“And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of angel.” – Acts 6:15

Stephen lived a relatively short life, like the Brainerd’s and M’Cheyne’s who never exceeded their twenties, leaving behind a blazing trail of heaven’s glory. No human religious authority could withstand the wisdom of the Holy Spirit by which he spoke, and many of the Jewish elders and scribes, who were guilty of the eternal unpardonable sin, were enraged at Stephen’s exploding witness to the power of the kingdom of God.

So dynamic was Stephen’s life testimony – ‘an epistle read of all men’ – that his face took on the appearance of an angel. This, undoubtedly, must have been an amazing sight to behold; all within the council – including the high priest – gazed (to look for a long time with unwavering attention) at Stephen with wonder. So drenched with the glory of God that it emanated from him visibly and physically – just like with the skin of Moses’ face that shone because he had been talking with God.

Stephen, in his last few hours, was brought to the periphery of sanctification, as much as can be attained on earth; there was no trace of ‘self’ whatsoever; he was full to human capacity with Christ and under complete sway of the Holy Spirit. He was saturated with faith and the Holy Spirit, grace and power beforehand (Acts 6:5,8) – now, (in past-tense) the glory of heaven began to transfigure him.

He gave one of the best and heart-cutting sermons ever delivered from human lips (Acts 7) moments prior to his martyrdom; indeed it was a short ministry, but more impact is made for the kingdom of God with such intensity than all the mediocre spirituality and commotion put together we find in our modern churches; performing God’s will in just ‘hours’ has more eternal significance than living long earthly years of mere nominal spirituality.

What did Stephen see; what made his face emanate such other-worldly wonder and glory?

No vessel – apart from the Risen Christ – shined brighter in their death than Stephen. No mind can comprehend, no matter how articulate one’s theology, but we who read such accounts are filled with awe; we but barely skim the outskirts of another dimension that baffles science and the greatest minds – indeed we are found speechless. Is there not a slight trace of that glory when we read, “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God…‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God’?”

All heaven’s principalities and legions of angels, no doubt paused dumbfounded as they beheld the mysterious grace and glory of God exhibited like never before in a redeemed sinner; the church’s first ever martyr triumphantly completes his race, embarrasses all hell that miserably failed to snuff out Christianity but rather unintentionally accelerates its growth at an insurmountable rate. I’m sure Saul (who became the greatest apostle), who stood watching, approving his death, never forgot such a face in the midst of hate and death. Every member of that religious council stood against Stephen as they vehemently disfigured him to his last breath, but the Son of God, in His splendour and glory, arose to meet him and welcome him to an eternally majestic beauty, a glorious transformation and uninterrupted fellowship – a Reality so infinitely greater than ours (in this three dimensional world) our present physical frames (bodies) would prove dangerously weak to behold.

That was Stephen – a short life but a bright burning light who blazed into eternity.

What is our testimony to God’s immeasurable and inexhaustible grace in our own lives?