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{{Short description|American theologian}}
{{for|the executed American murderer|Kenneth Edward Gentry}}
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{{BLP primary sources|date=July 2009}}
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| notable_ideas = The Book of Revelation is a forensic drama that presents God's divorce decree against Israel as he takes a new bride, the Christian church.
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'''Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.''' (3 May 1950) is a [[Calvinism|Reformed]] [[theologian]], and an ordained minister in the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly]]. He is particularly known for his support for and publication on the topics of [[orthodox preterism]] and [[postmillennialism]] in [[Christian eschatology]], as well as for [[theonomy]] and [[Young Earth creationism]]. He holds that each of these theological distinctives are logical and theological extensions of his foundational theology, which is Calvinistic and Reformed.
 
==Biography==
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He received his [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[Biblical Studies]] from [[Tennessee Temple University]] (1973, cum laude). After graduating he enrolled at [[Grace Theological Seminary]] in [[Winona Lake, Indiana]]. After two years at Grace Seminary (1973–1975) he left [[dispensationalism]], having become convinced of a [[Covenant Theology|covenant]] and [[Reformed theology]]. He transferred to [[Reformed Theological Seminary]] in [[Jackson, Mississippi]] (1975–1977). Upon completing studies at Reformed Theological Seminary he was awarded the [[Master of Divinity|M.Div.]] in 1977. After several years of pastoral ministry, he earned a [[Master of Theology|Th.M.]] (1986) and a [[Doctor of Theology|Th.D.]] (1987, magna cum laude) from [[Whitefield Theological Seminary]], both in the field of [[New Testament]].
 
While at Reformed Theological Seminary he studied under [[Greg L. Bahnsen]], a leading [[presuppositional apologetics|presuppositional apologist]]. Though Gentry initially resisted the distinctive ethical and eschatological views of Bahnsen, he was eventually persuaded of both theonomic ethics and postmillennial eschatology and became a staunch co-defender of them with Bahnsen. Over the years he developed a close friendship with Bahnsen, often lecturing with him in conferences, co-writing a book with him (''House Divided: The Break-up of Dispensational Theology''),<ref>{{cite book |last1=LaHaye |first1=Tim F. |last2=Ice |first2=Thomas |title=The End Times Controversy |year=2003 |publisher=Harvest House Publishers |isbn=978-0-7369-0953-2 |page=42 |url=https://wwwbooks.google.com/books/edition/The_End_Times_Controversy/DGKY59jebNUC?hlid=en&gbpv=1DGKY59jebNUC&dq=%22Kenneth+Gentry%22&pg=PA438&printsec=frontcover |language=en}}</ref> eventually joining the staff of Bahnsen's Southern California Center for Christian Studies, and finally contributing to the [[festschrift]] in honor of Bahnsen, titled: ''The Standard Bearer.''
 
Gentry retired from full-time pastoral ministry in 2016 after serving more than thirty-five years in three conservative and Reformed denominations: The Presbyterian Church in America, The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and The Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Assembly. He is the Director of GoodBirth Ministries, a non-profit religious educational ministry, "committed to sponsoring, subsidizing, and advancing serious Christian scholarship and education".
 
==Writings==
Gentry is the leading contemporary theological expositor of the early-date of Revelation (prior to A.D. 70) by the Apostle John. The [[Preterism#Partial_preterismPartial preterism|partial preterist]] paradigm is a different eschatology than that held by most American [[Dispensationalist]] Christians, who maintain that the Great Tribulation hasn't yet occurred.
 
Kenneth Gentry's works ''[[The Beast of Revelation]]'' and ''[[He Shall Have Dominion]]'' attempt to explain the identity of the Beast and what God's true redemptive plan for humanity are. Gentry's work is considered by his followers to be important for soteriological reasons.
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===Revelation commentary===
Gentry has completed a two-volume academic [[bible commentary|commentary]] on Revelation titled: ''The Divorce of Israel: A Redemptive-Historical Interpretation''. It is currently being proofed and typeset by Tolle Lege Press and is scheduled for release inby MaySeptember 20222023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Revelation Commentary Update (NovemberMay 131, 20212023)|url=https://www.kennethgentry.com/blog/revelation-commentary-update-febmay-2531-20212023/|access-date=20212023-1106-0321|website=KennethGentry.com|language=en}}</ref> According to preliminary studies he has released ("The Wrath of God and Israel", Fountain Inn, SC: 2007), he will be presenting evidence that "[[Babylon (New Testament)|Babylon]]" ({{bibleverse||Rev.|16:19-19:2}}) is a metaphor for 1st century Jerusalem, and that the book's author [[John of Patmos|John]] is following the pattern of the [[Old Testament]] [[prophet]]s in denouncing [[Jerusalem|Jerusalem's]] unfaithfulness by such images (see especially {{bibleverse||Jer.|2-3}} and {{bibleverse||Ez.|16}}).
 
Gentry holds that the theme of Revelation is [[Jesus|Christ's]] judgment-coming against those who pierced him ({{bibleverse||Rev|1:7}}), and presents the "slain Lamb" ({{bibleverse||Rev|5:8,13}}; etc.) as wreaking vengeance upon 1st-century Jerusalem. He argues that the seven-sealed scroll is God's [[divorce]] decree against his unfaithful Old Testament wife (Israel) so that he might take a new bride, the Church (Rev. 21-2221–22). Thus, Revelation dramatizes the transition from the old covenant, [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temple]]-based, [[Jew|Judaic]] economy to the [[New Covenant]], spiritual economy that includes all ethnicities, not just Jews.
 
According to his research updates, Gentry sees strong similarities between Revelation and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Both works seek to demonstrate Christianity's superiority to Judaism by showing New Covenant Christianity fulfilling [[Old Covenant]] Judaism (Heb. 8:13; Rev. 2:9; 3:9; 11:1-2). He notes that both documents even end up pointing the reader to the [[New Jerusalem]] from heaven (Heb.12:22; Rev. 21:2), which represents Christianity. He also draws parallels in thought between the Gospel of Matthew and Revelation. He sees evidence for this in Matthew's strong imagery regarding old covenant Judaism's demise in the [[Split of early Christianity and Judaism|rise of Christianity]] (Matt. 8:10-12; 21:33-46; 22:1-13; 23:29-38).
 
 
===Bibliography===
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*"A Revelation of the Revelation" and "Theonomy and Confession" in Robert R. Booth, ed., ''The Standard Bearer: A Festschrift for Greg L. Bahnsen'' (Covenant Media Foundation, 2002). {{ISBN|0-9678317-4-1}}
*"The Historical Problem with Hyper-Preterism" in Hyper-Preterism: A Reformed Critique, ed. [[Keith A. Mathison]] (P & R 2003). {{ISBN|0-87552-552-0}}
*"Agony, Irony and the Postmillennialist" and "Victory Belongs to the Lord" in ''Thine Is the Kingdom: A Summary of the Postmillennial Hope'', ed. by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. (Ross House, 2004). {{ISBN|1-891375-22-9}}
*"Pauline Communion v. Paedocommunion" in Joseph A. Pipa, Jr. and C. N. Willborn, eds., ''The Covenant: God’s Voluntary Condescension'' (Presbyterian Press, 2005). {{ISBN|1-931639-06-X}}
*"Defending the Faith" in Bodie Hodge and Roger Patterson, eds., ''World Religions and Cults: Counterfeits of Christianity'' (Master, 2015). {{ISBN|0-89051903X}}
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
==External links==
*[http://KennethGentry.com Gentry's official website]
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