No, the church age and rapture were not revealed in the Old Testament because they were a secret kept in the mind of God.
Les Feldick teaches that the church age and rapture were part of a body of truth God deliberately kept hidden from the foundation of the world. This secret was not revealed through Old Testament prophecy or in the Gospels but was first disclosed to the Apostle Paul, who alone wrote about the rapture and the church.
Romans 16:25 — Paul refers to the 'revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,' aligning with the idea that the church age was a hidden secret.
The Bible indicates that certain truths were kept secret in God's mind until a specific time. In Romans 16:25, Paul speaks of the 'revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.' Similarly, Ephesians 3:9 refers to the 'fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.' These verses suggest that some aspects of God's plan were hidden until Paul's time. The Old Testament prophecies primarily concern the nation of Israel and the coming Messiah. They do not mention a church comprised of Gentile believers or a rapture of believers before the tribulation. The prophets did not foresee the interim period between Christ's first and second comings, which Paul later revealed.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the church age and rapture were completely hidden in the Old Testament and the Gospels. He says, 'There is not a hint, not even the foggiest hint anywhere up through the Old Testament all through the Gospels into the Book of Acts, is there a single hint of a group of people who are going to be alive and be suddenly taken off the scene.' This is because these truths were part of a 'secret held in the mind of God' (Clip 3). Les teaches that all prophecy in the Old Testament is directed to Israel, and the church age is a parenthetical period not foreseen by the prophets. He says, 'No prophecy associates itself with the church, but all prophecy is directed to and connected with the nation of Israel' (Clip 1). The church is strictly a Pauline revelation, as Paul was the only writer to receive and reveal these mysteries (Clips 1, 7). The secret was kept until after Israel rejected Christ, then God turned to the Gentiles through Paul (Clip 2).
According to Les, the church age was a mystery hidden in God's mind, not revealed to Old Testament writers. He says, 'It's a secret held in the mind of God' (Clip 3). The Old Testament prophets had no comprehension of the church; they only understood the prophetic program concerning Israel. Les explains, 'All prophecy is directed to and connected with the nation of Israel' (Clip 1), and the church age was not mentioned because it was a distinctive revelation given to Paul.
Les teaches that the rapture, like the church, was not revealed in the Gospels. He says, 'Don't look for the rapture of the Church, or Church doctrine, or Gospel as we know it in the Old Testament. It's not in there' (Clip 2). The rapture is a 'Church Age phenomenon' and only Paul writes about it (Clip 7). Jesus' earthly ministry was to Israel, and the church age was not part of His prophetic declaration.
Why the Rapture Is a Secret Most Christians Miss - Romans 16:25 Explained
I'm certainly going to try, I think even our television audience is probably getting tired of I Corinthians 15, but we're going to come back one more time, and we're going to jump in again where we were in our last program in verse 51. But again we like to remind our new listeners, I know we have new people coming on every day, that we're just an informal Bible study, and we come together on a Wed…
Prophecy and Israel vs. Church
Les explains that no prophecy in the Old Testament associates with the church; all prophecy is directed to Israel, and the church is a parenthetical period not previously revealed.
Secret Held in God's Mind
Les states that the rapture and church are not in the Gospels or Old Testament because they are a secret held in the mind of God, which He later revealed after Israel's rejection.
Revelation to Paul
Les emphasizes that the Old Testament writers could not mention the rapture or the church because it was a secret kept in God's mind, and only Paul had the revelation evidence.
Biblical Timeline: Creation to Christ's Kingdom!
Nothing in the Old Testament had any idea that God would, without Israel, pull off of the mainstream of Gentile humanity as well as the Jew, and would put them into one body, which we call the church, and it's all by grace. And so I like to call this the Age of Grace, the calling out of a people by His name.
Hagar, Ishmael & The Everlasting God: Genesis 21 Bible Study
But all through this prophetic time that God is dealing with Israel, there is something that's never mentioned. Who knows what it is? The church age. Not a word about the age of grace. Not a word about Him going to Gentiles to call out that multitude of people for His name. Totally silent. Now, in that period of time, and I didn't leave myself enough room, I can see that.
The White Horse Rider: Antichrist or Jesus? Revelation 6
Now I've said over the last several months that all prophecy was directed to the nation of Israel, and that no prophecy gives any indication of the Church as such. Not a word is ever breathed throughout the Old Testament about this Church Age comprised of Gentile believers. Not a word.
Only Paul Writes of the Rapture
Les notes that there is not a single hint of the rapture in the Old Testament, Gospels, or Acts, and that it is a Church Age doctrine revealed only through the Apostle Paul.
Romans 16:25: 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,
Paul refers to the 'mystery' that was kept secret, which aligns with the church age being hidden.
Ephesians 3:9: And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Paul speaks of the 'mystery' that was hidden in God from the beginning, supporting the idea that the church and rapture were not previously revealed.
No, Les Feldick teaches that the church age was completely hidden from the Old Testament prophets. It was a secret kept in the mind of God, and the prophets had no knowledge of it, as all prophecy was directed to Israel.
Les explains that the rapture is a Church Age doctrine, not part of the Gospels. It was a secret revealed only to the Apostle Paul, so it is not mentioned in the Gospels, which were written to Israel.
Les Feldick teaches that the Apostle Paul was the only writer to receive and reveal the mysteries of the church and rapture. He alone writes of these truths in his epistles.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Rapture Is a Secret Most Christians Miss - Romans 16:25 Explained