And those were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
\nActs 12:3b\u20134<\/p>\n
This section of the Book of Acts deals with the fourth persecution of the Church of Jerusalem in four units: the death of James; the imprisonment of Peter; the deliverance of Peter; and the results of Peter\u2019s escape.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION<\/p>\n
Herod was known by the personal name of Agrippa I. His full title was Herod Agrippa I. He was the son of Aristobulus, and the grandson of Herod the Great and one of his wives, Mariamne.<\/p>\n
Herod was born in the year 11 B.C., and he was later sent to Rome for his education after his father, Aristobulus, was executed in the year of 7 B.C. Herod the Great was always afraid that someone was conspiring against him to take his throne. One of the victims of his suspicions was his son, Aristobulus, so Herod the Great had Aristobulus executed as well as his mother, Mariamne. But by then, Aristobulus had sired a son, named Agrippa I. With his father dead, Herod the Great sent the young boy to Rome for his education. While in Rome, he grew up with the imperial family and became very close friends with Gaius, better known by the name Caligula, the grand nephew of Emperor Tiberius.<\/p>\n
Eventually, Caligula became the emperor in A.D. 37, he gave Agrippa I the tetrarchies of his uncle, Philip, including Gaulan, not too far from the present Golan Heights and included parts of the Golan Heights. He also gave him the tetrarchy of Lysanias which was Southern Syria, mentioned in Luke 3:1. Caligula gave him the title of \u201cking.\u201d Two years later, in A.D. 39, Gaius also gave to him the tetrarchy of his uncle Antipas when Caligula deposed him. These included Galilee and Perea. As of A.D. 39, both Galilee and Perea were in the hands of Herod Agrippa I.<\/p>\n
In the year A.D. 41, the new emperor, Claudius, gave Herod Judea and Samaria. From the deposing of Archelaus until the deposing of Antipas, Judea had been under procurators. But when Claudius gave Herod Judea and Samaria, that made Agrippa I king over all Israel. He ruled as king for a total of four years, until his death in A.D. 44. Three of Agrippa I\u2019s children are mentioned in the Book of Acts: Agrippa II, who will be involved in the life of Paul; Drusilla; and Bernice.<\/p>\n
I. THE DEATH OF JAMES\u2014ACTS 12:1\u20132<\/p>\n
James was the first of the Twelve Apostles to die. Verses 1\u20132 introduce Herod and his goal.<\/p>\n
A. The Persecution of the Church\u2014Acts 12:1<\/p>\n
Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church.<\/p>\n
The verse begins: Now about that time, that is, at the time that Barnabas and Saul had come to Jerusalem to give the gifts from the Church of Antioch to the Church of Jerusalem in Acts 11:27\u201330. About that same time that Herod the king [Herod Agrippa I] put forth his hands. The expression to put forth his hands emphasizes antagonism in Acts 4:3; 5:18. He set about to afflict certain of the church. The word afflict means \u201cto do harm\u201d or \u201cto do evil.\u201d It was this action that began the fourth persecution of the Church of Jerusalem in A.D. 44.<\/p>\n
But this was not a general persecution, such as the one in Acts 8, for the certain ones he went after were the apostles because of the power that the apostles had. The previous persecutions were heavily against the general membership of the Church of Jerusalem, not specifically against the apostles. According to chapter 8, while many of the members were dispersed throughout the countryside and outside the country, the apostles were able to stay in Jerusalem. But now, the persecution was directly aimed at the leadership of the church.<\/p>\n
B. The Persecution of James\u2014Acts 12:2<\/p>\n
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.<\/p>\n
The first one Herod picked was James the Apostle, recorded in verse 2. By now, many Jewish believers had already been killed in previous persecutions, some even at the hands of Saul. Stephen was the first martyr, but after that, many other Jewish believers lost their lives as well.<\/p>\n
Here is a turning point. Until now, the leadership of the church escaped the persecution, but now one key leader, James, who was also one of the inner group of three along with John and Peter, was killed with the sword. In a sense, this was a fulfillment of Mark 10:39, for it was the two brothers, James and John, who requested to sit upon the right hand and left hand of Yeshua (Jesus) in the Kingdom. When He asked them if they could drink the cup that He would drink, and they answered, \u201cYes,\u201d Yeshua said, \u201cYou will indeed.\u201d But the cup was a cup of suffering, a cup of wrath, a cup of death.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the two apostles did drink of that cup. James was the first one to drink it, and his brother John was the last apostle to die. All the other apostles died between the death of James and the death of John. John was the only one who died of old age, but even for him, he died as an exile on the Isle of Patmos.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, James was killed with the sword. That phrase does not mean that he was \u201cthrust through,\u201d more likely, it means that he was beheaded in the legal and formal execution. God did not choose to miraculously save James, although He will choose to miraculously save Peter. This shows that God does not always do things in exactly the same way, and that is why those who want to quote Hebrews 13:8 must quote it out of context. God does not always work in exactly the same way. He chose to rescue Peter, but He did not choose to rescue James.<\/p>\n
