We read of four Herods in Scripture. We propose to mention them one after another, so that the reader may have them clearly distinguished in mind. Herod the Great was the son of Anti-pater, an Idumean. Antipater was a man of mean origin, who ingratiated himself into favor with the Emperor, and was appointed procurator of Judea. His son, Herod, was born B.C. 62. He began his career very early for he was made procurator of Galilee when only fifteen years old. Josephus tells us this was no impediment to him, for he possessed great ability, courage and ambition. In B.C. 40 he was appointed King of the Jews. In the 18th year of his reign he undertook to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem, not at the urge of piety, for he was a very wicked man, guilty of the murder of his own wife, and sons, and of many others also. His motive was to ingratiate himself with the Jews, and to get the glory of such an ambitious undertaking. Both the Bible and Josephus tells us of the rebuilding of the Temple.
At first the Jews stood in doubt of his intentions for it seemed sacrilegious that an Idumean, a heathen king, should rebuild the sacred Temple. But Herod soon showed he was in earnest, for he got together ten thousand wagons to transport the stones required for such an undertaking, and requisitioned ten thousand skilled workmen for the prosecution of the task. So gigantic were the efforts made that in a year and six months the Temple was opened with great rejoicings on the part of the Jews. Additions were added to it from time to time, which account for the remarks of the Jews when they said, "Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it in three days? But He [the Lord] spake of the temple of His body." (John 2:20, 2120Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21But he spake of the temple of his body. (John 2:20‑21)).
Dr. Edersheim described this Temple:- " But alone and isolated in its grandeur rose the Temple Mount. Terrace upon terrace its courts rose, till high above the city, within the enclosure of marble cloisters, cedar-roofed and highly ornamented, the—Temple itself stood out, a mass of snowy marble and gold, glittering in the sunlight, against the half-encircling green of Olivet. In all his wanderings the Jew had not seen a city like his own Jerusalem. Not Antioch in Asia, not even imperial Rome itself, excelled it in architectural splendor."
In the last few months of the end of Herod the Great's reign our Lord was born at Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecy that had waited seven centuries for its fulfillment, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel [meaning, God with us."] (Isaiah 7:54).
Matt. 2 is the only place in Scripture where Herod the Great is mentioned. That Chapter tells us of the wise men, who came from the east to Jerusalem to inquire where was born the King of the Jews, for they had seen His star in the east, and had come to worship Him. Herod hearing of this was troubled, for was not he king of the Jews, and was not this a rival appearing on the scene?
Doubtless behind This was the sinister influence of Satan, who would put all his power to work to drive Herod to take measures to destroy the young Child.
Calling the chief priests and scribes of the people he demanded to know where Christ should be born. They replied in Bethlehem according to Micah's centuries-old prophecy. Then Herod called secretly for the wise men, and instructed them to locate where the Child Jesus was, and he would go and worship Him. But this was only a ruse. The wise men were warned by an angel that they should not return to Herod', but depart some other way. The King, finding himself mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly wroth, and slew all the children of two years old and under in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof with the intent of thus procuring the death of the young Child. But Joseph warned of God took Him, and His mother by night, and escaped to Egypt.
Not long after Herod, who had lived an evil and debauched life, and had given full rein to his passions and lusts, came to his death-bed. He died in untold agonies, his body a mass of horrible corruption. Can we not see a connection between his hatred of the. Son of God, and the end to which he came? He was about seventy years old. What did he sow? What did he reap?