Finally, and in few words (for I do not intend to say more on Acts 12 tonight), we have the completing of this second part of our narrative in this chapter. We are given a striking prefiguration of the evil king that will be found in the latter day; he that will reign over the Jews under the shadow and support of the Gentiles as Herod was, and not less but more than his prototype bent on the murder of the innocents, and with his heart full of evil for others who will be rescued by the goodness of the Lord.
James sheds his blood, as Stephen had before; for this Peter was destined by man, but the Lord disappointed him. The disciples gave themselves to prayer, yet they little believed their own prayers. Nevertheless we learn hence that they had prayer-meetings in those days; and so they gave themselves up to this special prayer for the servant of the Lord, who did not fail to appear by an agent of His providential power. All this confirms its having a Jewish aspect, regarded as a type, and was very natural in James and Peter, who had to do specially with the circumcision.
It is needless now to dwell on the scene, more than just to point out that which is familiar, no doubt, to many that are here—the manner in which the Lord judged the apostate; for Herod—owned shortly after by the people whom he had sought to please, disappointed in one place, but—exalted in another—was hailed as a god; and at that moment the angel of the Lord deals with his pride, and he is devoured of worms—a sad image of the awful judgment of God that will fall upon one who will sit “in the temple of God, spewing himself that he is God.”
In the portion which follows we shall see the manner of the Spirit of God’s working by the great apostle of the Gentiles.