Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Topic: The empty tomb 55
Reading: Matthew 27:57-66, 28:1-15
Scripture: He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. (Luke 24:6)
Note: The experience of Stephen just before he got martyred by the acolytes of Paul, can be contrasted to the experience of Paul on his last murderous mission to Damascus to arrest the saints for prosecution, punishment in jail and possible execution. Whereas that last mission was a failure by worldly standard, it marked the beginning of a journey with Jesus by a man, once known as a wicked murderer of the saints of the early church.
Coincidentally or by a stroke of Providence, Dr. Luke wrote both accounts of Stephen and Paul and so it makes for a fair comparison of the essential differences between the two experiences of vision and appearance of Jesus after his resurrection, from the same writer, coming against the background of the supposed but nonexisting confusion from the camp of the objective vision hypothesis theorists.
In Acts 7:55, Stephen’s vision account of Jesus just before he got stoned to death went like this: “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly to heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” There were people with Stephen, including Paul. These were people who were looking for the slightest evidence to use as a trigger to stone him to death. They didn’t see any of the vision stuff that Stephen was talking about, as vision takes place only in the beholder’s mind. Purporting that what Stephen said was an abomination in associating the crucified Jesus with Jehovah, they were irked the more into visiting instant justice on him.
In Paul’s experience in Acts 9:1-9, as is typical of an appearance of Jesus, a bright light shone, which Paul and his companions all witnessed. Paul got blinded by the bright light for three days until Ananias laid hands on him to recover his sight. Their journey was thus aborted. The whole carriage comprising horses and men fell to the ground under one swoop, all getting arrested by the power of God. They all heard an audible voice, though they didn’t see who was speaking.
Food for thought: The essential difference between a vision and an appearance of Jesus is the additional physical and tangible manifestation during an appearance.
Declaration: And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. (Acts 9:7)
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
