A major breakdown occurs in Acts 19:8-9, where Paul separates his believing Jewish remnant and Gentile disciples from the Synagogue at Ephesus (19:1).  

⁸ And he [Paul] went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when divers [some men] were hardened [obstinate], and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, [Paul continued] disputing [reasoning] daily in the school of one Tyrannus [where Paul was able to teach in Ephesus]. Acts 19:8-9

Then events rapidly advanced toward the time when Israel would no longer be a nation in God’s eyes. The 12 had preached “the Gospel of the Kingdom” to come in Israel but there really was no success after the initial burst of interest at Pentecost and afterward for a short season. Recall that with the Acts 15 Jerusalem council meeting the 12 Apostles Agreed To bind or ‘limit’ their ministry to only existing Jewish believers (cf. Gal. 2:9). After Acts 15 Paul was going to the Synagogues in every city he visited outside “the land,” proclaiming Christ and the promised Kingdom “hope of Israel” as late as Acts 28:20, but again Israel “received Him [Christ] NOT.”

In Acts 20, we find Paul making his 5^th and final trip to Jerusalem since his conversion on the Damascus road. Paul had no idea of what would happen in Jerusalem except that the Lord had told him at the beginning that he “must suffer.” And so at Jerusalem, he awaited in bonds and afflictions knowing this might be the end of his life. Paul is sure that he was near the end of his course and apostleship, as he preached “the Gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) to “the Jew first.” This period was the twilight of Israel. The night was fast approaching. Today Israel’s dark age is still at hand, but we witness the last of this dark period, morning will again break, but only after “His body” is in heaven with “the Head.”

Then Paul arrived at Jerusalem. We need not go into details, except that he was arrested and spent two years in prison in Caesarea. This is the last of the record of Jerusalem. The rest of its story is found in prophecy and history. (See Deuteronomy 28:49-57 and Luke 21:24.) Then there was Paul’s fateful the trip to Rome.

But first, we stop as Malta as Paul’s shipwreck is important, metaphorically. Even though Paul is a prisoner, he was the master of this situation. God gave him this trip to Rome. So we find that the crew, the soldiers, and even the centurion must indeed fellowship with the sufferings of Paul, even as he did with the sufferings of Christ. The sun and the stars were hidden, even as it became night at Calvary. The salvation of all on board was with Paul; that is, they had to be saved with him or not at all. He had the final words on that event. In all, 276 souls were saved alive. The hinder part of the ship was broken, just as the heel of Christ bruised at the Cross. The viper [Satan] was rendered harmless and shaken into the flames, as the Old Serpent is signified. And there was much healing on the island, the release from the power of Satan. These are all foreshadowings.

Then in Rome, as mentioned earlier, Paul was stationed in ‘his own hired house’ with a Roman guard. Now the Jews could no longer persecute him. He was able to work and write unhindered. But his course is not finished until he makes a final appeal to the leaders of the Jews of Rome. Paul calls them together and here was one of the greatest turning points in history as seen in Acts 28:26-31 – read carefully.

As we see a lot of time must intervene before God’s first purpose in the heavens comes into the open to be ‘revealed.’ First, before age times, a promise had been made in Christ that there would be life, implying the end of death. This has to do with God’s creation of “the heaven and the earth” as seen in Gen. 1:1 and Jn 1:1. But everything in the OT after Gen 1:1 initially concerned “the earth,” “the Land.” We will soon enough see what “the heavenly places” have to do with it all, but we should know the previously hidden “heavenly places” only come into view for believers in Paul’s 7 POST-Acts epistles.

Acts 28 reveals the transition between Paul’s two ministries, being Pre-Acts 28:28 and Post-Acts 28:28.

1) This is seen by the Romans 16:25 postscript concerning “The Revelation Of The Mystery,”

2) We note in Acts 28:29-31 the 2 years of Paul teaching “All” men AFTER Acts 28:28, no doubt preaching his new “revelation of the mystery” as noted in Rom. 16:25.

