76
The Acts of the Apostles
stricken Jew the image of the Saviour’s countenance was imprinted
forever. The words spoken struck home to his heart with appalling
force. Into the darkened chambers of his mind there poured a flood
of light, revealing the ignorance and error of his former life and his
present need of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
Saul now saw that in persecuting the followers of Jesus he had
in reality been doing the work of Satan. He saw that his convictions
of right and of his own duty had been based largely on his implicit
confidence in the priests and rulers. He had believed them when they
told him that the story of the resurrection was an artful fabrication
of the disciples. Now that Jesus Himself stood revealed, Saul was
convinced of the truthfulness of the claims made by the disciples.
In that hour of heavenly illumination Saul’s mind acted with re-
markable rapidity. The prophetic records of Holy Writ were opened
to his understanding. He saw that the rejection of Jesus by the Jews,
His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, had been foretold by the
prophets and proved Him to be the promised Messiah. Stephen’s ser-
mon at the time of his martyrdom was brought forcibly to Saul’s mind,
and he realized that the martyr had indeed beheld “the glory of God”
when he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
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standing on the right hand of God.”
Acts 7:55, 56
. The priests had
pronounced these words blasphemy, but Saul now knew them to be
truth.
What a revelation was all this to the persecutor! Now Saul knew for
a certainty that the promised Messiah had come to this earth as Jesus of
Nazareth and that He had been rejected and crucified by those whom
He came to save. He knew also that the Saviour had risen in triumph
from the tomb and had ascended into the heavens. In that moment
of divine revelation Saul remembered with terror that Stephen, who
had borne witness of a crucified and risen Saviour, had been sacrificed
by his consent, and that later, through his instrumentality, many other
worthy followers of Jesus had met their death by cruel persecution.
The Saviour had spoken to Saul through Stephen, whose clear
reasoning could not be controverted. The learned Jew had seen the
face of the martyr reflecting the light of Christ’s glory—appearing as
if “it had been the face of an angel.”
Acts 6:15
. He had witnessed
Stephen’s forbearance toward his enemies and his forgiveness of them.
He had also witnessed the fortitude and cheerful resignation of many