What happened to the prophets who came to Israel in the Old Testament?
According to Stephen's message, the Old Testament prophets were persecuted and killed by Israel's forefathers. They came to Israel, but the people rejected their message and slew them, as illustrated by the vineyard parable where servants were killed and by Jeremiah, who was imprisoned for prophesying unwelcome truths.
Les explains that the prophets came to Israel, and their forefathers persecuted and killed them. He ties this to the Old Testament economy and to Jesus' parable of the vineyard and the husbandmen: the owner sent servants, and they killed them; finally he sent his son, and they killed him. Stephen is showing the same pattern, saying the prophets came to their forefathers and they killed them. Jeremiah, for example, was found in a deep, wet dungeon in Jerusalem because he prophesied things Israel did not like to hear. Verse 52 adds that they slew those who showed before the coming of the just one, and Israel became betrayers and murderers of Messiah.
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.