Most scholarship, I believe, puts the stoning of Stephen in 34 or 35 AD. Is there reason within the Scriptures to substantiate this claim? Yes, I believe there is! However, such substantiation comes from prophecy in both Old and New Testaments, but the understanding of these very prophecies is clouded by the interpretation of most scholarship, which puts the fulfillment of them at the second coming of Jesus.
I have written similar posts which had to do with Stephen’s death back in November of 2009. However, I think I should be clearer on this matter in order to have a better understanding of the timeline of early Acts with a particular interest in the placement of the High Priests for Stephen’s death, Paul’s persecution of the Jewish believers in Jesus in Acts 9:1, and when the “peace” occurred in Acts 9:31.
The Seventy Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9 was supposed to offer the believer the identity of the Messiah by showing the exact time in which he would appear. The 70 Weeks Prophecy begins with the first sacrifice offered on the rebuilt altar on the Temple mount when Joshua, the High Priest, and Zerubbabel returned from the captivity. The Jews began to make daily offerings to God from the first day of the seventh month upon their return from captivity (Ezra 3:6). This is a very important date, as it represents the first time in decades that worship of the God of Israel was offered from the Temple mount, and it represents the “firstfruits” of the decree of the emperor, which I believe is implied in the prophecy. So, the date of the decree itself is not important, but date of the firstfruits of that decree is the important part of the prophecy in terms of when it begins. The Messiah was to come at the beginning of the 70th week or 483 years after the first sacrifice was offered by the returning captives.
No matter which year one chooses to begin the 70 Weeks Prophecy, the 484th year must begin in the fall and on the Feast of Trumpets. I submit that from Luke 4:16 and up to Luke 6:49 Luke shows Jesus beginning his ministry on the Feast of Trumpets (Luke 4:16) and each Sabbath mentioned thereafter is either an annual Holy Day or a seventh day Sabbath. The odd “second Sabbath after the first” in Luke 6:1 is the seventh day Sabbath which occurred in that year back to back with the annual Day of Atonement, a fast day, which is why the Apostles were hungry and began to take some grain from the fields on the Sabbath day, rubbing it in their hands and eating the kernels.
Anyway, long-story-short, 3 ½ years later Jesus was crucified, and the 70 Weeks prophecy foretold the Messiah would be ‘cut’ (offered for the covenant) in the midst or the middle of the prophetic week (Daniel 9:26-27). The 70th week comprises 7 years, 3 ½ of which represented Jesus public ministry culminating in his crucifixion and resurrection. Notice in Luke 10:18 that Jesus said he beheld Satan like lightning fall from heaven. This is shown in Revelation 12:7-10 where Michael/Jesus makes war with Satan. Now I am not saying Jesus is an angelic being, but I am saying Michel is Jesus—the Angel of the LORD who is God in the Old Testament. Anyway, Jesus with his disciples were waging spiritual warfare against Satan’s kingdom (cf. Luke 10:17). The angels in Revelation 12 represent the messengers of Jesus and Satan respectively. In the Gospels they are Jesus’ disciples waging war against Satan or the Pharisees and high priests who fought against Jesus and his disciples. The woman (the Jewish believers) had a place of safety for 1260 days (Revelation 12:6). This is the first part of the 70th prophetic week and represents Jesus care for his disciples—they were safe, and he lost no one.
In the second part of the week the disciples were also safe according to Revelation 12:14. The believers were spiritually nourished for a time (1) + times (2) and half a time (1/2) or 3 ½ years. Daniel refers to this time as the 1290 days.
Formerly, I had believed the 1290 days began on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, which if it did, the days would have culminated on the Day of Atonement in 34 AD. However, had they done this, it would have indicated national repentance, which didn’t occur, and the proof of this is Stephen’s death, which occurred on that day. Thus, the 1260 days ended in blood (the crucifixion), but the 1290 days were intended to end in repentance, but instead Stephen was stoned. Therefore the fulfillment of the 1290 days were delayed. There is a gap between the 1260 days and the 1290 days of nearly 40 years due to unbelief, and is typified by Israel’s wandering in the wilderness for 40 year due to their unbelief. The 1290 days begin when the Roman general, Cestius, surrounded Jerusalem with his armies (cf. Luke 21:20), tore down the northern wall of Jerusalem, but for no good reason retreated, allowing Jesus’ disciples to flee (Luke 21:21). They end, when Titus, the Roman general and son of the Emperor, surrounded Jerusalem with his armies, broke down the northern wall (that was repaired) and encamped inside the walls of Jerusalem. Thus the city fell.[1]
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[1] See my study, The Seventy Weeks Prophecy and the 1290 Days, which details this.
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105 responses to “When Was Stephen Stoned?”
You deny Matt 24:29-31 by stating that Matt 24:15 has already taken place.
Show me one single scripture that states anyone in the Bible said “Christ will come in my lifetime”; assumption.
2Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
You assume that the destruction of the temple and the slaughter of the Jews in 70AD was the tribulation, show me the facts in the Bible.
Dan 9:26 the Messiah is cutoff after 62 weeks + the 9 weeks of Dan 9:25.
Dan 9:26 And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Dan 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Exodus 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
Judges 6:11 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which [was] in Ophrah, which [belonged] to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide [it] from the Midianites.
