They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders:

So then, friends, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter.

The whole group was pleased with the apostles' proposal, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a Gentile from Antioch who had earlier been converted to Judaism.

Stephen, a man richly blessed by God and full of power, performed great miracles and wonders among the people.

But the Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom that when he spoke, they could not refute him.

Then Saul---also known as Paul---was filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician

and said, "You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord's truths into lies!

But as for me, the LORD fills me with his spirit and power, and gives me a sense of justice and the courage to tell the people of Israel what their sins are.

They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them

and said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven."

I know a certain Christian man who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the highest heaven (I do not know whether this actually happened or whether he had a vision---only God knows).

(SEE 12:3)

At this point I had another vision and saw an open door in heaven. And the voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I had heard speaking to me before, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this."

His face gleamed like such precious stones as jasper and carnelian, and all around the throne there was a rainbow the color of an emerald.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple.

They were calling out to each other: "Holy, holy, holy! The LORD Almighty is holy! His glory fills the world."

Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire, and sitting on the throne was a figure that looked like a human being.

that had in it all the colors of the rainbow. This was the dazzling light which shows the presence of the LORD. When I saw this, I fell face downward on the ground. Then I heard a voice

The dazzling light of the LORD's presence rose up from the creatures and moved to the entrance of the Temple. Then the cloud filled the Temple, and the courtyard was blazing with the light.

Then the dazzling light of the LORD's presence left the entrance of the Temple and moved to a place above the creatures.

Then the dazzling light left the city and moved to the mountain east of it.

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!"

and shining with the glory of God. The city shone like a precious stone, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

because he defends the poor and saves them from those who condemn them to death.

The LORD said to my lord, "Sit here at my right side until I put your enemies under your feet."

And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, he sat down in heaven at the right side of God, the Supreme Power.

The whole point of what we are saying is that we have such a High Priest, who sits at the right of the throne of the Divine Majesty in heaven.