A Picture of Heaven

“Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, ‘Look, I see the heavens opened!’”—Acts 7:55–56 NLT

In human terms, this might have seemed like a crushing defeat. Stephen, who had been an effective minister of the Gospel, had been arrested by religious leaders. They were intent on silencing his ministry and stopping the spread of the Gospel. Stephen could have been a model of hopelessness as he was stoned to death. It could have seemed like a horrible defeat.

But in that moment of apparent defeat, Stephen was given an extraordinary picture of the ultimate victory that awaited him. While others simply saw events in human terms, Stephen was given a picture of Heaven. It was a picture of total victory. While others sought to silence him, he continued to celebrate the victory of his eternal hope and his relationship with Jesus.

Stephen was given a picture of Jesus standing victoriously at God’s right hand. At that moment, the stones that were thrown to take his life hardly seemed to matter. He was at peace, perfectly prepared to experience the glories of Heaven.

As we look at the world around us, we can feel overwhelmed. It can feel like we face inevitable defeat. We can react by feeling discouraged, defeated, broken, and hopeless. These are moments to be reminded of the vision given to Stephen. Remember the eternal victory we have in Jesus. Celebrate His resurrection and the eternal life that awaits all who serve Him.

Reflection Question: Reflect on your eternal victory waiting for you.