drama and clothed with poetic hyperbole. As even premillennialist commentator Robert Mounce notes: “That the language of prophecy is highly figurative has nothing to do with the reality of the events predicted. Symbolism is not a denial of historicity but a matter of literary genre.” Continue reading →

THE APOCALYPSE AND THE OLD TESTAMENT

Old Testament, Revelation of John June 3, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-042 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Revelation is a difficult book to interpret. We must read it carefully to detect clues as to John’s meaning. One important issue regarding Revelation’s interpretation regards it extremely Hebraic style. In this brief series I will be highlighting several elements of its Hebraic character.

As a Redemptive-historical Preterist I believe that John is writing about the soon-coming destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70. When we read Rev we are immediately struck by John’s strongly Jewish presentation. No competent commentator fails to mention this. Fiorenza notes that “it is often judged to be more Jewish than Christian.” Charles argues on the basis of its style that it is obvious that John was a “Palestinian Jew.” Buchanan agrees with J. F. Whealon who “observed that Rev 4:1–22:7 was a Jewish document that was later Christianized by the introduction, conclusion, and a few editorial additions.” Continue reading →

THE WAR AGAINST THE SAINTS

Revelation of John August 16, 2024 1 Comment

Nero persecutorPMW 2024-064 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

As I continue this study series on 666 and its application to Nero Caesar, we must now note that in the text the Beast is said to “make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev. 13:7). In fact, he is said to conduct such blasphemous warfare for a period of 42 months (Rev. 13:5).

Remarkably, the Neronic persecution of Christianity — the first and one of the most gruesome — lasted almost precisely that length of time. The persecution of Christianity by Nero began in the latter part of November, A.D. 64. It ended with the death of Nero, which occurred on the ninth of June, A.D. 68. [1] But for a few days, this represents a period of almost 42 months! How significant! Not only does Nero’s name fit the number of the Beast, but his persecution lasted the very time required by the Beast’s war against the saints. Continue reading →

666?

Revelation of John August 6, 2024 1 Comment

666 RoutePMW 2024-061 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

One of the continuing interests that laymen have in Revelation regards the number 666. This dreaded number appears in Revelation 13:18:

“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”

Who among us has not feared $6.66 coming up on his cash register receipt? Or worse yet, 666 appearing in his Social Security number!

The significance and usefulness of this number lies in the fact that in ancient days alphabets served a two-fold purpose. Letters functioned, of course, as phonetic symbols from which written words could be formed. But they also served as numerals, in that the Arabic numbering system was a much later development of history. Roman numerals are perhaps the most familiar example of this. Continue reading →

THE TWO WITNESSES OF REVELATION (2)

Revelation of John November 28, 2023 Comments: 2

PMW 2023-093 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the second and concluding article on the identity of the two witnesses in Revelation. In this installment, I present my own view and a portion of my evidence for it.

The first view is that the two witnesses may represent the whole Old Testament order (religious and civil) or content (law and prophecy). The second view is that the two witnesses may represent first century Christianity as a whole.

Third, more probably, the two witnesses may represent Continue reading →