Acts Chapter 12 1~~Now about that time Herod {Herod Agrippa I} the king stretched forth his hands to persecute certain of the church. {Note from Encyclopedia Britannica: Herod Agrippa I lived from 10BC to 44AD. His father was Antipater. His grandfather was Herod I the Great - the King Herod that attempted to kill the baby Jesus. His great-grandfather was Antipater - an Edomite (an Arab from the region between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba). } {Sidenote: Herod I's father Antipater was killed by Herod the Great. Antipater's brothers (Herod I's uncles) were Herod Antipas and Philip. When Herod the Great died, Herod Antipas became tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis. Herod Antipas was the Herod involved with the crucification of Christ. Herod I's son Herod II meets with Paul later in Acts.} 2~~And he killed James the brother of John by means of the sword. 3~~And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) {Note: Herod Agrippa was an unbeliever and a Roman aristocrat from the Days Herod the Great, his grandfather, befriended Julius Caesar. Herod took Peter and needed to have a bogus trial and then kill Peter. But, there were no executions permitted during the feast, so Peter would cool his heels in prison.} 4~~And when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions {total of 16 of the best Roman soldiers} of soldiers to keep him intending after 'Easter' to bring him forth to the people. {Note: Really not Easter, but it was the Passover here.} 5~~Peter therefore was guarded with great zeal and alertness in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God on his behalf. {Note: For up to 5 days, Peter was in prison doing what he should be doing -nothing . . . but putting the matter in the hands of the Lord - faith resting. The Church was doing what it should do - praying continually. BOTH activities brought glory to God!} 6~~And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains and the keepers before the door kept the prison. {Note: important to bring out again. Peter knew once the holiday ended, he WOULD be put to death . . . but he just went to sleep! No worries! He was in the hands of the Lord!} 7~~And, behold, the angel from the Lord stood beside him, and a light shined in the prison and he struck Peter on the side {a poke in the ribs}, and raised him up, saying, "GET UP QUICKLY." And his chains fell off from his hands. 8~~And the angel said unto him, "PUT ON YOUR CLOTHES! And bind on your sandals." And so he did. And he {the angel} said unto him, "Cast your garment about you, and follow me." {Note: Important note about how God operates. There are human matters such as getting on your clothes and shoes. We are to handle these things ourselves. The angel could have dressed Peter but he did not. Then there are supernatural or spiritual matters such as removing the chains, passing the guards, and opening the gates to the prison. God will handle these matters if it is His will to do so.} 9~~And he went out, and kept on following him and did not know that it was true what was done by the angel but thought it was another vision. {Note: Peter is still half-asleep and thinks he is seeing another vision and it is not real.} 10~~ When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leads unto the city which opened to them of its own accord. And they went out, and passed on through one street and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11~~And when Peter considered the matter {thought it over}, he said, "Now I know for sure, that the Lord has sent his angel, and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews." 12~~And when he had considered the thing {Peter took some time to think it over}, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying. 13~~And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a young girl came and listened, named Rhoda. 14~~And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for giddiness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. {Note: emotions getting in the way of thinking. Rhoda knows Peter's voice well but won't let him in. She just can NOT believe it is he!} 15~~And they said unto her, "You are mad!" But she constantly affirmed this that it was even so. Then said they, "It is his angel." {Note: Here these believers are praying for a miracle but can not believe that the Lord answered their prayers!} 16~~But Peter still continued knocking. And when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 17~~But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace {be quiet!}, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place {Peter went to Antioch}. {Interesting note that the leader of the Jerusalem Church, James, and other brethren, probably deacon types were not praying with the Church.} 18~~Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. {Note: The 16 Roman soldiers could not believe that Peter escaped under their noses!} 19~~And when Herod had sought for him {Peter}, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there kept on abiding. {Note: in these days, guards were executed if their prisoner escaped. All 16 died. But Herod remembered how he was imprisoned before he was miraculously saved by his friend Caligula and maybe was concerned about staying in Judaea with Peter being miraculously saved from Prison.} 20~~And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon. But they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend {bribed him} desired peace . . . because their country was nourished by the king's country. {Note: Herod cut off the food his county supplied to Tyre and Sidon and they needed to make amends or starve.} 21~~And upon a set day {Emperor Claudius's birthday} Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. {Note: this speech has come down to us through other historical sources. It was one of the greatest speeches of the day though blasphemous to the Lord Jesus Christ. Herod, an unbeliever had many, many opportunities to accept Christ as his savior and did not. He desired to please the Jews that he ruled and would have persecuted the Church even more if he lived. . . . he died horribly over the next 5 days.} 22~~And the people kept shouting, saying, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." 23~~And immediately the angel from the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the Spirit {he died}. 24~~But the Word of God grew and multiplied. 25~~And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark. This page is sponsored by Poporn or Snore. See Popcorn or Snore for Honest, Unbiased film reviews. Until next time, happy viewing !