II. THE IMPRISONMENT OF PETER\u2014ACTS 12:3\u20135<\/p>\n
A. The Insecurity of Herod\u2014Acts 12:3a<\/p>\n
And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.<\/p>\n
In verse 3, Peter was arrested. The arrest took place because Herod Agrippa I saw that it pleased the Jewish community; it pleased them that he had killed James. Herod the Great was of Edomite or Idumean ancestry, which meant that his grandson, Agrippa I, was also of Edomite ancestry. Because of this, he was always insecure about his Jewishness and overcompensated for that insecurity by doing what he could to appease the Jews.<\/p>\n
One of his efforts along this line is quoted in the Jewish Talmud, which states that once, when he was publicly reading \u201cthe law of the kingdom\u201d (Deut. 17:14\u201320) at the Feast of Tabernacles on the sabbatical year, he wept when he read the words: You may not put a foreigner over you who is not your brother. The point of that passage is that a foreigner was not to be chosen as a ruler over the Jewish people. When he read that phrase, he wept, \u201cfor he remembered his Edomite ancestry.\u201d However, the people were thinking of his Hasmonaean or Maccabean ancestry through his grandmother Mariamne, a Maccabean princess, and they cried out repeatedly: \u201cDo not be dismayed, you are indeed our brother. Do not be dismayed, you are indeed our brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is a Jewish record showing how Herod Agrippa I did what he could because of his own insecurities about his Edomite ancestry to please the leadership of Israel, and one of the things he did to please them was to behead or kill James the Apostle. To please them even further: he proceeded to seize Peter also.<\/p>\n
B. The Guard over Peter\u2014Acts 12:3b\u20134<\/p>\n
And those were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.<\/p>\n
Peter was not immediately executed because, fortunately, it turned out to be the days of unleavened bread. This is an expression that includes both the Passover Feast and the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was the Passover season either in the year A.D. 43 or 44.<\/p>\n
Peter was not only arrested, he was also imprisoned. This was Peter\u2019s third imprisonment, having been in prison twice before Acts 4:3; and 5:18.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Herod Agrippa I delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him. A \u201cquaternion\u201d was a squad of sixteen soldiers. Four of them at a time would be assigned to guard Peter, four times a day, working for six hours each shift. Of the four who were appointed at any one watch period, two were chained to Peter and two were stationed outside the prison door. Usually this kind of action was reserved only for dangerous political prisoners, such as Barabbas, not for someone like Peter. But perhaps Agrippa I knew about Peter\u2019s previous miraculous escape, recorded in Acts 5:19, and he intended to make sure it would not happen again, obviously not believing that the escape was miraculous.<\/p>\n
The reason for the waiting period was because it was the Passover season. Here the term Passover is used of all eight days, the one day of the Feast of Passover and the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread; during these eight days, executions were not permitted. The intent was to bring him out after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, to bring him forth before the judgment seat and execute him afterwards.<\/p>\n
C. The Response of the Church\u2014Acts 12:5<\/p>\n
Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.<\/p>\n
Because of the Passover: Peter therefore was kept in the prison. The Greek word for kept means \u201cto be continuously guarded.\u201d<\/p>\n
The church prayed earnestly on behalf of Peter because this was a major crisis for the Jerusalem Church. They had suffered several crises before, but this was a major crisis, because the attack was aimed specifically against the apostolic leaders of the church. James was now dead, and Peter was in danger of following in James\u2019 footsteps and being executed as well.<\/p>\n
D. The Contrast Between God\u2019s Dealings with James and Peter<\/p>\n
Before moving into the next passage, the contrast between the way God dealt with James and the way He dealt with Peter should not be missed.<\/p>\n
People like to quote Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever, and apply it to the works of God; such as, people were being healed then, therefore, God must always heal people now. But one must ignore the context of Hebrews and ignore events like these in the Book of Acts, where, obviously, God did not deal the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever.<\/p>\n
