Confusion arises because the Old Testament prophetic program and the age of grace are routinely blended together as one uninterrupted plan.
Les Feldick says most teachers have taken all the Bible, put it in a blender, and mixed the Old Testament program with the age of grace. The Old Testament prophetic program moves straight through to the end with no hint of a coming church age, while the age of grace was a secret hidden in God until it was revealed through Paul. Once these two separate programs are distinguished, both prophecy and the age of grace fall into their right perspective.
Daniel 9:24 — This seventy-week prophecy is the Old Testament timetable that the prophets presented as one continuous program.
Daniel 9:26 — After sixty-nine weeks Messiah is cut off, but Les notes the Old Testament writers did not see the long gap before the final seven years.
Psalm 2:6-8 — This psalm lays out the Old Testament prophetic program about God's King and His inheritance, with no mention of an intervening age of grace.
Scripture presents an Old Testament prophetic program that is centered on Israel and moves continuously toward the Messiah and His kingdom. Daniel's seventy weeks are given as a connected timetable: sixty-nine weeks bring in the cutting off of Messiah, and the remaining week completes the prophecy. Psalm 2 speaks of God's King set on Zion and given the nations as an inheritance, with no hint of a separate dispensation in which God would call out a people for His name. The Gospels themselves take place while Israel is still under the Law. Nothing in the prophetic writings announces an intervening church age or an age of grace; the Old Testament program simply flows forward to the end. Only in the New Testament revelation, especially through Paul, is a 'mystery' revealed that had been kept secret since the world began.
Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament prophetic program with Israel—seen in places like Psalm 2 and Daniel's seventy weeks—was interrupted, not abandoned. The confusion among believers comes because most teachers put all the Bible in a blender and mix the Old Testament program together with the age of grace, leaving everyone with spiritual indigestion. He emphasizes that the Old Testament knows nothing but the prophetic program moving straight through to the end; it never gives a hint of the intervening church age. The age of grace is an undetermined period that was totally silent in Old Testament prophecy. It did not begin during Christ's earthly ministry, because everything in the Gospels is still under the Law. Instead, the grace-age truths were kept secret in the mind of God and were first revealed through the Apostle Paul. Once a person sees that the Old Testament prophetic program was historically interrupted by the age of grace, the confusion disappears and both prophecy and the age of grace come into their right perspective. At the end of this age, God will pick up where He left off with Israel.
Les points directly to the way the Bible is taught: 'I had a young man tell me the other night... you're the first one that hasn't taken all the Bible, put it in a blender, turn it on high, and then dish it out and give everybody indigestion.' He agrees that this is what most teachers do. They mix the Old Testament program and the age of grace together, and then wonder why people cannot understand what they believe or why they believe it.
No, according to Les. Many people think the age of grace began somewhere in Christ's earthly ministry, but Les says everything in the Gospels is still under the Law. Starting the age of grace in the Gospels is one of the common ways the two programs get mixed up.
Les says the Old Testament is totally silent about the church age. The prophetic period that God was dealing with Israel never says a word about an age of grace or about God going to the Gentiles to call out a people for His name. The Old Testament writers saw Daniel's 490 years as a continuous flow, unaware of the 1,900-year gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week. This is why mixing the Old Testament program with the age of grace creates so much confusion.
Is It Luck or God? Divine Sovereignty vs. Free Will
so many times. How many times haven't I told you? Whenever Jesus really wanted to get something out of somebody, what would He do? He would ask them a question. He knew the answer, and even way back in the Garden of Eden, God didn't have to ask, but what did He? He said, Adam, what have you done? And I think a lot of times the Bible does that just to give us time to think.
The 'Blender' Analogy
Les identifies the root of confusion as teachers mixing all of Scripture together, blending the Old Testament program with the age of grace.
The Gospels Are Still Under the Law
Les explains that a common source of confusion is thinking the age of grace began during Christ's earthly ministry when everything in the Gospels is still under the Law.
No Hint of the Church Age in Prophecy
Les teaches that Old Testament prophecy never hints at an intervening church age, and seeing this puts prophecy and the age of grace in proper perspective.
The Prophetic Program Flows Without Interruption
This clip repeats that the Old Testament prophetic program, as far as God is concerned, goes without interruption even though history shows it was interrupted.
The Old Testament Is Silent About the Age of Grace
Les says the Old Testament prophetic period never mentions the church age or God calling out a people from the Gentiles.
Grace-Age Truths Kept Secret Until Paul
Les emphasizes that the Old Testament writers saw prophecy as a continuous flow, and Paul later revealed grace-age truths that had been kept secret in the mind of God.
God Will Resume His Program With Israel
Les shows that the age of grace is a temporary interruption, because at its end God will pick up where He left off with Israel.
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 is the Old Testament's seventy-week timetable that Les says the prophets saw as one continuous program.
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.
Les uses this to show the Old Testament writers did not see the long gap before the final seven years.
Psalm 2:6-8: Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
This Old Testament program centers on Israel's King and His inheritance, with no mention of the intervening church age.
Romans 16:25-26: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
This New Testament passage reflects Les's teaching that grace-age truths were kept secret in God and later revealed.
Les Feldick says the Old Testament is totally silent about an age of grace. It never mentions the church age or God calling out a people from the Gentiles for His name. These truths were kept secret in the mind of God until they were revealed through the Apostle Paul.
No. Les says everything that takes place in the Gospels, predominantly during Christ's earthly ministry, is still under the Law. Thinking the age of grace began in the Gospels is a common point of confusion.
The result is confusion. Les describes it as taking all the Bible, putting it in a blender, and giving everyone indigestion. People no longer see that the Old Testament prophetic program was interrupted by the age of grace.
According to Les, God will pick up where He left off with the nation of Israel. The age of grace is an interruption of Israel's prophetic program, not the end of it.
Watch the Teaching: Is It Luck or God? Divine Sovereignty vs. Free Will