The murderous troops of Herod the Great did not stop Jesus as an infant. The cruelty of Herod Antipas at Jesus' trial did not stop Jesus' cause. Jesus died, but was resurrected. The church of Christ was planted and flourish. At this time another Herod arises. Another of the four sons of Herod the great was Aristobulus. He had a son ,Agrippa, who was brought up at Rome. The Roman Emperor Claudius gave to Agrippa his grandfather's entire rule.
The first Herod had been an Edomite. The second Herod was half-Edomite, half-Samaritan. But Herod Agrippa descended from a Jewish grandmother and he was far more tactful in his dealing with the Jews. His story in Scripture begins in Acts 12. It is apparent as Luke records the events of Acts 12, that once again God entered the scene providentially to protect His Son's cause.
Act 12:1 states "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church." Herod Arippa wanted to please the Jews and when Jewish leaders sought to stamp out the cause of Christ, Herod Agrippa quickly sided with them. Verse two states that "he killed James the brother of John with the sword." Herod's harassment of the church had led him to do what the Herod's did best -- murder the innocent. The apostle James lost his life in the preaching of the Gospel.
Next we read, "And because Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover" (Acts 12:3,4). Peter was therefore kept in prison, but the church offered constant prayer to God for him. (ACT 12:5)
Once again God was about to intervene. Let's begin reading in Acts 12:6: "And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. (7) Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. (8) Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." (9) So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what did the angel do were real, but thought he was seeing a vision. (10) When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. (11) And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."
Peter returned to meet with the brethren. Acts 12:18-19 records, "Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there."
The prayers of the church had prevailed and the tyrant had ceased his persecution. Luke next records the downfall of Herod Agrippa. Acts 12:20-23 states, "Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king's country. (21) So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. (22) And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"
Agrippa I stood in the stadium that his grandfather Herod the Great had built. The historian Josephus records this same incident. "Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea…. At (a) festival a great multitude was gotten together of the principle persons and such as were of dignity throughout his province. On the second day of which shows, he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of wonderful contexture, and early in the morning came into the theatre, at which time the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the first reflection of the sun's rays upon it, shone in a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently on him. And presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, (though not for his good,) that he was a god; and they added, 'Be thou merciful unto us, for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a king, yet shall we henceforth own thee as a superior to mortal nature."
Acts 12:23 " Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died." Again Josephus verifies this, saying that Herod "did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. A severe pain arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. And when he was quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and seventh of his reign." This would have been about 44 A.D.
Now watch Luke's contrast. "Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied" (Acts 12:23-24)
Once again over and above the will of the Herod's, God had acted to establish His Son's cause.