What Happened at the End of Acts? Nov. 2024

To get an advanced and correct understanding of the New Testament, one must see and acknowledge a significant event that occurred at the end of the book of Acts and the Acts period.

What happened at the end of The Acts is not apparent by just reading Chapter 28.

28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

28Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves. 30And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

What just happened here? Did you see it?

Just by reading the end of Acts 28 you cannot determine what big change happened in God’s overall plan for the ages. This is where wisdom, knowledge and understanding are essential.

What happened at the end of The Acts is not seen by the natural eye but is seen by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

1. 2 Tim 3:16 states that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for correct doctrine.

2. The prophecies of Hosea come into view here.

3. The prophecies in Daniel come into play here.

4. Understanding the Lo Ammi condition of Isreal comes into play here.

5. Knowing which NT scriptures were written during the Acts period, and which were written after the Acts is vital.

6. What is written and what is omitted in the post-Acts scriptures speak loudly.

7. What happened historically in Rome and Jerusalem between A.D. 61 and 70 are also helpful.

8. 2 Timothy 2:15 gives an essential principle to rightly divide the word of truth.

9. Philippians 1:10 suggests that we discern the things that differ.

This is why most Jews could not understand the new doctrines brought forth by Jesus and Paul (Paul got his from the risen Christ). The minds of the Jews were seared with traditional thinking and teaching of their religious leaders. The same resistance to this advanced teaching exists today among traditional religious thinkers.

God hit the PAUSE button with Israel at the end of The Acts. This happened after the third time Israel was proclaimed to be blind, deaf, and not understanding (Isa 6:9-10, Matt 13:14-15, Acts 28:26-27). They had rejected the Father, then His Son, and finally, His Spirit. This act invokes the Lo Ammi condition upon Israel which changes their favored status with God. This makes Israel equal with all other nations of the world (Gentiles). Since Gentiles are said to be “without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world”; then so now is Israel. Therefore, everything pertaining to Israel up to the end of Acts also had to be put on hold. This includes all covenants, laws, ordinances, promises, hopes, spiritual gifts, the “great commission”, the return of their Messiah, their restored kingdom and the teaching of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. (I said, “put on hold”.)

Before Satan could give a fist pump of victory, Paul made the proclamation of Acts 28:28:

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

The salvation that was before of the Jews is now offered to all nations alike and apart from anything to do with Israel. This salvation message is offered to the world through John’s (post-Acts) Gospel. This salvation is to life by belief that Jesus is the Son of God.

A secret was revealed to Paul that was hid in God from the beginning of the world (Eph 3:9) and hid from ages and from generations (Col 1:26) that He would call out from among these saints those He had chosen before the overthrow of the world (Eph 1:4) to members of the Body of Christ. This is called “the mystery” (Eph 3:3), “the dispensation of the mystery (Eph 3:9), “the mystery of the gospel” (Eph 6:19) and “the dispensation of God…to complete the word of God: even the mystery” (Col 1:25-26).

At the end of the Acts there was a major change. God stopped all His dealings with Israel so that He could bless the Gentiles through Christ. We must consider all that was written about and to Israel as being for our learning as we relish in a new salvation and hope apart from Israel. When this dispensation is complete when the Body appears with its Head in glory, God will once again resume all His dealings with Isreal to fulfill all their kingdom prophecies.

1. The meaning of the word mystery is not a riddle or puzzle or something to be solved, but it is a profound secret, something wholly unknown and cautiously kept concealed. In the Bible it is anything in the character or attributes of God, or in the administration of divine providence, which is not revealed to man unless and until God deems it proper in His plan and purpose for the ages. It does not mean something mysterious.

2. This mystery can only be spiritually revealed to a saved man by God. (Eph 1:17-19) (Col 1:9) Then that saved person must acknowledge and believe the secret by faith.

3. The Mystery of the Body of Christ is especially of interest to those who are seeking the truth of God’s word. It is of little interest to those not seeking further knowledge of Christ.