OBJECTION 47. — HEROD

“Herod’s heart grew still harder, and when he heard that Jesus had arisen, he was not much troubled. He took the life of James; and when he saw that this pleased the Jews, he took Peter also, intending to put him to death.” Spiritual Gifts 1:11. Here says the objector, she makes out that the same Herod that was concerned in the trial of Jesus, was the one that put James to death. This statement is not true. We ask, How does the Bible speak of these Herods? Simply as Herod. It is Herod at the trial of Christ, and Herod at the death of James. We go to history to learn the distinction between them. but it may be said, the pronoun, he, is used referring directly to the Herod first mentioned. Very well, we have already produced an instance from the Bible where the pronoun, he refers to Satan, when the only expressed antecedent is the Lord. See page 35. But let us look at these Herods. We shall find that they were alike in more respects that in name. What Herod put James to death? Herod Agripa I. Who was this Herod? Nephew and brother-in-law of Herod Antipas, who took part in the trial of Christ. He was raised to power in A. D. 38, and it was at his instigation that, three years later, in A. D. 41, Antipas was banished to Lyons, and Agrippa succeeded to his throne. He also pursued the same toward the Christians as Antipas. This is proved by his persecution of the disciples. Moreover he must have understood fully the position and claims of the Christians, inasmuch as his son, Agrippa II., on succeeding to his father’s government, years afterward, became so fully acquainted with them, that Paul addressed him in the following confident language respecting the sufferings of Christ, and his resurrection from the dead: “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner!”VEGW 115.2

Then here we have Agrippa succeeding his uncle Antipas, in the government, succeeding him in disposition, succeeding him in the same course of action toward the Christians, and well acquainted with all the facts in reference to Christ, so that they should have had as much effect on him as upon his uncle and predecessor, Antipas. Then why not associate them together as one link in the Herodian dynasty, as well as to speak of a succession of kings as constituting one horn of a beast, as in the case of the four horns of the goat, or to take a succession of popes to represent a single man of sin?VEGW 116.1