Sunday, October 25, 2020

The Acts of the Apostles, the history of the early church, by Luke the physician - Acts 12:20-24 comments: Herod's death

 


Acts 12:20 ¶  And Herod was highly displeased with them of 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 Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23  And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 24  But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25  And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

 

There are other instances in history where men are said to be eaten of worms. In particular, the Roman historian, Plutarch, in his Lives of Illustrious Men notes that the Roman tyrant, Sylla, among others, suffered this fate. Similarly, in the Apocryphal book, Second Maccabees, the evil Antiochus Epiphanes suffers something very similar. This punishment, this judgment was swift and sudden and the wicked Herod went to Hell.

 

Still, God’s word produced much fruit and Barnabas and Saul took John Mark with them back to Antioch.

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