Acts Theology 40: Temple Trance

Acts 22:17-21 records Paul's vision in the temple, where he states, "When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance... Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles." This vision shows the Lord Jesus appearing to Paul and commissioning him to the Gentiles. This event is chronologically aligned with Paul's account of visions and revelations in 2 Corinthians 12.
Paul's visionary experience in Acts 22, described as a trance, is understood to be the event he refers to in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 ("I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord... caught up into paradise..."). This early experience in Paul's life as a believer aligns with ancient Jewish literature, specifically Hekhalot literature (cosmic journeys through heavenly palaces/temples) and Merkavah mysticism (visions of God's throne chariot, as in Ezekiel 1), which describes mystical heavenly visions. These traditions often involved warnings against self-exaltation and emphasized that surviving such an encounter conferred supernatural powers and authority. Daniel 7:13-14 ("With the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man... and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom") also speaks of a Son of Man receiving dominion and a kingdom, reinforcing the idea of a throne-room commissioning.
The account of Paul's commission in Acts 22, framed by throne-room commissioning language and parallels to Jewish mystical experiences, legitimizes his apostolic authority. His vision of the enthroned Jesus, who sends him to the Gentiles, serves as validation for his mission. This experience connects with the broader biblical theology that divine encounters are the litmus test for legitimacy as a spokesperson for God.
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