When Heaven Opens: Part 4

A man is on trial for telling the truth about Jesus and the courtroom turns into an execution. But the most shocking part of Stephen’s story is not the stones, it’s where he looks while they fly: “Behold, I see the heavens opened.” We follow the Bible text in Acts 7 and trace how Stephen, “full of the Holy Ghost,” is steadied by a vision that lifts him above fear and rage. 

We talk about what it means to receive the Holy Spirit at salvation and why Scripture also speaks of many fillings in a believer’s life. That distinction isn’t abstract theology here, it explains how Stephen can face betrayal, false accusation, and death with a clear mind and a tender heart. His eyes aren’t fixed on his enemies; they’re fixed on the glory of God and on Jesus Christ exalted in heaven. 

Then we slow down at one of the most striking details in the passage: Stephen sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Thirteen times the Bible pictures Christ seated in finished victory, yet here He stands, rising in sympathy and readiness to strengthen His suffering witness and to welcome him home. We also unpack why Stephen calls Jesus the “Son of Man,” how that title echoes Christ’s own words before the same council, and why Stephen’s confirmation pushes his opponents over the edge. 

The message doesn’t dodge hard questions. Why does God allow evil to exist and seem to win? We explore human free will, God’s patience, and how persecution ends up spreading the gospel and even setting the stage for Saul of Tarsus to be converted. If you’re searching for biblical encouragement in trials, Christian courage, and a clearer view of Jesus Christ, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the teaching.

