Yes, Stephen saw Jesus standing because Jesus was ready to return to Israel and establish the promised Kingdom.
Les Feldick teaches that Christ is normally pictured seated at the Father's right hand, but Stephen's vision shows Him standing, meaning He was ready to come back as Israel's King. This message of a returning King was what the early Jewish believers were proclaiming, and it is why the religious leaders reacted so violently.
Acts 7:55-56 — Stephen explicitly sees 'the Son of man standing on the right hand of God' — the exact event in question.
Psalm 110:1 — Les connects the Old Testament expectation of the Messiah seated until His enemies are made His footstool with the meaning of Jesus standing.
In Acts 7, as Stephen was on trial, he declared, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). This is a striking detail because the Bible usually presents the ascended Christ as seated. Hebrews 1:3 says that "when he had by himself purged our sins, [He] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," and Psalm 110:1 records the LORD saying, "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." The Jewish leaders who heard Stephen's words did not miss the significance. The very next verse says, "Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord" (Acts 7:57). They cast him out of the city and stoned him (Acts 7:58-60). The Bible itself does not explicitly explain why standing rather than sitting mattered, but it records the reaction clearly.
Les Feldick points out that the ordinary biblical picture of the ascended Christ is Him seated at the right hand of the Father. In Stephen's vision, however, Jesus is standing. Les explains that the Jewish people understood the Messiah would be seated until His enemies were made His footstool, but if He was standing, He was ready to arise and return. When Stephen said, "I see Him standing," the Jewish leaders caught that implication and understood Jesus was ready to come as Israel's King and bring the Kingdom. Les connects this to the message Peter was proclaiming in Acts 3: if Israel would repent and believe who Jesus really was, God would send Jesus back and set up the Kingdom. Stephen was doing the same thing — pressing the nation of Israel to recognize that the Jesus they had crucified had been raised from the dead and could still be their King. Stephen did not foresee a 2,000-year interlude; he and the other early believers expected Jesus could return as soon as Israel believed. This was also why the religious leaders were so furious. The coming King would mean the end of the Mosaic system, the temple worship, and the old order. The New Covenant would become a reality, and they did not want anything to change their established way of doing things.
The Bible says that after Christ purged our sins, He "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). Psalm 110:1 also pictures the Messiah sitting at God's right hand "until I make thine enemies thy footstool." So sitting suggests a waiting position until the Father deals with the enemies of Christ.
Les Feldick explains that the Jewish leaders were familiar with the Psalms and the expectation that the Messiah would sit at the Father's right hand until His enemies were made His footstool. When Stephen said he saw Jesus standing, the leaders understood that this meant Jesus was ready to arise and return. They immediately cried out, stopped their ears, and rushed on him, casting him out of the city and stoning him.
Stephen was rehearsing Israel's history and driving home the point that the one they had killed was their Messiah. Even though they had crucified Him, God had raised Him from the dead, and He could still be their King. Stephen's message was that the King was ready to come the second time if Israel would only believe. This was why the religious section of Judaism reacted so strongly — they did not want the Mosaic system and temple worship to be replaced by the New Covenant.
In Acts 3, Peter announced that if Israel would repent and believe who Jesus really was, God would send Jesus Christ, "whom heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things" (Acts 3:20-21). Les notes that Peter was totally enraptured with the idea that Israel would repent, their Messiah would return, and the kingdom could be established. The early Jewish believers were not expecting a long delay; they expected Jesus to come back just as soon as Israel believed.
Sitting vs. Standing at the Right Hand
Les contrasts the usual biblical picture of Jesus seated at the right hand with Stephen's vision of Him standing and shows that this difference provoked the stoning.
Standing Meant Ready to Return
Les explains that the Jews knew a standing Messiah meant He was ready to return, which is why they reacted with fury when Stephen said he saw Jesus standing.
The Jewish Leaders' Fury
Les emphasizes that the Jewish leaders got furious when Stephen mentioned Jesus standing, and he shows the immediate stoning that followed.
Jesus Could Still Be Israel's King
Les explains that Stephen was appealing to Israel by showing that even though they had killed Jesus, God raised Him from the dead and He could still be their King.
Peter's Offer of the Kingdom
Les shows that Peter also preached that if Israel would repent, God would send Jesus back to set up the Kingdom, proving the early church expected an imminent return.
The King and the Mosaic System
Les explains that Stephen's message about the coming King meant the Mosaic system and temple worship would be replaced, which is why the religious leaders opposed him.
No 2,000-Year Interlude
Les points out that Stephen did not see a 2,000-year interlude and expected Christ to return as soon as Israel believed, emphasizing the immediacy of the Kingdom expectation.
Psalm 110 and Peter's Expectation
Les ties Psalm 110:1 to Peter's expectation that Christ would return after the tribulation, when Israel could have her King and Kingdom.
Acts 7:55: But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
This records Stephen's actual vision of Jesus standing at God's right hand.
Acts 7:56: And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen verbally declares what he sees, directly answering the question.
Acts 7:57: Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
This shows the violent reaction to Stephen's declaration that Jesus was standing.
Hebrews 1:3: Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
This gives the usual biblical picture of Jesus seated at the right hand after purging sins.
Psalm 110:1: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
This verse underlies Les Feldick's explanation that the Messiah was expected to sit until His enemies were dealt with.
Acts 3:20: And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Peter's promise that God would send Jesus Christ if Israel would repent.
Acts 3:21: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
This shows that heaven would hold Jesus until the promised restoration, which Peter expected soon.
Les Feldick teaches that standing meant Jesus was ready to return. The Jewish leaders understood the Old Testament picture of the Messiah seated until His enemies were made His footstool, so when Stephen said he saw Jesus standing, they realized Jesus was ready to come back as Israel's King and establish the Kingdom.
They understood the implication. A standing Messiah was ready to return and deal with His people. This would bring the Kingdom and the New Covenant, which meant the Mosaic system and temple worship would end. They did not want that, so they cried out, stopped their ears, and stoned Stephen.
Yes. Les points out that Stephen did not see a 2,000-year interlude. He and the other early believers expected Jesus to return as soon as Israel believed, just as Peter proclaimed in Acts 3 that God would send Jesus Christ if the nation repented.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected Moses — And Then Rejected Christ