It should be noted that we not only have a narrated account of Jesus standing on this occasion in v. 55, but Stephen also gives a verbal report of this in v. 56: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” These words are actually the conclusion to Stephen’s speech which began all the way back in Acts 7:2. Furthermore, this conclusion follows immediately upon Stephen’s strongly worded accusation that old covenant Israel was a rebellious nation:
You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it (Acts 7:51–53).
The immediate context for Jesus standing, therefore, is Stephen’s blatant accusation of covenant rebellion on the part of the ancient nation of Israel.
It is also significant that Stephen’s reporting of the vision of Jesus standing in heaven creates a parallel with Dan 7:13, where one like the son of man comes into the presence of the Ancient of Days, and is presented before him. It is most natural that this son of man would have been standing before God during his presentation. So the idea of Jesus standing as mentioned by Stephen seems to allude to Dan 7:13. This allusion functions as a bold presentation by Stephen of the Christian claim in the polemical context of the time. The claim was that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of Man in fulfillment of Dan 7. In addition, the conceptual parallel between the giving of the kingdom to this son of man in Dan 7:14 and the giving of the kingdom to “the saints of the Most High” in Dan 7:27 brings the courtroom scene of Dan 7:26 (where the power of the evil little horn is taken away) into the picture.
Altogether, therefore, Jesus standing in Acts 7:55 conveys his authority as the Son of Man, along with his power to judge the enemies of God’s people. Jesus standing particularly highlights his role as Judge: “the court shall sit in judgment” (Dan 7:26); “[the Father] has given [the Son] authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:27).
The fact that Stephen’s opponents “cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him” (Acts 7:57) as soon as he had spoken about Jesus standing at the right hand of God shows that they understood the christological import of Stephen’s description of Jesus. In sum, Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father in Acts 7:55–56 conveys that Jesus is the Messiah (in fulfillment of Ps 110), and the Son of Man (in fulfillment of Dan 7), who has the authority to execute judgment on behalf of God and his people. Viewed in the context of Stephen's speech, it is as if Jesus is standing to confirm the veracity of the accusation that Stephen had brought against the nation of Israel, and to indicate that he is the Son of Man of Dan 7 who will judge those who persecute “the saints of the Most High” (Dan 7:27). Stephen's death, like that of the prophets and the Righteous One before him (Acts 7:52), would not be in vain.
15 comments:
wow, thanks for posting.
Thanks very muchif
It all so shows when you stand for Jesus, he stands for you. He is our biggest fan. He is our cheerleader. Jesus is not our judge, Jesus is our attorney.
Thanks so much for explaining this. I've wondered about it for a long time.
No worries. Glad you found it helpful.
This was excellent. Thank you for sharing. The insight is fantastic.
So this was the only time mentioned of Jesus standing as to being seated at the right Hand of God?
So God the Father and Jesus Christ are 2 separate beings.
Yes, these verses from Acts are the only two verses in the Bible that speak of Jesus standing.
In the Bible, God the Father and Jesus Christ are distinguished, but at the same time Jesus taught that he and the Father are one (John 10:30). The Father and the Son are two distinct beings, but the Son is also the presence of the Father in the world, or as the Apostle Paul puts it: Christ is "the image of invisible God" (Col 1:15). There is unity as well as distinction.
In part it also depends on how you define the word being. In the homoousion debate in the first few centuries, the orthodox wing of the church argued that the Son was one substance or one being with the Father. But if by being you have in mind the idea of a self-contained entity that can be distinguished from other entities, then God the Father and Jesus Christ can be spoken of as being two separate beings.
The classic doctrine of the Trinity speaks of God as one being but three persons. God the Son is the eternal self-expression of the Father, and Jesus Christ is God the Son incarnate.
Have you ever been to a sermon and could not help from Standing? During Stevens speech morelike rebuke of these unbelievers; it’s almost as if Jesus was giving approval of Stevens account. His statements. Yes much like court. Jesus stands to judge.
What really makes me excited and gets me even more riled up in the spirit with thunderous Joy is when Steven says: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:60 NKJV
Did he see the flame of he Lords eyes? We know when speaking to the church in Thyatira, Jesus has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass (Thyatira actually traded in brass so Judgement by our brilliant merciful savior held even more significance). God only knows when the second coming will occur; however I think Jesus standing in judgement position gives us a peek at his protective nature for us (his followers and believers).
Glory to God thank you for grace for us all; I certainly do not want to be like those who do not believe in Christ (Jezebel spirit of unbelief and harlotry). Thank you Jesus for opening our hearts to preach your gospel as our brother Stephen did yet with no condemnation so souls can still e saved (Saul/Paul was greatly affected watching Steven get stoned to death as the stoners gave a young Saul/Paul their robes to hold as Steven was gettin stoned)
Many ither places describes God standing. It speaks of jugement. This event closed the door of probation on the nation of Israel as spoken by Daniel. 490 dàys are cut off for your people...
standing indicates the unfinished work at that time of offering the kingdom of God to the jew. the book of acts is a transition book from jew to gentile from temple to church. From signs and wonders for the jews to the doctrine of the word to all that would receive it. Christ came for the jew but was rejected in the general sense as a nation. stephens sermon was a history of that rejection, as a lawyer proving his case. the vision of standing is a show of this work moving from the jew to the gentile and at the last a overview proof of the jewish rejection made by stephen which the priest could not stand and resulted in death, just as Christ. sitting at the right hand indicates the start of the time of the gentile. standing to sitting is a transition from jew to gentile.
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