Hebrews 13:8 deals with His divine nature. As to His divine nature: He is the same yesterday and to day, yea and for ever. He was always God; He is still God; He will always be God. In that sense, Yeshua is always the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever.<\/p>\n
But in His Person, for example, He was not always the God-Man in the eternity past. For all eternity past, He existed in the form of God only until the Incarnation, when He became the God-Man. That was one change in His personhood. At that point, He was a mortal man. After His death and Resurrection, there was again a change: He was still the God-Man, but now He was immortal by virtue of the Resurrection, and from now on He remains the immortal God-Man. In His Person, then, He is not the same yesterday and to day, yea and for ever.<\/p>\n
In the way He works, He is also not always the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever. For example, take the issue of eating: from Adam until Noah, man was to be vegetarian; from Noah to Moses, man could eat anything he wanted; from Moses to Jesus, only certain foods were clean, while certain foods were not clean; some were kosher, while some were not kosher. Now, all meats are clean. In His plan and program and workings He is not the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever.<\/p>\n
The events of Acts 12 provide another example. He chose to allow James to die, but He did not choose to allow Peter to die; He chose to miraculously save Peter\u2019s life. Again, in His Person and in His work or program, He is not the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever, but in His divine nature, He is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever.<\/p>\n
III. THE DELIVERANCE OF PETER\u2014ACTS 12:6\u201317<\/p>\n
A. The Circumstances\u2014Acts 12:6<\/p>\n
And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison.<\/p>\n
The phrase: when Herod was about to bring him forth means it was on the night of the eighth day of the Passover. The very next morning Peter was scheduled to appear before the judgment seat where the sentence could be pronounced, and then he would die the next morning. That same night Peter was sleeping, a fact that shows he was not concerned, he was not anxious, he was not worried. Although he knew that James was killed, he was not worried because he had a promise from Yeshua that James did not have. Yeshua had promised him that, while Peter would be executed for his faith, it would happen when he was of old age (Jn. 21:18\u201319). He was sleeping unconcerned, not anxious, between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with one chain fastened to each soldier. There were other guards before the door of the prison, making a total of four guards.<\/p>\n
B. The Escape\u2014Acts 12:7\u201310<\/p>\n
1. The Appearance of the Angel\u2014Acts 12:7\u20138<\/p>\n
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird yourself, and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said unto him, Cast your garment about you, and follow me.<\/p>\n
Peter\u2019s escape began with the angelic visitation. Verse 7a announces the arrival of the angel. The Greek word indicates that there was the sudden appearance of an angel; once again in the Book of Acts an angel was used by God for the purpose of deliverance. With the arrival of the angel: a light shined in the cell, which was probably a reflection of God\u2019s Shechinah Glory. The appearance of light was also common with the appearance of angels. While the light of the angel did provide light for Peter, it did not awaken the soldiers.<\/p>\n
The angel then aroused Peter in verse 7b: he smote Peter on the side. This smiting was strong enough to wake Peter, but not the others. The message of the angel was: Rise up quickly. What gave Peter the ability to rise up quickly was that suddenly, miraculously, his chains fell off from his hands. This was a necessary miracle if Peter was to escape without waking the two soldiers who were chained to him.<\/p>\n
The angel\u2019s instructions are in verse 8: Gird yourself. The Greek word for Gird yourself is used in only two places: here and in John 21:18, where it is used twice, and that verse was also addressed to Peter. Furthermore, the angel said to Peter: bind on your sandals, that is, \u201cbind it up to yourself.\u201d Peter obeyed: And he did so. Then the angel said: Cast your garment about you.<\/p>\n
This was not a hurried escape. Everything was done slowly and meticulously. Peter was told to gird himself, to put on his sandals and tie the latchets necessary, and to put his coat around him. Everything was done quietly, step by step. It was only after the preparations were done with, that the angel said to him: follow me, and \u201ckeep on following.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. The Escape of Peter\u2014Acts 12:9\u201310<\/p>\n
And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that lead into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.<\/p>\n
