SPEECH OF STEPHEN.

Acts 7.5
5. "And He gave him ((Abraham) no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his offspring after him."

Indeed, While GOD moved Abraham from place to place, from Haran in Mesopotamia (Iraq) to Ur of Chaldeans (Syria) and when to Canaan, GOD did not give Abraham any inheritance in the land of Canaan but promised to Abraham to give it to his descendants. (Genesis 12.7).

This is why perhaps the promised land is calling as the land of Israel (of Jacob) and not of Abraham or Isaac, because only from Jacob GOD created the nation of Israel (of Jacob) giving him 12 sons. So, to descendants of Jacob GOD gave the land of Canaan.

There is no nation in world who have such written document in which legitimate possession, borders, and history of the land and its nation are written in all its precise details as the land of Israel.

But enemies of Israel refusing to accept even today the legitimacy of the state of Israel even after its 3000 + years history which is not only written in the Bible but also reveal itself in numerous historical documents and artifacts scattered in museums all over the world and archeological sites.

Another interesting comment Stephen made in his speech is about numbers of the family of Jacob when he and his entire family moved from famine in Canaan to Egypt by invitation of his son Joseph.

Stephen here mentioned that it was 75 souls in total in Jacob's family when they moved from Canaan to Egypt, but in other places of the Bible the number is 75.

Genesis 46.27 - 70
Exodus 1.5 - 70
Deuteronomy 10.22 - 70
Acts 7.14 - 75
A.G.

So, Zodhiates conducted certain calculations in order to come up with explanation for number of 75.

~ Jacob's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren amounted to 66 (Genesis 46.8-26). Adding Jacob himself, and Joseph with his two sons, we have 70. If we add to the 66 the 9 wives of Jacob's sons (Judah's wives, and Simeon's wives were dead; Joseph could not be said to call himself, his own wife, or his two sons into Egypt; and Jacob is specified separately by the Stephen in Acts 7.14, we have 75 persons, as in Acts.

Zodhiates, the editor of the KSB Bible. P-70.

Of course, the number itself is not very important but event itself is very important, still certain details is good to know.

Verse 43 in 7 chapter of Acts mentioned a certain "star of god Rompha." Many considered it to be the star of David, but this is pure speculation.

Nobody actually knows or has any proof of the origin of the star of David and how and when and why it became the symbol of Israel, but one thing is very clear that the star of David as such nowhere mentioned in the Bible under this name.

I check some different sources and the star of Rompha came up with different shapes and forms and also as "the star of David," so I assume that this star has nothing to do with David, but certainly, according to Stephen's words it played a certain part in pagan worship of Israel.

 

I agree with you concerning the star of Rompha.

Actually, the same thing can be said and about the *cross.

*Cross. The Greek word generally translated "cross" is: stau ros'. It basically means "an upright pale or stake." This also means that "stau ros" never means two pieces of timber formed a cross in any angle, and in Greek of the New Testament there is nothing to imply about two pieces of timber which formed the cross.

In some texts, Bible writers use another word for the instrument of Jesus' death. It is the Greek word: "xy'lon" (Acts 5.30, 10.39, 13.29) (Galatians 3.13) (1Peter 2.24). This word "xy'lon" simply means "timber" or " a stick, club, or tree."

This information concerning "cross" came from the book named: "What does the Bible really teach", pages 204-205.
2005, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Publishers: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc, Brooklyn, New York, USA, 2009.

It a small book, may be some 40 pages given to me when Jehovah Witnesses visited me a long while ago. I read the book and gave it back to them without learning anything from it.

But this particular comment intrigued me, and I would like to know what you think about it. Personally, I think this comment about the cross make some sense.

~ In NRSV and the Russian Bible translated as "a tree," meaning wooden pole or post.
A.G.

 

If it was not Stephen who speaking, who was when?

You meant that it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Stephen? That will be OK too.

 

No arguments here.

If you guys think that it was the Holy Spirit Who was speaking, I have no objections.

Just like the GOD father speaking through His Son Jesus Christ, and so Jesus Christ speaking through His devoted men.