The religious leaders of the high council heard the voice of God, and the Holy Spirit pierced their hearts. Nevertheless, they determinedly opposed every inclination to repent, and continued to struggle against God. Filled with the spirit of hell, they gnashed their teeth. Nevertheless, they controlled themselves, lest they might miss hearing a clear word of blasphemy from Stephen’s mouth. Until the end he had spoken with utmost wisdom about truths written only in the Law. He had presented the old faith in the glow of the new light. They had not been able to find any lawful argument against him to enable them to destroy him.
The Lord’s design at this decisive moment was to glorify his Son Jesus in an exceptional manner. The holy, innocent Stephen, crowned with victory, was standing as a meek lamb in front of ravenous wolves that were prepared to spring upon it and devour it.
Stephen’s face shone like the face of an angel. His eyes were fixed upon heaven opened, and his ears heard no more profanity from the enemies of God. He forgot the people and the court around him, while seeing God personally in glory. Prophets did not often see God in His glory, and when they did they would fall down upon seeing him. Stephen, however, remained standing, wonderfully filled with joy and gladness.
This seer saw a movement in heaven when the Son of God rose from His throne at the right hand of His Father to receive His first martyr. Jesus is usually pictured in the Bible seated at God’s right hand. This is the only occasion in which Jesus appears rising from His throne. Although Stephen had not seen Christ during his life on earth, he recognized his Lord Jesus at first sight as the Son of Man, as a true Man in the glory of the light of God, surrounded with angels, glory, and fiery rays of splendor.
Speaking joyfully and thankfully, Christ’s witness testified to what God had shown him. He confirmed the words of Christ with the sharpness of the sword of the Holy Spirit, when He, to whom all glory is due, said before the high council: “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power.” The ungodly rulers, however, were not the ones to see Him, but Stephen, who was persecuted and despised by them, saw heaven opened.
The Jews considered this testimony about the manifestation of the glory of Christ continuing in the Holy Trinity to be the high point of blasphemy. They understood the law prohibited them from hearing such blasphemies, lest such evil thought might enter into their heart and cause them to doubt or give heed to heresies. So they covered their ears, knowing that whoever blasphemously touched upon the unique oneness of God should be stoned immediately.
The noble men cried out loudly, and the priests screamed. They all flew upon Stephen as beasts upon their prey. They drew him out of the house and ran with him through the streets and lanes of the holy city. They cast him out of the city wall so that the city of peace might not be polluted by the death of this blasphemer.
Stephen felt secure in the midst of the loud shouting and noise. He prayed in preparation for his death, and his soul prepared to ascend into heaven, where his Lord and Savior stood ready to receive him. Until the end he remained obedient to the Holy Spirit, who had filled him with love for his enemies. As the stones and rocks hit his body and head, he cried out, calling to the Son of Man whom he had seen: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” The martyr knew that Christ is the Lord Himself, who answers our prayers and has in His hands the keys of life and death. As He who had been crucified committed His Spirit into His father’s hands, so the Holy Spirit guided him who was being stoned to trust completely in the power of the Almighty. He need not tremble or be afraid. In this peace of mind and joy Stephen prayed, even while his body was miserably broken, shattered, and being overwhelmed by a shower of stones. Finally he fell down, and then, kneeling down, he cried out in a loud voice: “Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!” As God had forgiven him, so Stephen forgave the rulers of his nation, lovingly, immediately, and unconditionally. The love of God had been poured out in his heart. This Spirit kept him in his death. He slept in peace, untroubled, in spite of the stones that were hurled on him and had crushed his skull and broken his bones. They destroyed him out of fear of him, as if he were a mad dog affected with hydrophobia.
Not far from the sleeping saint stood a young man called Saul, a zealous student and a strict Pharisee. He had the honor of guarding the clothes of the false witnesses who, according to the law, had to throw the first stone at the one sentenced to death. In his hatred Saul had desired with all his heart to participate in stoning the blasphemer to death. But he had to watch over the clothes. Saul heard accurately the last words of the martyr, for which he hated him all the more. He rejoiced greatly at his death. Yet his subconscious was filled with the martyr’s testimony about the Holy Trinity in the opened heaven. Also, the picture of Stephen´s loving prayer, even while dying in the midst of the shower of stones, did not leave his mind. Thus he who fell down put the torch of the gospel into the hand of his enemy, who afterwards attacked the powerful foundations of the Old Testament more than anyone ever did. By so doing he freed the Christian church entirely from the Jewish spirit. The Holy Spirit manages the development in the redemptive plan of God without any mistake or delay, according to the everlasting love of God.