[Forrest]

Originally Posted by George

Aloha brother Forrest,

These verses are simply saying that although "the sufferings of Christ" and "the glory that should follow" were "prophesied" by the prophets - they (the prophets) did NOT "understand" what in the world "the Spirit of Christ" ("which was in them" when they did prophesy) was saying! They "prophesied", but they didn't understand their own prophesies! {And although they "searched diligently" - they could not figure it out!

The prophets surely prophesied about "salvation"; God's "grace"; and "what manner of time" these things would happen, but it wasn't until AFTER the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ did He reveal the true application and import of these prophesies to His disciples and then, even more fully, to the Apostle Paul.

The verses are clear. The prophets prophesied the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The "problem" they had was they couldn't understand or distinguish the "difference" between his "First" Coming {the suffering & death}; and the Second Coming {The Glory}. and the reason for that was the "MYSTERY" {the church of God} that no one in the Old Testament (All of the Jewish Prophets, Kings, etc.) knew anything about: Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:]

I still have to answer the rest of your original questions, but I thought I would give you a little bit more "to chew on".

That makes sense. Were people "saved" by believing the message of the Prophets?

You wrote:

The prophets surely prophesied about "salvation"; God's "grace"; and "what manner of time" these things would happen....

I realize that they did not know the full message of the Christ as we know it today. But did they know the Christ which God revealed through the Prophets? Did they believe? And was this their salvation?