Yes—the stoning of Stephen is Israel's crescendo of rejection, marking the point after which God turns to the Gentiles.
In Acts 7, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, confronts Israel's leaders and they stone him. Les Feldick explains that Israel had already rejected the Father and the Son, and now they rejected the Holy Spirit. This event also introduces Saul and sets the stage for God's turning to the Gentiles.
Acts 7:58 — Records the actual stoning of Stephen and the introduction of Saul, the hinge point of the narrative.
Acts 7:55-56 — Shows Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, seeing Jesus standing at God's right hand—the sight that enrages the Jewish council.
Acts 7:60 — Stephen's dying prayer echoes the Lord's own forgiveness, marking his faithfulness at the moment of Israel's rejection.
In the Book of Acts, Stephen is introduced as one of seven men of honest report chosen to serve the early Jerusalem church; the text twice emphasizes that he was 'full of the Holy Ghost' (Acts 6:3, 5). When Stephen stood before the council, those who looked on him saw his face as 'the face of an angel' (Acts 6:15). In Acts 7, Stephen addresses 'Men, brethren, and fathers,' recounts the history of Israel from Abraham, and then declares that Israel's fathers persecuted the prophets and that his hearers were 'the betrayers and murderers' of the Just One. The record says the hearers 'were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth' (Acts 7:54). Stephen, full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56). They cried out, stopped their ears, ran upon him with one accord, cast him out of the city, and stoned him (Acts 7:57-58). As Stephen was being stoned, he prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' and 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge,' and then fell asleep (Acts 7:59-60).
Les Feldick reads the stoning of Stephen as Israel's crescendo of rejection—the moment the nation reached the climax of refusing God's messengers. He points out that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and that his face shone like an angel's, yet his Jewish hearers, rather than accepting his appeal, were cut to the heart and gnashed their teeth. Les explains that Israel had killed the prophets, then killed the Son, and now, in Acts 7, they stoned Stephen, rejecting the Holy Spirit. From that point, Israel slides into dispersion: the temple is removed in A.D. 70 and God turns to the Gentiles. The scene also introduces Saul, who becomes the apostle to the Gentiles and fills the pages of the New Testament. Les also highlights Stephen's vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God—a detail the Jewish audience understood as Jesus ready to return, which intensified their fury. Though not final, this was the crescendo of Israel's rejection.
Stephen was one of seven men chosen to serve the early Jewish church in Jerusalem. Scripture says he was 'a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost' (Acts 6:5). When he stood before the council, his face looked like the face of an angel because of the Holy Spirit's presence. Les notes that even in these verses, the Holy Spirit is emphasized twice.
Stephen addressed Jewish hearers as 'Men, brethren, and fathers,' recounting Israel's history from Abraham. He told them they had become betrayers and murderers of the Just One. Les explains that Israel had rejected the Father by killing the prophets and rejected the Son by killing Christ; now, in Stephen, they were rejecting the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Scripture records that his hearers were 'cut to the heart' and gnashed their teeth at him.
As Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked into heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Les teaches that the Jews knew the Messiah was supposed to be seated at the Father's right hand until His enemies were made His footstool. Seeing Him standing implied He was ready to return and deal with His people. When Stephen announced this, his hearers cried out, stopped their ears, ran upon him, cast him out of the city, and stoned him.
At the stoning, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Les calls this the first time someone other than the twelve and elders of Israel is introduced into the Acts account. Saul, later Paul, will fill the pages of the New Testament. The scene also shows that Rome did not interfere with the Jews carrying out their own means of punishment, so they stoned Stephen as their Jewish form of capital punishment.
Les states that from the stoning of Stephen, Israel just slides down into her dispersion, and her temple is taken away in A.D. 70. God then turns to the Gentiles. This was not the final rejection, but it was the crescendo—the high point of Israel's refusal. This is significant because it marks the boundary between Israel's prophetic program and the Gentile age.
Stephen Chosen, Full of the Holy Spirit
Stephen was one of seven chosen men, described twice as full of the Holy Spirit, and his face shone like an angel's when he stood before Israel's council.
Israel's Crescendo of Rejection
Les identifies the stoning of Stephen as the moment Israel reached the crescendo of rejecting God's rule, and he highlights the introduction of Saul at this same event.
Third Person of the Trinity Rejected
Les explains that after the Jews killed the prophets and then the Son, the stoning of Stephen was Israel's rejection of the Holy Spirit.
Crescendo, Then Turning to Gentiles
Les says Israel reached the crescendo of rejection at Stephen's stoning, after which Israel slid into dispersion and God turned to the Gentiles.
Stephen's Appeal to Israel
Les shows that Stephen's Acts 7 sermon was a continuing appeal to the nation to recognize the Messiah they had killed, more than six or seven years after Pentecost.
Betrayers and Murderers
Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, confronted Israel as betrayers and murderers of the Just One, and his hearers reacted by gnashing their teeth.
Jesus Standing: Ready to Return
Les teaches that the Jewish audience understood Jesus standing at the right hand of God to mean He was ready to return, which is why the announcement enraged them.
Saul Introduced; Stephen's Prayer
At Stephen's stoning, Saul of Tarsus is introduced for the first time, and Stephen dies praying that this sin not be laid to his attackers' charge.
Acts 6:3: Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
This verse introduces the kind of men chosen for ministry, including Stephen, and emphasizes the Holy Spirit.
Acts 6:5: And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Stephen is specifically set apart as full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 6:15: And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
The visible presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong that Stephen's face appeared angelic.
Acts 7:2: 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 Charran,
Stephen addresses his Jewish audience directly, grounding his message in Israel's history with Abraham.
Acts 7:52: Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Stephen charges Israel with a pattern of killing God's messengers, culminating in the murder of Christ.
Acts 7:53: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Stephen adds that Israel received the law but did not keep it, intensifying the indictment.
Acts 7:54: When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
The Jewish council's rage is shown by their violent physical reaction to Stephen's message.
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,
Stephen's Spirit-filled vision of Jesus standing is the immediate trigger for the stoning.
Acts 7:56: And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen publicly declares what he sees, causing the Jewish leaders to stop their ears and attack.
Acts 7:57: Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
The crowd reacts in fury to Stephen's declaration of Jesus standing at God's right hand.
Acts 7:58: And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
This verse records the actual stoning and introduces Saul, a pivotal figure in the book of Acts.
Acts 7:59: And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Even while being stoned, Stephen entrusts his spirit to the risen Lord Jesus.
Acts 7:60: 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.
Stephen's final prayer of forgiveness mirrors Christ's own prayer and closes the account.
As he was being stoned, Stephen kneeled down and cried for the Lord not to lay the sin to his attackers' charge. This echoes the forgiving spirit of Christ, and after saying this, Stephen fell asleep.
Scripture describes Stephen as full of the Holy Spirit, and Les emphasizes this is repeated multiple times. The Holy Spirit's presence was so evident that the council saw his face like the face of an angel, and it also enabled Stephen to see Jesus standing at God's right hand.
Les says it was not exactly final, but it was the crescendo—the climax—of their rejection. From that point Israel slides into dispersion and God turns to the Gentiles.
Les notes that stoning was the Jewish way of capital punishment, and Rome did not interfere with the Jews carrying out their own means of punishment.
Watch the Teaching: The Unpardonable Sin: What It Really Means for Israel