Now let’s consider the Act 28:26-31 verses. With Paul in Rome, as a prisoner in his own hired house. He called the leaders of the Jews to meet with him. He makes his final appeal to them to recognize Christ as their Messiah, spending the day arguing from the Scriptures (from Moses and the Prophets), but to no avail.

Verse 29, the leaders of the Jews “departed.” Here the word “departed” is in the passive voice and really means, “they were dismissed.” This phrase was also used by a Jew when he divorced his wife (See Matt. 5:31-32, she was “put away” = dismissed). In Acts 28:28 is where Israel, for the last time, became Lo-Ammi (“NOT MY PEOPLE”). Today, Israel has been Lo-Ammi for almost 2,000 years.

One could not have begun to imagined what the Acts 28:28 event did to world history from that time on. The Jews today, in God’s eyes, are not a kingdom, nor a nation, nor even a people because of this event. They may claim to be a nation, but God has not recognized it, nor will He until Christ comes to earth again.

Study carefully the POST-Acts 28 verses of Acts 28:29-31 below. Note every word and its significance in relation to others. Note: To the Jews we find these words, “Paul expounded the Kingdom ... Jesus... from the law of Moses and the Prophets ... morning till evening.” Then AFTER DISMISSING THE JEWS (v29), in verses 30-31 (AD 62), we can presume that since Paul was through with Israel and their kingdom hope. Then Paul must not have continued teaching the ‘Kingdom gospel’ but rather the new “revelation of THE MYSTERY” to “ALL that came in unto him” now seeing all men as Gentiles – Jews and Gentiles alike.

“²⁸Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the Salvation Of God Is Sent Unto The Gentiles, and that they will hear [heed] it. ²⁹ and when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

³⁰AND Paul Dwelt Two Whole Years [continuing] in his own hired house, and received ALL [Gentiles and Jews alike] that came in unto him, ³¹ Preaching the [overarching] kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. Acts 28:31

Did Paul wait during the two years (v30) after Acts 28:28 while still under house arrest before revealing “The Mystery [secret]”? I say No! It is not stated but I suspect that “the Mystery” was the theme of his teaching after ‘dismissing’ the Jews in verse 29. What else would he preach after Israel was dismissed? It’s a foregone conclusion that Paul was Then Released to Preach “The Mystery” to ALL men (Gentile and Jew) that came to call on him. No doubt, Paul was given “revelation of the “Mystery [secret]” from the Lord immediately after dismissing the Jews. It appears the saints in Ephesus were ‘first’ to hear from Rome about Paul’s “revelation of the MYSTERY” and they believed it (Eph. 1:12-15) as did the saints noted in Col. 1:3-8.

It took ~4,000 years before God ‘chose’ (Eph. 1:4) a people from among The Nations of the earth to inhabit “The Heavenly Places,” Taking The Place That Satan’s host had occupied in the government of heaven.

In all this time, there was the problem requiring a Redeemer who could take care of the problem of sin and death and bring in eternal life to the earth and replenish “the heavenly places” that had become “unclean.” “Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints [angels]; yea, The Heavens Are Not Clean In His Sight. (Job 15:15). The recovery of “the heavens” was the first part of the “Great Mystery [secret]” (Eph. 5:32) that concerns Christ and the real church, a secret that Satan never knew until it was revealed to Paul for us.

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). That was this not the beginning of everything. “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? ...When the morning stars [angels] sang together, and all the [angelic] sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:4-7)? It appears that before the earth was created, there were created beings who witnessed the creation. In Genesis 2:7-8, where we are told of the creation of Adam, and the garden already planted and prepared for Adam by the Lord, when Adam was placed in it.

When you read Ezekiel 28:13-15, you find that there was a created being back in those times, named “Lucifer” (as seen in the KJV), who had been created most beautiful and wise, and he had drums and pipes. No doubt, “Lucifer” was the leader of that great choir that sang when the earth was first created (Job 38:4-7). We know both the heaven and the earth were created for creatures to inhabit. “… thus saith Jehovah Who created the heavens; God Himself Who formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain [empty], He formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah, and none else” (Isa. 45:18) The heavens and the earth had inhabitants many long ages before Adam. The Bible verse referring to the “the beginning” is “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). But ‘time’ as a reference point didn’t begin until “the overthrow (Gk. katabole) of the world (kosmos)” seen in Gen. 1:2.

