Acts 12:7, commentary and pictures

On the last night before his planned execution, Peter lies asleep in perfect trust between two soldiers with swollen wrists in irons inside a secured rock cell guarded to prevent any rescue. A mighty angel sent from heaven passes through the outer gates, fills the cell with heavenly light, touches Peter on the side to wake him, and commands him to rise quickly. As Peter rises in amazement, his chains break from his wrists, and what he first takes for a vision proves to be an actual deliverance into the street free and clothed. The release is God's triumph and not human escape, coming in answer to fervent prayer while human help is impossible, leaving bolts, bars and chained guards in place while the prisoner is gone. The same touch that rouses and frees Peter stands opposite the later stroke that brings judgment and death upon Herod for persecuting the church, and the contrast leads many to believe.

Prison Setting Before Rescue

The imprisonment takes place under Herod Agrippa, who ruled Judea subject to Claudius the Roman emperor and also held the position of tetrarch of Galilee. He was professedly a proselyte to the Jewish faith and zealous for the ceremonies of the Jewish law, and to obtain the favor of the Jews and make secure his offices and honors he persecuted the church of Christ. That persecution included spoiling the houses and goods of believers and imprisoning leading members of the church.

Herod cast James the brother of John into prison and had him killed with the sword, and seeing that the Jews were pleased he imprisoned Peter also after James was beheaded. Peter had been cast into prison for proclaiming Jesus after the resurrection though human law forbade it. The rescue comes on the last night before Peter's planned execution, when the day appointed for his death had come. At that hour human escape appeared impossible.

Peter lies chained between two soldiers, unable to move without their knowledge, with his sandals and outer garments removed and his wrists swollen from the irons. He is held in a secure rock cell with doors, bolts and bars, and strong outer gates, guarded by a large vigilant Roman guard that blocks rescue. The precautions are the more strict because the keepers are especially vigilant, since their own lives are required for the life of their charge. Even so, while chained between guards and doomed to death, Peter sleeps the peaceful sleep of innocence, perfect trust in God, and a good conscience.

Angel Light Touch Chains

A mighty angel from heaven, from the royal courts of heaven and the Most High, comes upon Peter to rescue him, passing through the strong outer gates without human aid. The angel of the Most High enters the rock cell, and a light shines in the prison as heavenly glory fills and illuminates the cell around the angel. The light surrounding the angel fills the cell but does not wake Peter.

He wakes only when he feels the angel's touch on his side and hears the command to arise up quickly. The smiting is a touch or stroke that rouses him from sleep to set him free, not a blow of judgment. As he rises and lifts his hands he mechanically obeys in amazement, becoming only dimly aware that his chains have fallen off his hands. They fall from his wrists and are broken off, freeing his swollen wrists from the cruel irons.

He then obeys the command to gird himself and put on his clothes and sandals. Being astonished and amazed by the light and the touch, he thinks of his garments only when told and at first forgets to attend to his clothing. At first he thinks he sees a vision, so astonished is he.

But the deliverance is actual and real, not a dream or vision. After the angel leaves, the heavenly light fades and he finds himself alone in profound darkness in a silent street, with cool night air on his brow. Fully dressed and girded and free, in a familiar part of the city, he knows his freedom is blessed reality.

God Power Answering Prayer

The freeing of Peter is God's own work, not a human escape, and a clear triumph of divine power when human rescue was impossible. No human help could have reached him, and no human power could prevent God from preserving His apostle. The precautions Herod took only made that triumph more complete and his defeat more decisive. The soldiers remained at the door, the bolts and bars stayed fast, and the chains remained secured to the wrists of the two soldiers, while the prisoner himself was gone. Guards and prison barriers stayed in place, yet the angel woke Peter and his chains fell away.

The deliverance came in answer to prayer. While the day appointed for execution had come, believers continued to send up prayers to heaven for Peter, pouring all their energy and sympathy into fervent appeals for help, and angels of God were watching over the imprisoned apostle to deliver him. God sent His messengers from heaven and opened the gates and set His servant free in answer to prayers made in his behalf. Those who prayed expected he would suffer death, and they were astonished when they heard his voice at the gate.

God delivered Peter because he still had work to do. He intervened to keep Peter from being killed and to rescue him from Herod's plan to put him to death. The escape rescued Peter from prison, from death, and from the hand of Herod and the expectation of the Jews. It frustrated Herod's plan to bring him out in the morning for execution with a great display of arms and guards to prevent escape, intimidate sympathizers, and show royal power.

