Acts 7:55

Fully controlled by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 6:3; Acts 6:5; Acts 6:8; Acts 6:15) Stephen received a vision of Jesus standing beside God in all His glory. This vision of God’s throne room in heaven is similar to visions that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John saw.

The unusual fact that Stephen saw Him standing rather than seated, as the biblical writers elsewhere describe Him (e.g., Psalms 110:1), may imply several things. It may imply His activity as prophet and mediator standing between God and man, and as a witness since He was witnessing through His witnesses on earth.

"Stephen has been confessing Christ before men, and now he sees Christ confessing His servant before God. The proper posture for a witness is the standing posture. Stephen, condemned by an earthly court, appeals for vindication to a heavenly court, and his vindicator in that supreme court is Jesus, who stands at God’s right hand as Stephen’s advocate, his ’paraclete.’ When we are faced with words so wealthy in association as these words of Stephen, it is unwise to suppose that any single interpretation exhausts their significance. All the meaning that had attached to Psalms 110:1 and Daniel 7:13 f. is present here, including especially the meaning that springs from their combination on the lips of Jesus when He appeared before the Sanhedrin; but the replacement of ’sitting’ by ’standing’ probably makes its own contribution to the total meaning of the words in this context-a contribution distinctively appropriate to Stephen’s present role as martyr-witness." [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., pp. 168-69. Cf. Witherington, p. 275.]

"Standing" may also imply Jesus’ welcome of Stephen into His presence as the first Christian martyr.

"Here Jesus, functioning as Judge, welcomed Stephen into heaven, showing that despite earthly rejection, Stephen was honored in heaven." [Note: Bock, "A Theology . . .," p. 111.]

Psalms 110:1 describes Messiah as at God’s right hand, where Stephen saw Jesus. Jesus’ position in relation to God suggests His acceptance by Him, His authority under God, and His access to God.