No — Old Testament believers did not foresee or understand the crucifixion, even though God had recorded it in prophecy.
Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament presented Christ's suffering and death in advance, but in such subdued, latent language that nobody understood it. Even Jesus' own disciples did not comprehend when He plainly told them He would be killed and rise again (Luke 18:34). The prophecies were fulfilled exactly as written, but they were understood only after the crucifixion had taken place.
Luke 18:31-34 — Shows that even when Jesus plainly predicted His death and resurrection, the Twelve understood none of it, demonstrating that Old Testament-era believers did not foresee the crucifixion.
Acts 3:18 — Confirms that God had long before spoken through the prophets that Christ would suffer, yet that foretelling was fulfilled rather than understood in advance.
1 Corinthians 10:4 — Identifies the wilderness rock as Christ, which Les connects with Christ being smitten — an Old Testament picture that was not seen as the cross beforehand.
Scripture is clear that the crucifixion was promised in advance, but it was not understood by those to whom the promises were given. Through Paul, Scripture reveals that the rock in the wilderness was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), and that the same Christ was smitten in type when Moses struck the rock. In Acts 3:18, Peter says that what God 'before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer' was fulfilled — showing the cross had been prophesied long before it happened. Yet when Jesus Himself took the Twelve aside and told them plainly that everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man would be accomplished — that He would be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, scourged, killed, and raised on the third day — Luke records, 'And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.' (Luke 18:31-34).
Les Feldick teaches that the entire Old Testament is prophecy, including the crucifixion, but it is written in 'subdued language and latent terms that nobody understood' (Clip 1). He says the Old Testament was full of how Christ would come, suffer, die, and rise, yet 'Israel didn't know. They couldn't understand' (Clip 2). Even the Twelve were 'totally unsuspecting of what was about to happen in spite of their knowledge of the Old Testament' — they should have known, but they did not (Clips 3 and 4). So while the events were fully foreordained, the Old Testament saints did not foresee the cross before it occurred. After the fact, everything became clear. Les notes that the risen Lord had to expound from Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself (Clip 4). He also points to Moses striking the rock: because the rock was Christ, striking it pictured Christ smitten for the people (Clip 0). None of this was guesswork — God knew every detail from eternity past (Clip 5).
Les Feldick says everything in the Old Testament was telling future events, including the crucifixion, but it was in such subdued and latent terms that nobody understood it. Israel could not comprehend what was written. The Twelve should have known from the Old Testament, but they remained totally unsuspecting when Jesus told them He would be put to death and rise again.
God was not caught by surprise by the crucifixion. Les says it was all in God's foreknowledge; He knew exactly what would happen, and Jesus Himself told the Twelve detail by detail that He would be scourged, beaten, put to death, and raised on the third day. Christ knew it from eternity past.
Les follows Paul's statement that the rock in the wilderness was Christ. When Moses struck the rock with his rod, he was striking Christ, picturing the smitten Christ. From the work of the cross come the blessings of living water for the human race.
On the Emmaus road, Jesus said, 'O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken,' and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded the things concerning Himself. Les says this shows the Old Testament was full of who Christ was and what would take place, but the disciples were slow to see it before the event.
The Rock Was Christ — Striking Pictured the Smitten Christ
Les identifies the wilderness rock as Christ, so Moses' striking the rock pictured Christ smitten on the cross — an Old Testament picture that wasn't understood as the cross in advance.
OT Prophecy Was Subdued and Latent — No One Understood
Les says every Old Testament prophecy pointed to future events, including the crucifixion, but in such subdued, latent terms that nobody understood.
Israel Couldn't Understand the OT's Repeated Testimony of Christ's Suffering
Les says the Old Testament was full of Christ's coming suffering and death, yet Israel did not know and could not understand it.
The Twelve Were Unsuspecting Despite Their OT Knowledge
Les uses Luke 18 to show the disciples should have known from the Old Testament but were totally unsuspecting that Jesus' predictions of His death and resurrection were about to be fulfilled.
After the Resurrection Christ Explained What the Prophets Had Written
Les says Israel should have known and could have known; the risen Christ had to open their minds from Moses and the prophets, showing the truth was recorded but hidden to them beforehand.
God Foreknew the Crucifixion From Eternity
Les says God was not surprised by the cross; He knew it from eternity past, and Jesus told the Twelve the details in advance, though they did not grasp them.
Why Peter Didn't Preach the Gospel in Acts 3
I was thinking I had one other one back in the Old Testament, but I guess that's on another line of thought. Luke 18. Drop down to verse 31. And all of this shocks people the first time they see it. And this isn't the only place it's written. Luke says the same thing in his Gospel. Almost word for word. So you can rest that this is the way it happened.
Why the Apostles Stayed in Jerusalem: Israel vs. The Church
Those are all promises to Israel according to the Old Testament program. That after they had even rejected and crucified their Messiah, their King, He would ascend until He had made His enemies their footstool, and that's that time of derision, which wouldn't have been long. In would come the wrath and the vexation, the tribulation. Christ would return, set up His kingdom.
Luke 18:31: Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
Jesus' plain announcement that all the prophets had written about the Son of Man would be fulfilled.
Luke 18:34: And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
The disciples' failure to understand Jesus' prediction shows OT-era believers did not foresee the cross.
Acts 3:18: But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Peter declares after the resurrection that God fulfilled what He had foretold through the prophets about Christ's suffering.
1 Corinthians 10:4: And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Paul identifies the wilderness rock as Christ, grounding Les's point that smiting the rock pictured the smitten Christ.
Luke 24:27: And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
After the resurrection, Jesus explained from the Old Testament the things concerning Himself, showing the truth was already written but not understood beforehand.
No. According to Les Feldick, the Old Testament told of the crucifixion in subdued, latent language that nobody understood. Even the Twelve didn't comprehend Jesus' clear statements about His death and resurrection.
God fulfilled what He had before shown through the prophets, so that after the crucifixion the Old Testament could be recognized as pointing to Christ. Les says the Old Testament was full of Christ's suffering and death, but those who read it at the time did not understand it.
Paul wrote that the rock was Christ. Les teaches that when Moses struck the rock, he was smiting Christ, and that picture points to the smitten Christ whose work brings living water.
Watch the Teaching: Why Moses Was Forbidden From the Promised Land — The Real Reason