What message had Peter and the eleven been giving Israel in the years after Pentecost?
Peter and the eleven had been presenting Israel with their king, despite Israel having crucified him, proclaiming that God had raised him from the dead and that he could still be their king. This appeal continued about seven years after Pentecost, as Stephen likewise sought to convince the nation the one they killed was their Messiah.
Les explains that this was about seven years after Pentecost—at least six or better. For those years, Peter and the eleven, along with other believing Jews, kept presenting Israel with their king. Even though the nation had crucified him, God had raised him from the dead, and he could still be their king. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, made a similar appeal to the nation of Israel, trying to convince them that the one they killed was their Messiah. He went through Israel’s history to press that point.