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But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
Acts 7:55 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
  • KJV 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,
  • BSB But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
  • NASB But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
  • NLT But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus standing at God's right hand. God granted him a vision of the exalted Christ to strengthen him.

Overview

Stephen, empowered by the Spirit, was given a vision of God's glory and Jesus at His right hand (Psalm 110:1). That Jesus is seen 'standing' has been understood by many as Christ rising to receive or welcome His faithful witness, or to bear testimony for him. The vision confirms that the rejected Jesus is truly exalted and reigning, vindicating Stephen's message.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 25

  • Mark 16:19So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
  • Heb 1:3His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
  • 2 Cor 4:6seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
  • Acts 6:5These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch;
  • Heb 8:1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
  • Acts 6:8Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
  • Rev 4:1–3After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.”
  • Acts 6:10They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
  • Ps 109:31For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.
  • John 12:41Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.
  • Acts 2:4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
  • Mic 3:8But as for me, I am full of power by Yahweh’s Spirit, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience, and to Israel his sin.
  • John 14:3If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
  • Acts 6:3Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
  • Ezek 10:4Yahweh’s glory mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh’s glory.
  • Acts 13:9–10But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,
  • Isa 6:1–3In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.
  • Ezek 11:23Yahweh’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
  • Ezek 10:18Yahweh’s glory went out from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.
  • 2 Cor 12:2–4I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don’t know, or whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven.
  • 2 Pet 1:17For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
  • Acts 4:8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
  • Ezek 1:26–28Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
  • Rev 21:11having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
  • Acts 1:10–11While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 7:55YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 7:55 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.