POSTMILLENNIALISM AND SATAN’S LOOSING

Millennial Views, Millennium, Objections, Revelation November 7, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-088 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Satan loosedI received this question from a reader. I think it might be helpful to other blog readers for me to answer it. Here is the question:

“As I’ve been reading your whole series on Revelation, I have come realize more and more how much we A-Mill Folks agree with you Post Mill Guys. But how does the loosing of Satan coincide with your postmillennial preterist hermeneutic? This seems to be the only area where I have a problem from the Preterist Viewpoint. Please advise where this fits.”

This is a good question that touches on an issue that seems to confront both preterism (Satan’s loosing occurs after 1000 years in a book set to transpire shortly) and to undermine the idea of the universal conquest of the gospel expected by postmillennialism. Postmillennialism is a theological construct whereas preterism is a methodology, rather than a theology. Both merge well in my understanding of postmillennialism. Let me explain. Continue reading →

MATT. 16:27-28: AD 70 AND FINAL JUDGMENT (2)

AD 70, Daniel, Great Commission, Preterism, Second Coming November 4, 2025 Comments: 2

PMW 2025-087 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In my preceding article I began a brief study of Matthew 16:27 and 28. I am providing evidence that Jesus speaks of the “coming of the Son of Man” as applying to his Second Coming at the Final Judgment to end history. Upon declaring this, he adds a note about his near-term coming, which demonstrates his authority at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. This article will conclude the argument by providing my fourth point, following upon the preceding three.

So now we must note not only the wording of the passage, but its flow, setting, and purpose.

In v. 28 Jesus inserts the “truly I say to you” formula (v. 28), which he often uses. He always uses this formula as a bold underscoring of something he has said. So? How does it function here? This will explain his rationale in the setting of his current instruction. Continue reading →

MATT. 16:27-28: AD 70 AND FINAL JUDGMENT (1)

AD 70, Interpretation, Preterism, Second Coming October 31, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-086 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

One of the more remarkable brief aside statements by Jesus, which impacts eschatology, is found in Matthew 16:27–28. Jesus’ declaration reads:

[v. 27] For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. [v. 28] Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

As an orthodox preterist, I hold that this passage brings together the AD 70 judgment and the Final Judgment. [1] As orthodox preterists argue (following most conservative, evangelical theologians in general), the AD 70 destruction of the temple is a dramatic judgment of God in itself. But it is also a typological foretaste of the universal Final Judgment, which it pictures through the local judgment on Israel. [2] (This is much like the Israel’s Old Testament exodus event being an important act in itself, while serving as a type of coming redemption through Christ.) 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 →

THE MILLENNIUM ABUSED (1)

Interpretation, Millennium, Theology October 24, 2025 Leave a comment

Millennium exaggeratedPMW 2025-084 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I am beginning a two-part series on the millennium. I will be highlighting how its significance in eschatological discussions is exaggerated. I am calling for balance on this issue.

Revelation 20:1–6 present us with a time frame that plays a far greater role in the eschatological debate than it warrants. Oddly, Stanley J. Grenz asserts of “evangelical postmillennialists” that “as a millenarian viewpoint, of course, it builds its primary case from a futurist interpretation of John’s vision.” This is simply not so. Continue reading →

THE END OF THE MILLENNIAL REIGN

Millennium October 21, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-83 by Milton S. Terry (Biblical Apocalyptics)

Gentry note: In this article I am presenting some helpful postmillennial material from Milton S. Terry (1840–1914) as presented in his book, Biblical Apocalyptics. Below I will be directly citing his material, except that I will break it into smaller paragraphs (as I noted was necessary in my last article).

So here is a direct citation of Biblical Apocalyptics, pp. 453–54:

The five scenes of the millennial period thus far presented form a closely connected series and are to be thought of, not as chronologically successive, but rather as simultaneous and supplementary in their logical relations. Thus, the moving forth of the great Conqueror (19:11–16) results in the great slaughter of the numerous enemies of God (19:17,18); this involves at the same time the destruction of the beast and the false prophet (19:19–21) and the binding of Satan (20:1–3). These are different aspects of a world-wide conquest, for the Messianic King of Old Testament prophecy is to “have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). 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 →