Verse 9 describes Peter\u2019s state. At this point, Peter did not realize what was really happening. He assumed that he was seeing a vision. In a vision, one sees what is happening or what will happen, but there is no real physical movement or participation. But what is happening here is a reality, not a vision. In Acts 10 Peter did see a vision, but what was happening here was simple, objective fact.<\/p>\n
In verse 10, Peter exited from the prison: And when they were past the first and the second guard. The first [guard] was the two at the cell door who were part of the quaternion; the second guard was the guard of the prison-house itself and not part of the quaternion. Next: they came unto the iron gate that lead into the city. Literally the Greek states: \u201cthe gate, the iron one, the one leading into the city.\u201d In other words, this was a well known gate. People who lived in Jerusalem would know which gate Luke was talking about when he wrote this account.<\/p>\n
When they got to the gate that led from the prison courtyard into the streets of the city, this iron gate suddenly opened of its own accord, a miraculous opening of the iron gate. In fact, the Greek word is automatos, which is the Greek word from which the English word \u201cautomatic\u201d comes. The door opened up automatically for Peter.<\/p>\n
Then they went out [through the gate], and passed on through one street. In other words, they went past the first street beyond the prison house. The angel continued escorting Peter as far as one street down, but no further, because: straightway the angel departed from him. From then on, Peter needed no more help from the angel as far as knowing which direction to go.<\/p>\n
C. Peter\u2019s Realization of Deliverance\u2014Acts 12:11<\/p>\n
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord has sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.<\/p>\n
Following his deliverance by the angel and the disappearance of the angel, Peter now realized that all that happened was not a vision, but objective fact. He said: Now I know of a truth; there is no more confusion in the mind of Peter. This was not an \u201cecstasy\u201d as he experienced in Acts 10:10 and 17, but a real experience. The objective fact was: first, that the Lord sent forth his angel; and secondly, that this angel delivered him or rescued him out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. They had killed James. Perhaps they were looking forward to seeing Peter killed even more, because they all knew that Peter was the chief of the apostles.<\/p>\n
D. Peter\u2019s Arrival at the House of Mary\u2014Acts 12:12\u201317<\/p>\n
1. The Meeting\u2014Acts 12:12<\/p>\n
And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying.<\/p>\n
Peter was contemplating what had just happened, trying to grasp the whole picture. Finally, when he did: he came to the house of Mary.<\/p>\n
This is one of many Marys mentioned in the New Testament. More correctly, the name is Miriam, for that is how it really appears. There was Mary or Miriam, the mother of Jesus; Mary or Miriam of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus; Mary or Miriam from Magdalene; Mary or Miriam, the wife of Cleophas; Mary or Miriam, the mother of James and John; and Mary or Miriam, the mother of John whose surname was Mark. This was not John the Apostle, but John Mark.<\/p>\n
This is the first mention of Mark, who will play a minor role in the Book of Acts, but a major role in the history of the Church in that he wrote the Gospel of Mark. He was a disciple of Peter. He had two names: John or Yochanan, his Hebrew name, and Mark or Marcus, his Roman or Latin name. He probably also had a Greek name, but it was not given. He was best known among the Romans, and it was to the Romans that his Gospel was written, which is why he was better known by his Latin name Mark rather than his Jewish name of John.<\/p>\n
John Mark appears a total of eight times in the New Testament: Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37, 39; in Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24; and 1 Peter 5:13. In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter refers to Mark as his \u201cson,\u201d which means Peter was the one who led Mark to the Lord.<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s mother must have been a wealthy woman because her house was large enough for these many disciples to gather together to pray. It must have been a regular place of meeting of at least one segment of the congregation, since Peter knew exactly where to go to find the fellow believers meeting. In fact, by going to the regular meeting place, Peter chose to inform the brethren of his release before he fled from the city.<\/p>\n
This prayer meeting had been going on all night. By this time there were thousands of believers in Jerusalem, and it was impossible for all of them to come together in one meeting. Since there were no church buildings in those days, the congregation was split into smaller units, and every \u201chouse church\u201d was probably headed up by either an apostle or an elder of the Church of Jerusalem. Apparently this was the house church group that Peter was in charge of, thus, he knew exactly where to go.<\/p>\n
2. Rhoda\u2019s Reaction to Peter\u2019s Arrival\u2014Acts 12:13\u201315<\/p>\n
