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?”
I know that non-dispensationalists say the 70 Weeks prophecy ended in the first century. Some say at the cross, some say in 70 AD. I know of no one who is able to support their understanding with the Bible. I do! While my understanding could be wrong, I do find my support within the pages of the Bible. How I count the final week, for example, can be counted no other way and still begin with and end with Jewish Holy Days (Leviticus 23). All of Daniel’s “days” in Daniel 12 and John’s in Revelation 12 begin and end with a Jewish Holy Day or a significant day within the Holy Days–according to my reckoning. If someone else does this too, I don’t know. I came by this quite by accident while studying.
Concerning the Churches first 3-4 years, I agree with you, and this idea is supported in my interpretation of the 70 Weeks Prophecy. The 1290 days of Daniel 12 would begin with the day of the Wave Sheaf offering (occurring on Resurrection Sunday) and counted to the Day of Atonement (10th day of the 7th month, see Leviticus 23), 1290 days later. This is the day that I believe Stephen was killed.
You are correct in saying believing Jews obeyed the Law and the Jewish traditions. They were the laws of the land–we must obey the laws of the country we live in. This is what both Peter and Paul said. However, Peter had to come to see this (Acts 10), as did Paul (Acts 9). Both were given visions that changed their minds. But, even Paul obeyed the Law and the Jewish traditions whenever he was in Palestine. He was a Jew to the Jews and a gentile to the gentiles. While gentiles don’t have to obey the Mosaic Law and the Jewish traditions, they do have to obey the laws of their own lands and the customs their neighbors live by, as long as those customs and laws don’t cause rebellion against God.
FYI, I have Peter’s vision 3 to 4 years after Paul’s conversion, or about 38-39 AD. However, Paul had been preaching to gentiles several years before Peter’s vision. The Jerusalem church simply didn’t understand how to the Gospel could spread to gentiles without making gentiles obey the Law. After all, the Jewish religion (without the Jewish traditions) was the only faith ever begun by God. It was a difficult concept for them to accept. Paul was an educated rabbi, and he was able to see what most of the church in Jerusalem couldn’t see. The believing Jews knew nothing else but the Mosaic Law and the customs of their land. Paul was from Tarsus, so the Lord used Paul’s experiences in the land of the gentiles to see things in the Scriptures that others didn’t readily see. Peter’s vision was for himself and the believing Jews in Jerusalem. Believing Jews in Jerusalem had a difficult time accepting the ways of Paul, but Peter was one of them, and they accepted what the Lord told him (Acts 11). But, some still doubted as we see when Paul returned to Jerusalem in Acts 20-21.
Hi Eddie
I have now read your post carefully.
Your interpretation of Daniel 9 may be called the historical-messianic interpretation. This interpretation has been the dominant one over the centuries, and has offered those that accept it a testimony to God’s foreknowledge revealed through this prophecy.
You bravely wrote “I know of no one who is able to support their understanding with the Bible. I do!” Perhaps you want to read this interpretation of Daniel 9. (http://revelationbyjesuschrist.com/daniel-9-summary/) This will also explain the other interpretations of Daniel 9.
It seems as if you have no proof for the beginning year of the 70 weeks, nor of the end year. Nor do you have proof for the year in which the Messiah was cut off. In fact you do not provide proof for any date in this post. Perhaps you provided proof in some other posts.
A fundamental difference that I will have with you is that you equate the crisis in Daniel 9 to the crisis in the other chapters of Daniel. Consequently you equate the 1260 days (which is the time, times and half a time) to the 3½ years you find in Daniel 9. In the reference above you will find a section arguing that Daniel 9 and the other prophecies in Daniel deal with different events.
Andries
Eddie, on a technical note. Your subscription manager; is it a plugin, or is it part of basic WordPress functionality? I would like to use the same in my blog. Andries
I’m not very proficient when it comes to computer knowledge. I have whatever the basic Word Press offered me. It is free, and that agreed with my budget. :-)
Does this answer your question? If not, tell me what a plugin is and we’ll go from there.
Greetings Andries, I understand that my interpretation of Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy would fall under an historical definition. As far as being “brave” is concerned, I wouldn’t know. What I do know is this. I don’t accept the common belief that the 490 years begins with Artaxerxes of Ezra 7. He made no real decree. All he did was rule upon what was already decreed. I also believe there are errors in historical chronology, which is largely due to Biblical scholars embracing Claudius Ptolemy’s so called “Canon of the Kings”. So, in a sense, you are correct. I don’t have a beginning year, but I do date the beginning of the 490 years with the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1). I know this is in error as far as Biblical scholars go, but I believe they err in their own understanding of chronology. So, there we are.
My end date for the 490 years would be the Day of Atonement 34 AD. So, the beginning must be the Feast of Trumpets 457
BC, but Biblical chronologists push the reign of Cyrus back to cir. 576 – 530 BC. So, there is an error of 75 to 80 years in chronology or I am in error. I am just a guy who reads the Bible. I’m not a scholar, so is it brave or arrogant to say I am correct and the scholars are wrong? I’ll let others decide the answer to that question. I merely receive the word of God is true wherever it leads me.
Concerning proof, who has proof of anything? If Biblical chronology is based upon the dubious understanding of the “historian”, Claudius Ptolemy, where is to proof of anything we understand about Daniel? It is all a guess.
Concerning your 22 page summary of what you wrote on Daniel 9, I’ll give it a read, but I would like to respond by email because the response will include excerpts from your work, and will probably be quite lengthy–perhaps several lengthy responses might be needed. You will find my email address on my “About” page at the top of my blog. If you would be kind enough to send me an email, I’ll respond to your work within a few days to a week.
Lord bless you, Andries, in your walk with him.