Yes — God's prophetic plan required it, and Psalm 2 foretold that the rulers of Israel and the Gentile kings would take counsel together to reject and crucify His Messiah.
The Jewish leaders demanded Jesus' death, but they did not want to carry it out themselves, so the Roman Gentiles performed the execution. Les Feldick teaches that this fulfilled Psalm 2's word "together" and showed that the whole human race — not Israel alone — rejected Christ.
Psalm 2:1-2 — This prophecy directly names the heathen/Gentiles and the people/Israel, and says their kings and rulers take counsel together against the Lord's Anointed.
Psalm 2 describes both divisions of humanity in opposition to God's Anointed. The KJV asks, "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" Here, the "heathen" are the Gentiles and the "people" are Israel. Then verse 2 adds, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed." The "kings of the earth" were Gentile rulers like Rome, and the "rulers" were Israel's religious leaders. Verse 3 records their intent: "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." In other words, both Gentile and Jewish leadership unite in rejecting God's authority and His Anointed King.
Les points directly to Psalm 2 as the prophecy that required both groups. He says, "That's exactly what Psalms 2 says, that the rulers of Israel and the kings of this earth would consort together and put the Messiah to death." He emphasizes the word "together" — the kings of the earth (Gentiles) and the rulers of Israel (Jews) took counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed.
Psalm 2 asks why the heathen (non-Jews) rage and the people (Israel) imagine a vain thing. It then says the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers of Israel take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed. Les points out this is exactly what happened at the crucifixion: the Jewish leaders demanded Jesus' death, and the Gentile Roman authorities carried it out, fulfilling the word "together."
Les insists that we cannot blame Israel alone. In Acts, Peter lays blame on the nation, but the whole Scripture shows that Jew and Gentile together were guilty. "The Jew precipitated it. They demanded it. But Rome carried it out" — and Psalm 2 predicted this from the start.
Les explains that Israel could stone someone for a religious infraction, but "that wasn't the death He had to die." So the Jewish leaders had Rome do the "dirty work" and carry out the execution. This was not an accident; it was part of the prophetic plan that Jewish and Gentile rulers would take counsel together.
No. Les says it was all in God's foreknowledge. Jesus Himself told the Twelve in northern Israel, detail by detail, that He would be scourged, beaten, put to death, and raised on the third day. God knew from eternity past that the rulers of Israel and the kings of the earth would consort together.
Why Did the Disciples Not Know Jesus Would Die?
of Man am?" And all they said, "...some say you're Elijah, some say you're John the Baptist, and some say you're one of the prophets." And Jesus came back again, now this is back in Matthew I think 16, and He said, "...but whom do you say that I the Son of Man am?" And then Peter spoke up. He's always the spokesman. And Peter said, "...thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
God's Foreknowledge and the Joint Conspiracy
Les directly says Psalm 2 predicted that the rulers of Israel and the kings of the earth would consort together to put the Messiah to death, and that God was not caught by surprise.
Jewish Leaders Demanded, Romans Carried It Out
Les explains that the Jewish leaders demanded Jesus' death but had Rome do the actual execution because Israel's usual punishment of stoning was not the death He had to die.
Peter's Blame of Israel Does Not Excuse Gentiles
Les stresses that while Peter blames Israel, the Jews precipitated it and Rome carried it out — exactly as Psalm 2 said Jew and Gentile together would reject and kill Him.
Jew and Gentile Together Were Guilty
Les points to Psalm 2's word "together" and says Peter's accusations against Israel do not erase the Gentiles' part; Scripture in total makes both guilty.
Prophecy, Not Accident, Brought Both Together
Les shows the arrest and kangaroo court were not accidental; both Romans and Jews connived together to put Jesus to death, fulfilling prophecy.
Heathen and Israel Acted in Consort
Les explains Psalm 2 distinguishes the heathen/Gentiles from the people/Israel and then says they took counsel together — the Romans carried it out and the Jews demanded it.
The Whole Human Race Rejects Christ
Les concludes that because Jewish and Gentile rulers rejected Jesus and said "crucify Him," the whole human race falls under the guilt of rejecting God's rule.
Psalm 2:1: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
This names the two groups — the heathen/Gentiles and the people/Israel — that opposed God's Anointed.
Psalm 2:2: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
This shows the Gentile kings and the rulers of Israel taking counsel together against the Lord and His Messiah.
Psalm 2:3: Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
This records their rejection — they wanted to throw off God's authority and not let Christ rule as King.
Yes. Les teaches that Scripture in total says Jew and Gentile were guilty of the crucifixion. The Jewish leaders demanded it, but the Roman authorities carried it out; Psalm 2 names both the heathen/Gentiles and the people/Israel.
Les addresses this by saying Peter is pointing the finger at Israel, but that does not take away the Gentiles' part. The Jews precipitated the death by demanding it, while Rome carried it out — together they fulfilled Psalm 2.
Before going up to Jerusalem, Jesus told the Twelve in detail that He would be scourged, beaten, put to death, and raised on the third day. Les uses this to show God was not caught by surprise.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did the Disciples Not Know Jesus Would Die?