Kenneth Gentry: Difference between revisions

{{nomore footnotes|date=July 2009}}

'''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 six-day[[Young creationEarth creationism]]. He holds that each of these theological distinctives are logical and theological extensions of his foundational theology, which is Calvinistic and Reformed.

Gentry was born in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]]. He is married (since July 1971) and has three grown children and six grandchildren.

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://books.google.com/books?id=DGKY59jebNUC&dq=%22Kenneth+Gentry%22&pg=PA438 |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 is the leading contemporary theological expositor of the firstearly-date centuryof forRevelation the(prior dateto whenA.D. 70) by the Apostle John's Revelation content preponderantly transpired. The first[[Preterism#Partial centurypreterism|partial tribulationpreterist]] paradigm is a profoundly different eschatology than that held by most American evangelical[[Dispensationalist]] Christians, who maintain that the tribulation andGreat raptureTribulation havenhasn't yet occurred.

Gentry is perhaps best known for his book ''[[Before Jerusalem Fell]]'', which argues that the [[Book of Revelation]] was written before the [[destruction of Jerusalem]] in 70A.D. AD70. He holds that many of the dramatic events in Revelation correspond to the persecution of Christians under the [[Roman empire|Roman imperium]] as well as to the [[First Jewish-Roman War|Jewish War against Rome]] which resulted in the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70)|destruction of Jewish temple]]. This book is the published version of his doctoral dissertation in 1986 under the title "The Dating of the Book of Revelation: An Exegetical, Theological and Historical Argument for a Pre-A.D. 70 Composition."

Gentry ishas currentlycompleted workinga on antwo-volume academic [[bible commentary|commentary]] on Revelation tentatively 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 by September 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Revelation Commentary Update (May 31, 2023)|url=https://www.kennethgentry.com/blog/revelation-commentary-update-may-31-2023/|access-date=2023-06-21|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.) isas wreaking vengeance upon 1st-century Jerusalem. inHe orderargues forthat Godthe toseven-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 (compare [[supersessionism]]).

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 supplantingfulfilling [[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).

*''[[Before Jerusalem Fell|Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation]]'' (I.C.E.: 1989 {{ISBN|0-930464-20-6}}; Christian Universities Press: 1997 {{ISBN|1-57309-154-5}} {{ISBN|978-157309154-1}}; American Vision: 1999 {{ISBN|0-915815-43-5}}).

*"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}}