Act 7:44-54 | KingComments | STEP | Here Stephen comes to a new section in his speech. After his extensive tribute to Moses in the face of their accusation that he would slander Moses, he speaks about the dwelling place of God. After all, they had also accused him of speaking words against the temple by pointing to its destruction ( ). Stephen will show that God’s former dwellings were temporary dwellings and not even real ones. He first mentions the tabernacle which he describes with the extensive name “tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness”. It is the tent from which God testifies, from which He speaks to His people. What kind of tent was that? It was a tent made by Moses at God’s command and according to the pattern which God had shown to him on the mountain ( ). Stephen makes it clear that the tabernacle was a temporary dwelling place of God and that it referred to a higher reality, heaven. The tabernacle would not always remain the dwelling place of God. When “our fathers” entered the land with Joshua, they brought the tabernacle with them ( ). Stephen mentions the name Joshua. This is the Hebrew name for the Greek ‘Jesus’. He actually says that the people took possession of the land with ‘Jesus’. The land was delivered by God from the original inhabitants ( ) who were all servants of idols. There the tabernacle was given its place until the days of David. With David the next change comes. That change has to do with the way God is served, not with the principle that God is served. God always wants people to serve Him, but He sometimes changes the way He wants that to happen. First it was in the tabernacle, under David it became the temple. God is also free in His choice of the builder of His house. Although David found grace with God and longed to build a dwelling place for God ( ), he was not allowed to do so ( ). God had reserved the building of the temple for Solomon ( ). But no matter how beautiful the temple was, it was not the real dwelling place of God. The audience of Stephen claimed God by pointing to the temple as His dwelling place. To them, the temple was solid proof of the presence of God. Whoever touched the temple touched God. Stephen brings that idea down by pointing out that God does not dwell in houses made by human hands. He reinforces his words by quoting what God Himself said through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah ( ; cf. ).

‏ Acts 7:44-54

The Dwelling Place of God

Here Stephen comes to a new section in his speech. After his extensive tribute to Moses in the face of their accusation that he would slander Moses, he speaks about the dwelling place of God. After all, they had also accused him of speaking words against the temple by pointing to its destruction (Acts 6:14). Stephen will show that God’s former dwellings were temporary dwellings and not even real ones.

He first mentions the tabernacle which he describes with the extensive name “tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness”. It is the tent from which God testifies, from which He speaks to His people. What kind of tent was that? It was a tent made by Moses at God’s command and according to the pattern which God had shown to him on the mountain (Exo 25:40). Stephen makes it clear that the tabernacle was a temporary dwelling place of God and that it referred to a higher reality, heaven. The tabernacle would not always remain the dwelling place of God.

When “our fathers” entered the land with Joshua, they brought the tabernacle with them (Jos 3:14-17). Stephen mentions the name Joshua. This is the Hebrew name for the Greek ‘Jesus’. He actually says that the people took possession of the land with ‘Jesus’. The land was delivered by God from the original inhabitants (Jos 23:9 ; Jos 24:18) who were all servants of idols. There the tabernacle was given its place until the days of David.

With David the next change comes. That change has to do with the way God is served, not with the principle that God is served. God always wants people to serve Him, but He sometimes changes the way He wants that to happen. First it was in the tabernacle, under David it became the temple.

God is also free in His choice of the builder of His house. Although David found grace with God and longed to build a dwelling place for God (Psa 132:5), he was not allowed to do so (2Sam 7:2-17). God had reserved the building of the temple for Solomon (1Kgs 6:1 ; 14 ; 1Kgs 8:19-20). But no matter how beautiful the temple was, it was not the real dwelling place of God.

The audience of Stephen claimed God by pointing to the temple as His dwelling place. To them, the temple was solid proof of the presence of God. Whoever touched the temple touched God. Stephen brings that idea down by pointing out that God does not dwell in houses made by human hands. He reinforces his words by quoting what God Himself said through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 66:1-2; cf. 1Kgs 8:27).

Stephen’s Indictment

Reaching this point in his speech, it seems that Stephen notices that the Council understands that he is talking about them. In his speech he has reversed the arrows that were pointed at him and directed them at them. He has changed every ground for his conviction into a conviction of them. They have become the accused.

Instead of moderating his tone under their threatening gaze, Stephen raises his voice and calls out to them what the status of their situation is. He calls them “stiff-necked” because they don’t want to bow their necks before God (cf. Exo 33:5).

He further calls them “uncircumcised in heart and ears”. They may belong to the people of God through outward circumcision, but in their inner being they are like the uncircumcised Gentiles whose hearts are not turned toward God and who do not listen to God (Jer 9:26b; Rom 2:25). In their aversion to God, they resist the work of the Holy Spirit. They do not do this just once, but always (Isa 63:10; Psa 106:33).

Until now Stephen has always spoken about our fathers, but at this stage of his speech he distances himself from them and speaks about “your fathers”. Their fathers and they did and do the same in their resistance against the Holy Spirit. They do this even more clearly than their fathers, for the Spirit has come and is clearly active in a man like Stephen (Acts 6:5 ; 10).

