Acts Chapter 12 Star Chart: Clockwise from the Days of Unleavened Bread in 41 AD when "Herod the king (Cepheus) stretched forth his (two red radius) hands ...And he (Orion) (red radius) killed (Auriga) James the brother of John with the (lunar crescent) sword" (12:1-2) till "when (Cepheus) Herod would have brought him forth, the same night (Argo) Peter was sleeping between two Gemini) soldiers, bound with two (red radius iron) chains: and the (Gemini) keepers before the (solar brass) door kept the prison. And, behold, the (solar golden) angel of the Lord came upon him, and a (solar golden) light shined in the prison: and he (red radius) smote (Argo) Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his (red radius) chains fell off from his hands" (12:6-7) is 30° hours on Abib 22 since that is the first opportunity "after the (eight-day) Passover (festival) to bring him forth to the (Gemini) people" (Acts 12:4). Herod no doubt was thinking: "Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people" (Matt. 26:5) or "Not during the eight days of the Passover celebration."

“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea he came to the city Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower; and there he exhibited spectacles in honor of Caesar, for whose well-being he’d been informed that a certain festival was being celebrated. At this festival a great number were gathered together of the principal persons of dignity of his province. On the second day of the spectacles he put on a garment made wholly of silver, of a truly wonderful texture, and came into the theater early in the morning. There the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays, shone out in a wonderful manner, and was so resplendent as to spread awe over those that looked intently upon him. Presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, (though not for his good) that he was a god; and they added, “Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.” Upon this the king neither rebuked them nor rejected their impious flattery. But he shortly afterward looked up and saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, just as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain arose in his belly, striking with a most violent intensity. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, ‘I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.’ When he had said this, his pain became violent.”[Antiquities, 19.8.2]

Herod Was Smitten Because He Didn't Give God the Glory

 

12:1 Now about that time (41 AD) (Cepheus) Herod the king stretched forth his (two red radius) hands to vex certain of the church.

This was Herod Agrippa 1. The Syriac so renders it expressly, and the chronology requires us so to understand it. He was a grandson of Herod the Great, and one of the sons of Aristobulus, whom Herod put to death (Josephus, Antiq., 18, 5). Agrippa, according to Josephus (xix. 7. 3), was anxious to be esteemed a devout Jew: “He loved to live continually at Jerusalem, and was exactly careful in the observance of the laws of his country. He therefore kept himself entirely pure, nor did any day pass over his head without its appointed sacrifice.” Such a man might easily be roused, by the Jews whom he was so anxious to please, to the perpetration of cruelties upon the Christians.

2 And he killed (Auriga) James the brother of John with the (lunar crescent) sword.

3 And because he (lunar eyeball) saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take (Orion) Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in (red radius iron bar) prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter (Passover) to bring him forth to the (Gemini) people.

5 Peter therefore was kept in (Argo) prison: but (red radius) prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6 And when (Cepheus) Herod would have brought him forth, the same night (Argo) Peter was sleeping between two Gemini) soldiers, bound with two (red radius iron) chains: and the (Gemini) keepers before the (solar brass) door kept the prison.

7 And, behold, the (solar golden) angel of the Lord came upon him, and a (solar golden) light shined in the prison: and he (red radius) smote (Argo) Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his (red radius) chains fell off from his hands.

8 And the (solar golden) angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy (lunar crescent) sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

10 When they were past the first (Pollux) and the second (Castor) ward, they came unto the iron (lunar crescent) gate that leadeth unto the city; which (lunar crescent) opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the (red radius) hand of (Cepheus) Herod, and from all the expectation of the (Gemini) people of the Jews.

12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

13 And as (Orion) Peter knocked at the door of the (lunar) gate, a (Auriga) damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

14 And when she knew Peter's (red radius) voice, she opened not the (lunar) gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how (Orion) Peter stood before the gate.

15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

16 But (Orion) Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the (lunar) door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, (red radius) declared unto them how the (solar golden) Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto (Argo) James, and to the (Gemini) brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

18 Now as soon as it was (sun on red radius horizon) day, there was no small stir among the (Gemini) soldiers, what was become of Peter.

19 And when (Cepheus) Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the (Gemini) keepers, and commanded that they should be (red radius) put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of (Gemini) Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

21 And upon a set day (Auriga) Herod, arrayed in (red radius) royal apparel, sat upon his (Auriga) throne, and made an (red radius) oration unto them.

22 And the (Gemini) people gave a shout, saying, It is the (red radius) voice of a god, and not of a man.

23 And immediately the (solar golden) angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of (lunar crescent) worms, and gave up the ghost.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And (Gemini) Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them (Argo) John, whose surname was Mark.


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