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Transcript

Stephen’s Sermon And Stoning

Filled With The Holy Ghost

Stephen Sees The Glory Of God

Jesus Standing At God’s Right Hand

The Son Of Man Title Explained

Why Christ Stands For Stephen

Why God Permits Evil

Persecution Spreads The Gospel

Stephen’s Death Mirrors Christ

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Well, it's hard to believe. It's time again already for the preaching of the Cross Radio Broadcast, but it certainly is. I'm Brother James, and I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And we certainly are so very happy that you've joined us today for the program. We hope and pray that you'll stay with us for the full half hour that we have to spend together, and that God will make the uh time most blessed and most helpful to you. We began a series of studies here a couple of times ago, uh, talking about the opened heaven, talking about the opened heaven at various times uh in the Bible when heaven is opened. We discussed the uh heaven being opened at the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father speaking from heaven, uh saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. We want to talk uh today. Uh we started on the broadcast last time talking about uh this matter of the stoning of Stephen and the heaven being open at the time when Stephen was stoned. Now, while this uh phenomena occurs uh several times in the New Testament, seven references in all to uh four times when the heaven was open, while this occurs uh several times in the New Testament, you you must admit it's a very unusual uh type of thing. It's not something that happens every day, and it certainly is interesting to take note of the times and the circumstances around which the heaven uh was open. Now, we're going to read again uh for the sake of context from Acts chapter 7, and you'll recall that uh Stephen has preached here this great sermon, uh pointing out to the uh leaders of the nation of Israel that their uh Messiah has come in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and just as they rejected uh uh Moses, just as they rejected Joseph from uh ruling and reigning over them, so they have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as well. And he gets to the grand finale, he gives his invitation and his altar call, every head bowed, every eye closed, and what a response he gets as they come rushing forward, uh stones in their hands, uh, to kill and to destroy Stephen for the crime of telling the truth. The Bible says in verse fifty-four of Acts 7, when they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth, but he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man's feet, whose name was Saul, and they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Now we talked last time about the fact that Stephen was full of the Spirit. Stephen was full of the Spirit, and we showed you from the Bible that there is uh one time when you receive the Holy Ghost, and that is at the moment of salvation. You are born again by the Holy Spirit of God coming in and regenerating you, giving you a new birth and new life. But then there are many fillings with the Spirit in your life as you uh follow on to know the Lord Jesus Christ. And we talked about the fact that uh Stephen was filled with the Holy Ghost. We read that in verse uh fifty-five. And because of this, uh here he is in the midst of the most terrible circumstances, surrounded by enemies, death staring him in the face, and yet he is not controlled by these things, but he is governed by heavenly objects. The world was rejecting him as it had rejected his beloved Lord not so long before, but heaven was open to him, and gazing up into that open heaven he caught some of the rays of glory shining in the face of his risen Lord. He not only caught them, but as we said, he reflected them back upon the moral gloom that surrounded him, and this we noted is genuine Christianity. Now, two more points we want to note on the program today about this uh heaven being opened in in this case of Stephen. First of all, he saw the glory of God. He saw the glory of God. Now, he began his sermon, Stephen did, as recorded in Acts chapter number seven, with this statement, and this is from verse two. And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Haran. The God of glory appeared. And he ends his uh sermon with a vision of the glory of God. Moses made a request back in uh Exodus chapter thirty-three. He was talking with God there, and he, of course, lived a great long life, had a great career of leading the children out of uh children of Israel out of Egypt's bondage. The Bible says in Exodus thirty-three and verse number seventeen, the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Well, he had to be content, Moses did with a partial revelation. The Lord said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy, on whom I will show mercy. He said, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see thy my face and or see me and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock, and it shall come to pass while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in the cliff of the rock and cover thee with my hand while I pass by, and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen. So Moses had to be content with a partial revelation. But Stephen, he looks up into heaven, the Bible says being full of the Holy Ghost, he looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And then thirdly, as we just read to you, he saw not only the glory of God, but he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. In the council chamber he was surrounded, and he was surrounded by his enemies. But he did not see their faces contorted with rage. His gaze had gone beyond time, into the endless courts of the celestial Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem, with its innumerable company of angels, and he saw the Lord, in whose righteous cause he was about to die. Like Paul's subsequent vision, recorded in Second Corinthians twelve, one to four, or the man that he knew, it must have been something beyond the power of human language to describe. Let me read this to you, and this is from 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verses 1 through 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 1 through 4. Here the Bible says it is not expedient for me, doubtless, to glory, but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell, and whether out of the body, I cannot tell. God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven, and I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Now, whatever it is that this man saw, it was something beyond the limits of the revelation that God saw fit to give to man. Jesus said one time, If I told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And so it wasn't lawful, he was not granted permission to speak of those things which he saw and heard when he was called up to the third heaven. Now there was one part of the vision clearly defined, however, one object standing in bold relief in the heavenly picture, and that of Stephen's adorable Savior, so recently crucified, but now exalted to the throne of glory. Stephen refers to him as the Son of Man. He says, Behold, I see the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. In one sense, his vision was a fulfillment of the prediction of the Lord himself that he made in Matthew twenty-six and verse sixty-four. Again, let me read to you just exactly what the Bible says there in Matthew 26, verse 64. