Hath not my hand made all these things affirms that God's own hand made all things by His own power, so the whole created world belongs to Him. Therefore the Most High does not dwell confined in temples made with hands, for no house built by men can contain God or be His rest, since heaven is His throne and earth His footstool. It was spoken by Stephen in his defense before the council when questioned on the charge of blasphemy, as part of an address rehearsing the history of Israel and its spiritual meaning through Christ, coming after Solomon's building of the temple and joining the words of Solomon and Isaiah. By it he made plain his loyalty to God and to the Jewish faith and his knowledge of the Jewish economy now manifest through Christ, while exposing that the Jews trusted in the law for salvation yet made the temple building the focus of their worship. Because God is not confined to human-made temples, true believers may worship Him throughout the world in Spirit and in truth, and this testimony lived on as Saul remembered Stephen's sermon as true and Paul later presented its evidence that the crucified Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah.
Stephen's Defense Setting
Hath not my hand made all these things was spoken by Stephen in his defense before the council when questioned about the charges brought against him, including the charge of blasphemy. It belongs to an address in which he rehearsed the history of Israel as God's chosen people and explained its spiritual meaning through Christ, connecting Jesus Christ with all Jewish history. It came after referring to Solomon's building of the temple, quoting and joining together the words of Solomon and Isaiah that heaven is God's throne and earth His footstool.
It was spoken as his final testimony under the direction of the Holy Spirit while his hearers resisted him and the crowd became tumultuous, and that setting is important for grasping its significance. By it he made plain his loyalty to God and to the Jewish faith and his thorough knowledge of the Jewish economy and its spiritual meaning now made manifest through Christ. At the same time he showed that the law in which the Jews trusted for salvation had not been able to save Israel from idolatry.
Creator Beyond Temple
God's own hand made all things by His own power. The created world therefore belongs to Him and is not confined to a human-made temple. The verse declares that the Most High does not dwell confined in temples made with hands. No house built by men can contain God or be the place of His rest. God is not confined to temples built by human hands, and cannot be contained in a temple built by human hands.
Heaven is His throne and earth His footstool. Heaven is the place of His highest worship. No temple built by human hands can contain Him or be the place of His highest worship, for His highest place of worship is heaven.
Worship and Lasting Witness
God made all things and is not confined to temples built by human hands. The Jews grew more angry at criticism of the temple than at words spoken against God. That difference showed they had made the building itself the focus of their worship.
Because God made all things by His own hand, He is not confined to temples made by human hands. Therefore true believers may worship Him throughout the world in Spirit and in truth.
The declaration is part of Stephen's sermon, which Saul later remembered as true. It helped him see that Jesus' rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled prophecy. That fulfillment proved Him to be the Messiah. It belongs to Stephen's prophetic defense, whose evidence Paul later presented to show that the crucified Jesus is the Son of God.
Hath not my hand made all these things affirms that God's own hand made all things by His own power, so the whole created world belongs to Him. Therefore the Most High does not dwell confined in temples made with hands, for no house built by men can contain God or be His rest, since heaven is His throne and earth His footstool. It was spoken by Stephen in his defense before the council when questioned on the charge of blasphemy, as part of an address rehearsing the history of Israel and its spiritual meaning through Christ, coming after Solomon's building of the temple and joining the words of Solomon and Isaiah. By it he made plain his loyalty to God and to the Jewish faith and his knowledge of the Jewish economy now manifest through Christ, while exposing that the Jews trusted in the law for salvation yet made the temple building the focus of their worship. Because God is not confined to human-made temples, true believers may worship Him throughout the world in Spirit and in truth, and this testimony lived on as Saul remembered Stephen's sermon as true and Paul later presented its evidence that the crucified Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah.
Stephen's Defense Setting
Hath not my hand made all these things was spoken by Stephen in his defense before the council when questioned about the charges brought against him, including the charge of blasphemy. It belongs to an address in which he rehearsed the history of Israel as God's chosen people and explained its spiritual meaning through Christ, connecting Jesus Christ with all Jewish history. It came after referring to Solomon's building of the temple, quoting and joining together the words of Solomon and Isaiah that heaven is God's throne and earth His footstool.
It was spoken as his final testimony under the direction of the Holy Spirit while his hearers resisted him and the crowd became tumultuous, and that setting is important for grasping its significance. By it he made plain his loyalty to God and to the Jewish faith and his thorough knowledge of the Jewish economy and its spiritual meaning now made manifest through Christ. At the same time he showed that the law in which the Jews trusted for salvation had not been able to save Israel from idolatry.
Creator Beyond Temple
God's own hand made all things by His own power. The created world therefore belongs to Him and is not confined to a human-made temple. The verse declares that the Most High does not dwell confined in temples made with hands. No house built by men can contain God or be the place of His rest. God is not confined to temples built by human hands, and cannot be contained in a temple built by human hands.
Heaven is His throne and earth His footstool. Heaven is the place of His highest worship. No temple built by human hands can contain Him or be the place of His highest worship, for His highest place of worship is heaven.
Worship and Lasting Witness
God made all things and is not confined to temples built by human hands. The Jews grew more angry at criticism of the temple than at words spoken against God. That difference showed they had made the building itself the focus of their worship.
Because God made all things by His own hand, He is not confined to temples made by human hands. Therefore true believers may worship Him throughout the world in Spirit and in truth.
The declaration is part of Stephen's sermon, which Saul later remembered as true. It helped him see that Jesus' rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled prophecy. That fulfillment proved Him to be the Messiah. It belongs to Stephen's prophetic defense, whose evidence Paul later presented to show that the crucified Jesus is the Son of God.