How much did the Old Testament prophets understand about the coming King and the suffering Savior?
Old Testament prophets had an idea of both the coming King and His Kingdom and the suffering Savior who would pay sin’s penalty, but they could not put the whole thing together. God did not expect them to; they ministered these things for us, not for themselves.
Les explains that all the Old Testament prophets had an idea of the events tied to both the coming King and the setting up of His Kingdom, as well as the necessity of a suffering Savior to pay the penalty of sin. Yet they could not put the whole thing together, and God did not expect them to; they were not supposed to. Scripture says it was revealed to them that they ministered these things not unto themselves but unto us, things now reported by those who preached the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, which things even the angelic host desired to look into and did not fully comprehend. The disciples later asked the same kind of question about the sign of His coming and the end of the age.
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Could Old Testament prophets understand how the Messiah's coming kingdom and His suffering for sin fit together?
No. The Old Testament prophets had an idea of both the coming King and His kingdom and a suffering Savior who would pay sin's penalty, but they could not put the whole thing together. God did not expect them to, nor were they supposed to.
Who were the Old Testament prophets ministering to when they prophesied about Christ?
The Old Testament prophets, when they prophesied about Christ, were not ministering to themselves but to us—the ones who would later receive the gospel. They searched diligently, yet it was revealed that their ministry was for those who would hear the gospel preached by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.