Acts 7:50

Did not my hand make all these things?

Points to Note:

Even Solomon, at the dedication of the Temple, confessed that such. House could not contain God (1 Kings 2:27).

Bruce notes, 'But to those who imagine that they can localize the Presence of God, His scornful question comes, "What is the place of my rest?" Do they think they can make God "stay put"-imprison Him in. golden cage? The point is that the Temple was not intended, any more than the Tabernacle, to become. permanent institution..' (p. 160)

'The tabernacle served as. place of worship, but was supplanted by the temple. And as even the builder and worshippers in the temple recognized that, grand as it was, it was not at all the real place where God dwelt, so Stephen shows that the temple wasn't the final revelation of God's will about how men should worship.' (Reese p. 298)

'inasmuch as the temple, grand and ancient as it was, was infinitely too small to contain the living God, and was declared by one of their own prophets not to be God's real dwelling place, it could be no blasphemy to say that it was yet to be set aside and destroyed.' (McGarvey p. 129)

THE CONCLUSION/APPLICATION

Having defended himself or his position, Stephen now brings home the application of his speech to those judging him.