But he was to go no further, for Peter is to appear to be the Lord's prisoner, rather than Herod's. He sleeps between his keepers. He lies there “a prisoner of hope.” The enemy is strong and mighty, and the remnant have no relief but in God. But that is enough. They make prayer without ceasing for him, till at length this prisoner of the Lord is sent forth out of the pit, as Israel will be in the latter day (Zech. 9:11-1211As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. 12Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; (Zechariah 9:11‑12)). At first he was like one that dreamed, thinking that he saw a vision; and so were his company, saying, “It is his angel.” But so will Israel be hereafter. They will sing, “when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.” But in the sudden joy of their heart, they will have to add, “then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; as Peter, coming to himself, now says, “Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.”
All this is to me sweetly and strikingly significant. But the sign does not end here. In royal apparel, Herod sits upon his throne, having thought it well to be highly displeased, as though vengeance belonged to him. He makes an oration to the people, and they give a shout for him, saying, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” Thus he takes to himself the glory which was God's, and immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, “and he was eaten with worms, and gave up the ghost.” So will the Lawless One magnify himself above all, and sit upon the mount of the congregation on the sides of the north, saying, “I will be like the Most High.” He will do “according to his will”; but he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. “So let all Thine enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.”
Thus is final mercy pledged to Israel. Under these signs of their Conversion and Restoration, and of the overthrow of their enemies, they are now left prisoners of hope. The Lord Himself gives them a sign, and then hides His face from them; goes His way for awhile, and leaves His sanctuary. All this prepares us for a ministry beyond the bounds of Israel; and accordingly, in the opening of the next chapter, we find the word sent forth to the Gentiles, Jerusalem as the source of grace and ministry forgotten, and the name of Jew and Gentile left without distinction.
Such I judge to be the course and meaning of the events that occurred, during the ministry of the circumcision, under the hand of Peter, as we have them recorded in these chapters. What was the nature of the ministry itself? What were the hopes that it spoke of to Israel? and what was the call that it made upon Israel? We shall find, in answer to these inquiries, that the Apostles spoke of the proper national hopes of Israel, calling on them to repent in order that they might attain them, and be blest in the earth. They declare Israel's sin in crucifying the Prince of Life; God's acceptance of this crucified One, and, upon repentance, the remission of Israel's sins, and the fulfilling of Israel's hopes.