Ephesians 3:
[1] For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
[2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward:
[3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
[4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
[5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now (Current age.) revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
[6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
[2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward:
[3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
[4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
[5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now (Current age.) revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
[6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
The mystery is that the Gentiles are
1.) Fellowheirs
2.) Of the same body
3.) Partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel
This mystery was certainly not revealed before the cross, the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) wasn't even preached or believed. Not to mention that the Gentiles were not included in the gospel (Matt. 10) until AFTER the cross (Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:15).
Paul preached the mystery BEFORE Acts 28 (Romans 16:25-26).
Paul was the first one that the mystery was made known to and so that is when the present age began (Eph. 3:5). The revelation of the mystery is what divides the "other ages" from the "now". Paul got that revelation in Acts 9 (Acts 26) and so that is when this present age began.
The Gentiles could be fellowheirs and partakers of the kingdom program/gospel (Matt 24:14, 28:19, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2) but Peter didn't know anything about Gentiles (independent of the Jews) could be fellowheirs and of the same body.
To me the events of Acts 10 really indicate that the new age had begun (at Acts 9).
As for the believing Jews being "sanctified by faith" (Acts 26:18), faith is believing what God said.
If what God says is "repent and be baptized, endure to the end, sell all that you have" and the Jew does that, then he is sanctified by faith because he believed what God said.
In this age God says "he that worketh not but believeth" on Christ will be saved, if we do that than we are justified by faith. In the gospel of the kingdom the Jews cannot have faith (believing what God said) without doing the works that He told them to do (James 2). God told the Jews to believe on Christ and work, He told the Gentiles to believe on Christ and trust His work.
As for the inheritance, I believe that the body of Christ and Israel both look forward to the new heaven and the new earth. (2 Pet. 3:13) I believe that both the BOC and Israel will have access to the new heavens and new earth. However, Paul focuses on the heavens because our rapture is pre-rib and to heaven. Peter focuses on the kingdom because the Jewish rapture is on the earth.
That is my two cents. --bro. Eli
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