Billy Crone in the video below (starting at 8:00) commits this common logical and biblical error on this issue.
Here is the pretrib logic:
Pretribs reason that since the Seventy-Weeks prophecy in Daniel 9:24–27 was given to Israel, the Church cannot “exist” on earth during any of its fulfillment.
Here is why this common pretrib argument fails:
First, pretribs such as Crone would have to deny that the Church exists during the New Covenant fulfillment, since Jeremiah prophesied specifically to “the people of Israel and Judah.” (See Jeremiah 31:31–34). I am sure that Billy Crone would admit that he is a New Covenant believer.
Pretribs cannot have their cake and eat it too. This obvious logical inconsistency seems to escape their minds.
The New Covenant was not made with the Church, but the Church is governed under this covenant as the New Testament teaches that the New Covenant was extended to the Gentiles. We have to look to the New Testament for its progressive revelation to learn these matters.
Why can the New Covenant that was made to Israel be applied additionally to Gentiles, but the 70 weeks prophecy made to Israel cannot also include God working with the Church at the same time?
We are never told.
Billy Crone and other pretribs are myopic and do not allow the New Testament progressive revelation to give us more information about the particulars of the 70th week of Daniel.
Many more examples could be given from the Old Testament. Here is another one:
Peter in Acts 2:16-21 is citing from a prophecy from Joel that was given to Israel and applying it also to the new Church situation. You cannot have a more explicit OT prophecy made to Israel while also including an application of its fulfillment to the Church.
Second, pretrib logic on this issue simply does not follow. It makes a category error by confusing what with when.
They argue that since the Church did not exist during the first 69 sets of seven years (483 years), therefore the Church cannot be there for the last seven years. That is a non sequitur. It fails logically.
The fact that the Church did not exist at the time of the first part of this prophecy (69 sets of seven years, 483 years), who is to say that God is not going to work with both the Church and Israel during the last part of this prophecy? The Church does exist now. So logically it can be here for the last seven years.
When you allow for New Testament progressive revelation, you can learn more than what the Old Testament reveals. Imagine that!
And just to clarify these prophecies to Israel are not being replaced by the Church. The New Testament is simply telling us that God is expanding his redemptive program to the Gentiles, while he keeps his promises to Israel.
The Danielic passage is addressing Israel. Pretribs is trying to say more than it does by making it say that no other redemptive group can exist at that time.
Third, God has worked with both Israel and the Church at the same time in the past and he does in the present.
In the past:
Jesus made a prophecy to Israel about God’s judgment upon them (Matt 24:1–2; Luke 19:43–44).
When was this prophecy to Israel fulfilled? It happened in AD 70—during the Church age! Do you know where I am going with this?
Once again, why are we told that the prophecy to Israel about the 70 weeks excludes any fulfillment during the Church age, but a prophecy to Israel about its judgment is not?
When you have a theological system such as pretribulationism built on a web of assumptions, you will inevitably face internal inconsistencies.
In the present:
God also works with Israel and the Church at the same time, not just in the past, but the present:
“(19) But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.” (20) And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me.” (Rom 10:19–20)
“I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.” (Rom 11:11)
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” (Rom 11:25)
These passages teach that God in this present Church age is working with Israel to make them “jealous.”
These reasons are sufficient to show that pretrib logic fails miserably when they claim that the Church “cannot be here” for the last part of Daniel’s prophecy.
This article was intended to show the illogical nature of this pretrib claim. The positive evidence of the Bible that shows the Church will enter into the seven-year period is overwhelming as the voluminous articles on this blog and the podcast have shown, not to mention my book Antichrist Before the Day of the Lord.
