seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 12:1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
I'm glad Peter didn't stay at Mary's. That would probably be the first place they would look. Where did he go though? He was an escaped prisoner.It says here, verse 2, the Apostle James, the brother of John, the Apostle who wrote the Book of John, was persecuted by Herod. It says they murdered him with a sword. I wonder, was he feeding the poor or healing a child when they took him away?
So now, Stephen the disciple is gone, and James the Apostle is gone. Then Peter was jailed and set for the Passover murder.
Back in Acts 5 Apostles escaped from jail. They weren't going to let that happen with their prize. So, they ordered Peter to be cuffed to not one but two Roman Soldiers. They put four squads on him. He was going nowhere.... and then he did.
He thought he was dreaming or having a vision. He didn't realize he was really being poked in the side by an Angel. He didn't realize he was really getting dressed. He didn't realize he was really escaping from prison. He thought it was a dream.... and then the Angel disappeared.
I love Rhoda. She reminds me of the slave in the movie "Gone with the Wind" who said "Oh Miss Scarlett I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies!".
Anyway, Rhoda slammed the door in Peter's face, while she ran to tell the others he was at the door. Peter had to keep knocking and knocking and knocking. I bet he was looking over his shoulder the whole time. And can't you just see the others ignoring Rhoda because she was so ignorant? I wonder did anyone look at her lovingly, lay a hand on her shoulder, and say "we all wish he was with us dear"?
The next morning, at the prison, all heck broke loose. Herod was pissed. There was an inquisition. The guards were to be executed. I guess they were charged with sleeping on watch. Bummer.
But... Where did Peter go?
