Yes—Old Testament prophecies often combine a near fulfillment and a far-future fulfillment, and the fulfillment is interrupted by an unrevealed interval between the first and second comings of Christ.
In Luke 4, Jesus stops reading Isaiah 61 right after "the acceptable year of the Lord," because the day-of-vengeance and kingdom portion was not going to happen at that time. Psalm 2 and the prophecy quoted at Pentecost likewise join fulfilled and still-future events in one passage. Les Feldick teaches that the reason is an interruption in God's prophetic clock—the first 483 years of the 490-year program have run, and the remaining years wait until after the Church Age.
Luke 4:18-20 — Jesus reads the Isaiah prophecy but stops at "the acceptable year of the Lord" and closes the book—the clearest picture of a break in fulfillment.
Isaiah 61:1-2 — The underlying prophecy that joins the acceptable year to the day of vengeance in one passage.
Psalm 2:1-6 — It runs from the rejection of the Messiah to His future wrath and enthronement in one poem.
Joel 2:28-31 — Joel connects the Spirit's outpouring with cosmic signs that have not yet occurred, with no break marked in the text.
The prophecies themselves place events that we now know are far apart in the same sentence or paragraph. In Isaiah 61:1-2, the anointed Servant is sent to preach, heal, deliver, and proclaim "the acceptable year of the LORD"—and in the same breath to proclaim "the day of vengeance of our God." In Luke 4:18-20, Jesus reads this passage in the synagogue and stops after "the acceptable year of the Lord"; He then closes the book, gives it to the minister, and sits down. Psalm 2:1-6 also runs from the rejection of the LORD's Anointed to God's speaking in wrath and to the declaration, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." Joel 2:28-31 connects the outpouring of the Spirit with wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, fire, and pillars of smoke, and the darkening of the sun and moon. In the text of these passages, no pause is marked; the break is something that the New Testament reading and later fulfillment reveal.
Les Feldick teaches that God's prophetic program for Israel was interrupted, not stopped forever. Using the analogy of God's time clock, he explains that there were to be 490 years of God's dealing with Israel before the King and Kingdom could come in. The first 483 years culminated at the crucifixion, and then the clock stopped. It will not pick up again until the Church is completed and the bride is complete; then the final seven years can be brought in. This is why Jesus could stop reading Isaiah 61 in the middle of the verse: He knew the "day of vengeance" and the Kingdom would not take place until 2,000 years later. Peter, by contrast, did not know about the coming interval. Still on covenant and kingdom ground, Peter quoted the whole prophecy without a break, as if one thing would happen right after another. Les places a parenthesis in Psalm 2 between verses 3 and 5. The rejection described in the opening verses was fulfilled at Christ's first coming, but the wrath, vexation, and the setting of the King on Zion are still future. The Old Testament prophets saw everything as a continuous program because the interruption—the Church, the Age of Grace—was a secret hidden in the mind of God until He revealed it.
When Jesus read from Isaiah 61 in the Nazareth synagogue, He stopped at "the acceptable year of the Lord"—a period—and closed the book. He did not read "the day of vengeance of our God" or the comfort and kingdom portion that followed. Les says Jesus knew the Old Testament program was going to be interrupted shortly after His ascension, and that the day of vengeance and the kingdom would not come in until a later day.
Psalm 2 begins with the rulers taking counsel against the LORD and His Anointed, which pictures the rejection of Christ. Les says a parenthesis can be placed between verse 3 and verse 5, because "the wrath and vengeance and the vexation did not happen at Christ's first coming." After that parenthesis, the prophecy resumes with the seven years of tribulation and then the King set on Zion.
Peter quoted the prophecy from the Old Testament as a continuous whole. He did not know about the 2,000 years of the Age of Grace that would interrupt the program. Les explains that Peter was still on covenant and kingdom ground, so he could not place a break between the parts of the prophecy that Jesus knew were separated.
Les uses the analogy of a time clock. There were to be 490 years of God's dealing with Israel before the King and the Kingdom could come in. The first 483 years culminated at the crucifixion, and then "God's clock stopped." It will not pick up again until the Church is completed and the bride is complete; then the final seven years can be brought in.
Les reads the portion about the outpouring of the Spirit and the wonders in the heavens and the earth, noting that there is no break in the Bible text—it just continues into the next verse. Yet the cosmic signs have not happened yet. Why not? Because the program has been interrupted, even though the Old Testament prophet did not see an interruption.
Jesus Stops in Isaiah 61
Jesus reads Isaiah 61 in Luke 4 and stops after "the acceptable year of the Lord," showing that the rest of the verse was not being fulfilled at His first coming.
God's Clock Stops
After 483 of the 490 years, God's clock stopped; the day of vengeance and the kingdom were postponed.
Peter Quotes Without a Break
Peter, unlike Jesus, did not know about the 2,000-year interruption, so he quotes the whole prophecy as continuous.
Peter on Covenant Ground
Because Peter is still on covenant ground, he cannot put a break between the parts of the prophecy that Jesus knew were separated.
Parenthesis in Psalm 2
Les inserts a parenthesis between Psalm 2:3 and 5, because the wrath and vexation were not fulfilled at Christ's first coming.
Missing Church Age
Psalm 2 in outline has rejection, derision, tribulation, then King, but no Church Age, because it was a secret hidden in God.
Interrupted for the Bride
The interruption lasts until the Church is completed and the bride is complete; then the final seven years resume.
No Break in Joel's Text
Les shows that the outpouring of the Spirit and the cosmic wonders are in one unbroken passage, but the wonders have not happened yet because the program was interrupted.
Isaiah 61:1-2: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Shows a first-coming ministry and a day-of-vengeance event in one passage.
Luke 4:18-20: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Records Jesus stopping before the day-of-vengeance clause.
Psalm 2:1-6: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Includes rejection of the Anointed, then God's wrath and the King on Zion.
Joel 2:28-31: And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Places the Spirit's outpouring and later cosmic signs in one continuous passage.
Jesus stopped after "the acceptable year of the Lord" because He knew that the rest of the prophecy—the day of vengeance and the kingdom—would not take place at that time. It was going to be interrupted by the Church Age, so He closed the book and sat down.
Les places it between Psalm 2:3 and Psalm 2:5. Verse 3 shows the rejection of the Messiah by the rulers; verses 4–5 then speak of God's derision, wrath, and vexation, which have not yet occurred. The parenthesis is the entire present interval before the tribulation and kingdom.
Peter did not know, at that moment, that there would be 2,000 years of the Age of Grace. He was still on covenant and kingdom ground, so he spoke of the whole prophecy as if it would all take place one thing right after another.
Les says the clock will pick up when it is time for the Church to be completed and the bride is complete. Then the final seven years of the interrupted program can be brought in.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Old Testament Never Mentions the Church Age