When the Nation Israel is ‘Lo-ammi’ and off the scene in Acts 28:28, the age of “the mystery [the secret]” began. The Word “mystery” first occurs in Dan. 2:18, where it is translated as a ‘secret,’ but the Septuagint has it as the Greek ‘musterion.’ The KJV translates ‘musterion’ as “the mystery” as seen in Paul’s 7 Post-Acts prison epistles (Eph., Col. etc.). The ‘mystery’ was revealed to Paul only when Israel became Lo-Ammi (‘Not My people,’ cf. Hos. 1:9). Since the Acts 28:28 dispensational divide, Israel is fallen, set aside, and off the scene. This simultaneously began the time of THE “Great mystery [Gk. musterion, Great secret]” of the Gentile “church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a), being revealed to us in Paul’s Post-Acts ministry and epistles.

Then, when God’s time and purpose for the present age of ‘the mystery’ is completed, “the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) will have been removed from planet earth to “appear with Him [Christ] in the [heaven’s] glory” (Col. 3:4). Thereafter, Israel will be back as the focus of God’s work and commitment to fulfill and His covenants of promise. This then begins with the “wrath” of the Tribulation period unto Christ’s 2^nd coming to appear and save Israel’s believing remnant and set up His millennial kingdom reign on The Earth.

During God’s 400 silent years period between the OT and NT Israel’s ‘manmade religious traditions’ grew. Then at the time the Lord Jesus was on earth in the flesh, the unbelieving ‘Nation of Israel’ had become outwardly religious in their faith. Few were genuinely faithful, much like we see among Christendom today. Jesus was clear that He hated Israel’s religious ‘tradition’ as it makes “the word of God word of none effect.”

⁹ and he [Jesus] said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, [so] that ye may keep your own tradition. Mark 7:9 (KJV) ¹³ Making The Word Of God Of None Effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7:13 (KJV)

Likewise the same indifference to the deeply spiritual things of God, the misuse of the Scripture and religious tradition is upheld among most of all Christendom today, just as it was 1,900 years ago. The world, the flesh, and the devil have done their evil work as seen in fallen man’s corruption of the genuine Chrisian faith.

Jesus, as the Son of God, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, came and walked Israel’s streets. He mingled with the people, walked their highways, proclaiming the good news of the promised ‘Kingdom’ being “at hand.” but He was rejected of Israel and crucified. This was perpetrated by Jesus’ own people, the Nation Israel. They missed the King and Kingdom that the faithful of Israel had looked for over the centuries.

Thus, Israel as a Nation is still fallen and they will not see Him again until they one day suddenly ‘He appears from heaven; much like He appeared to Saul of Tarsus. Then they will “mourn for Him.” But there will be those of the genuine believing remnant of Israel who will at that time be ready for Him at His 2^nd coming at the end of the Tribulation period, as the Lord said through Zechariah;

¹⁰ … I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and They Shall Look Upon Me Whom They Have Pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zech. 12:10

Christ’s 2^nd coming will not only be good news to the believing remnant of Israel of that day but also for the believing Gentiles of the Millennium, some of whom will have been born in that time. It was promised that in Him ALL Nations shall be blessed. Jews and Gentiles will be blessed by Abraham’s “Seed which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16), dispensing His resurrection ‘life’ unto them. The 12 apostles will be resurrected at the beginning of the Millennium (cf. Rev 20:6); only then will Israel’s so-called ‘great commission’ to “teach all nations” begin (Matt. 28:18-20). Thus, the earth’s purpose would soon be fully recovered. At that time the blessing of the ‘nations’ [i.e., Gentiles] on earth will come to them through Israel’s ministry, as God’s channel of blessing.

And with the ultimate casting down of Lucifer, the Devil, at the end of the Millennium, the two spheres of “the heaven and the earth” will have be restored unto the authority of God’s heavenly government in Christ. This will usher in the final eternal “dispensation.”

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: Ephesians 1:10 (KJV)

Only then will God’s eternal plan and purpose be fulfilled. Peace, life, righteousness, and glory will fill God’s whole of creation of “the heaven and the earth.”

Looking at things chronologically, in Hebrews 1:1-2 we note that the three synoptic gospels of Matt., Mark, and Luke are but a continuation of the O.T., and Acts is the continuation of the Gospel of Luke. But, before Israel could ever help usher in the ‘Kingdom righteousness on earth.’ Israel’s remnant needs to believe and receive THE Saviour, to save them and their Gentile proselytes from their sins. This will occur when He appears at the end of the Tribulation period (cf. Zech. 12:10).

