The significance of Jesus standing at the throne in Stephen Vision.

[Bluelion]

The vision Stephen had that caused him to be stone, showed Jesus standing at His throne. I believe the standing instead of sitting is of great importance. Here is why.

Polhill suggest that Jesus standing beside the throne suggest an exalted Christ. He also says that Stephen’s vision shows that Christ is for all people of all nations, and is a vision of boundless reign.[1] I agree Jesus is for all people of all nations, but I have a different view of why Christ was standing by the throne. Jesus standing beside the throne I believe showed He had not yet taken rule of the kingdom. Had Jesus been seated on His throne this would show His ruling. When people have had visions of God in Heaven He is seated on His throne showing ruler ship. Isaiah 6:1 It was in the year King Uzziah died[a]that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.[2] Rev 4:2 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit,[a]and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.[3]


So with these Bible verses we can see God seated on His throne implying ruler ship. The Bible even shows the image of a king on his thrown shows Him ruling. Pro 20:8 8 When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.[4] So this is why I believe Jesus standing showed he had not yet taken ruler ship of The Kingdom.


The vision of Stephen showed Jesus is indeed the son of God and that He is alive. If our God is dead so are we after all. I think it was important to show God is alive and was starting to take His seat as shown in Psalms 110 God says to Jesus sit at my right hand until I make your enemies thy foot stool.[5]This is why the vision was so offensive it showed Jesus as The Son of God and at His throne.











[1] John B. Polhill, The New American Commentary (Nashville, Tn.: B&H, 1992) Pg, 208.

[2] The New Living Translation, http://Biblegateway.com (accessed September, 2014).

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

 

[com7fy8]

I have considered that Jesus was standing in honor of Stephen who was going to be martyred for confessing Jesus before men.

 

[Bluelion]

I have considered that Jesus was standing in honor of Stephen who was going to be martyred for confessing Jesus before men.

I don't think Jesus would keep to traditions of men. i.e. standing to show honor,

 

[Striver]

You must deal with passages like Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 1:3, and Hebrews 1:3 before coming to conclusion that Jesus is not yet reigning. Instead, Jesus standing up enraged those who heard Stephen because it's a pretty bold and clear claim to his authority.

The crowd did not rush Stephen until he made the statement, because they knew by saying that Christ was standing at the right hand of God, it was placing him equal with God. The listeners were all very religious and surely aware of or memorized passages like Psalm 89:13, Psalm 48:10, Psalm 20:6 and so on. This was a very specific claim made when the Holy Spirit was at its fullest for Stephen. If Stephen's speech where plotted out as the plot of a story, the statement is the climax.

 

[Bluelion]

You must deal with passages like Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 1:3, and Hebrews 1:3 before coming to conclusion that Jesus is not yet reigning. Instead, Jesus standing up enraged those who heard Stephen because it's a pretty bold and clear claim to his authority.

The crowd did not rush Stephen until he made the statement, because they knew by saying that Christ was standing at the right hand of God, it was placing him equal with God. The listeners were all very religious and surely aware of or memorized passages like Psalm 89:13, Psalm 48:10, Psalm 20:6 and so on. This was a very specific claim made when the Holy Spirit was at its fullest for Stephen. If Stephen's speech where plotted out as the plot of a story, the statement is the climax.

You read but did not understand, and those books you quoted were after Stephen.

 

[Striver]

No sir, you have a larger theological bone to chew that you're not exactly candid about. Fair enough, I shall not waste my time. Have a blessed day!

 

[Bluelion]

speak for your self

 

[MWood]

My thoughts are that Jesus was standing because His job was not complete. When He sits, His job is complete. After revealing to Paul the Grace of God His job was complete, thus He sat down on the Throne until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

 

[DawnStar]

I believe it was completed when He declared It Is Finished.

 

[MWood]

When Jesus said "it is finished," what was finished were the things that He said He came to do. Such as forgive the sins of the world, and fulfill the law and prophets. These things were the things that were finished. But His job was not complete, and it is still not complete. He still has to come back with His Army of Saints to defeat Satan and cast Him into the Lake of Fire, etc.

 

[DawnStar]

But His job was not complete, and it is still not complete.

Wait a minute you just said in a previous post it was complete.

After revealing to Paul the Grace of God His job was complete...

Is He standing or sitting right now? Quite frankly I believe this is not something that we as Christians need to be concerned with. I will bow out now because I can see where this is headed. Nowhere.

 

[MWood]

Wait a minute you just said in a previous post it was complete.

Is He standing or sitting right now? Quite frankly I believe this is not something that we as Christians need to be concerned with. I will bow out now because I can see where this is headed. Nowhere.

Well I was going to bow out with you, but I feel I really need to explain my self. Jesus' job on earth was finished when He said it was finished. The forgiving of sins, and fulfilling of the law and prophets. When Stephen saw Him standing at the right hand of God, He had yet another job to do before He sat at the right hand of God. That was to commission Paul to be an Apostle to the Gentiles, Kings, and the sons of Israel. Then He sat down at the right hand of God "until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." And after this He still has other work to do. Other prophesies to fulfill. I hope this is as clear as red mud.

 

[lismore]

I have considered that Jesus was standing in honor of Stephen who was going to be martyred for confessing Jesus before men.

Another possibility is that he was standing out of concern. When you're concerned you stand up.

 

[com7fy8]

When you're concerned you stand up.

Thank you And He could have more than one purpose and reason, all at once. I understand how Jesus came to this earth and spoke the language humans understand, though that could be argued to be practicing a tradition of men. He has done things we can relate to, but also He is bringing us beyond and to so better

 

[tall73]

Standing could be an indication that a king was accepting/receiving someone:

1 Kings 2:19
When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

If this were the case Jesus would be standing to show His acceptance of Stephen, though the people were rejecting him.

 

[com7fy8]

though the people were rejecting him.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

 

[tall73]

Jesus standing beside the throne I believe showed He had not yet taken rule of the kingdom. Had Jesus been seated on His throne this would show His ruling.

So with these Bible verses we can see God seated on His throne implying ruler ship. The Bible even shows the image of a king on his thrown shows Him ruling. Pro 20:8 8 When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.[4] So this is why I believe Jesus standing showed he had not yet taken ruler ship of The Kingdom.

...

The vision of Stephen showed Jesus is indeed the son of God and that He is alive. If our God is dead so are we after all. I think it was important to show God is alive and was starting to take His seat as shown in Psalms 110 God says to Jesus sit at my right hand until I make your enemies thy foot stool.[5]This is why the vision was so offensive it showed Jesus as The Son of God and at His throne.

I agree that references to sitting on the throne denotes ruling. Also, in Hebrews the sitting down of Jesus after completing the sacrifice and presentation before God, is contrasted with the priest who must daily stand in the temple offering the same sacrifices. So in that regards it is also a sign of completed work.

Now the timing of this sitting seems to be what you are referencing. Are you saying simply that He did not sit down until some time after this incident? Do you have an idea of when he may have sat down?

 

[now faith]

I agree that references to sitting on the throne denotes ruling. Also, in Hebrews the sitting down of Jesus after completing the sacrifice and presentation before God, is contrasted with the priest who must daily stand in the temple offering the same sacrifices. So in that regards it is also a sign of completed work.

Now the timing of this sitting seems to be what you are referencing. Are you saying simply that He did not sit down until some time after this incident? Do you have an idea of when he may have sat down?

It was finished when he went from the tomb and sprinkled his blood on the mercy seat.
When Mary first came to him he did not embrace her,he had to go to the Father first.