Posted on September 21, 2016 by Steven Richichi

Angelic Deliverance

Acts 12:1-19 (ESV)  About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.  6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”  12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.  18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

Herod (the grandson of the Herod who was ruling at the time Jesus was born, and who tried to have him killed as a child) killed James (the brother of John) and was intending the same fate for Peter because it pleased the Jews — but God had other plans for Peter and Herod.  Beware the leaven of Herod (man pleasing, politicians).  Also the leaven of the Pharisees (legalism) and the Saducees (DENIAL OF THE SUPERNATURAL, religion without power).

  1. The heavy guard was required because of fear of another angel aided escape by Peter as had happened a few years before.  Acts 5:17-25 (ESV)  But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.  Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.  22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
  1. But, as before, the guard made no difference, an angel helped Peter to escape in response to the prayer of the church.

Hebrews 1:14 (ESV)  Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? The ministry of angels is spoken of repeatedly in the word of God. Their ministry is to minister for us and bring salvation; conversely, they bring destruction to the ungodly who violate the covenant.

  1. Hebrews 9:5 (ESV)  Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Angels perform an important function in carrying out the covenant.  Exod. 25:18-22
  1. Jeremiah 1:11-12 (ESV)  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” They watch over the communion between God and man and hasten to perform it. That communion includes prayer, words, and heart faith.
  1. Angels hearken to the voice of the word.  Psalms 103:20-21 (ESV)  Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!  21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!  Don’t exhalt the angel but the God who sent the angel.  Have faith in God.
  1. Angels are given charge to protect you when you say of the Lord (He is!).  Psalms 91:1-13 (ESV)  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.  4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.  5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,  6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.  7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.  9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.  11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
  1. Daniel believed and angels responded by shutting the lions’ mouths.  Angels play close attention to prayer and words.  Daniel 6:19-23 (ESV)  Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
  1. Jesus could have prayed and angels would have delivered him.  Matthew 26:53-54 (ESV) Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”  Trust in God and let Him determine the method of your deliverance.
  1. At another time Jesus spoke the word and angels came and ministered to him.  Mark 1:12-13 (ESV) The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

The vicious, vain Herod (Josephus, a historian of the day, described Herod as so vain that this “royal apparel” was made of silver so it would glisten in the sun; when he spoke in his “orator’s voice” and the people shouted that it was the voice of a god he did nothing to dispel the idea”) suffered the fate he deserved, again, carried out by an angel who brought judgment from God.  Acts 12:20-24 (ESV)  Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.  24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

If you trust God, He will deliver you.