Reference

Acts 7:42

Israel-Specific Promises Israel as Distinct Past Fulfillment (Historic)Time-Bound Fulfillment

“Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?”

Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Past Fulfillment (Historic)

Keyword Match

80% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Time-Bound Fulfillment

Keyword Match

85% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Israel-Specific Promises

This verse describes God *giving up* Israel to idolatry as a consequence of their actions, rather than offering a promise, prophecy, or covenant *to* them. It's a statement of divine judgment and historical fact, not a positive or future-oriented promise for Israel.

Israel as Distinct

The verse does not explicitly "support" Israel as a distinct entity in the sense of specific promises, land covenant, or future prophetic role separate from the Church. Instead, it highlights a historical instance of God's judgment on Israel for their idolatry, specifically their worship of "the host of heaven." Stephen is quoting Amos 5:25-27 here, which is a rebuke to Israel for their unfaithfulness during their wilderness wanderings. The passage is about Israel's past actions and God's respon

Past Fulfillment (Historic)

The verse describes God giving up Israel to idolatry as a consequence of their actions, not the fulfillment of a specific prophecy about their idolatry itself. The reference to "the book of the prophets" (Amos 5:25-27) is a rhetorical question highlighting their past unfaithfulness, not a prediction of future idolatry that was then fulfilled.

Time-Bound Fulfillment

The verse describes a past event and a rhetorical question about past actions, not a prophecy with a future fulfillment to be recognized.

Israel-Specific Promises

Cross-References

Amos 5:25Quotation

“Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?”

Romans 1:24Thematic

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:”

Psalms 81:12Thematic

“So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”

Jeremiah 19:13Thematic

“And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.”

Ezekiel 20:39Thematic

“As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.”

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Thematic Connections