And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter\u2019s voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, You are mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel.<\/p>\n
Verse 13 records the account of Peter and a maid named Rhoda. She was a female slave, and her name means \u201crose.\u201d Peter began knocking at the door of the gate. This was not the door to the house, but the door that led through the gate, into a passageway, which would, in turn, come to the house.<\/p>\n
In verse 14, when Rhoda realized that it was Peter who was knocking outside the door, she was so excited that she did not even open the door. She recognized Peter\u2019s voice because of obvious previous contact, but she did not open the gate for joy. She was so excited that she ran back into the house without opening the door for Peter, and told everybody inside the house that he was standing outside the gate.<\/p>\n
But the disciples responded in disbelief in verse 15. They said: You are mad. People have accused this group of disciples of not expecting an answer to their prayers, but that may not be the whole picture. They may very well have been expecting God to answer, but they did not expect God to answer in this specific way. Or perhaps, doubts had crept in because James was killed contrary to their prayers. But Rhoda kept affirming confidently that it really was Peter standing out there.<\/p>\n
Rhoda finally convinced them that there was, at least, something or someone out there, but their conclusion was that it might be his angel. There was a common Jewish concept that a person\u2019s guardian angel looked like that person. They concluded that it was not really Peter, but his angel, and that he probably looked like Peter as well.<\/p>\n
3. Peter\u2019s Meeting with the Disciples\u2014Acts 12:16\u201317<\/p>\n
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place.<\/p>\n
Finally, the group of disciples realized that it was indeed Peter in verse 16. Peter continued knocking. Now everybody heard Peter\u2019s knock, which means that Peter, in his frustration for not having seen the door opened earlier, began knocking louder. When they opened the door the whole group rushed out to the courtyard to make sure it really was Peter; finally they saw him and they were amazed. Their prayer had been answered.<\/p>\n
Peter then gave his explanation and his charge in verse 17. The Greek word for beckoning means \u201cto signal or shake down with the hand.\u201d In this way, Peter asked for silence; he wanted instant quiet and their complete attention. He declared to them: how the Lord had brought him forth out of prison. The Greek word means \u201cto carry through a narrative,\u201d \u201cto give a full story.\u201d Peter told them the full story and then gave them a charge: Tell these things unto James. This was not James the Apostle who was killed in verses 1\u20132, but James the half brother of Yeshua who, by this time, had already reached a very prominent position of the leading pastor in the Church of Jerusalem. Now, with Peter about to leave Jerusalem because of this persecution, James will have to take charge of the church; he is still in charge in chapter 15. They are to inform James and the brethren.<\/p>\n
One should not condemn the other believers for not being there to pray for Peter. The problem was that there were too many believers in Jerusalem for all of them to meet in one place together, so they had to break up into different groups. Peter led one house church, while James was leading another.<\/p>\n
It was at that: He departed, that is, Peter fled out of Jerusalem: and went to another place. Luke chose not to state where Peter went, but we do know something about Peter\u2019s travels from other passages. According to 1 Corinthians 9:5, he had an itinerant ministry; according to 1 Corinthians 1:12, he spent some time in Corinth; according to Galatians 2:11, he was in Antioch of Pisidia; he was in Asia Minor according to 1 Pet. 1:1; and he was in Babylon according to 1 Pet. 5:13.<\/p>\n
This just about ends the story of Peter within the framework of the Book of Acts, except for his brief appearance at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Beginning in chapter 13, Luke took up the story of Saul. Again, the purpose of Acts was to tell the story of Peter and Saul, who is also called Paul (Acts 13:9).<\/p>\n
IV. THE RESULTS OF PETER\u2019S ESCAPE\u2014ACTS 12:18\u201325<\/p>\n
A. Upon Herod Agrippa I\u2014Acts 12:18\u201323<\/p>\n
1. The Reaction of the Soldiers\u2014Acts 12:18<\/p>\n
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.<\/p>\n
The reaction of the soldiers over Peter\u2019s escape was that they were extremely agitated. The Greek word for stir means \u201cto agitate.\u201d All sixteen soldiers of the quarternion were agitated because their lives were now on the line. They were agitated over the question of what was become of Peter.<\/p>\n
2. The Reaction of Herod\u2014Acts 12:19<\/p>\n
And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there.<\/p>\n
