Acts 12:5 - Meaning and Application

Here we have Peter’s rescue from prison, which defeated Herod’s plan against him, spared his life for more work, and put a stop to this bloody attack. One thing that made this rescue especially clear was that it came as a direct answer to prayer (Acts 12:5). Peter was held with great care, so it looked impossible to get him out by force or by secret means. But the church prayed without stopping to God for him, because prayer is one of the church’s weapons. With prayer and tears, the church fights, not only against its enemies, but also for its friends.

The delay in Peter’s trial gave them time to pray. It is likely that James had been killed so quickly and so privately that they had no time to pray for him. God so ordered it that they had no room to pray when he planned not to give them the thing they asked for. James had to be offered up in the service of their faith, so prayer for him was held back. But Peter was to remain with them, so prayer for him was stirred up, and Herod’s delay gave them that time. He did not mean it that way, but God did.

They prayed very specifically for Peter, asking God to defeat Herod’s plan and rescue the lamb from the lion’s jaws. James’s death made them pray for Peter with greater zeal, because if they were struck again and again, they feared the enemy would make a full end of them. Stephen was gone, James was gone, and would they take Peter too? All these things seemed to be against them, adding sorrow to sorrow (Philippians 2:27). Even though the death and suffering of Christ’s ministers may greatly help Christ’s kingdom, the church still has the duty and concern to pray earnestly for their life, freedom, and peace. Sometimes Providence brings them into great danger just to stir up prayer for them.

Prayer was made without ceasing, or, as the phrase means, fervent prayer. It is the same kind of earnest praying used to describe Christ’s prayer in his agony. It is the prayer of a righteous person that is powerful and effective. Some think the phrase means they kept praying steadily and continually, and that is how we should understand it here. They prayed without stopping. They prayed for Peter’s release in public meetings, likely avoiding private meetings because of fear of the Jews. Then they prayed for him in their homes, and then in private prayer. In this way, they prayed without ceasing. Or perhaps one group of believers kept a day of prayer, or even a night of prayer, for him (Acts 12:12). Times of public trouble and danger should become times of prayer for the church. We must pray always, but especially then.

Another thing that made Peter’s rescue remarkable was that it happened just as the king’s command was about to be carried out, as in Esther 9:1-2. Notice when his rescue came. It was the very night before Herod planned to bring him out, which made the rescue a greater comfort to his friends and a greater shame to his enemies. It is likely that some who had influence with Herod, or some around him, had tried to win Peter’s release, but it had failed. Herod had decided that Peter must die. By then, people had given up hope of changing his mind, because the next day was already set for Peter to be brought out. It was probably expected that they would finish with him as quickly as they had with his Master. Then God opened a way of escape. God often helps at the very last moment, when there is no human hope left (Deuteronomy 32:36). For that reason people have said, “The worse things get, the better it is for God’s help to appear.”

It was also remarkable that Peter was fastened with two chains between two soldiers, so that if he moved, they would wake up. The prison doors were no doubt locked and bolted too, and to make sure, guards stood watch before the door. No one could have done more to keep a prisoner safe. Herod likely said, as Pilate did, “Make it as secure as you can” (Matthew 27:65). When people think they are too strong for God, God shows that he is stronger than they are.

Peter was also asleep between the soldiers, fast asleep. He was not terrified by the danger, though death was very near and there was no visible way out. There was only a step between him and death, and yet he could lie down in peace and sleep in the middle of his enemies. He slept, perhaps while they were awake, because he had a good cause, a clear conscience, and confidence that God would end his trial in the way that brought him the most glory. He had placed his case in the hands of the one who judges fairly, so his soul could rest. Even in prison, between two soldiers, God gave him sleep, as he gives sleep to those he loves.

He also was not expecting to be delivered. He was not lying awake, looking here and there for help. He was asleep, and his rescue came as a complete surprise. In that way the church was like those in Psalm 126:1, “We were like those who dream.”

