THE GOSPEL, SECOND COMING & ‘THIS AGE’ (1)

Great Commission, Second Coming, Theologians, Two-age Structure December 30, 2022 Comments: 2

PMW 2022-099 by B. B. Warfield

Gentry note:
This article (under the shorter title “The Gospel and the Second Coming”) is from volume 1 of The Selected Shorter Writings of B. B. Warfield. It gives Warfield’s brief argument for postmillennialism. It also shows that this theological giant back in the early 1900s recognized the two-age structure of redemptive history (“this age” and “the coming age”). This is significant in that some current-day writers wrongly believe is an amillennial construct, despite being held by Greg Bahnsen, Keith Mathison, me (!) and others. Though I do not agree with ever angle he presents within, here is Warfield’s insightful article.

The Gospel, Second Coming & “This Age”

The Millennium
The term “millennium” has entered Christian speech under the influence of the twentieth chapter of the book of Revelation. From that passage, imperfectly understood, there has also been derived the idea that is connected with this term. We say, from that passage imperfectly understood. For the book of Revelation is a symbolic book; that is to say, what it describes it describes not directly but indirectly, through the medium of symbols. To take its description literally is therefore to substitute the symbol for the reality. That is what is done when the opening verses of the twentieth chapter are read as if they predicted a period of long duration in the earthly history of the Church, in which Satan is to deceive the nations no more and the resurrected martyrs are to live and reign with Christ.

Continue reading →

OBJECTIONS TO JOHN’S “NEAR” STATEMENTS (3)

Preterism, Revelation December 27, 2022 Comments: 6

Einstein wrongPMW 2022-097 By Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

John states in his opening of Revelation that the events within “must soon take place” (Rev 1:1) because “the time is at hand” (Rev 1:3). This has caused commentators to trip all over themselves to explain what John “really” meant. In the preceding articles I reviewed six proposed answers, starting with those that are the least likely.

I will now present the final four answers in this article. These are the most reasonable ones. But of course, only one of them will be the correct one. And since it is the correct one, I have decided to choose it as my own.

7. The events are certain

The events are certain irrespective of when they occur. S. S. Smalley (27) states that “this phrase indicates the sure accomplishment of God’s purposes, rather than a ‘hasty consummation’ of history.” L. Brighton (642–43) concurs: “The events described will certainly take place: human evil and the resulting sufferings under God’s judgment, and the church of Christ completing her mission. It is necessary that these events take place.” Continue reading →

THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Uncategorized December 22, 2022 Leave a comment

By Ardel B. Caneday

NativityAs the darkness of winter deepens, we are amid the season we Christians call Advent. Advent is the celebration of the dawning of the True Light in the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, conceived by a young virgin whose birth pangs brought into this dark and hostile world God’s Son who would become the Savior of the world. Yet do we give adequate consideration to the wonder and daily significance of Advent?

Celebrations of Advent feature Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels because both include narratives concerning the holy conception and birth of our Lord to the Virgin Mary. Also, both Matthew and Luke provide genealogical records that respectively reach back to Abraham, the God-appointed father of all believers, and to Adam, our disobedient ancestor whose sin brought the curse of death and darkness to us all. Continue reading →

OBJECTIONS TO JOHN’S “NEAR” STATEMENTS (2)

Preterism, Revelation December 20, 2022 1 Comment

PMW 2022-096 By Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.Wrong answer

This is the fourth in a series focusing on the question of the temporal expectation in Revelation.

I am first presenting the attempts of non-preterist interpreters to get around John’s near-term declarations in Rev 1:1, 3; 22:6, 10. Once I have presented these efforts, I will provide extensive exegetical arguments showing that John does focus on the first-century. And then I will eventually answer the question as to whether John ever looks to the distant future.

In my last blog I noted the first two responses to John’s near-term expectations: (1) John was mistaken. (2) John was ambiguous. As you might surmise, I am offering the worst answers first — just to show you how desperate some commentators get over John’s statements. Now I pick up with a third explanation. Continue reading →

OBJECTIONS TO JOHN’S “NEAR” STATEMENTS (1)

Preterism, Revelation December 16, 2022 Comments: 2

PMW 2022-095 By Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.Close no cigar

This is the third of five articles in which I am dealing with the near-term statements opening Revelation in 1:1 and 1:3. In this and the next three I will be responding to objections to the nearness expectations based on these verses and the closing verses in Revelation 22:6 and 22:10. I encourage those interested in Revelation to take account of his opening and concluding statements which are so crucial to understanding John’s message as it was originally received by the seven churches (Rev. 2–3).

Remember that John opens Revelation with two seemingly clear statements:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.” (Rev 1:1)

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Rev 1:3) Continue reading →

NEARNESS IN REVELATION 1:3

Preterism, Revelation December 13, 2022 1 Comment

PMW 2022-091 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In the preceding article I began simply listing the Bible translations of Revelation 1:1 and 1:3 to show that all versions of these verses clearly speak of the nearness of its fulfillment. Then following these two articles, I will present three articles answering the leading objections to the nearness of the Revelation events. When I speak at conferences on Revelation, I always challenge the attendees to look up these verses in any reputable version and note the clear near-term implications.

So, in this article we are now ready to list the versions and how they translate Revelation 1:3

Rev 1:3 in the Versions
(see below for identity of these abbreviated translation names):

KJ21
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.

ASV
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.

AMP
Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who keep the things which are written in it [heeding them and taking them to heart]; for the time [of fulfillment] is near.

AMPC
Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who reads aloud [in the assemblies] the word of this prophecy; and blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who hear [it read] and who keep themselves true to the things which are written in it [heeding them and laying them to heart], for the time [for them to be fulfilled] is near.

Continue reading →

NEARNESS IN REVELATION 1:1

Uncategorized December 9, 2022 Comments: 2

PMW 2022-091 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.Stack of Bibles

Despite the historic difficulty of Revelation, the key to understanding it is in its front door. That is, they key interpretive clue that we need to even begin to properly understand it is its opening verse: Revelation 1:1. When the original recipients of Revelation first heard it read to them (Rev. 1:3), they heard it without having any knowledge of Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth, or Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind, or David Jeremiah’s, The World of the End. They heard John’s words first. And that is the way it should be.

In this and the next article I will simply be listing the Bible translations of Revelation 1:1, then 1:3 to show that all versions of these verses clearly speak of the nearness of its fulfillment. Then following these two articles, I will present three articles answering the leading objections to the nearness of the Revelation events. When I speak at conferences on Revelation, I always challenge the attendees to look up these verses in any reputable version and note the clear near-term implications. Continue reading →