Yes, the gap exists because Daniel's 490-year prophecy was interrupted by the church age, which the Old Testament prophets never saw.
Daniel's prophecy covered 490 years for Israel. Les Feldick teaches that 483 years were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, but the Old Testament writers never saw the intervening church age, so the final seven years remain future. This is why the 490-year timeline appears to have a gap of almost 2,000 years.
Daniel 9:24-27 — This passage contains the seventy-week prophecy that sets the 483 years to Messiah and leaves the final seven-year week yet to be fulfilled.
Daniel 9:24 declares that seventy weeks are determined upon Daniel's people and the holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:25 says that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks. Daniel 9:26 says that after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Daniel 9:27 then speaks of a final week in which he shall confirm the covenant with many, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. The biblical text records the seventy-week timetable but does not explain a long intervening gap or mention a church age in this passage.
Les Feldick teaches that Daniel's 490-year prophecy was an Old Testament timetable for Israel. He explains that 483 of those years were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, leaving seven years that were never completed. According to the Old Testament prophetic program, the timeline ran right straight through to the end, and Christ could have set up His kingdom with Israel as the nation of priests promised in Exodus 19. However, Les emphasizes that nothing in the Old Testament gives a hint of the intervening church age. The prophets did not mention the age of grace or God going to Gentiles to call out a people for His name. The final seven years, Daniel's 70th week, were therefore separated from the 483 years by the church age, an undetermined period. Historically the prophetic program was interrupted, but the Old Testament prophets themselves saw it as unbroken.
Les Feldick says the Old Testament knows nothing but the prophetic program moving right straight through to the end. He states that not a word is ever breathed throughout the Old Testament about the church age comprised of Gentile believers or about the age of grace. He compares it to approaching a mountain range: you can see the foothills clearly, but you cannot discern the valley between the nearer and higher ranges until you come closer. In the same way, the prophets could not see the intervening church age.
Les teaches that 483 of the 490 years were consummated at Christ's first coming, leaving seven years that were never completed. He says the Old Testament prophetic program gave no indication that this timeline would be split open and stretched out over almost 2,000 years before the final seven happened. Those final seven years are known as Daniel's 70th week and are still future.
Les points to Daniel 9:24's goal of bringing in everlasting righteousness, sealing up the vision and prophecy, and anointing the most Holy. He says these things did not happen at Christ's first coming, but they will when He returns and sets up His kingdom.
The 490-Year Prophetic Timeline
Les puts the 490-year prophecy on a timeline and explains that the Old Testament saw it moving straight through to the point where Christ could have set up His kingdom and Israel could have been the promised nation of priests.
483 Years Fulfilled, Seven Left
Les explains that 483 years were fulfilled by Palm Sunday and that the Old Testament gave no indication the final seven years would be delayed for almost 2,000 years.
Church Age Never Mentioned
Les says the Old Testament is totally silent about the church age and the age of grace, showing why the prophets did not see the gap.
Prophecy Moves Straight Through
Les stresses that Old Testament prophecy never hints at the intervening church age; the prophetic program appears uninterrupted even though history shows an interruption.
Seven Years Never Completed
Les confirms that 483 years were completed at the cross, so the remaining seven years were left incomplete.
The Hidden Valley
Les uses the mountain-range analogy to show the prophets could not see the hidden valley of the church age between Christ's first advent and His coming in glory.
No Hint of Intervening Age
Les repeats that the Old Testament knows nothing but the prophetic program moving straight through to the end, with no hint of the church age.
Unfulfilled Kingdom Goals
Les connects the remaining seven years with Daniel 9:24's unfulfilled goals, which will be completed when Christ returns to set up His kingdom.
Daniel 9:24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
This verse defines the seventy-week period and lists the six prophetic goals, including the final kingdom goals that Les says were not completed at Christ's first coming.
Daniel 9:25: Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
It gives the starting point and the total of sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, leading to Messiah the Prince.
Daniel 9:26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
It records that after the sixty-nine weeks Messiah would be cut off, which Les places at Christ's crucifixion, leaving the final week unfulfilled.
Daniel 9:27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
It describes a future one-week covenant, which Les teaches is the seven-year tribulation that is still to come.
Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament prophets never saw the church age. They presented the prophetic program as continuous, so the 490 years appear to run straight through. The 483 years were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, but the final seven are still future.
The gap is the church age, or age of grace, an undetermined period that the Old Testament never mentioned. Les says the Old Testament knows nothing but the prophetic program moving straight through to the end.
Yes. Les teaches that the final seven years left over from Daniel's 490-year prophecy are the tribulation, and they are still future.
Watch the Teaching: Daniel's 70 Weeks Explained — The 490-Year Prophecy Unpacked