Written by Yahusha's Student: LUKE (the Doctor) ...
1 During this time, King Herod began to do harm to some of those who were in the Fellowship. 2 He ordered James, the brother of John, to be killed with a sword.
3 Herod saw that many of the Jews liked this, so he decided to arrest Peter too. This happened during the Festival of Passover. 4 He arrested Peter and put him in jail, where he was guarded by a group of 16 soldiers. Herod planned to bring Peter before the people, but he wanted to wait until after the Passover festival.
AGRIPPA DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST (POLITICALLY) TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER PASSOVER (AFTER ALL THE CROWDS HAD LEFT FOR HOME) TO DEAL WITH PETER.
5 So Peter was kept in jail, but the Fellowship was constantly praying to YAHUSHA for him. WHAT FOLLOWS NEXT MAY VERY WELL BE THE RESULT OF THE INTENSE PRAYER MADE TO YAHUSHA ON PETER’S BEHALF.
6 One night, Peter (bound with two chains) was sleeping between two of the soldiers, and more soldiers were guarding the door of the jail. Herod was planning to bring Peter out before the people the next day. 7 Suddenly an Angel of Alahim was standing there, and the room was filled with light. The Angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Hurry, get up!” Then the chains fell off Peter’s hands. 8 Then the Angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And Peter did as he was told. Then the Angel said, “Now put on your coat and follow me.” 9 So the Angel went out and Peter followed him, still not fully knowing if the Angel was really doing this or not (for it felt like a dream). 10 Peter and the Angel went past the first guard and the second guard. Then they came to the iron gate that separated them from the city. The gate opened for them by itself, and after they went through the gate and walked further down the street, the Angel suddenly left. 11 Peter then realised what had happened. He thought, “Now I know that YAHUSHA really sent His Angel to me, and delivered me from Herod and from everything those Jews hoped would happen to me.”
12 So when Peter realised this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John, who was also called Mark. Many people were gathered there and were praying. 13 Peter knocked on the outside door. A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. 14 She recognised Peter’s voice, and she was extremely happy. Infact she was so excited that she forgot to open the door, instead running to back to the tell the whole group, “Peter is at the door! Peter is at the door!” 15 The believers said to her, “You’re crazy Luv!” But she continued to say that it was true. So they said,
“It must be Peter’s Angel then.”
16 But Peter continued to knock, and when the believers opened the door, they saw him, and were amazed. 17 Peter made a sign with his hand to tell them to be quiet (HE WAS AN ESCAPED PRISONER AND THEY WERE MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE IN THEIR EXCITEMENT). Then he explained to them how YAHUSHA had led him out of the jail. He said, “Tell James and the other brothers what happened.” Then he left quickly and went to another place.
JAMES (A DIFFERENT JAMES) HAD JUST BEEN EXECUTED. PETER WAS GOING TO BE EXECUTED AS WELL BUT YAHUSHA MIRACULOUSLY DELIVERED HIM. UPON HIS ESCAPE PETER GOES IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT TO MIRIAM’S HOUSE WHERE BELIEVERS WERE STEALTHILY MEETING IN PRAYER FOR PETER. HE GESTURES FOR THEM TO BE QUIET, FOR HE DIDN’T WANT THEM TO BE DISCOVERED. THEN HE TELLS SOMEONE WHO IS AT THE MEETING TO GO AND TELL JAMES (YAHUSHA’S BROTHER) AND OTHER BROTHERS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. THEN PETER LEFT QUICKLY AND ESCAPED FROM JERUSALEM. WHY? PETER WAS AN ESCAPED PRISONER AND IN DANGER, AND IN FACT ALL THE BELIEVERS WERE IN DANGER. WHY DIDN’T PETER GO TO JAMES HIMSELF? BECAUSE JAMES WAS ALSO IN HIDING. THE BROTHERS SPOKEN OF WERE THE LEADERSHIP, PART OF THE 12 FOLLOWERS. ONLY A FEW OF THE BELIEVERS IN JERUSALEM EVEN KNEW WHERE TO FIND JAMES. PETER LIKELY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO FIND JAMES, FOR HE WAS HIDING IN THAT CAVERN.
18 The next day the soldiers were very upset. They wondered what happened to Peter. 19 Herod looked everywhere for him but could not find him. So he questioned the guards and then ordered that they be killed. Later, Herod moved from Judea. He went to the city of Caesarea and stayed there a while. 20 Herod was very angry with the people from the cities of Tyre and Sidon. But these cities needed food from his country, so a group of them came to ask him for peace. They were able to get Blastus, the King’s personal servant, on their side. 21 Herod decided on a day to meet with them. On that day he was wearing a beautiful royal robe. He sat on his Throne and made a speech to the people. 22 The people shouted, “This is the voice of Alahim, not a man!”
23 And Herod lapped it all up, taking all the praise for himself and giving none of the esteem to Alahim. So an Angel of Alahim struck him with sickness, and he was eaten from the inside out by worms in his stomach, killing him instantly. 24 And the message of YAHUSHA was spreading, reaching more and more people. 25 After Barnabas and Saul finished their work in Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them.
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