• Bible students should note that the first ~2,000 years, which deal with the Nations (the non-Israelites, Gentiles), are covered by the first 11 chapters of Genesis.
• The next 2,000 years are dealt with in the remainder of Genesis, plus the remaining books of the O.T., plus the three synoptic gospels and the book of Acts, which include Paul’s Acts-Period epistles written while Paul he still held “the hope of Israel,” as late as Acts 28:20 but… just 8 verses later the fall of Israel is sealed in Acts 28:26-28.
• During the present Post0Acts era of almost 2,000 years since Acts 28:28, salvation unto “everlasting life” still stands upon Christ’s crosswork for ALL men as seen doctrinally in Romans chapters 3-8. AFTER Acts 28 Paul added his new “revelation” and his “knowledge of the mistery” (Eph. 3:4).  Paul’s 7 POST-Acts epistles concern “the mystery (secret)” of the Gentile “church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) which is destined to “reign with Him” “in the Heavenly places,” with Christ as the “head” of “His body”

We read in Matt. 12:6 and 41-42 how Israel rejected ‘the One’ who was “greater than” any priest, prophet, or king. Then in Matt. 12:43-45 Jesus speaks of the apostasy in Israel predicting a “wicked generation.” To some today, God’s work in the earth appears to be failing but that is only from man’s superficial viewpoint. God’s focus today is FIRST on His purpose for restoring His government of “the heavenly places,” not the earth.

Have you ever noted that in Matt. 12:46-50, the Lord Jesus severed His ties with His human flesh family. Then Jesus in parables offers the “mysteries of the Kingdom” (Matt. 13:11) to come On Earth with its postponement; thus revealing the “children of the wicked one” versus ‘the children of the kingdom’ (Matt. 13:38). Many thinks Israel’s history ended when they rejected and murdered Jesus. Israel’s history didn’t end, but Israel was “cast away” (Rom. 11:15) for a time, in A.D. 64 (read Acts 28:26-28). There Paul quotes Isa. 6:9-10 as the axe fell on the Nation Israel in v28. Today fallen Israel is nonspiritual, neither a kingdom, nor His nation, nor even a people of God. Thus no blessing can come to the nations (Gentiles) through Israel. Why? That’s because FIRST Lucifer as “the god of this world” with his heavenly government (cf. Job 15:15) must be replaced with “the faithful” of “the church, which is His body.” Only then will God restore Israel.

So there is a vast difference between ‘the mysteries’ of Luke 8:10 and Paul’s Post-Acts revelation of “the Mystery” of Eph. 3:3. Keep in mind that Israel and their purpose have to do with things On Earth “SINCE the overthrow [Gk. katabole] of the world [kosmos, the heaven/earth arrangement].” By contrast, Paul’s POST-Acts “Great Mystery” (Eph. 5:32) has to do with Lucifer’s rebellion in the HIGHEST HEAVEN that initiated *‘The Conflict of The Ages.’ Lucifer’s rebellion occurred “BEFORE The Overthrow of The World (Gk. katabole).” Thus we see the consequent ‘FIRST NEED’ is to Restore God’s Authority In The Government of “The Heavenly Places” “Far Above” the Earth… for Him to have a people who Will Replace Lucifer’s Fallen Angelic Hoard. That replacement people is… the POST-Acts members of the Gentile “church” of the One “body of Christ.” *See: https://artlicursi.com/articles/part-2-%E2%80%93-origin-evil-and-conflict-ages

So, Israel still has a future that begins with the Lord’s return in “wrath” to judge the world and save Israel’s believing remnant; when “They [of Israel] shall look upon Me [Christ] Whom they have pierced” (Zech. 12:10-14). Israel’s conversion will then occur “in a day” just as Paul’s conversion did on the Damascus Road. Paul, as a Jew, is a metaphor for the conversion of Israel’s remnant (cf. Rom. 11:1). Only then will Israel become the Lord’s agent on earth as “the priests of the Lord” (Isa. 61:6). The O.T. Priests could make sacrifices as mediators between God and the nations [the Gentiles] on earth. Paul also took the place of a priest where in Rom. 15:16 he ‘offers up the Gentiles’ to God in his priestly role.