Pretribulationist J. Dwight Pentecost asserts of both posttribulationism and mid-tribulationism that they rest on “a denial of the distinctions between Israel and the church.”[1] Gundry writes an entire chapter attempting to rebut Pentecost’s statement.[2] He begins by arguing against a total disconnection, a clean break, between the programs of the Church and Israel and then concludes the chapter by calling his a “measured dispensationalism” that allows for a posttribulation rapture, yet does not blur the present economy with the Jewish features of the seventieth week.[3]

This series began by summarizing and defending the Dispensationalist understanding of ecclesiology. The Church began at Pentecost. The Church is a mystery, so that not only did it not begin until the New Testament, it was not even revealed until then. The Church is uniquely privileged among the redeemed of history, having a special closeness to Christ, a special calling, and a heavenly hope. These qualities set it apart from both Israel, and the nations, the New Testament portraying it as a third category of humanity (1 Cor 10:32). With the Church given its proper place, the saga of Israel comes into better focus. Part 5 outlined an argument for the pretribulation rapture of the Church based on the structure of this saga. The last few installments showed how this ecclesiology affects the interpretation of key passages in the Rapture debate, including Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and 2 Thessalonians 2, and the passages describing tribulation saints in Revelation.

Paul Feinberg, a pretribulationist, agrees with Gundry against Pentecost. He claims, “it will not follow that an argument for dispensationalism will necessarily be an argument for pretribulationism.”[4] However, inasmuch as dispensationalism is defined by keeping Israel and the Church distinct, Pentecost is right.[5] The nature of the Church drastically affects the interpretation of key passages, and non-pretribulationist positions must somehow compromise biblical ecclesiology. Despite his claims, Gundry’s approach does blur Israel and the Church, since on his scheme the Church fulfills some of Israel’s prophecies, and the Church constitutes the sole redeemed people during Israel’s seventieth week.

Robert Gundry’s work is the best attempt to reconcile the Church/Israel distinction with the Church experiencing the Tribulation. Since his version of posttribulationism does not work, neither does Historic Premillennialism’s version. Also, as Gundry says, “midtribulationism is an unstable view with tendencies in opposite directions.”[6] In the same way, the pre-wrath view tends toward posttribulationism. Ultimately, since the nature of the Church prevents her from being a part of the tribulation at all, the only option left is a pretribulation rapture.

[1] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1964), 164, 179.

[2] Gundry, Church and Tribulation, 28

[3] Ibid., 27-28.

[4] Feinberg, Three Views, 49.

[5] And the dedication to historical-grammatical hermeneutics which leads to the distinction. Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 46-47.

[6] Gundry, Church and Tribulation, 200.