Genesis 48:15-16 makes no statement about the Angel of God being God.
“one of the chief princes”.
Strongs H259
– Original: אחד
– Transliteration: ‘echad
– Phonetic: ekh-awd’
– Definition:
1. one (number)
a. one (number)
b. each, every
c. a certain
d. an (indefinite article)
e. only, once, once for all
f. one…another, the one…the other, one after another, one by one
g. first
h. eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
– Origin: a numeral from H258
– TWOT entry: 61
– Part(s) of speech: Adjective
From ISBE: “archangel” or chief angel, occurs.
1Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first
Matthew 24:31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Is this what you believe or can you support your understanding with scripture?
What kind of question is this? Can you offer a single scripture that Jesus would delay his coming for 2000 years (or more)?
Jesus told the high priest **he** would see Jesus coming in the clouds (Matthew 26:64). Paul told the Romans that God would crush the head of Satan beneath **their** feet shortly (Romans 16:20). In Romans 13:12 Paul said the night was already near its end, and the day was at hand—even nearer than Paul thought at first (v.11).
Do you play by the same rules you require of others? Show me in the Bible that the tribulation of which Jesus spoke concerned people 2000 years (or more) later.
Concerning Daniel 9:26, Messiah will be cut off after the 69 weeks are complete—how long after? Is it immediately afterward …a month …a year …after 3 ½ years? The text is not clear, but the text does tell us that a covenant will be cut in the middle of the 70th week—that’s 3 ½ years after the 69th week of years.
Concerning Daniel 9:27, who will confirm the Covenant? Is it the Messiah or the prince that shall come? It isn’t clear according to the Hebrew, but look at it in the Septuagint, the Bible of the first Christians:
Concerning Genesis 48:15-16, it is just reading 101, my friend. I cannot read for you, so what can I say.
Concerning your quotation from Strongs, I offered you the translation as done by Young’s Literal Translation. Strongs’ “g” says **first** is a possible translation of the Hebrew word, and the Young’s translators rendered echad as **first**.
Here’s another one for you: Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Matt 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
The two thousand years you ask for is a false number; it could be another thousand years – I don’t know, I simply know that the 70th week is unfulfilled and the mark of the beast still has not happened.
Matt 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
If the tribulation happened in 70AD, then where is Jesus?
Matt 24:31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
And why are the elect still here?
H259 states that the primary word is “one” with “first” falling much later.
You are leading people down a path of destruction.
I have no idea what you are getting at here. I referred to this verse in support of my position. I fail to see how it supports yours.
If you aren’t reading into the text, **how** do you know the 70th week isn’t fulfilled? You have absolutely no scripture that shows it is separated from the previous 69 weeks. No other prophecy is broken up in such a fashion. What is the mark of the beast and how do you know it has yet to occur? It seems to me you are making many assumptions that aren’t based upon scripture—you merely **believe** it, which is what you accuse me of doing.
Jesus’ parousia or coming in Matthew 24 has to do with his coming in judgment against Jerusalem, not his return to this earth. It has to do with his reigning as Messiah and taking the reins away from Satan. The **sign** that the Son of Man is in the heavens is his judgment against Jerusalem, which he predicted in Matthew 26:64. The stars falling and the darkening of the sun and the moon have to do with the Jewish nation being destroyed—no longer does the sun shine on their land; no longer do Jews lead the nation, because as of 70 CE they had no land. They had no land for roughly 1900 years, and didn’t control Jerusalem again until the Six Day War of 1967. You seem to want to trash history in favor of an interpretation you cannot prove. The Bible is about the Jews, God’s people, yet you wish to conclude that nothing in the New Testament refers to the destruction of the Jewish nation or the Temple at Jerusalem. Rather, you seem to want to trade this solid historical evidence, to which the Olivet Prophecy clearly points, for an interpretation involving the Church in the end of this current age.
The tribulation to which both Daniel and the Olivet Prophecy point is the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple; Jesus is in the heavens reigning as Messiah. You seem to want him to be on earth, reigning in Jerusalem. That hasn’t occurred yet, and there doesn’t seem to be a timetable for that.
Angelic beings have nothing to do with spreading the Gospel. The **angels** are human messengers (angels = messengers in the Greek). We—the Church—are sent out with the great sound of a trumpet (Jesus) and we are presently gathering God’s elect into the Body of Christ.
Concerning echad (H259), does it ever mean **first** according to you? If so, under what circumstances could it mean **first**?
Concerning my “leading people down a path of destruction”, have I even implied I am a leader of anyone or anything? All I am doing is blogging. You found me and read a few of my studies and commented to show your opposition to my pov. That is all this is. It is not a church split; it is not para-church organization. I seek no followers, and as far as I know, no one claims to be following me. From time to time I get an attaboy and other times I’m an infidel leading people down the path of destruction. I take the good with the bad, and condemn no one for their opinion against me and often caution folks who seem to praise me too much. I tell them I am human and will eventually disappoint.
Do you have anything else? If so shoot. I’m still here.
I knew this was a useless endeavor when I started after seeing “I believe” in your article. You, like so many others, will turn on God like a Rattle Snake when the tribulation comes.