Herod knew that no human power had rescued Peter, but he refused to acknowledge that divine power had frustrated his design. He set himself in bold defiance against God. Although the keepers had been especially vigilant because their own lives were required for the life of their charge, he charged the terrified guards with unfaithfulness and ordered them put to death.

Judgment Contrast and Belief

The stroke that roused Peter from sleep is not the same as the stroke that later fell on Herod; the one awakened him to set him free, the other brought mortal disease, judgment and death. In the prison the angel's touch only woke Peter from sleep as part of his rescue, and as he was aroused his chains fell from his hands. That waking blow delivered him from prison and from death and from the power of his persecutor, while the different blow against Herod was for judgment.

The same angel who rescued Peter then served as a messenger of wrath and judgment to Herod. He struck the wicked king with a different stroke that laid low his pride and brought upon him the punishment of the Almighty. This was retributive judgment for accepting worship as a god, for persecuting the followers of Christ, for killing James, for planning to kill Peter, and for venting vengeance on the prison guards. Under that judgment Herod found no relief from pain of body and anguish of mind.

Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison and death, set against the striking down of his persecutor under God's judgment, displayed divine justice. When news of these events spread, many people were led to believe in Christ.

Angelic Ministry and Presence

Acts 12:7 is one instance of the ministry by which holy angels in all ages have served God's people on missions of mercy, bringing active help, deliverance and light into prison and opening prison doors. The angel was sent to Peter when he was doomed to death in Herod's dungeon and awaiting execution, and a light filled the prison as the angel roused him and his chains fell from his hands. That sudden appearance and release shows God using heavenly messengers to rescue His servants, and shows that heavenly help can intervene in dire trial to attend to a person's immediate needs.

God employs angels to communicate with human beings, and Peter's experience is an example of angels acting as guides and powerful helpers of His chosen messengers by bringing them instruction. The angel appearing to Peter while imprisoned and condemned to death and leading him safely past the guards and barred doors and through the iron gate shows the close connection between heaven and earth. Their work is not limited to apostolic times, for though not discerned by natural sight or human vision, heavenly messengers constantly work in behalf of God's people, still comforting the sorrowing, protecting people, and leading hearts to Christ.

Angels of God from heaven come right into the prison house to those suffering in prison for the truth's sake, as the angel appearing to Peter and setting him free took the prey from the hands of the enemy. The same Lord wrought in this way in behalf of Peter and in behalf of Paul and John, and angels still come in and go out of houses, guarding and watching over the children of men as those commissioned from heaven to guard them. God is constantly working in behalf of His people in this way and is to be given credit for it, and fathers and mothers are to teach it in their own families and households by telling their children how the angel appeared to Peter and delivered him. Christ by this deliverance by the hand of an angel manifested Himself to Peter in fulfillment of His promise to manifest Himself to those who love Him in their warfare, as a pledge that He will likewise manifest Himself to all who remain faithful.

Lessons and Parallels Today

God knows the details of His people's circumstances and cares for the true and faithful even in danger. The shining of light in the prison, the rousing of Peter while bound and guarded awaiting execution, and the falling of chains from his hands show heavenly help intervening in dire trial to attend to immediate needs. That attention to what Peter needed at the moment was no dream or vision but an actual deliverance.

God's servants must obey God rather than man and must not stop preaching when threatened, imprisoned, and forbidden to proclaim Jesus after the resurrection. The miraculous freeing of Peter proves that God delivers those who take their stand to stem the current of prevailing iniquity when the message goes with a loud cry, though they will meet reproach and persecution and be brought into strait places. Believers have a message to bear wherever they are and must constantly let their light shine, even in prison.

The deliverance of Peter from an enemy determined to destroy him, when angels from heaven came right into the prison house and took the prey from the enemy, shows God constantly working in behalf of His people and guarding and watching over them. Fathers and mothers are to teach this in their own families and households, telling their children how the angel appeared to Peter and delivered him and giving God the credit for His work. When the story is read slowly and solemnly to children and youth, it makes an impression on the young mind that keeps the narrative vivid for a lifetime, because lessons taught in childhood influence character far more than older persons imagine.

The picture of Peter wakened and his chains falling away illustrates how God can unchain the words of life and free people from error and superstition. Wesley's escape from a murderous mob, when he passed safely out of danger, was a similar miraculous deliverance in which an angel in human form freed God's servant from danger, as God sent an angel to free Peter.