Eschatology
Conference
"Should God’s people be pessimistic or optimistic concerning the direction of history prior to the Second Coming of Christ?"
Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
Th.D., summa cum laude · Retired Presbyterian pastor · Author · Conference speaker
Pastor Wayne Christensen
M.Div. · Senior Pastor, Fox Lake Community Church
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Wayne Christensen
Eschatology is more than a map of the end times — it concerns the direction of history and shapes everything about how Christians live today. Pastor Christensen opens the conference by grounding our inquiry in Scripture, exploring why the study of last things matters for the life of the church and the individual believer right now.
Hebrews 1:1–2 · 2 Timothy 3:13–14 · Luke 2:25
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Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
The seeds of postmillennial hope are planted in the earliest pages of Scripture. Dr. Gentry traces the foundations of biblical optimism through God’s purposes in creation, the covenant with Abraham, and the sweeping prophetic vision of Isaiah 2:2–4 — showing that the advance of Christ’s kingdom was foretold long before the New Testament era.
Genesis 1:26; 3:15; 12:3 · Isaiah 2:2–4 · Romans 4:13
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Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
Turning to the New Testament, Dr. Gentry examines the kingdom hope proclaimed by Christ and the apostles. From Christ’s declaration in John 12:31–32 to Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15, the New Testament presents a vision of Christ reigning until every enemy is placed under his feet — before the resurrection and return.
John 12:31–32 · 1 Corinthians 15:20–27
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Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
The Great Commission is not a holding action — it is a conquest mandate. Dr. Gentry examines Matthew 28:18–20 in its full scope: Christ’s universal authority, the command to disciple (Gk. matheteuo) all nations — not merely to witness or preach to them — and the promise of his abiding presence to the end of the age. The Great Commission is God’s guarantee that the gospel will prevail in history.
Matthew 28:18–20 · Acts 1:8 · Matthew 24:14 · John 16:12–13
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Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
Can postmillennialism survive its critics? Dr. Gentry addresses the most common biblical and theological objections — the “narrow way,” the parable of the tares, Luke 18:8, 2 Timothy 3, and the question of imminence — showing that each, carefully examined, is compatible with or even supportive of the postmillennial hope.
Matthew 7:13–14 · 13:36–39 · Luke 18:8 · 2 Timothy 3