Acts 12:6-11 6Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, having been bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood, and a light shone in the prison cell. And after striking Peter on the side, he woke him, saying, “Get up with quickness.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so, and he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9And after he went out, he followed him, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but he thought he was seeing a vision. 10And when they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate, which led into the city. It automatically opened for them, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11And when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s hand and from all the expectations of the Jewish people.”
The details in verse 6 give a bad picture of Peter and heighten the drama and significance of what was about to take place. The Passover was finished, and Herod was about to carry out his plan to get rid of Peter. Herod may have been anticipating Peter’s trial because it would have made Herod a hero to the Jewish leaders, thus giving him more legitimacy and power. Meanwhile, Peter’s being asleep, secured between two soldiers and a guarded locked door, gives the image of peace and no worry, while also no possible escape. Things did look bad for Peter’s outcome, yet he slept. Herod must have thought he had done well with the security and plans for trial and execution.
The situation changed when an angel of the Lord appeared in verse 7. A little humor is added by the angel having to hit Peter to get him awake. Peter must have been exhausted or in a deep sleep because the angel told him all the steps to follow: get up, get your shoes on, get dressed, and get out! Verse 9 gives more humor with Peter thinking everything was a dream. Each stage of the escape shows God’s guidance through the angel. The final opening of the outer iron gate by itself was surreal and obviously a divine miracle, like the exclamation point at the end of a sentence. The angel left Peter only after he was clearly free and away from the prison. When Peter came to himself, he became aware that this was not a dream but reality. His response gives three confirmations of God’s protection: the presence of an angel, rescue from Herod’s scheme to kill him, and rescue from the Jewish people’s hopes to get rid of him.
The situation had changed dramatically in Jerusalem. The opposition had increased, going from the Sanhedrin now to the level of the king. This situation suggests that the number of believers had grown to the point that the Roman political leaders were now taking notice. Under circumstances like this, the natural human response would be concern and even fear. Those who were praying for Peter would have been inclined to fear for Peter’s safety and their own. If the authorities could execute James, arrest Peter, what about them? Peter’s dramatic rescue would be God’s answer to these fears. God does not always rescue people, as Peter experienced. Sometimes believers face terrible opposition, as James experienced. God’s grace and protection should never be taken for granted and recognized even in the simple things of life.
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