It also made Peter’s rescue much greater that an angel was sent from heaven on purpose to free him. That made his escape both possible and right. The angel brought him a lawful release and also enabled him to use it. The angel of the Lord stood over him. Peter seemed to be abandoned by people, yet he was not forgotten by God. The Lord was thinking about him. Gates and guards kept his friends away, but they could not keep God’s angels away. God’s angels surround those who fear him and deliver them (Psalm 34:7), so they need not fear, even if an enemy army surrounds them (Psalm 27:3). Wherever God’s people are, and however tightly they are surrounded, they still have a way open toward heaven, and nothing can block their fellowship with God.

A light also shone in the prison. Though it was a dark place, and it was night, Peter was allowed to see his way clearly. Some have noted that in the Old Testament we do not read that light shone when angels appeared, because that was a darker time, and the glory of angels was then hidden. But in the New Testament, when angels appear, the light around them is noticed, because the gospel brings the upper world into view.

The soldiers to whom Peter was chained were either put into a deep sleep for the moment, as Saul and his men were when David took Saul’s spear and water jug, or they were awake and the angel’s appearance made them shake and stand helpless, as the guard at Christ’s tomb did. The angel woke Peter by striking him on the side, a gentle touch that was enough to stir him, though he had slept so soundly that even the bright light did not wake him. When God’s people grow dull in a time of danger, and God’s word does not wake them, they should expect some painful trouble to rouse them. It is better to be awakened that way than to stay asleep.

The angel’s message was, “Get up quickly.” It was not that the angel feared losing time, but Peter must not linger. When David heard the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, he had to rise quickly and act. Peter’s chains fell off his hands. They had been fastened to make him secure, but God loosed them. If they fell from his hands, it was as though he had Samson’s strength to snap them like dry thread.

Tradition makes a great deal of these chains and tells a whole story about one soldier keeping them as a holy relic, then later giving them to the empress Eudoxia, with claims of miracles. The Roman Catholic Church even keeps a yearly feast on August 1 to remember Peter’s chains, the Feast of Peter’s Chains, though this event happened at Passover. They seem strangely eager to honor Peter’s chains, perhaps hoping to use them to enslave the world.

Peter was then told to dress at once and follow the angel, and he did so. When he was fully awake, he knew no better than to obey the angel’s directions. He had to gird himself, since sleeping clothes were loosened. He had to put on his sandals so he could walk. Those whom God frees by his grace should have their feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. He also had to throw on his outer garment and come with the angel.

He went out and followed him. Those delivered from spiritual bondage must follow their deliverer, just as Israel followed God out of the house of slavery. They went out, not knowing where they were going, but knowing whom they followed. Peter did not yet realize that this was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision, and that is understandable, since a heavenly vision can be so vivid that it seems as real as ordinary life. When the Lord restored his people’s captivity, they were like those who dreamed (Psalm 126:1). Peter felt the same way. The news was too good to seem true.

The angel then led him safely past danger, through the first guard and the second. They passed the watch without any resistance, and likely without being noticed, either because the guards could not see them, could not move, or lost courage. In this way the angel and Peter went safely through the first and second ward. Those guards were like the watchmen of the Jewish church, on whom God had poured out a spirit of sleep, with eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear (Romans 11:8). Their watchmen are blind, sleeping, lying down, and loving to slumber.

Still, there was an iron gate at the end, and that could have stopped them if God had not acted. If the guards had recovered themselves, they might have taken Peter back, as Pharaoh hoped to catch Israel again at the Red Sea. But when they came to the gate, it opened by itself. No hand touched it. An unseen power opened it, and in this the promise to Cyrus was fulfilled exactly: “I will open before him the two-leaved gates, break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut through the bars of iron” (Isaiah 45:1-2). The gate likely shut again on its own, so none of the guards could follow Peter.

When God works to save his people, no obstacle is too hard for him. Even iron gates open of their own accord. This iron gate led them from the castle into the city, though it is not certain whether it was inside or outside the city walls. After passing through it, they were in the street. Peter’s rescue shows us our redemption by Christ. Scripture often speaks of this as freeing prisoners, not only announcing liberty to captives, but actually bringing them out of prison. The applying of that redemption in conversion is God sending prisoners out by the blood of the covenant from the pit without water (Zechariah 9:11).

