How does Israel reject their Messiah in the book of Acts?
According to the Acts context, Israel rejects their Messiah by refusing to have Him as their King, finally and completely. Their rejection coincides with Israel falling away while Gentiles and the Church come up. God then disperses Israel, takes away their temple, and turns to the Gentiles, though some Jews are still saved.
Les explains that the book of Acts is primarily the fall of the nation of Israel, though it is also the birth of the Church. He teaches that the first seven or eight years still involved God dealing with Israel. Then God raised up the apostle Paul and began Gentile dealing with the house of Cornelius, even at Peter's preaching. This had to be so Peter could come to Paul's defense. Israel falls away; the Gentiles and the Church come up—that is the book of Acts. In Acts, Israel finally rejects their Messiah completely and will not have Him to be their king. God then puts them into dispersion, takes away their temple, and turns to the Gentile, not exclusively, because some Jews are still being saved. For the most part, the last 1900 and some years have been God calling out Gentiles, comprising the Body of Christ. Les notes that Acts was written by the same gentleman who wrote Luke, and Luke's Gospel only dealt with Christ's earthly ministry.