Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55). He said he saw “the heavens opened” and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand (Acts 7:56).
In Acts 7:54–60 Stephen’s speech ends with a violent turn. The council reacts with intense anger, while Stephen, focused upward, reports a vision of God’s glory and Jesus beside God. His public claim triggers a collective rush: they silence him, drag him outside the city, and stone him. This scene closes Stephen’s long defense and accusation before the council (Acts 7). After recounting Israel’s story and charging his hearers with resisting God’s messengers, Stephen’s words provoke an immediate response rather than a formal verdict.
Acts 7:54–60 presents a sharp contrast: the council’s intense anger below and Stephen’s Spirit-given vision above. The text explicitly says Stephen is “full of the Holy Spirit,” sees “the glory of God,” and sees Jesus “standing at the right hand of God” (standing).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Acts 7:55, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,