God’s grace works like the angel of the Lord here. It first brings light into the prison by opening the mind, then strikes the sleeping sinner on the side by awakening the conscience, makes the chains fall from the hands by renewing the will, and then gives the command, “Dress yourself and follow me.” We must pass through difficulties and face the opposition of Satan and his agents, the first and second ward, and that stubborn crowd from which we need to save ourselves. Yet we will be saved by God’s grace if we place ourselves under his leading. In the end, the iron gate will open for us too, and we will enter the New Jerusalem, fully freed from every mark of captivity and brought into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

When this was done, the angel left Peter and went away. Peter was now out of danger from his enemies and did not need a guard. He knew where he was and how to find his friends, so he no longer needed a guide. The heavenly messenger could therefore leave him. Miracles are not to be expected where ordinary means are enough. When Peter had no more guards or iron gates to pass through, he only needed the ordinary unseen help of the angels, who camp around those who fear God and rescue them.

Now the writer turns to how this great rescue was made known to Peter himself and to others. The first thing we are told is how Peter came to himself, and so came to understand what had happened to him (Acts 12:11).

So many strange and sudden things happened to Peter, just awakened from sleep, that for a while he was confused. He did not know where he was, what he was doing, or whether this was imagination or reality. But at last he came fully to himself and saw that it was no dream, but a real event. “Now I know for certain,” he said, “now I know truly, that this is truth, not an illusion. The Lord Jesus has sent his angel, for angels serve him and carry out his orders. He has delivered me from Herod’s hands, though Herod thought he had me safely trapped, and he has disappointed the whole hope of the Jews, who expected to see Peter executed the next day.” This was a matter of great expectation, not only among ordinary people, but also among the leading Jews.

When Peter had gathered himself, he saw clearly what great things God had done for him. At first, he could hardly believe it because he was so glad. In the same way, souls rescued from spiritual bondage are not always aware at first what God has done in them. Many truly have grace, but they do not yet have full assurance of it. They wonder whether this change has really happened, or whether they have only been dreaming. But when the Comforter, whom the Father sends in his time, comes, he lets them know for sure what a blessed change has taken place and what a happy state they have entered.

Peter then went to his friends and made the rescue known to them. This is told in detail, and it is very worth noticing. He first thought the matter over. He considered how close his danger had been, how great his deliverance was, and what he should do next. God’s providence leaves room for prudence, and even when God has begun and promised to complete his work, he still expects us to think carefully. Peter then went straight to a friend’s house, likely one that was near the place where he had been kept. It was the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark and sister of Barnabas. This house seems to have been used often for the disciples’ private meetings, either because it was out of sight, or because Mary was especially willing to open her doors to them. No doubt it was blessed for the church’s sake, like the house of Obed-edom was blessed for the ark’s sake. A church in the home makes it a little sanctuary.

There he found many people gathered together and praying, deep in the night, praying for Peter, who was to stand trial the next day and asking God to find some way to deliver him. They kept on praying, which showed how earnest they were. They did not think it enough to bring his case to God just once, but they returned to it again and again. We are told to pray always and not give up. As long as a mercy is delayed, we should keep asking for it. It seems that as the crisis drew near, and the next day was set for the decision, they prayed even more eagerly than before. That was a good sign that God meant to deliver Peter, because he never tells the descendants of Jacob, “Seek my face” in vain. They gathered together for prayer, even though this could have made them targets if the government found out. Still, they knew the value of united prayer, as Christ had taught in (Matthew 18:19-20). God’s praying people have always joined their strength together, as in (2 Chronicles 20:4) and (Esther 4:16).

Many had come together for this work, as many as the room could hold. One prayed, then another, among those who gave themselves to the word and prayer, and the rest joined with them. If they did not have ministers among them, there were surely many private Christians there who knew how to pray well, pray with care, and continue long in prayer when the hearts of those around them were stirred to keep pace. This was at night, when others were asleep, which showed both wisdom and zeal. It is good for Christians to meet privately for prayer, especially in times of trouble, and not to neglect such gatherings.