The reaction of Herod Agrippa I was that he made a city wide search, if not more, but failed to find Peter. At that point, he examined the guards. The Greek word examined means \u201cto sift up and down,\u201d \u201cto question thoroughly in a forensic sense.\u201d In other words, they were being court-martialed. Perhaps he suspected them of complicity in letting Peter escape.<\/p>\n
He commanded them to be put to death, and so they were led away to execution. This was standard Roman procedure for a soldier who failed in his responsibility. It was then that Herod moved: he went down from Judea to Caesarea. This was also a standard procedure for the ruler of Judea following the Passover. Once again Luke shows his Jewishness by showing that from Jerusalem one always \u201cgoes down.\u201d He tarried there, because Caesarea was the political Roman headquarters for Judea.<\/p>\n
3. The Death of Herod Agrippa I\u2014Acts 12:20\u201323<\/p>\n
a. The Conflict with Tyre and Sidon\u2014Acts 12:20<\/p>\n
Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king\u2019s chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king\u2019s country.<\/p>\n
A conflict began with them of Tyre and Sidon. The Greek word for highly displeased implies \u201ca hot quarrel.\u201d Phoenicia belonged to Syria and was not part of Agrippa\u2019s territory. But they [the ambassadors of Tyre and Sidon] came with one accord to him. They were able to make Blastus the king\u2019s chamberlain, who was in charge of Agrippa\u2019s bedroom, their friend probably by means of bribery.<\/p>\n
They sued for peace; they kept on asking for peace. They needed peace with Herod Agrippa I because Tyre and Sidon were dependent upon Galilee for their food supply, especially grain, and Galilee was under Agrippa\u2019s jurisdiction. Herod Agrippa I, to show his displeasure with Tyre and Sidon, had cut off their food supply.<\/p>\n
b. The Appearance of Herod at the Festival\u2014Acts 12:21<\/p>\n
And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the throne, and made an oration unto them.<\/p>\n
The occasion was on a set day. Josephus recorded this event and states that it was a festival day in honor of Caesar Claudius. On that day: Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel; according to Josephus, it included a robe made with silver threads. He sat on the throne [the judgment seat], and made an oration unto them. The Greek word oration means \u201ca harangue.\u201d In other words, he made a long, pompous speech, and he continued to scold the people.<\/p>\n
c. The Response of the People\u2014Acts 12:22<\/p>\n
And the people shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of a man.<\/p>\n
At this point, the people began to worship Herod, including those of Tyre and Sidon. They kept shouting that this was the voice of a god, and not of a man.<\/p>\n
Josephus verifies this when he wrote:<\/p>\n
\u201cClad in a garment woven completely of silver so that its texture was indeed wondrous, when he entered the theater at daybreak, there the silver illuminated by the touch of the first rays of the sun was wondrously radiant, and by its glitter inspired fear and awe in those who gazed intently upon it. Straightaway his followers raised their voices from various directions, addressing him as god.\u201d<\/p>\n
d. The Judgment of Herod Agrippa 1\u2014Acts 12:23<\/p>\n
And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.<\/p>\n
The means God used in the case was: an angel of the Lord. The reason was: because he gave not God the glory. And the result was: he was eaten of worms. The Greek word means, \u201cto be worm eaten.\u201d In other words, he died of acute intestinal problems. This was not an uncommon way for someone to die. Josephus also wrote about this:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe king was struck with a deadly malady after being hailed divine. He was smitten one day and died five days later, and the rotting of his flesh produced worms.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this awful manner, Herod was dead after five days: and gave up the ghost. The Greek word means, \u201cto breathe out life,\u201d \u201cto expire.\u201d Literally, it means, \u201cto be souled out,\u201d referring to the soul coming out of a man, which results in his death.<\/p>\n
The death of Herod Agrippa 1 allowed Peter to return to Jerusalem later in Acts 15.<\/p>\n
B. Upon the Church\u2014Acts 12:24\u201325<\/p>\n
But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.<\/p>\n
Verse 24 gives a simple summary statement that the word of God continued to grow and multiply. The church continued to thrive in the face of opposition.<\/p>\n
As for Barnabas and Saul, they returned to Antioch in verse 25: when they had fulfilled their ministration. It seems that they arrived in Jerusalem just as the persecution broke out, and returned shortly after the death of Herod. When they had completed distributing the gifts of Acts 11:29\u201330, they took John Mark with them, setting the stage for the first missionary journey in chapters 13\u201314. We know from Colossians 4:10, that Mark was a cousin of Barnabas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And those were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. Acts 12:3b\u20134 This section of the Book of Acts deals with the fourth persecution … <\/p>\n