Peter did not stop because he lacked Christ's divine foreknowledge and did not know the prophetic program would be interrupted.
In Luke 4, Jesus read Isaiah 61 and stopped before the coming day of vengeance, knowing that remaining prophecy would not be fulfilled for about 2,000 years. Peter, preaching at Pentecost in Acts 2, quoted Joel 2 straight through the prophetic program because he had no idea that a church age would interrupt the sequence.
Isaiah 61:1-2 — Jesus read this passage in the synagogue and stopped before the phrase 'the day of vengeance,' which is the part He did not fulfill at His first coming.
Joel 2:28-32 — Peter quoted this prophecy at Pentecost without pausing, moving from the outpouring of the Spirit straight into the cosmic signs of the day of the Lord.
In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from Isaiah 61:1-2. He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor... To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He stopped before the next clause, “and the day of vengeance of our God,” closed the book, and said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21). At Pentecost, Peter stood up and quoted the prophet Joel in Acts 2:16-21. He did not stop after the outpouring of the Spirit. He continued into the cosmic signs—blood, fire, vapor of smoke, the sun turned into darkness, the moon into blood—before that great and notable day of the Lord. The text of Joel 2:30-32 shows those signs belong to the day of the Lord, not to Pentecost.
Les Feldick teaches that Peter did not possess the omnipotent insight that Christ had. Jesus could stop reading Isaiah 61 in the middle of a verse because He knew the remaining prophecy would not be fulfilled until roughly 2,000 years later. Peter, by contrast, had no foreknowledge that the prophetic program would be interrupted, and he had no idea of a church age. He quoted Joel 2 straight through as if the whole sequence would happen one item right after another. Les also emphasizes that Peter was still on covenant ground. From where Peter stood, the tribulation, the return of Christ, and the setting up of the kingdom were all coming right down the pipe, and after that Israel would take the knowledge of Jehovah to the ends of the earth. Peter never caught on that the Lord would turn to the Gentiles and delay the fulfillment of Israel's promises.
When Jesus was in the synagogue in Luke 4, He read from Isaiah 61 and stopped in the middle of a verse, then sat down and said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Les Feldick explains that Jesus knew the rest of that verse would not take place until about 2,000 years down the road, so He stopped exactly where He should have stopped.
According to Les Feldick, Peter did not have the omnipotent insight or foreknowledge that Christ had. He did not know that the prophetic program would be interrupted, and he had no idea of a church age. Peter quotes Joel 2 straight through the prophetic program as if it is all coming, and he cannot put a break between Joel 2:29 and Joel 2:30. He is still on covenant ground, claiming the covenant promises God made to Abraham.
Peter could see the whole thing coming right down the pipe—the tribulation, the return of Christ, and the setting up of the kingdom. After that, Peter and the other 11 could take the knowledge of their Jehovah to the ends of the earth. Les emphasizes that they were not remiss in the Great Commission because under the covenant they were not to go until they had the King. Even as Peter preached in the early chapters of Acts, all he could see was God fulfilling all the promises made to Israel, and in short order—but that was not to be.
Peter Lacked Christ's Omniscient Insight
Les says Peter did not have the omnipotent insight that Christ had, so he couldn't stop at the right place; he did not know the program would be interrupted and had no idea of a church age.
Peter Could Not Stop Where Jesus Stopped
Les compares Peter's quotation of Joel 2 with Jesus stopping mid-verse in Isaiah; Peter lacked the foreknowledge to stop where he should have stopped and quoted the prophecy straight through.
Jesus Knew the 2,000-Year Gap
Jesus stopped in Luke 4 because He knew the rest of Isaiah's verse wouldn't be fulfilled for 2,000 years; Peter couldn't make that break and remained on covenant ground.
Peter Saw the Whole Prophetic Sequence
Peter saw the tribulation, the return of Christ, and the kingdom all coming one after another, after which Israel would carry the knowledge of Jehovah to the world.
Peter Kept Going Through Joel's Prophecy
Peter continued past the outpouring of the Spirit into the wonders, blood, fire, and the day of the Lord, as if it were all going to happen without a 2,000-year interruption.
Peter Expected Israel's Promises Soon
Peter never caught on that the Lord would turn to the Gentiles; he expected God to fulfill all the promises to Israel in short order.
What Peter Really Preached in Acts 3 — Israel's Call to Repent
Now, you see, anytime something is written in prophecy, it has to be fulfilled to the last jot and tittle or it would make God a liar. Always remember that. Everything written prophetically has to come to pass. Everything that's written that is still future, it has to happen and it will. Otherwise, God would be a liar. And so this is what Peter is saying.
What the Bible Really Says About the Antichrist — Daniel 8 & 11
And here is my reason for spending as much time in prophecy as I do. Now, I don't like to ever get on a hobby horse and just ride one thing until it's ridden to death. I don't teach prophecy simply because it's sensational or exciting, and although it is, but we simply like to teach prophecy on the basis of these verses of Scripture.
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;
This is the passage Jesus read in Luke 4, and He stopped before the day of vengeance, the part not fulfilled at His first coming.
Luke 4:18-21: 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. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
This shows Jesus stopping in the middle of the prophecy and declaring only the first portion fulfilled.
Joel 2:28-32: 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. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This is the prophecy Peter quoted straight through at Pentecost, moving from the Spirit's outpouring all the way to the cosmic signs of the day of the Lord.
Acts 2:16-21: But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Peter's actual quotation in Acts 2, showing he did not stop at the outpouring of the Spirit but continued into the day-of-the-Lord signs.
Jesus stopped after “the acceptable year of the LORD” because He knew the remainder—the day of vengeance—would not be fulfilled until about 2,000 years later. He could stop exactly where He should have stopped.
No. Les Feldick explains that Peter had no idea of a church age and did not know the prophetic program would be interrupted. He preached as if the whole prophecy was coming one thing right after another.
Peter saw the tribulation, the return of Christ, and the setting up of the kingdom coming one right after the other. He expected that after that Israel would take the knowledge of their God to the ends of the earth.
No, according to Les Feldick. They were not to go to the ends of the earth under the covenant until they had the King. They knew their theology better than most people do today.
Watch the Teaching: The Mystery of the Church: Why It’s Not in the Old Testament