Why did the Old Testament not predict two advents of Christ?

Read 1 Peter 1:3-12

For the next several Saturdays let us consider the culminating point of history, the return in glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us begin by considering the terms in the New Testament that speak of this event.  We limit our discussion to the New because the Old did not understand two comings of Christ.  They spoke of the sufferings of the Messiah (the Incarnation culminating in the cross and resurrection) and of the glory of the Messiah (the Millennial Reign).  But as Peter points out, they spoke of the sufferings and glories that would follow, but what they said was for us.  From our vantage point after the Incarnation we understand two advents with a time of undetermined length in between.

This is easily seen in the prophecy of Daniel’s 70 weeks (Dan. 9:24-27).  Daniel speaks as if the 490 years are continuous when in fact there is a gap or parenthesis between year 483 (when Messiah is cut off) and year 484 when the final years begin with the establishment of a covenant between the antichrist and the people of Israel.  It is Jesus who begins to open the revelation of this in His Olivet Discourse in Matt. 24:15 when He refers to Daniel’s prophecy.

You can see it as well in the Immanuel Prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 7-11).  In 7:14 the prophecy of the virgin birth is given, which Matt. 1:23 applies to the birth of Jesus by Mary.  But in 9:6-7 it is said that the government would be on the shoulders of the Child born of the virgin.  He will rule on David’s throne, a part of the prophecy referred to by Gabriel when he spoke to Mary (Luke 1:31-33).  Yet this has not yet occurred, though it is still anticipated.

We could speak of this again and again from the Old Testament.  What is interesting is that John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament (i.e. pre-cross) prophets, may not have understood this either.  When John was in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another” (Luke 7:19-20)?  John knew Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:29,36).  From this some conclude that he not have been confused about Christ’s identity and only sent his disciples to ask for the sake of the disciples themselves.  

However John’s imprisonment would have been a major difficulty in his Messianic expectations.  Without added revelation John could not have imagined the chain of events: death, resurrection, ascension, preaching of the gospel to the nations and then the return of Christ.  Even Jesus’ own disciples struggled with this AFTER the resurrection until He explained it all during the weeks before He ascended.  It was then that Jesus explained how all the Old Testament prophecies were about Him, even though they were not yet all fulfilled (Luke 24:44-49).  When Peter says that the prophets spoke of things that were not for them but for us he includes John the Baptist in that list of prophets.  As great as he was, he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist.  

    A good question to ask: what are we doing with the great view we have of the cross behind us and the return of Christ before us?