The angelic creatures of the heavens, along with Lucifer, their king, were responsive beings. They had the power of choice. And they exercised it. Many [a third part] followed the leader, Lucifer, in rebellion, revolting against God even while many angels remained faithful. God had a reason for giving this ‘choice.’ To be morally upright, one must have a choice.

We do read of the angelic principalities and powers, and mights and dominions in heavenly places, which is the realm “far above” all creation. These heavenly ‘powers’ who currently remain in the heavens have a prince, Satan. Paul wrote “Wherein in time past ye [Gentiles] walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” (Eph. 2:2).

Where did the rest of the angels (the elect, faithful ones) go? The members of “the church,” of the “One body” of which Christ is “the Head” has a very intimate relationship with these “elect angels” who observe us while we are on earth. (cf. 1 Tim. 5:21).

We know God had said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Adam and Eve were to fill the earth with the humans because the earth had become a void, darkened frozen empty waste, as recorded in Genesis 1:2. Note that this instruction is also given to Noah and his family after the flood when again the earth had again become otherwise empty (Gen. 9:1).

The replenishing of the earth was the secondary purpose of God. First, the Lord had to repair the fissure caused by Satan’s rebellion and fall and those with him in the heavens. We have found the answer. In Matt. 9:16 the Greek Word “pleroma,” is used for “fulness,” concerning “a patch” to fill up a breach, rent or tear. The same word, pleroma, is used of “the church, which is His Body” as the “fullness” in Eph. 1:23. “Which is his body, the FULNESS [pleroma] of him that Filleth All in all.” This church of “His body” is destined to “appear with Him in [heaven’s] glory” with ‘principalities and powers.’ This church is the ‘pleroma’ or the ‘patch’ that Fills The Current Breach in The Heavenly Places, filling its seats of rank and governmental authority, which Satan and his followers hijacked, but… will by then have lost, being “cast down” (Rev. 12).

In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that “the saints” might “know the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the holiest (highest heaven itself)”. In Eph. 2:6, it is stated that Members Of “The Church Which Is His Body” Are Already Enthroned With Christ “In Heavenly Places.” In Eph. 2:19, we find that the members are; citizens of the holiest’ (cf. Phili. 3:20), of “the household of God.” Can this household be those who once were on earth and will resurrect to the heavens above it; having been translated to “appear with Him in [heaven’s] glory”? In Col. 1:12, these members are made “meet [suited] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. What light? Can it be The Glory Light Of The Holiest Of All Where God In Christ Dwells?

Today, Christ is hidden from ‘the powers’ in the heavens. Someday He will be manifested (Grk. phaneroo), with today’s “Church” which is already “in Christ” (cf. Eph. 1:3). They will “appear With Him in [heaven’s] Glory,” “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:4

Someday, the things on the earth (the Messianic Judeo-Christian church) and things in heaven (His Gentile “body”) will both be in union with Christ as He “purposed” it.

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: ¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: Eph. 1:9-10 (KJV)

The “church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) today is a part of the heavenly creation mentioned in Col. 1:16-20, being associated with thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. Peace and reconciliation are mentioned in this connection. We discover that Ephesians and Colossians especially are about things on earth and things in heaven, that is, the church of the “great mystery,” and those powers “in the heavenly places.”

The church even now is making “known the manifold wisdom of God” to these ‘principalities and powers’ in heavenly places (cf. Eph. 3:10-11). There is the promise to the members of “His body” that if we suffer and endure by Christ’s life, they will “reign with Him” (2Tim. 2:12) “in the heavenly places.” It was in His great wisdom that He planned the ages and first made provision for filling heavenly places with His righteousness.

(Portions Adapted for added clarity by Arthur J Licursi from www.believer.com)