What sequence did the Old Testament program lay out for the Messiah, tribulation, and Kingdom?
The Old Testament program laid out a steady, uninterrupted flow: the Messiah would come, Israel would crucify Him, then Daniel's 70th week—seven years of tribulation—would come, and then Christ would return and set up His Kingdom. But Israel rejected it.
Les explains that after the Tower of Babel and at 2,000 B.C., God formed a separate nation from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—Israel. In that Old Testament economy, God dealt predominantly with Israel, with exceptions because He is sovereign. According to the Old Testament program, the Messiah would come, Israel would crucify Him, Daniel's 70th week—the seven-year tribulation—would come, and then Christ would return to set up His Kingdom. Israel, however, rejected it; as Dorothy says, they blew it. Les notes that the Old Testament prophecies describe this as a steady flow with no interruption.