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said, Nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Now, not a complete fulfillment, obviously, but a partial fulfillment. He did see the Son of Man, and the fulfillment is, of course, to be preached to the world. This is the title, this title Son of Man, which in the Gospels is only used by Christ when speaking of himself. And this is the only occasion in the New Testament when the exact words the Son of Man are used by someone else to refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's very interesting, I think, and very significant. Now the title in Revelation Chapter 1 is uh also the same. Revelation chapter 1 and verse number 1, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God uh gave him. And he talks here about uh to show unto you, unto his servants, things which must shortly come to pass. He sent and justified it by his angel unto his servant John, who bear record of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, the things which he saw. And here in this uh passage in Revelation chapter 1, he is uh called the Son of Man in verse uh you come on down through here all the way down to verse 12, I turned to see the voice that spake with me. Being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. Now we know of a certainty from the context that that is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. But John, at the time he is beholding this vision, he he's not so sure. And so he says, uh, one like unto the Son of Man, and gives the description, which of course we know uh to be the Lord Jesus Christ, but it's not the same as him saying this is the Son of Man, as Stephen did there in Acts chapter number seven. Now, uh Stephen and the listeners in this uh great assembly chamber in Acts 7, no doubt about it, they would remember the title. Indeed, those in the council chamber would have heard it, but recently from the Lord's own lips. For he said in their presence in that mock trial, Luke 22, 69, hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God, and that's that's what just stripped their gears. That's that's what threw them into into such a rage. They were crying out there in that courtroom in uh Luke twenty-two, sixty six, as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together. Now you know who that is? That's the very group of people that Stephen is addressing in Acts chapter number seven. And they led him to their count into their council, saying, Now where is uh Stephen preaching? Verse fifteen of Acts chapter six, all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. So this same council of religious leaders, not uh not uh more than just a few months earlier, had hauled Jesus Christ in before them in the same fashion that they've hauled Stephen in before them now. And the Bible says in verse sixty seven of Acts twenty two, art thou the Christ, tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you ye will not believe, and if I ask you ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God. And they said, All art thou then the Son of God? You see, they they knew that term Son of Man when he said that, he was uh saying far more than he was just a man. He said, Art thou then the Son of God? He said to them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witnesses, for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth? Now what did he say? He said, Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God. And Stephen, speaking to this same group of men, just a few months later, says, Behold, I see the uh the glory of God. I see the heavens opened. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Now, where had they heard this before? Well, not only had they heard the Lord Jesus Christ speak it in that uh uh council chamber, but they'd heard it in their consciences a hundred times since, as it echoed in their mind over and over and over again. And so when Stephen adds his confirmation, when Stephen adds uh his witness to the fact that this same Lord Jesus Christ, whom they crucified, is risen, ascended, and in glory, just exactly as he said he would be at the right hand of the Father. Well, it's more than they can take. Uh Stephen sees the Lord standing. Stephen sees the Lord standing. Thirteen times in Scripture, Jesus Christ is spoken of as seated at the right hand of God. Only once, only one time is Christ spoken of as standing, and that is right here. The more usual picture is that of his being seated. You read about that in Mark 16, 19, and Hebrews 1 3, Hebrews chapter 8, verse 1, etc. And there's comfort in that thought. At the close of his earthly life, he was enthroned in heaven as Lord of all. His work on earth was finished. There he quietly waits until his enemies, all his enemies, are put under his feet. Why has the seated Savior changed his posture so that he he is seen here as as standing? Stephen saw him standing, as if he had risen to his feet to see his servant's need and was preparing to welcome him. There are some who suggest that Jesus was preparing at this time, had the had the council received the word from Stephen that Jesus was standing because he would then come again. He called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, verse 51. He knew they were resisting the Holy Ghost, verse 51. He knew they were betrayers and murderers, verse 52. He knew they didn't keep the word of God, verse 53. And the Lord Jesus Christ beholds them in verse 54, cut to the heart and gnashing on him with their teeth, and he knows what's going to happen. He knows good and well what these fellows are going