Acts 12

 

 

"THE GATE SWUNG OPEN!"

 

 

1 About that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict and oppress and torment some who belonged to the church (assembly)

 

²And he killed James the brother of John with a sword;

 

³ And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week].

 

⁴ And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

 

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly).

 

⁶ The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

 

⁷ And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands.

 

⁸ And the angel said to him, Tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me.

 

⁹ And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

 

¹⁰ When they had passed through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city. Of its own accord [the gate] swung open, and they went out and passed on through one street; and at once the angel left him.

 

¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, Now I really know and am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting [to do to me].

 

¹² When he, at a glance, became aware of this [^[a]comprehending all the elements of the case], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where a large number were assembled together and were praying.

 

¹³ And when he knocked at the gate of the porch, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

 

¹⁴ And recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she failed to open the gate, but ran in and told the people that Peter was standing before the porch gate.

 

¹⁵ They said to her, You are crazy! But she persistently and strongly and confidently affirmed that it was the truth. They said, It is his angel!

 

¹⁶ But meanwhile Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed.


DEAR PRECIOUS BELIEVER; KNOW THIS DAY NO MATTER THE PRISON YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF IN, BE IT MIND, BODY OR SPIRIT, THE GATE WILL BE OPEN, THE CHAINS WILL FALL, AND THE SOLDIERS OF THE ENEMY WILL BE SEDATED. YOU THEREFORE WILL BE DELIVERED, AND THE MAIN GATE WILL OPEN BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES. WHY?  FERVENT PRAYER IS PERSISTENTLY BEING MADE BEFORE GOD BY THE CHURCH.



Luke 11:9

So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.