Peter came to them while they were still at prayer, which was a direct and immediate answer to their request. It was as if God said, “You are asking for Peter to be restored to you, and now here he is.” Even while they were still speaking, God heard them (Isaiah 65:24). In the same way, the angel brought Daniel an answer of peace while he was still praying (Daniel 9:20-21). Ask, and it will be given.

Peter knocked at the gate, and it was not easy to get him inside. He did this to wake them from sleep, and there is no sign that he knew he was interrupting their prayers. Still, if his friends had been allowed to speak with him privately in prison, he may have known about this meeting, and that is likely what he remembered and considered when he decided to go there, expecting to find many friends together. When he knocked, a young servant girl came to listen at the door, not to open it until she knew who was there, friend or enemy, and what they wanted, because she feared informers. We are not told whether this girl belonged to the household or to the church, or whether she was a servant or a daughter. Since her name is given, she seems to have been known among the Christians and especially eager for the better things, more than most her age.

She recognized Peter’s voice, because she had often heard him pray, preach, and speak with much pleasure. But instead of opening the gate at once and letting him in from the cold, she opened it not for joy. In a burst of excitement, she forgot herself and delayed what kindness required. She ran in, likely up to the upper room where they were gathered, and told them that Peter was surely at the gate, though she did not dare open it in case she had been deceived and it was really an enemy. But when she said Peter was there, they replied, “You are mad, it cannot be him, because he is in prison.” Often what we long for most is what we find hardest to believe, because we fear deceiving ourselves, just as the disciples did not believe the news of Christ’s resurrection because they were filled with joy. Still, the girl held to her claim. Then they said, “It is his angel” (Acts 12:15). Some take this to mean simply a messenger from him, since angel can often mean messenger.

It is used of John’s messengers (Luke 7:24, 7:27) and of Christ’s messengers (Luke 9:52). When the servant girl was sure it was Peter because she knew his voice, they thought she meant the man at the door had only said he was Peter. So they offered this explanation of the problem: “It is one who comes from him on business, and you have mistaken him for Peter himself.” Dr. Hammond thinks this is the easiest way to understand the verse.

Second, they may have meant Peter’s guardian angel, or some other angel, had taken his shape and voice and was standing at the gate in his likeness. Some think they imagined his angel appeared as a sign that Peter’s death was near. This fits a common old belief that just before someone dies, a spirit in that person’s exact appearance is sometimes seen while the person is elsewhere. People called this their ward, meaning their angel, the one who guarded them. If that is the meaning here, then they took the sight as a bad sign. They believed their prayers had been refused, and the message of the appearance was, “Let this be enough, Peter must die, so say no more.” If we read it that way, it only shows that they held that belief at the time. It does not prove that the thing itself was real.

Others think they took it to be an angel from heaven sent to answer their prayers. But why would they imagine the angel taking Peter’s voice and shape, when Scripture does not show angels appearing like that? Perhaps they were using a Jewish idea that every good person has a special guardian angel assigned to him, and that angel sometimes takes his form. The heathen called this a good spirit that stayed with a man. But since no other Scripture teaches this, this one place is too weak to support such a doctrine. We do know that angels are serving spirits for the good of those who will be saved, that they care for them, and that they camp around them. So we do not need to insist that every believer has one personal guardian angel, when we are sure he has the protection of angels.

At last they let Peter in (Acts 12:16). He kept knocking, even while they delayed to open the door, and finally they admitted him. The iron gate that kept him from freedom opened by itself, without even a knock, but the door of his friend’s house, where he was to be welcomed, did not open on its own. It had to be knocked at again and again. In this way Peter was kept from being proud because of the honor the angel had shown him. Instead, he met a humbling delay, as if his friends had slighted him. Yet when they saw him, they were astonished, filled with wonder and joy. Their joy was as great as their sorrow and fear had been just moments before.