to do. And he's he's rising, preparing to welcome his martyr Stephen Stephen. Further, uh Stephen had been condemned by an earthly court, and he appeals, as it were, for vindication to a heavenly court. And his vindicator in that supreme court is none other than Jesus, who stands at God's right hand as Stephen's advocate. He had risen to help and strengthen his suffering witness, and it was a wonderful testimony to the sympathy and tenderness of the Savior's loving heart. Seated though he was, he had heard the stir in the court below, and the malicious accusations hurled at his faithful servant. He had felt the cruelties heaped upon Stephen as if they had been inflicted upon himself, and he rises at the call of his injured disciple. He cannot remain still. That great shepherd stooped down from the hills of glory in his concern. He will not listen unmoved to Stephen's dying cry. This disciple has made a good confession before many witnesses. And his Lord seems to say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful unto death, I will give thee a crown of life. And you know he's not changed. He hasn't changed one bit. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, and what he was to Stephen of old, he is to his people still. In times of trial and distress, he still rises and bends over his people in the tenderest love and whispers to reassure them When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. His help will be all prevailing. Is he not at God's right hand? Does he not weld the omnipotence of God for us? Is not all power given unto him? It's no wonder. It's no wonder that beholding the Lord Jesus Christ, not beholding his enemies, not beholding his sufferings, is it is it any wonder that beholding the Lord Jesus Christ, Stephen was able to be so like his master that he could lay down his life for the truth, that he could die in peace, and that in his dying breath he could pray for forgiveness of the very men that were putting him to death. You recall the Lord Jesus Christ, he cried when he was on that cross, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Verse 60, Stephen's last words Lord lay not the sin to their charge. He set his affection on things above, not on things on the earth. And it made all the difference, not only in how he lived, but in how he died. So that's the second case of the heaven being opened, and that's the case of the martyr Stephen as he uh lays down his life in death for the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Stephen had He'd claimed to see the crucified Christ in the realms of glory. It was more than his enemies could bear, and they would listen no longer, they would kill him. They saw his face as an angel, and their only desire was to. To smash that face. All the evil of their hearts. And you know the question has to be raised, if only for a few moments. Question has to be raised as to why evil is permitted to exist and seemingly to triumph. That God does permit evil is a matter of experience. We all know that he does. That he should do so is a matter of constant wonder, however, to those who believe God to be at once almighty and all holy. Yet man's will would not be free if it were not free to choose evil. To make evil impossible would be to destroy man's free will. I know some of you listening to this broadcast don't believe that man has a free will, but uh that's that's your free will. You're free to believe that if you want to, and you're free not to believe that if you don't want to. And the fact that uh you're free to choose and decide what you'll believe and what you won't believe refutes your own uh argument. Now God, nevertheless, is constantly at work on evil, forcing it, in spite of what it is, to yield to him indirect and reluctant service. He makes the wrath of men to praise him, the Bible says. He may take his time, but why should he not? God is eternal, he's not in any hurry, he doesn't have any deadlines to meet. The immediate result of Stephen's martyrdom was the outbreak of persecution under a man by the name of Saul of Tarsus. That resulted in the scattering of the disciples, and that scattering of the disciples because of persecution resulted in the spread of the gospel. It also resulted in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. As one has so wisely said, the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Who could have known that as the enemies of Christ were about to kill God's servant, that he had another one right there eventually to take Stephen's place? Surely God's ways are past finding out. When one of God's saints is taken away to glory, God has another prepared to take his place. God buries his workmen, but carries on his work. Consider how the evil of their hearts is emphasized. The Bible says in verse fifty nine they stoned Stephen. They stoned Stephen as he was praying. Kind of an ironic touch here, isn't there? They placed their clothes at the feet of Saul, and they who battered the life out of a servant of Christ, they couldn't trust one another. They needed a custodian of their clothes, lest they should rob one another. Why didn't they just leave their coats lying about? Why did they have to have someone to watch them? Oh wicked, evil, dishonest men. That's what they were, and they knew it. They knew they couldn't trust each other, and yet here they are driving the very life out of one of God's best men. In contrast, how like this, as we said, is his beloved how like his beloved Lord Stephen was, particularly in his death. You know, the location was the same outside the city wall. The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter thirteen and verse number thirteen, let us go forth, therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. The prayers were the same, yet with significant differences. Stephen first prays for himself and then for his enemies. The Lord prayed first for his enemies, and then for himself. The Lord on the cross speaks to God. Stephen spoke to the Lord Jesus. Christ on the cross said, I commend my spirit, and in the hands I commend my spirit. Stephen said, Receive or take. One carries the notion that our Lord died because he would, that he was active in his death, he laid down his life, that he chose to summon death to do his work on him, that he yielded up his spirit, that he was sovereign in this dark realm. But Stephen said, Receive my spirit, knowing that it must be his Lord's power that should draw his spirit out of his mortal body.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

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