James Killed, Peter Imprisoned
About that time, King Herod 1reached out to harm 2some who belonged to the church. Mat 24:9Jhn 15:20Mat 10:17-18Jhn 16:2Luk 22:53Act 4:30Act 9:31 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. Heb 11:37Mat 20:23Mat 4:21-22Mrk 10:35Mrk 10:381Ki 19:11Ki 19:10Jer 26:23
And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 3 Exo 23:15Act 24:27Jhn 12:43Lev 23:6-14Act 25:9Exo 12:14-201Co 5:7-8Act 20:6 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover. Pro 19:21Luk 22:33Luk 21:12Act 4:28Jhn 13:36-38Act 4:3Est 3:13Est 3:6-7
The Rescue of Peter
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. 1Co 12:261Th 5:17Jas 5:16Eph 6:18-202Co 1:11Mat 18:19Luk 18:1Act 12:12
On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. Act 21:33Heb 13:61Sa 23:26-272Ti 1:16Eph 6:20Php 4:6-7Act 28:20Act 5:23 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. Act 16:26Act 5:19Psa 146:7Psa 105:18-20Psa 142:6-7Act 27:23-24Gen 19:15-16Psa 107:14 “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. Psa 126:1Heb 11:8Act 10:3Act 26:19Gen 45:262Co 12:1-3Act 10:17Act 11:5 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him. Act 16:26Act 5:19Isa 45:1-2Gen 40:3Gen 42:17Jhn 20:19Num 15:34Act 12:4
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.” Dan 6:22Dan 3:282Pe 2:9Psa 34:7Act 5:19Psa 33:18Psa 97:10Luk 15:17
And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. 1Jn 5:14-15Act 12:5Act 12:25Act 13:5Isa 65:24Mat 18:19-202Ti 4:11Act 13:13 He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. Act 12:16Luk 13:25Jhn 18:16-17 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!” Luk 24:41Mat 28:8
“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” Mat 18:10Act 26:24Luk 24:11Luk 24:37-38Mrk 16:11Mrk 16:14Gen 48:16Job 9:16
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place. Act 21:40Act 13:16Act 19:33Act 15:13Act 21:18Gal 1:19Gal 2:12Gal 2:9
At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. Act 5:22-25Act 16:27Act 19:23 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there. Act 16:27Jhn 12:10-11Psa 37:32-331Ki 20:431Sa 23:14Act 12:4Act 12:6Act 21:8
The Death of Herod
Now Herod was in a furious dispute 4with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food. Ezr 3:7Ezk 27:17Mat 11:21-22Luk 14:31-32Luk 16:81Ki 5:9-112Ch 2:102Ch 2:15 On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” Act 14:10-13Jud 1:16Rev 13:4Dan 6:7Psa 12:2
Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. Act 10:25-26Psa 115:12Th 2:4Act 14:14-151Sa 25:38Dan 4:30-37Dan 5:18-242Sa 24:16-17
But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. Act 6:72Th 3:1Act 19:20Act 11:21Mat 16:18Col 1:6Act 5:39Dan 2:24
When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, 5 bringing with them John, also called Mark. Act 12:121Pe 5:13Act 15:37Act 11:29-30Act 4:36Act 13:1-52