Yes — the Old Testament is completely silent about the church age because its prophetic program centers on Israel and moves straight toward Messiah’s kingdom.
Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament prophetic program laid out in Psalm 2 never gives the slightest hint of an intervening church age. The program follows Israel through the Abrahamic covenant, Messiah’s rejection, the tribulation, and the kingdom. The church age is an interruption that God kept hidden until Israel rejected Christ.
Psalm 2:1-2 — Les identifies Psalm 2 as the Old Testament program that shows Jews and Gentiles opposing the Lord and His anointed, with no mention of the church age.
Psalm 2:1-2 presents the Old Testament prophetic scene: “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,” The Old Testament record deals with God’s covenant program for Israel—from Abraham’s call through the Babylonian captivity and the promised return under Cyrus—and it moves directly toward Messiah’s coming and kingdom. In all of that prophetic record, the Old Testament never introduces a separate age of Gentile believers called out for Christ’s name.
Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament knows nothing but the prophetic program moving straight through to the end. That program, outlined in Psalm 2, involves Israel coming on the scene through the Abrahamic covenant, the Messiah coming and being rejected and crucified, the seven-year tribulation, and Christ returning to set up His kingdom. Throughout it, there is not a hint of the church age. Les explains that the church age came in because Israel rejected Christ. Historically, the prophetic program was interrupted, and in that interruption God turned to the Gentiles to call out a people for His name. He uses Abraham’s servant going to a far country to obtain a bride for Isaac as a picture of the Holy Spirit drawing out a bride from among the Gentiles for Christ. The Old Testament prophets knew something was between Christ’s first and second advents, but they could not discern what it was.
Les describes the Old Testament program as laid out in Psalm 2: Israel comes on the scene through the Abrahamic covenant, the Messiah comes, is rejected and crucified, then comes the seven-year tribulation spoken of in Daniel, and then Christ returns and sets up His kingdom. “Not a mention of the church in there whatsoever,” Les says. The program was designed to move straight through to the end without interruption, from God’s viewpoint.
Israel rejected Christ, so the prophetic clock stopped after 483 of the 490 years. The seven years that were left could have run immediately after His ascension, but Israel didn’t buy it. Historically, the prophetic program was interrupted. In that interruption God turned to the Gentiles to call out a people for His name. Abraham’s servant going to a far country to get a bride for Isaac pictures the Holy Spirit’s work in this present age, calling out a bride from among the Gentiles for Christ.
Les says not a word is ever breathed in the Old Testament about a church age comprised of Gentile believers. Yet the Old Testament prophets understood there was something between Christ’s first advent and His coming in power and glory. Les compares it to approaching mountain ranges from a distance: the foothills are distinct, but you cannot see the valley between the higher ranges. The Hebrew word Jehovah Olam is translated “everlasting,” “the God of time,” and “hid or hidden,” which points to God’s reason for keeping the age of grace a secret.
The Bride and the Servant
Les uses Abraham's servant going to a far country to obtain a bride for Isaac as a picture of the Holy Spirit calling out a bride from the Gentiles for Christ in the present age.
Silent on the Church Age
Les says that throughout God's prophetic dealings with Israel, not a word is mentioned about the church age or going to the Gentiles to call out a people for His name.
No Hint of the Intervening Church Age
Les explains that every Old Testament prophecy moves straight through to the end with no hint of the intervening church age, even though historically it was interrupted.
Psalm 2's Prophetic Program
Les points to Psalm 2 as the outline of the Old Testament program: Israel, Messiah's rejection, tribulation, and kingdom, with no church mentioned.
Who Can Open the Scroll? Daniel 7 & Revelation 5 Explained
We'll go through this probably in our next program, how that everything in prophecy that's been laid out in the Old Testament never gives a hint of that intervening church age. Now once I can get people to understand that, then prophecy as well as the Age of Grace falls into its right perspective.
Still No Single Hint
Les shows that even after the ascension, the prophetic program still had no hint of the church age; the remaining seven years could have followed immediately if Israel had received him.
The Hidden Age
Les says the prophetic program contains not one hint of the church age, and he connects this with Jehovah Olam, meaning everlasting, time, and hidden.
Not a Word Breathed
Les declares that no Old Testament prophecy gives any indication of the church age, though the prophets knew something was between the two advents.
Psalm 2:1-2: 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,
Les points to this passage as the Old Testament prophetic program: Jews and Gentiles united against the Lord and His anointed, with no church age mentioned.
No — Les says not a word is ever breathed in the Old Testament about a church age composed of Gentile believers. The prophets understood that something would happen between Christ’s first and second comings, but they could not discern what that valley between the mountain ranges would be.
Les describes it as an interruption, not part of the original prophetic program. After Israel rejected Christ, God turned to the Gentiles to call out a people for His name. When that calling-out is complete, God will return to His prophetic program with Israel.
Psalm 2 pictures the Jewish and Gentile rulers together opposing God and His anointed. That is the Old Testament program Les says moves straight through to the end with no mention of the church age.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Apostles Stayed in Jerusalem: Israel vs. The Church