He asks them a rhetorical question: “Which of the prophets their fathers did not persecute?” They cannot mention an exception, because every prophet sent by God to remind His people of their sins and to call them to repentance was rejected by them (2Chr 36:16; Jer 2:30; Mt 23:31). All those prophets also pointed out the coming of the Righteous One, that is the Lord Jesus. And what have they, the Council, done with Him? They have betrayed and killed Him.

This accusation was also made by Peter (Acts 3:14-15). While Peter took “ignorance” into account as an extenuating circumstance, Stephen holds this company of religious leaders fully responsible for this greatest crime of all time. Whatever new revelation from God came, they rejected it, right up to and including the Son of God.

The last words Stephen can speak relate to the way they received the law and the fact that they did not keep the law. They had accused him of speaking against the law (Acts 6:11 ; 13), but here he gives the law the highest honor and correct application. He acknowledges the exalted origin of the law (Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2) as well as its full authority in its application to the members of the Council.

Stephen Is Stoned

With his words that they are lawbreakers, the measure is filled up to them. All the accumulated anger comes out. They are in no way able to argue against Stephen. His proof of their guilt is irrefutable. Instead of his words touching them in the heart and asking them what to do (cf. Acts 2:37), his speech to them has become more and more an agony, a torture for their minds. They gnash their teeth against him as an expression of torment characteristic of the hell with which they are connected (Lk 13:28; Psa 35:16).

While during Stephen’s speech the anger increases, which can be seen on their faces, an increasing glory of heaven can be seen on Stephen. They are full of anger; he is full of the Holy Spirit. They see through their anger a man they want to kill. He does not see the angry crowd, but he is completely absorbed by the Holy Spirit in what he sees in heaven: “The glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

The glory of God had left the temple (Eze 10:18 ; Eze 11:23) and had returned to heaven. The glory of God had reappeared in Christ, but had been rejected and had returned to heaven. Now Stephen sees that glory, which means that the glory is visible to Christians who possess God’s Spirit.

After his razor-sharp condemnation he now speaks about the heaven he sees opened and in which he sees the Lord Jesus as the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. Like seeing the glory of God, seeing the opened heavens is also characteristic of Christendom. In Judaism the entrance to God is closed, God is hidden behind the veil.

When the Council hears all this, they go wild. They begin to cry out, so that they will hardly have heard what Stephen may have said. And even if another word from this – in their eyes – terrible criminal should break through their cries and reach their ears, they make it impossible to hear it by covering their ears (Psa 58:4-5).

It is completely unacceptable to them, no matter what Stephen says. He testifies not of the glory of God – which would be normal for heaven – but of the Son of Man in glory. It is perfectly clear to them what he is saying with this. He says nothing more and nothing less than that he sees the Messiah Whom they have rejected and that He is the Son of God (Dan 7:13).

Stephen says another thing. He also says that He sees the Son of Man “standing”. This indicates that the rejection of the Lord Jesus is not yet total and that He is, as it were, ready to return in case His people still come to repentance. However, this is not the case. On the contrary. By stoning Stephen, they send the Lord Jesus, as it were, a delegation after Him, saying: ”We do not want this man to reign over us” (cf. Lk 19:11-14).

In Stephen’s death the testimony of the Holy Spirit was also rejected by them. The Lord underwent a sham trial. Stephen was executed and stoned to death without any form of trial. With this he undergoes the fate of a blasphemer (Lev 24:16). The stoning is carried out by the false witnesses (Acts 6:13).

In order not to be hindered by their robes when throwing the stones, they put them at the feet of a young man, Saul. Later on, Saul, then Paul, will cite his involvement and his care for the robes of the stone-throwers as a regrettable affair (Acts 22:20). Here we hear about him for the first time. He wholeheartedly agrees with the stoning of that ‘blasphemer’.

While he is being stoned, Stephen calls on the Lord to receive his spirit. Heaven had to receive not only the Lord Jesus until the period of restoration (Acts 3:20-21), but also the souls of His own, of those who believe in Him. By seeing Christ glorified in heaven, Stephen, as well as every believer, is changed and becomes like Him. This is apparent from his last words.

His last words are no longer addressed to the people – he has nothing more to say to them – but to his Lord. While the stones strike him, he kneels down quietly and then by a loud voice, so that they all hear it, he prays for forgiveness for his murderers (cf. Lk 23:34a).

Seeing the Lord Jesus gives him that rest in these circumstances. We also see that rest in the way Stephen’s death is described: he falls asleep. Falling asleep refers to the body, not to the soul or the spirit. Stephen is taken away from this life in the power of his life that was a testimony.

Jim Elliot, who was killed at the age of twenty-eight by the spears of Auca Indians to whom he wanted to preach the gospel, wrote: ‘I am not looking for a long life, but a full life.’ And: ‘God seeks to populate eternity and I must not limit Him in doing this just with old people.’