Peter then told them how he had been rescued. He came to the group that had gathered with so much earnest prayer for him, and they came around him with equal eagerness to celebrate his release. They were so excited that Peter could hardly make himself heard when he warned them about the danger of being overheard. He had to signal with his hand for them to be quiet. Then he told them how the Lord Jesus, through an angel, had brought him out of prison. It is likely that, since he had found them praying for his release, he did not leave until he and they had together given thanks to God for freeing him. Or, if he had to leave quickly, they likely stayed and gave thanks afterward. What is gained by prayer should be worn with praise, and God should always get the glory for what brings us comfort. When David tells what God has done for his soul, he blesses God because God did not turn away his prayer (Psalm 66:16, 66:20).

Peter also sent word to his other friends: “Tell these things to James and the brothers with him.” They may have been gathered in another place at the same time, praying for the same matter at the throne of grace. This is one way the fellowship of believers is kept alive, as they struggle together in prayer, acting together even when far apart, like Esther and Mordecai. Peter wanted James and the others to hear of his deliverance, not only so they could be relieved of their fear, but also so they could give thanks to God with him and for him. Notice that although Herod had killed one James with the sword, there was still another James, and he was in Jerusalem too, ready to lead the brothers there. When God has work to do, he will never lack the people to do it.

Peter then had only one thing left to do for the moment, to look after his own safety, and he did so. He left and went to another place, one that was less known and therefore safer. He knew the city well enough to find a place of shelter. Even the Christian duty of self-denial and suffering for Christ has not canceled the natural duty of preserving our own lives and taking care for our safety, as far as God gives us lawful means to do so.

Now, after seeing Peter’s friends rejoice at his rescue, we should notice the confusion it caused his enemies. Their alarm was even greater because so many people had been expecting Peter’s death. The guards were thrown into complete confusion (Acts 12:18), because they knew how serious it was for them if a prisoner escaped under their watch. At daybreak they found the prisoner gone, and there was a great stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. He was gone, and no one knew how or where. They had been as sure of him as possible just the night before, but now the bird had flown, and they could get no news of him. This set them against one another. One blamed another, saying, “It was your fault,” while the other said, “No, it was yours.” They had no way to clear themselves except by accusing each other. Among us, if even a debtor prisoner escapes, the sheriff must answer for the debt. In the same way, the persecutors of Christ’s gospel have often been filled with frustration when they have seen God’s cause keep winning, despite all their resistance.

The houses were searched, but the rescued prisoner could not be found (Acts 12:19). Herod looked for him and did not find him. Who can find the one whom God has hidden? Baruch and Jeremiah were safe, though men searched for them, because the Lord had hidden them (Jeremiah 36:26). In times of public danger, all believers have God as their hiding place. It is a secret place the world cannot discover, and a strong place the world cannot reach.

The guards were held responsible for Peter’s escape. Herod questioned them and found that they could give no proper account of how Peter got away, so he ordered them to be put to death, according to Roman law. This fits the old rule, “If he is found missing, your life will be for his life” (1 Kings 20:39).

It is likely these guards had treated Peter more harshly than they needed to, much like the jailer in (Acts 16:24). They may also have abused other prisoners in similar ways. If so, they were now justly punished for a crime that was not really theirs, by the very man who had set them to oppose the church. When wicked people are caught in the trap they set for others, the Lord is known by the judgments he carries out.

Still, some think the matter may have ended differently. If the guards had not really made themselves guilty before God, then it would be hard to say that innocent men suffered for something that was entirely God’s work. So it is possible, as some have guessed, that Herod ordered them to be put to death only to please the Jews, who were bitterly disappointed by Peter’s escape, but that they were never actually executed, because Herod’s own death soon after stopped it.

Herod himself was deeply humiliated by the event. He went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. He was angry and frustrated, like a lion whose prey had slipped away. He had built up the Jews’ expectations about Peter and had, in effect, promised them Peter’s head. That made him ashamed to be mocked by his own boast and to find that, despite his confidence, he could not make good on his word. His proud spirit could not bear to remain in Judea, so he left for Caesarea.

Josephus says Herod came to Caesarea at the end of the third year of his rule over all Judea (Antiquities 19.343). He adds that Herod came there to celebrate the games held in honor of Caesar, attended by a large crowd of the kingdom’s nobles and leading men, for Caesar’s health and in his honor.